Chivalry Today Podcast

Whatever else you may say about our current state of affairs, this is undoubtedly the golden age of binge watching. And for those with any sort of interest in knights and armor and epic adventures, one of the binge-worthy series of choice is certainly Game of Thrones. Whether you’ve seen the series a dozen times […]

Hard to believe that it was just three months ago, in October of 2019, that the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a truly remarkable exhibition called The Last Knight – the Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I. Hard to believe, because as we record this episode of our podcast, the exhibition is […]

It seems among the world of medieval history enthusiasts as well as serious students of the historical fighting arts, the New York Metropolitan Museum’s temporary exhibition The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I, has become something of a pilgrimage for the devout – at least to judge from the number of […]

On October 7 of 2019, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art opened an exhibition called The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximillian I. This display is an ambitious undertaking, featuring more than 180 pieces from museums and collections throughout America, Europe and the Middle East. Maximillian’s passion for the trappings of […]

One of the challenges of studying history is to avoid looking into the past with a myopic view – to think that people of times past were somehow more simplistic, predictable, or uniform than we are today. When we study a historical period like the Middle Ages, we should strive to appreciate the depth and […]

Whatever your standard for virtuous behavior – the code of chivalry, the Ten Commandments, the practice of good sportsmanship, or the Golden Rule – that fact is that the vast majority of us don’t manage to put those principles into practice each and every day of our lives. By the same token, most of us […]

If you are one of the many medieval enthusiasts who enjoy this show, and who studies (or perhaps even re-creates) famous battles, dueling, jousting, hunting, knighthood, and the ideals and literature of chivalry, then I’ll bet you have a “bucket list” of arms and armor exhibitions that you have visited, or want to visit in […]

Serious scholars of history might once have scoffed at the notion of undertaking an arts and crafts project as a means of historical study. In recent years, however, dedicated efforts into living history and immersive historical experimentation have proved that bringing history to life can, in fact, achieve a different sort of understanding to research […]

MAKE A DONATION ONLINE to help pay for the production of this podcast. Anyone who has read Christian Cameron’s historical adventure novels, such as the William Gold series, knows that creating a detailed medieval setting is one of his fortés. He is an author quite skilled at describing battles, armor, and fighting tactics, and at […]

Martial arts practice today is a relatively commonplace affair. In dojos, gyms, and studios all over the country (in truth, all over the world) students practice judo, karate, fencing, kendo, escrima, wrestling and boxing as part of their everyday lives – lives that don’t involve duels, assassination attempts, or open warfare. Though these sports maybe confined […]

In the first part of my conversation with sword maker Peter Johnsson, we talked at length about the symbolism and cultural significance of the sword, and how it reflects both medieval and modern understandings of the ideals of chivalry. But after the show was over, we went on talking and we both realized that our […]

There is a special place in heroic lore for those who deal in the craft of weapons – specifically, for the smiths who make swords. Far from being just a “big ol’ knife,” the sword – in legends – becomes an extension of the personality of the hero (or the villain), and as such, the man […]

From the drama The Walking Dead to the peppy teen comedy iZombie to the literary parody Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, the zombie apocalypse concept has become such a popular trope in today’s world that it is spilling over into just about every genre of entertainment. This year you can bet there will plenty of […]

Historical sword-combat instructor Devon Boorman was asked to give an inspirational talk at a TED Conference. His presentation drew upon the historical values of confidence, prowess, and humility – ideals of the code of chivalry! In this conversation, he describes the process of bringing historical ideals of honor to the TED stage. TED Talks are […]

Here is a little detour from our usual podcast format: In this episode we had hoped to bring listeners an interview with author Ethan Hawke – the same Ethan Hawke you maybe familiar with from his work on screen in films like Gattica, Dead Poet’s Society, and even the title role of Hamlet, as well as […]

How do the efforts to revive a 500-year-old style of German sword combat help us understand the ideals of chivalry in medieval culture, and its place in the world today? Author and historical researcher Christian Tobler joins us to discuss that question. When Christian Tobler’s book “Fighting With The German Longsword” was published in 2004, it was […]

Prof. Curry joins Scott to talk about the medieval woman's perspective of honor, chivalry, and tragedy in wake of Agincourt.

Among the events of conflict and military activity in the age of chivalry, the battle of Agincourt stands head-and-shoulders above just about anything else. Fought on October 25, 1415, Agincourt is the place where an outnumbered army of Englishmen, a “band of brothers” composed primarily of archers and led by King Henry V, defeated a […]

Guy Windsor joins host Scott Farrell for a conversation about the art of Fiore’s longsword and the martial virtues of knighthood and swordsmanship in the 14th century.

Jessica Finley joins host Scott Farrell to talk about the knightly practice of passages of arms in the Middle Ages, and why she (and her fellow combatants) find importance in reviving this chivalric custom in the 21st century.