What do we get wrong about the Middle Ages? Podcast with Dr. Eleanor Janega

[@AdamJorgensen]

I really love that there are a number of YT channels now doing such a good job of countering the ridiculous presentism rooted idiocy around medieval and ancient history.

[@jonathanneuhaus4755]

Good interview team. Their love for the subject jumps from the speakers. No stuffy dusty academics here. Energized experts with personality and a sense of humor. I would love to study under either of them.

[@laurat4977]

I always enjoy Dr. Janega. She's extremely knowledgable and entertaining. She makes the medieval period somehow relatable and that's no easy task. Thanks!

[@evertvandenberghe]

Hear hear!!

[@calico27]

Yup. In my downtime, I just search 'Eleanor Janega' and just keep binging.

[@MSN_63]

OMG, these two extremely knowledgeable people talking together?! An hour of sheer enjoyment!

[@livinginfictions]

The validation I'm getting from listening to this. Hearing someone correct the misconceptions I hear Every Day about the medieval period. Medieval people lived in houses of manure and everything was dirty and they only lived to 40 and they never had fun or travelled or had nice colorful things or loved their spouses or their kids or their pets. So much information taken out of context and misinterpreted and taken in bad faith, and it Hurts to see because the truth has gotten so mutilated that even when people "research" things, the first responses to searching for an answer in a search engine is often just Furthering that misconception!

[@LynneFarr]

This was the first of a series of great Medieval podcasts on Jason's podcast Future Imperfect. Turns out he is a fantastic interviewer as well as a presenter. Dr. Janega shares tons of information. Glad it is available on MHTV.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

This was fascinating. I saw a terrible accident at a joust one time. The lance broke like it should, but it got under the armor somehow pierced deeply into a mans side. We never found out if he lived. It was terrifying to watch. I felt so sorry for the man who stabbed him. He was truly distraught that he hurt his friend.😔🐝❤️

[@janerkenbrack3373]

This was enjoyable to listen to. I especially like Dr. Janega's clarification about life expectancy. I have been so frustrated over the years by everyone from teachers to movies getting that so wrong. I am tired of hearing that 45 or 50 years old made you ancient in your community.

[@ianhelyar6383]

Jean M Auel made that mistake: "at 30, she was already an old woman" Clan of the Cave Bear. I just lost all respect for the author!

[@Patrickballhater]

High infant mortality is pretty depressing as well though imagine the trauma of going through that as a parent. So it still shows significant improvement in living standards.

[@janerkenbrack3373]

@@Patrickballhater Conquering childhood death changed life expectancy.

[@Radhaugo108]

This man is living the life I never knew I wanted. Congratulations!

[@jaelee1996]

I love the moment where experimental history meets scholarly history. She seemed so excited about your experience.

[@parkeryourefired]

I had never heard of Dr. Janega before this. She seems like an endlessly fascinating and knowledgeable person! Thank you, Jason, for giving us this opportunity!

[@jaray2555]

Jason, you couldn’t have found a better guest. Dr. Janega is such a captivating speaker. She is so knowledgeable. I like how sometimes she speaks as if she is actually living in that time.

[@BuenosTARDIS]

I wish my history teachers when I was going to school were as enthusiastic as this. Very interesting discussion!

[@xxlCortez]

Excellent podcast and it's always a pleasure to hear people who are so passionate about the subject. Dr. Janega was a great guest, I hope she'll return for more.

[@astronautindisguise]

Dr. Janega is a very enjoyable person to listen to, I hope she makes some more appearances!

[@Blondie42]

Fun and fascinating. Thanks for sharing, Jason. 14:57 I have been to the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an where the terra cotta warriors are and the first emperor of China is buried. Each and every statue was very colorfully painted. The most valued statue nicknamed the 'Lucky archer) still has remnants of that paint. The discovery story is that a group of uneducated farmers in 1974 were digging a well (still there with the army) and dug up broken pieces of colorful statues. Being exposed to oxygen for the first time in thousands of years caused the paint to fade rapidly. The farmers freaked believing it to be magic of some sort and the work of demons. They wanted to smash their find to dust. One, however, refused adamantly and insisted on reporting the find to the authorities. Three major pits have been excavated and there are still many statues that are yet to be uncovered. The Chinese archeological body wants to develop technology to allow them to access those statues but not expose them to the air, but slso have them on display for the world to see while preserving the ancient paint job.

