Recent Episodes

Christine de Pizan presenting her book to queen Isabeau of Bavaria

Purity, Paints & Poison Powders: Female Beauty Practices and Social Power in Late Medieval Italy and France

‘Good looks’ can go a long way for social climbers in modern society. However, using beauty as a tool of social mobility was a skill employed long before the arrival of Instagram influencers. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we explore the wily writings of late medieval women such as Isabella d’Este, Anne of France, and Laura Cereta. With music, sound effects, and dramatic readings, the works of these female writers are brought to life as we explore their views and beliefs regarding the intertwined themes of beauty and power.

Image of messenger, letter, and king (c 1300-c 1340) in Royal MS 10 E IV f302v-303r, British Library.

Begging for Birds and Scribbling for Saints

Meddling messengers and nefarious nuns love to gossip. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we explore the world of early medieval letter-writing and delivery in Merovingian Gaul with Dr. Robert Flierman. Why did people write letters? What material could messages be written on? How were letters delivered? And who were the messengers themselves?

Pieter Brueghel the Elder - The Dutch Proverbs c. 1551.

Bad Neighbours, Kingly Cleaners and Night-time Nuisances

Bad neighbours and weird stenches are universal, but what about jingling pigs? In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we take a look at neighbourly disputes and public sanitation in late medieval Dutch and Belgian cities with Dr. Janna Coomans. How did communities form in the late medieval Low Countries? What made a good neighbour and a bad one? And what nuisances could disrupt local harmony?

Schut- en titelblad van UBU H qu 205 uit de collectie van Van Buchell, topstuk uit de Bijzondere Collecties van de Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht

A Book a Day and a Dutchman’s Beliefs Sway

When your books matter more than your family, you had better bind them well. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we discuss the fascinating 16th-century book collection of Dutchman Huybert van Buchell with Dr. Katell Lavéant. Who was Hubert van Buchell? What sort of books did he collect and why? What is the cultural significance of his library? And how did his collection end up in Utrecht University’s Special Collections in the first place?