Medieval LOLs
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Gwerful Mechain’s ‘Ode to the Vagina’
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the final episode of their series in search of the medieval sense of humour Irina and Mary look at one of the most remarkable women authors of the...
'Tales of Count Lucanor' by Juan Manuel
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re looking for advice on sustaining a marriage, or robbing a grave, or performing liver surgery, then a series of self-help stories by a 14th...
Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’: Part Two
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mary and Irina resume their discussion of Boccaccio’s Decameron, focusing on three stories of female agency, deception and desire. Alibech, an aspi...
Boccaccio's 'Decameron': Part One
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the preface to the Decameron Boccaccio describes Florentine society laid waste by bubonic plague in the mid-14th century. But before he gets to t...
Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The character of Gawain, one of King Arthur’s leading knights, recurs throughout medieval literature, but the way he’s presented underwent a curio...
Solomon and Marcolf
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The foul-mouthed, mean-spirited peasant Marcolf was one of the most well-known literary characters in late medieval Europe. He appears in many poetic ...
The Second Shepherds' Pageant
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In their quest for the medieval sense of humour Mary and Irina come to The Second Shepherds’ Pageant, a 15th-century reimagining of the nativity as ...
Dame Syrith
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Mary and Irina discussed in the previous episode of Medieval LOLs, fabliaux had an enormous influence on Chaucer, but outside of his work, only one...
Fabliaux
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fabliaux were short, witty tales originating in northern France between the 12th and 14th centuries, often featuring crafty characters in rustic setti...
Old English Riddles
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Riddles are an ancient and universal form, but few people seem to have enjoyed them more than English Benedictine monks. The Exeter Book, a tenth cent...
The Colloquies of Aelfric Bata
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
All teachers know that the best way for students to learn a language is through swear words, and nobody knew this better than Aelfric Bata, a monk fro...
Chaucer's Miller's Tale
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Were the Middle Ages funny? In this bonus series for 2024, Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley begin their quest for the medieval sense of humour with...