[@bigsarge2085]

Dr. Janega is a fantastic guest speaker! And I learned so much.

[@sarahleonard7309]

I love it when my favorite nerds cooperatively nerd out together!

[@SD-os2ym]

😂😂😂

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Dr. Janega is amazing her history hit videos are so informative and entertaining

[@Fuerwahrhalunke]

What a great gift to a good day! Thank you Mr. Kingsley for giving me the opportunity to listen to Dr Janega for the first time 🙂

[@rsfaeges5298]

I'm loving this conversation: two engaging people who know, understand and delight in their fascinating topic, letting us listen in! 😅

[@Anthrofuturism]

I just love hearing two experts become so excited about the thing they're an expert in, really made me smile. Great stuff.

[@minerwaweasley1008]

Of course I know this podcast, I listened to it (and read it!) a long time ago. I'm even more pleased that you decided to make it available on this channel. It's good when so much valuable content can be found in the same place.

[@akumabito2008]

I love Dr. Janega! ❤ She's uncredibly knowledgeable, and I love how her stories paint such a vivid image of the past.

[@tomrees4812]

I was in Falaise in Normandy which was William the Conqueror’s birthplace and castle. You are given a tablet and when you hold it in front of you in the different rooms you can see a simulation of what it would have looked like with virtual fixtures, fittings and decoration. This was brilliant and I believe other castles in France use the same technology.

[@judyengland2615]

This was THE BEST video or podcast I have listened to. So informative, interesting, and lighthearted all rolled into one!!! Thank you

[@ModernKnight]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sstvost9]

Really like this! Very engaging dynamic between the two of you. Hope to see more of this content alongside the video productions.

[@metime00]

I can't wait to listen to this, two of my favorite sources of entertaining education about medieval europe!

[@authormichellefranklin]

Wonderful! I love this format. Please have Dr. Janega on again!

[@infernocanuck]

This is a medieval history power podcast! What a great combo. Been a long time fan of you Jason, and Dr. Elanor Janega is my personal favorite historian.

[@melissaperry2363]

Watching as soon as this hit the channel. This is a first for mee being able to watch this soon

[@Beryllahawk]

This was VERY enjoyable! And that's saying quite a lot for me, because I have never much cared for podcasts - but listening to you two talking was just so fun! Thank you for sharing this here!

[@beth12svist]

I can second this whole comment!

[@hemaccabe4292]

I haven't had a chance yet to watch the whole thing, but I had to chime in. I expect most castles' exterior walls would have been plastered to protect the exterior stone work. Particularly in colder climates.

[@ianhelyar6383]

'The trousers young people are wearing'... I have nothing to say, because I grew up in the 70's!

[@mctrustsnoone3781]

This is a wonderful Podcast and conversation between the two of you is fantastic. Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm!

[@ModernKnight]

Our pleasure!

[@jennatomlin1273]

That was a fantastic conversation. I adore Dr Janega content and this was an excellent pairing.

[@KatherineHugs]

Love Dr. Janega!! Thanks for including her in your conversation!!

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

Always fun to hear academics on podcasts. People who truly know what they're talking about it a precious thing.

[@frontenac5083]

Although academics and people who know what they're talking about are often two different things...

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

​@@frontenac5083You might try, but you'll never be able to hate academics more than other academics 🙃

[@HosCreates]

Its facinating to know people lived their lives. Thank you for this!

