Medieval Death Trip

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Concerning Breaking into Barrows and Dealing with the Dead Oct 31, 2026

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It's our 12th anniversary Halloween episode, in which we look at three examples of encounters with burial mounds in Norse sagas. Today's Texts: The Saga of Hervor and Heithrek. In Stories and Ballads of the Far Past, translated by N. Kershaw, Cambridge UP, 1921, pp. 79-143. Internet Archive. The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. Translated by Christopher Tolkien, Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1960. Viking Society. The Story of Grettir the Strong. Translated by Eiríkr Magnússon and William Morris, New Ed., Longmans, Green, and Co., 1900. Google Books. Grettis saga. Edited by Valdimar Ásmundarson, 1900. Google Books. Orkneyinga saga. In Icelandic Sagas and Other Historical Documents Relating to the Settlements and Descents of the Northmen on the British Isles, vol. 1, edited by Guðbrandur Vigfússon, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1887, pp. 1-221. Internet Archive. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:13:41 Text: from Okneyinga saga, Ch. 101 00:14:23 Commentary (1) 00:23:15 Text: from Grettis saga, Ch. 18 00:29:40 Commentary (2) 00:37:24 Text: from The Saga of Hervor and Heithrek, Ch. 2 00:41:33 Commentary (3) 00:44:09 Text: from The Saga of Hervor and Heithrek, Ch. 4-6 00:57:35 Commentary (4) 01:01:38 Riddle 01:02:44 Outro

Kormak's Saga (Part 4) Oct 18, 2026

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In this episode, we bring Kormak's Saga to its conclusion and find out if one man's unrelenting infatuation can triumph over a curse. We also talk about recognizing witches' eyes and read between the lines on our protagonists' relationship. Today's Text: The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald. Translated by W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson. Viking Club Translation Series, no. 1., Wm Holmes, Ltd., 1902. Google Books. Kormáks saga. Icelandic Saga Database, edited by Sveinbjörn Þórðarson, 2007. https://www.sagadb.org/kormaks_saga.is. Audio Credits: Return of the Jedi. Directed by Richard Marquand. 20th Century-Fox, 1983. Dylan, Bob. "I Shall Be Free No. 10." Another Side of Bob Dylan, Columbia Records, 1964. YouTube. The Princess Bride. Directed by Rob Reiner. 20th Century-Fox, 1987. "Kormak's Theme" and "Harpish Improvisations" composed and performed by Patrick Lane. Chapters 00:00:00 Announcement and Content Warning 00:00:40 Introduction 00:01:36 Saga Recap 00:03:21 Thordis the Spákona 00:07:03 On Witches' Eyes 00:10:49 Other Prefatory Notes 00:12:29 Text: Kormak's Saga, ch. 22-27, translated by W.G. Collingwood & Jón Stefánsson 00:35:35 Commentary 00:48:15 On the Relationship of Kormak and Steingerd 01:07:49 Mystery Word: ǫlverk 01:10:51 Outro

Kormak's Saga (Part 3) Oct 01, 2026

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In Part 3 of Kormak's Saga, we complete the story of Holmgang Bersi and introduce a new rival for Steingerd's affections. There's also a magical sea beast, more slanderous poetry, and we discuss Norse names. Today's Text: The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald. Translated by W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson. Viking Club Translation Series, no. 1., Wm Holmes, Ltd., 1902. Google Books. Kormáks saga. Icelandic Saga Database, edited by Sveinbjörn Þórðarson, 2007. https://www.sagadb.org/kormaks_saga.is. Audio Credits: "Cincinnati Kid." The Kids in the Hall, Season 2, Ep. 16, 2 April 1991. YouTube. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Directed by Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, 2002. The Big Lebowski. Written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Gramercy Pictures, 1998. "Kormak's Theme" and "Harpish Improvisations" composed and performed by Patrick Lane. Chapters 00:00:00 Enclosure Acad Reminder 00:00:22 Introduction 00:01:19 Norse Bynames 00:09:24 New Characters with Bynames 00:18:11 Níð, Poetry. and the Law 00:23:43 Recap: The Saga So Far 00:25:16 Other Prefatory Notes 00:28:10 Text: Kormak's Saga, ch. 15-21, translated by W.G. Collingwood & Jón Stefánsson 00:57:09 Commentary 01:10:51 Riddles 01:12:22 Outro

