MAP89: British Myths & Legends with Amy Jeffs

MAP89: British Myths & Legends with Amy Jeffs

Author: The Archivist February 28, 2024 Duration: 37:31

Medievalist and Art Historian Dr. Amy Jeffs joins the show to discuss her books  Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain and Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain

In Amy’s first book, Storyland she examines the origins of Britain from Noah’s flood to the Norman invasion. And there are some good stories to tell, including the incredible story of Albina, who ruled Britain, was seduced by demons and gave birth to a race of giants.

In her second book titled Wild takes you on a journey from desolation to hope. Through seven chapters of insightful reflection she is able to retell stories from medieval texts with vivid descriptions and unique perspectives.

One of the standout elements of both books are the illustrations which Amy created. Listen to the episode to find out how she created them and how the creation process helped her through the lock-down, quarantine we all dealt with.

You can find Amy Jeffs online at: Twitter/X & Instagram

You can buy Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain and Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain on Amazon.

  • (00:08) - Welcome to another episode
  • (01:35) - Amy Jeffs Interview
  • (01:56) - Amy's start into medieval history
  • (05:55) - The origins of Storyland
  • (13:33) - Favorite origin Story?
  • (14:50) - Albina, demons and the brith of giants
  • (17:57) - Let's get Wild
  • (25:54) - Creating the illustrations.
  • (29:34) - Bonus content in the audio books
  • (33:09) - New Book? Stay Tuned!
  • (34:42) - Amy's contact information and social media accounts
  • (35:09) - Thank you Amy for a great talk!
  • (35:33) - Support the podcast! Share with your friends and donate now.
  • (36:18) - Thanks for listening
Creators & Guests <----------->
Follow Medieval Archives on Twitter/X | Mastodon | Blue Sky

📜Sign Up for our newsletter
💰Become a Producer; DONATE to the show

Boost the show with a Podcasting 2.0 certified app: Castamatic | Podverse | Curiocaster | Fountain | Breez | Sphinx

★ Support this podcast ★


RSS Podcast Feed

Intro music provided by Tim Rayburn. It is available at Magnatune.com


Step into the world of Medieval Archives, where host The Archivist guides you through the sprawling, complex landscape of a thousand-year era. This isn't just a parade of dates and famous names. Instead, each episode is a deep exploration, peeling back the layers of popular legend to examine the tangible realities of medieval life. You'll hear about the strategic calculations behind what we call epic battles, the fragile alliances within courtly intrigue, and the quiet rhythms of survival in villages far from castle walls. The podcast is built on a foundation of historical evidence, carefully separating enduring fact from compelling fiction. By focusing on the people-from monarchs and saints to merchants and peasants-and the beliefs that guided them, the narrative connects these distant events to our understanding of today. Whether discussing the rise of a kingdom, the fall of a dynasty, or the evolution of a simple tool, the aim is to provide context and clarity. Tune in for a thoughtful, accessible journey that treats history not as a static record but as a continuous, human story. The medieval world was one of profound transformation, and this series seeks to illuminate how it was truly lived, felt, and shaped by those who were there.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Medieval Archives
Podcast Episodes
MAP#53: War of Scottish Independence 1296-1328 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:20
For everyone living today the Kingdom of Scotland has been apart of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. But the two kingdoms weren't always united. In fact they have only been unified for 300 years. Prior to the 1707 Tr…
MAP#52: Defending the City of God, Sharan Newman Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:44
Defender of the City of God is a new book by award winning author Sharan Newman. It examines the First Crusade, the Crusader state of Jerusalem and Queen Melisande. Sharan also writes fiction novels based in the Middle A…
MAP#51: Jacques de Molay and The Knights Templar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:47
Jacques de Molay the 23rd and final Grand Master of The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, better know as The Knights Templar. The Knights Templar formed in 1119 and quickly rose in power and wealt…
MAP#50: Medieval Torture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:47
In the Middle Ages torture was used for a variety of reasons, to gain information, to purify heretics and to punish criminals. In this lesson of the Medieval Archives Podcast we are going to explore medieval torture and…
MAP#49: Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:41
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was the most powerful Crusader State in the Middle Ages. Melisende, the daughter of King Baldwin II, would rule Jerusalem after the death of her father. A power struggle with her husband, Fulk V,…
MAP#48: Sweyn Forkbeard, The Viking King of England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
03 February 2014 marks the 1,000th anniversary of the death of King Sweyn Forkbeard. Once Forkbeard became the King of Denmark and Norway he started raiding England. After the English massacred thousands of Danes on St.…
MAP#47: Charlemagne, The Father of Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:21
January 2014 marks the 1,200th anniversary of the death of Charlemagne. He started his reign at the age of 26 as the King of the Franks. By the time of his death in 814 he was the Holy Roman Emperor and ruled the majorit…
MAP#46: Made in China: Medieval Inventions from the Far East [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
For 4000 years China has been an innovative society, starting with the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. In the Middle Ages China invented item after item that revolutionized the world for centuries to come. Some of them w…
MAP#45: 2013 Medieval Year in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:34
2013 is coming to a close. That means it's time for a year in review wrap up of the year's medieval events and we have a special guest, Peter from Medievalists.net! We discuss 10 of the top medieval stories of 2013. You…
MAP#44: Battle of Agincourt 1415 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:57
The Hundred Years' War raged for over 100 years and divided England and France like never before. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we look at a battle during the last phase of the Hundred Years' War, The Battle of…