Holinshed: The Scottish Source

Holinshed: The Scottish Source

Author: D Field March 2, 2023 Duration: 41:58
Today we step outside the usual medieval travel subject matter on the podcast for a look into William Shakespeare's historical source for the story of Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and of course, King of Scotland, or at least of Alba. That story takes us to a 16th-century man named Reginald Wolfe, to Holinshed's Chronicles, and to the 11th-century doings of some familiar figures, of Duncan, Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, and the rest. There are some familiar scenes, such as at Dunsinane Castle, but there are also unfamiliar elements like the murder of King Duffe, from which Shakespeare did a little borrowing. If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here. I'm on Twitter @circus_human, Instagram @humancircuspod, and I have some things on Redbubble. Sources: Holinshed, Raphael. Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. J. Johnson, et al., 1808. The Oxford Handbook of Holinshed's Chronicles, edited by Felicity Heal, Ian W. Archer, & Paulina Kewes. Oxford University Press, 2013. McLuskie, Kathleen. Macbeth. Northcote House, 2009. Patterson, Annabel. Reading Holinshed's Chronicles. University of Chicago Press, 1994. Plomer, Henry Robert. A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co., 1900. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, edited by Sandra Clark & Pamela Mason. Bloomsbury, 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Step away from the dry textbook version of the Middle Ages and into the footsteps of those who actually walked it. Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World, hosted by D Field, is a narrative history series built around the voyages of real people. Each episode follows a specific traveler-whether a merchant on the Silk Road, a Franciscan friar venturing to the Mongol court, or an ambassador navigating Ottoman politics-placing their personal experiences within the sweep of larger events. You’ll hear how these individual journeys, driven by faith, trade, diplomacy, or sheer adventure, wove together a surprisingly interconnected world long before modern globalization. The podcast digs into the cultural exchanges and dramatic encounters that defined an era, all through the lens of movement and human connection. It’s about listening to history unfold as a story, where the vast and often abstract medieval world becomes immediate and personal through the voices of those who traversed it. Tune in for a deeply researched yet vividly told exploration of places, societies, and the figures who moved between them, reminding us that the past was never static.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Human Circus: Journeys in the Medieval World
Podcast Episodes
Fernao Mendes Pinto 8: First in Japan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Fernao Mendes Pinto 7: A Traveller's Guide to Ming China [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Fernao Mendes Pinto 6: Grave Robbery and Leeches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Our Portuguese adventurer resumes his piratical ways and runs into trouble on the coast of China. He and de Faria find silver in abundance, but also shipwreck, poverty, and leeches. If you like what you hear and want to…
The Medieval Winter and Other Seasons Since [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Fernao Mendes Pinto 5: Revenge and a Little Piracy Too [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:41
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Medieval Halloween: Signs in the Sky, Strange Children, etc [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:01
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Fernao Mendes Pinto 3: Melaka and the Embarrassed Envoy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:04
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Fernao Mendes Pinto 2: The Red Sea and the Siege of Diu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:49
Pinto visits the "Land of Prester John," faces trouble on the Red Sea, and brushes up against the 1538 Siege of Diu. He takes part in combat along the Indian coast, grumbles as to his lot in life, and is whisked about by…
Fernao Mendes Pinto 1: From Lisbon, Poverty, and Pirates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:02
Fernão Mendes Pinto, respected by many of his contemporaries for the expertise knowledge which he'd gained through his travels, absolutely synonymous for others with lies and exaggerations. From humble beginnings and vag…