Kormak's Saga (Part 2) Sep 04, 2026

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We continue with Kormak's Saga as a new lead character is introduced, Holmgang Bersi, who soon becomes ensnared in the drama of the cursed romance of Kormak and Steingerd. We also learn the basic of Viking duelling and its weapons, and also try to get a grip on the slippery terminology of Norse magic. Today's Text: The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald. Translated by W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson. Viking Club Translation Series, no. 1., Wm Holmes, Ltd., 1902. Google Books. Kormáks saga. Icelandic Saga Database, edited by Sveinbjorn Thordarson, 2007. https://www.sagadb.org/kormaks_saga.is. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:44 Holmgang 00:14:13 Shields 00:18:12 A Sword Named Skofnung 00:25:56 Other Prefatory Notes 00:30:35 Text: Kormak's Saga, ch. 7-14, translated by Collingwood & Stefánsson 01:08:00 Commentary 01:32:23 Mystery Word: níðvísa 01:34:24 Outro

Kormak's Saga (Part 1) Aug 16, 2026

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We inaugurate our first "Saga Summer" a bit late this year, but starting with an early poet's saga, a tale of love and betrayal, duels and magic. This is Part 1 (of 4) of Kormak's Saga. Today's Texts: The Life and Death of Cormac the Skald. Translated by W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson. Viking Club Translation Series, no. 1., Wm Holmes, Ltd., 1902. Google Books. Kormáks saga. Icelandic Saga Database, edited by Sveinbjorn Thordarson, 2007. https://www.sagadb.org/kormaks_saga.is. Egil's Saga. Translated by W.C. Green, 1893. Internet Sacred Texts Archive. Egil's Saga. Translated by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards, Penguin, 1976. Egil's Saga. Translated by Bernard Skudder, The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection, Penguin, 2001, pp. 3-184. Chapters 00:00:00 Enclosure Academy Course Promo 00:00:49 Introduction 00:02:31 About sagas 00:06:31 Poets' sagas 00:12:15 Skaldic verse 00:22:07 Translating skaldic verse: Egil's Saga, verse 4 00:31:15 Immigration 00:33:42 Whales and sausages 00:35:28 Notes on the translation 00:38:18 Text: Kormak's Saga, ch. 1-6, translated by Collingwood & Stefánsson 00:59:22 Commentary 01:09:50 Skald: A Game of Viking Verse-Making 01:12:12 Riddle 01:15:37 Outro

Concerning a Voyage to India via the Strait of Hormuz Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

As vacation season kicks off, we revisit 14th-century traveler Friar Odoric at the very start of his journey, as he crosses from the Black Sea to the Persian Gulf, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and makes shore in India. Today's Texts: Odoric of Friuli. "The Eastern Parts of the World Described, By Friar Odoric the Bohemian, of Friuli, in the Province of Saint Anthony." In Cathay and the Way Thither, edited by Henry Yule, vol. 1, Hakluyt Society, 1866. Google Books. "Viaggio del Beato Frate Odorico di Porto Maggiore Del Friuli." Edited by Ramusio, Delle Navigationi et Viaggi, vol. 2, Venice, Giunti, 1583. pp. 253-257. Google Books. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:19:25 Text: "The Journey of Friar Odoric" Ch. 1-5 00:33:42 Commentary 00:49:36 Mystery Word: méscola 00:53:08 Outro

Concerning Seizure and Possession (Part 2): Medieval Methods Jun 07, 2026

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We complete our look at epilepsy in the Middle Ages by considering how religion and medicine intersect in surviving medical texts and how classical learning was reintroduced by looking at the example of John of Gaddesden, possibly the model for Chaucer's Doctour of Phisik. Today's Texts: John of Gaddesden. "John of Gaddesden on Epilepsy." Edited by William G. Lennox, translated by Adrian P. English, Annals of Medical History, vol. 1, no. 3, May 1939, pp. 283-307. Semantic Scholar. Origen. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, translated by John Patrick, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9, edited by Allan Menzies, Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1896. New Advent, revised and edited by Kevin Knight, www.newadvent.org/fathers/1016.htm Herbarium. In Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, translated by Thomas Cockayne, vol. 1, Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green, 1864, pp. 1-325. Archive.org. Leech Book. Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, translated by Thomas Cockayne, vol. 2, Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green, 1864. Archive.org. "Life of St. Winefred." Lives of the Cambro British Saints, of the Fifth and Immediate Succeeding Centuries, from Ancient Welsh & Latin MSS. in the British Museum and Elsewhere, with English Translations, an Explanatory Notes, edited and translated by W. J. Rees, Welsh MSS. Society, 1853, pp. 515-529. Google Books. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:34 Text: Gospel of Mark (NIV), Ch. 9:14-29 00:04:36 Commentary 00:10:12 Text: Origen, Commentary on Matthew 00:11:44 Commentary 00:13:58 Flashback to Life and Miracles of St. Winefred 00:14:41 Commentary 00:18:33 Text: Bald's Leechbook 00:19:44 Commentary 00:22:17 Text: Anglo-Saxon Herbarium, "On Asterion" 00:23:11 Commentary 00:24:03 Text: Anglo-Saxon Herbarium, "On Artemisia" 00:25:05 Commentary 00:34:28 Text: John of Gaddesden, Rosa Medicinae 00:56:59 Commentary 01:00:42 PSA: Seizure First Aid 01:04:03 Riddle 01:04:39 Outro