[@helpinyerdasellavon]

Wonderful podcast, so insightful and informative! Dr Janega is one of my favourite historians, her vivid and cheerful energy is contagious. As a medieval history enthusiast I throughly enjoyed this, especially about jousting. Love your channel. Thank you so much 🙏🏻🛡

[@SD-os2ym]

I ❤ Dr Eleanor Janega! 😊 Two of my favorite people having a chat here; thank you!

[@colinfrank2536]

A note on careers in the church: Jacques Fournier, aka Pope Benedict XII, was the son of baker or a miller. So not a "poor boy from a farm" but not exactly high nobility either. He was supported by his uncle, who had become a cisterican monk and by renown as a theologian risen through the ranks of his order, eventually becoming professor and cardinal.

[@adrianwebster6923]

Its always amused me that Errol Flynn's Robin Hood is one of the more aesthetically authentic Hollywood movies.

[@Debbie-henri]

Richard Greene's Robin Hood is pretty good too. Plenty of old characters who are actually presented as 'old,' and not popping their socks at 35. Plus, we noticed that, although this is a children's series, the writers obviously researched quite a lot about Mediaeval life, techniques and the Norman impact to make it as authentic as possible. Fashions did feature now and again, and although you have to forgive the odd zip on Maid Marian's dresses, the Sheriff of Nottingham's wardrobe more than makes up for that. They also included a couple of songs from the time, one which I have in an anthology, but another one which the Merry Men sing around a campfire that I have failed to track down so far (the internet isn't perfect).

[@skyllalafey]

Very cool, would love more of you two chatting!

[@I_am_Lauren]

I will be listening to this later as I complete a painting for an art show this weekend.

[@beth12svist]

Heh, as a Czech, through the discussion of the social changes after the Plague, and medieval warfare, I kept low-key thinking "yeah, and then you get the hussites who turn these things on their head a lot." And boom, here they come. 😅 Glad they got brought up, and not just in terms of warfare as they tend to most often be mentioned in non-Czech sources.

[@beth12svist]

Although it's a slight pity that Chelčický only got a passing mention because if you talk about social changes and starting to look at the world differently in the late medieval period... yeah, there's a lot of that going on in his writing. (Also, I would say it's a bit debatable whether he really was a hussite, because while he definitely drew from Hus, he was a pacifist.)

[@jphilb]

Can’t wait to listen to this tonight with a nice cup of tea.

[@jacobrodgers7743]

Jon's enthusiasm when he turns on the machine! Made my morning. :)

[@a.mie.533]

Extremely interesting and entertaining conversation, thank you! I really would appreciate more of that style ...

[@hemaccabe4292]

Something I think you touched on was ancient Greece which is typically depicted as white marble but, in their day, would have been heavily, and likely garishly by modern standards, painted.

[@jagnabadurowicz4427]

Jan Zizka fought in the Battle of Tannenberg (or as we say in Polish battle of Grunwald) in 1410 Poland vs Teutonic Order and his tactic of the wagon war contributed greatly to the victory of the Polish King. This battle and especially the year of preparations before it would be an interesting topic for the next podcast because it was absolutely amazing with what precision the war was prepared, including for example the floating bridge that was constructed upstream on the Vistula river and floated downstream just in time for the Polish army to cross the river in the place that the Teutons least expected it. And that was before they had cell phones 😂😂😂

[@CHINZIG_UK]

People always criticise me for wanting to be born back then than to live today in modern times. I'd rather be a peasant farmer than work in this society. I've been poor, I've been cold and hungry, I grew up in a rough area, yet I yearn for this world to be deconstructed and the world return to such times as the medieval era. The world was natural, clean and not polluted, food and water was fresh. Of course, going back means removing the benefits of medical science, high tech and transportation. Rather simpler times than modern accelerationism.

[@valandil7454]

She's fun 🙂 I'm onboard with Jason on this one I could listen to another 4hrs 😄 Educated and passionate people are why I love these sort of things thank you 🙂

[@mariposahorribilis]

I'm not usually a podcast consumer, but when you put two of my very favourite presenters together, how could I resist? It was very interesting to listen to you two talk about the period, seeing it from such diverse perspectives.

