Medieval travel writing

Medieval travel writing

Author: Weird Medieval Guys March 17, 2026 Duration: 1:55:04

Nothing beats a Jet 2 Holiday - except, of course, trekking thousands of miles across Central Asia to deliver spices, preach the gospel, or just see that's going on over there. The Mongol Empire facilitated an unprecedented transcontinental mobility, which a few people (mostly Europeans, go figure) wrote about. Some of that writing was genuinely insightful, and some was unitentionally hsyterical. Oh, and it led to the creation of one of history's most legendary archetypes: white boys who say Inshallah.

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Ever wondered what people in the Middle Ages actually talked about over a pint, or what bizarre details lurk in the margins of illuminated manuscripts? Weird Medieval Guys digs into all that and more, hosted by Olivia-the mind behind the popular online presence-and Aran, a historian with a keen eye for the odd. Together, they sift through centuries of history, art, and primary sources not to recount the grand, familiar narratives, but to uncover the strange, hilarious, and profoundly human stories that usually get left out of the textbooks. Each episode feels like a conversation with two deeply knowledgeable friends who can’t wait to tell you about the monk who drew a fighting snail in his prayer book, or the surprisingly complex social rules of medieval beekeeping. This isn’t a dry lecture; it’s an exploration of the everyday weirdness that defined an entire era, from peculiar fashion choices and questionable medical remedies to the lives of figures who were, by any measure, absolute characters. Tune in for a consistently surprising and deeply researched look at the past, where the focus is always on the details that make history feel alive, relatable, and endlessly fascinating. You’ll come away from this podcast with a new appreciation for the Middle Ages, one wonderfully weird guy at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 56

Weird Medieval Guys
Podcast Episodes
Medieval Jewish Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:54
Well, we finally made it: The Definitive Podcast (jodcast?) on medieval Jewish culture. After the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews were scattered across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Despite often-bruta…
How to solve a medieval murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:49
Taggart voice There's been a murder! Medieval life was full of murders! People were getting knifed all the time mate. But who was responsible for sorting the guilty from the innocent? What do God and intimate social know…
How did the English language change during the Middle Ages? Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:59
We've got a lovely two-parter lined up for you guys and it's all about the history of the English language during the Middle Ages! Join us as we follow English from its humble origins as a collection of Germanic dialects…
MEDIEVAL PIRATES!!!! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:48
Yarrrrrrrr!!!!!! Where's me BOOTY?! We all love stories about pirates, whether they're plundering Treasure Islands, fighting an octopus man, or stealing Tom Hanks' job. But did you know that the Middle Ages had pirates?…
What did medieval people think about fossils? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:05
Gather round, rockhounds! It's time to journey even further into the past than usual by taking a look at fossils through medieval eyes. Did dragon myths come from dinosaur bones? Did cyclops myths come from elephant bone…
Weird medieval mailbag volume 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
Happy New Year to all our Weird Medieval Guys podcast listeners and welcome back to our annual Q&A session! We solicited questions about history and the podcast from our Discord community and answered as many as we could…
How to survive a medieval winter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:28
The days have been getting shorter, the nights longer and the wind bitter-er. Even as the winter solstice draws near, the coming months of cold and darkness make spring seem still an eternity away. Making it through wint…
The Medieval Cosmos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:38
This week, we're getting in our medieval spaceship and travelling through the medieval cosmos to find out just what medieval people thought about all of that space. We'll discuss some correct ideas they had, plenty of in…