Concerning Seizure and Possession (Part 1): The Greek Tradition Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

This episode we begin a two-part exploration into the understanding and treatment of epilepsy in the middle ages. But to get to the medieval, we have to start with its ancient antecedents, so here in Part 1, we look at texts produced by the Hippocratic school and its later followers. Today's Texts: Lucretius. On the Nature of Things. Translated by John Selby Watson and John Mason Good, George Bell & Sons, 1893. Internet Archive. Wilson, J.V. Kinnier, and E. H. Reynolds, translators. "Translation and Analysis of a Cuneiform Text Forming Part of a Babylonian Treatise on Epilepsy," Medical History, vol. 34, 1990, pp. 185-198. National Center for Biotechnical Information, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1036070/ Hippocrates. "On the Sacred Disease." The Genuine Works of Hippocrates, vol. 2, translated by Francis Adams, Sydenham Society, 1849, pp. 831-858. Google Books. Galen. "Advice for an Epileptic Boy." Translated by Owsei Temkin, Texts and Documents, reprinted from Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine, vol. 2, no. 3, May 1934, pp. 179-189. Archive.org. Paulus Ægineta. The Medical Works of Paulus Ægineta, the Greek Physician. Vol. 1, edited and translated by Francis Adams, J. Welsh, 1834. Google Books. Image Credits: Babylonian tablet on epilepsy (British Museum, Tablet 47753, obverse, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Papyrus fragment of Hippocratic oath (Wellcome Collection, via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY 4.0). Printed engraving depicting Galen, Avicenna, and Hippocrates from a 16th-century medical book (Wikimedia Commons). 00:00:00 Introduction 00:13:53 Text: from the Babylonian Sakikku 00:15:26 Commentary 00:23:21 Text: from Hippocrates, "On the Sacred Disease" 00:34:21 Commentary 00:41:09 Text: from Galen, "Advice for an Epileptic Boy" 00:45:57 Commentary 00:50:23 Text: from Paulus Ægineta, Medical Compendium in Seven Book, Book 3 00:57:36 Commentary 00:59:06 Mystery Word: λαπακτικός 01:00:04 Outro

Concerning the Life and Miracles of St. Winefred Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

As a follow-up to our 2025 saint's-life generating Advent Calendar game, we hear an actual medieval saint's life and discuss how we get some of our saintly terminology. You'll also find out where you can get a downloadable version of the Advent Calendar game! Today's Texts: "Life of St. Winefred." Lives of the Cambro British Saints, of the Fifth and Immediate Succeeding Centuries, from Ancient Welsh & Latin MSS. in the British Museum and Elsewhere, with English Translations, an Explanatory Notes, edited and translated by W. J. Rees, Welsh MSS. Society, 1853, pp. 515-529. Google Books. "The Miracles of St. Winifred's Well." The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 1762, 13 Oct. 1894, p. 829. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20230146 The Rule of St. Benedict. Translated by D. Oswald Hunter Blair, 2nd ed., Sands & Co,m 1907. Google Books. Music credit: "Ton y botel (Ebenezer)." Performed by the Wilkes-Barre Quartet, Victor, 1922. United States Library of Congress. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:18:01 Text: The Life and Miracles of St. Winefred 00:47:36 Commentary 00:53:55 Riddle 00:54:52 Journaling Game Now Downloadable 00:57:23 Outro

Appendix to Ep. 120: Some Sts. Valentines' Lives Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

In this prelude appendix to our episode on saint's lives, we hear versions of the life of St. Valentine from three different medieval sources. Today's Texts: First English edition of the Nuremberg chronicle: being the Liber chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann Schedel. Edited and translated by Kosta Hadavas, U of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries, 2023, https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/3SXNV3NHBQLFQ8J [used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.] Jacobus de Voragine. "Life of S. Valentine." In The Golden Legend, or Lives of the Saints. Translated by William Caxton, edited by F.S. Ellis, vol. 3, J.M. Dent, 1900, pp. 42-45. Google Books. Bede. Martyrologium de Natalitiis Sanctorum. In Patrologia Latina, edited by J.-P. Migne, vol. 94, col. 840A-842B, 1862. Google Books. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:07:34 The Nuremberg Chronicle's account of the 8th Persecution 00:13:57 Commentary 00:15:28 "St. Valentine" from Caxton's Translation of the Golden Legend 00:19:02 Commentary 00:19:59 from Bede's Martyrology 00:21:20 Commentary 00:23:37 Outro

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