[@AverageAlien]

This is exactly the kinda video I was yearning for

[@jaray2555]

I absolutely love Dr. Janega!!!!!!

[@JamesRDavenport]

Me: "I don't have time to listen whole podcast right now but I'll catch the first 10 mins..." Also me (45 mins in) "Eh, he can wait. I'm invested!"

[@jackori6685]

This was such an interesting podcast that i just listened to it for the second time. There were so many elements of medieval life discussed that it might take 2 or 3 more listens to really take it all in. So very well presented Jason, and Eleanor is an excellent interviewee with her expertise on the subject. Thank you Jason and Eleanor!

[@jaroslavpalecek4513]

Thanks so much for video Jason. I know it will be a great podcast ❤ I will definitly listen.

[@bamereg]

I love how the horse has one ear on the photographer :) Listening now :)

[@dianacairn]

I am really enjoying this. Thank you!

[@VoeladTheRememberer]

I'll have to get back to this when I have time to pay attention, love your stuff.

[@MiLikesVids]

Superb podcast! Thanks so much for the insights on the Medieval world. I was especially interested on how much of the 'bad' old days of the Medieval world was a creation of anti-Catholic thinking from the Enlightenment. The attitudes toward color was another fascinating part of the talk like how churches were painted inside. That section reminded me of another era when Protestantism took hold in Britain and churches once bright artistically over the top experiences inside became the fairly dull white painted affairs inside more thought of today.

[@patricianunes3521]

Thank you for putting this on. I really enjoyed listening to it.

[@Najahfreeman]

My dumbass staring right into the word 'Podcast' and being like "okay when is the video coming up? 💀

[@HosCreates]

I had that same reaction at first too

[@benarmstrong3593]

This is a great collaboration!

[@Thatslifebro_]

Wow. Just saw this on my recommended Videos and didn't expect to get this sucked in. Love it snd want to hear more like it.

[@robertattwood7505]

Fantastic Podcast

[@ModernKnight]

Thanks for listening

[@Amy-ky5wr]

Loved this, would love to hear more discussions between the two of you.

[@susannekalejaiye4351]

Enjoyed this (twice, so far) and have shared it with a friend who will pass it on to friends (plural). The challenge has been finding her blog! Still looking! (a link in the description would be a nice touch)

[@flygirlfly]

BRAVO! MORE PLEASE! Dr. J & Jason are a great fit. Please make this a series.

[@charlesmay8251]

thank you so much for this channel! I'm an American of English,Scottish, Irish desent. With a bit of Germanic ,French and Viking blood thrown in . The history of your people is my history!

[@angustheterrible3149]

What I find interesting is that the medieval concept of looking flashy in combat to display your wealth and prowess is still alive and well in other forms- especially in video games where one can PVP. In games like The Elder Scrolls online, which has a medieval fantasy kind of setting, I see this all the time. Out on the battlefields of Cyrodiil where 3 factions are constantly at war with one another to take keeps and raise an Emperor, fashion plays a huge role. You can see people dressing their characters up in everything from knightly armor to absolutely absurd and colorful costumes designed to draw attention. We are even rewarded with special fasion motifs as a way to display our achievements. It just goes to show that the mentality of people really doesn't change, even when the battlefield is digital.

[@Zumbs]

I would love to hear Dr. Eleanor Janega give a lecture on the Hussite movement! Thank you both for making this wonderfully informative podcast!

[@ErwinPommel]

This was great. I look forward to hearing more of you two talking.

[@stephaniewilson3955]

Go to Dover Castle to view the King's Rooms which are as close to true Medieval decor as you can get. In other words, very brightly coloured!

[@PrincessHarlotte]

Dover is excellent as are the Stirling Castle tapestries!

[@ItsASuckyName]

Tod from Tod's Workshop did a video about those colorful rooms at Dover Castle. I believe he also does some maintenance there from time to time

[@Bildgesmythe]

What a wonderful and informative podcast! Thanks!

