Medieval Beginnings

By: London Review of Books
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  • Summary

  • From dragons and one-eyed giants to divine visions and friendly otters, Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley roam the strange and wonderful literary landscape of the Middle Ages, from Beowulf to Sir John Mandeville, by way of Chaucer, Sir Gawain and plenty of far-fetched romance.


    Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley are both writers and historians, and regular contributors to the London Review of Books.


    Medieval Beginnings is part of the Close Readings podcasts collection from the London Review of Books.


    To unlock all the episodes in this series, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:


    In Apple

    Directly at the top of this podcast or here: https://apple.co/3XTS9H8


    In Spotify and other apps

    Here: lrb.me/closereadings



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Episodes
  • Introducing Medieval Beginnings

    Introducing Medieval Beginnings
    Jan 1 2023
    Mary Wellesley and Irina Dumitrescu introduce their strange and wonderful voyage through the literary landscape of the Middle Ages, and talk about what listeners can expect over the twelve episodes.

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    10 mins
  • Beowulf

    Beowulf
    Jan 4 2023

    Mary Wellesley and Irina Dumitrescu start their Medieval Beginnings series with Beowulf, a tale of monsters and heroes that is also a complex collection of interwoven stories about war and the conduct of a warrior society. They consider the poem’s preoccupations with kingship and a pagan past seen through the eyes of a Christian culture, as well as many of the mysteries which still surround its, not least its authorship and many narrative curiosities.

    Irina Dumitrescu is Professor of English Medieval Studies at the University of Bonn and Mary Wellesley as a historian and author of Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers.

    If you're not already a subscriber to Close Readings, sign up here to unlock all our episodes:

    Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq

    In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings

    Read more in the LRB:

    Terry Eagleton: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v21/n22/terry-eagleton/hasped-and-hooped-and-hirpling


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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Letters and Laments

    Letters and Laments
    Feb 4 2023

    In episode two of Medieval Beginnings, Mary and Irina turn the pages of the Exeter Book, a remarkable 10th century manuscript containing numerous poems and riddles, some of which are written in the voices of women. They consider in particular the enigmatic and beautiful ‘Wife’s Lament’ and ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’, and their numerous interpretations, and compare them to an extraordinary collection of letters written by influential women to St Boniface in the 8th century.


    Irina Dumitrescu is Professor of English Medieval Studies at the University of Bonn and Mary Wellesley as a historian and author of Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers.


    Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other episodes, sign up:

    Directly in Apple Podcasts at the top of this podcast, or here: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq

    In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings


    Find reading resources for this episode on the LRB website:


    https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/close-readings/medieval-beginnings-letters-and-laments


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    10 mins

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