
'tis but a scratch: fact and fiction about the Middle Ages
Talking about popular conceptions of the Middle Ages and their historical realities. Join Richard Abels to learn about Vikings, knights and chivalry, movies set in the Middle Ages, and much more about the medieval world.
Podcasting since 2022 • 63 episodes
'tis but a scratch: fact and fiction about the Middle Ages
Latest Episodes
"1066 and All That": The Significance of the Norman Conquest, Part 1 (with Dr. Jennifer Paxton)
About eight months ago, Jenny and I released a couple of episodes dealing with the historical context of the Norman Conquest. I am delighted to have Jenny back to talk with me about the significance of the Norman Conquest and the Norman Settlem...
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Season 4
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Episode 63
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1:00:59

From Bishop of Rome to the Papal Monarchy: Pope Gregory VII and the Investiture Controversy
The subject of today’s episode, the pontificate of Pope Gregory VII and the Investiture Controversy, is a staple of undergraduate medieval surveys. The first episode I posted after our summer hiatus was actually one that I wrote for a different...
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Season 4
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Episode 62
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1:04:56

From Bishop of Rome to the Papal Monarchy: Pope Leo IX and the Gregorian Reform
After a summer hiatus, we are finally back with a new episode, the third in our series on the medieval papacy, “From Bishop of Rome to the Papal Monarchy.” The previous covered the tenth-century nadir of the papacy, when it was dominated by pow...
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Season 4
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Episode 61
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1:14:23

Pope Boniface VIII vs King Philip the Fair: Catholicism's Medieval Meltdown (an episode from the podcast "BEEF with Bridget Todd")
After a summer hiatus “’Tis But A Scratch: Fact & Fiction About the Middle Ages” is back—well, not actually quite yet. I am busily working on the final two episodes of our series on the medieval papacy, “From Bishop of Rome to the Papal Mon...
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Season 4
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Episode 60
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58:28

Mysterious Medieval Manuscripts: Interview with Garry J. Shaw
Now for something completely different from tracing the development of the papacy from bishop of Rome to the papal monarchy--but, don't worry, I will be completing that series soon. In this episode, I chat with author Garry J. Shaw about ...
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Season 4
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Episode 59
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1:10:40

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