[@josephturner7569]

So a Knight's Tale wasn't a million miles away from the truth.

[@pawepluta4883]

Speaking about Hussites, there is a novel "Narrenturm" by Andrzej Sapkowski (the very one who wrote "The Witcher"). It's set in early XV century and Hussite wars are central to the plot there. If this was translated to English (I somehow doubt you can read Polish :-) ) and you're into this kind of historical stories with a bit of witchcraft - I recommend.

[@rancorwat7266]

See A Knight's Tale starring Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell. They tried to show how medieval crowds felt about tournaments by having the extras act like modern football fans.

[@youtobeyoubetoo]

this was honestly such a fun podcast to listen to! Like you said at the very end, there's a lot left to explore and i would absolutely love it if you would do another episode ! I'd also like to say how much i enjoy your channel and how much i've learned from it, herés a big thank you to all the hard work you've put in!!

[@savannakougar5209]

Very revealing and fascinating -- have always been drawn to the Medieval period.

[@arbel7655]

Two of my favorite historians...more please!

[@sarahblum2506]

Thank you for this! I just had a really bad anxiety attack and listening to you two was soothing, thought redirecting and educational all in one! ❤

[@guccideltaco]

Funny when they are talking about the colors that people wore back then, and how they're portrayed as drab in many films. That's a more recent phenomenon, I think. Look at the Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood, or some other older medieval-themed movies in Technicolor; they used bright colors as far as the eye could see!

[@kathleenorr9237]

Saving this for later tonight…looking forward to listening 😁

[@MakeUpWitch]

I didn't know Dr.Janega is interested in Bohemian history. As a Bohemian myself I like her even more now :-)

[@IosuamacaMhadaidh]

Americans who spend a significant amount of time in the UK develop quite a unique accent.

[@MaggieatPlay]

Wow! That did not seem like an hour. I got lost in the listening; all else forgotten. Well presented and very informative. Fascinated to hear about medieval battles/contests being about display; and the women fighting/killing. This makes perfect sense to me. I was raised by a biologist mother and influenced by a biologist grandfather, both of whom told us children that biologically, males fight to mate, (not interested in being wounded or killed because then they could not mate and pass along their DNA). For males it is all about the display to scare off the other males and attract females. Conversely, biologically, females fight to kill and kill fast. (because the only way she could pass on her DNA was to make certain she stayed alive and healthy [unwounded] long enough to mate, gestate and raise young to be adults, and needing to feed herself and her young; and attract males with offers of food). Thank you for posting this to KZbin. Definitely will be seeking more.

[@TheHeroicE]

This hour just flew by!

[@Moewenfels]

Just... MORE. Perfect and extremely interesting. Nothing more to add.

[@steventhomas8964]

This was great. I learned a lot! Can’t wait for the next one!

[@Kargoneth]

A fascinating discussion.

[@ChrisSunHwa]

Thank you both for this!

[@JurassicReptile]

hopefully this is also on podcast streaming platforms too.

[@nibbleniks2320]

I am reading two books, well many at this time, but two in particular--"An Encyclopedia Ecclesiastica: A Complete History of the Church" by Thomas Anthony Trollope, L.L. B. (novelist Anthony Trollope's father who was a barrister, and in a close read about William, Duke of Normandy, King of England, David C. Douglas' "William The Conqueror" and his "The Norman Achievement"--also "The Cambridge Companion To The Age of William The Conqueror" edited by Benjamin Pohl. There are others but these help me better understand the infrastructures and cultures that frame the action. Fascinating.

[@elr5475]

This is amazing! So entertaining and informative!

[@jdmitchellwriter]

Excellent info. Love it!

[@Mathias-x6n1q]

Absolutely fascinating, what an interesting podcast between two very interesting individuals!!

[@antoniomoreira5921]

I strongly recommend Dr. Schwerpunkt on the topic as well. He's a pretty rich content uploaded on the subject

[@shellyirby9828]

This was great, i enjoyed it!