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Medieval Myths & Mysteries

Written by: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
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Publisher's Summary

Was King Arthur a real person? What about Robin Hood? Is the Holy Grail a cup, or something else, altogether? Did Europeans really burn millions of people at the stake for witchcraft, in the past? These are just a few of the questions you will explore with the help of medieval scholar Dorsey Armstrong as she reveals the truth about the stories we continue to tell about the medieval period. Some contain nuggets of truth, others are wholly fabricated, but all of them can tell us something about the past.

From films like Braveheart and Excalibur to literature such as Ivanhoe and Morte d’Arthur, the years between 500 and 1500 have generated amazing stories of knights and damsels, superstitions and magic; some of these stories even made it into our grade school history curriculum. But what were those years really like? Known, somewhat inaccurately, as the “Middle Ages,” this period was not merely a transition from Roman antiquity to the Renaissance, but a vibrant time full of people just as curious, innovative, malicious, joyful, confused, ambitious, complex - in other words, just as human - as in any other period of history.

The 10 enlightening (and often humorous) lectures of Medieval Myths and Mysteries will show you how far from the “dark” times of legend these centuries were. Uncover the facts about the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind the tales of legendary creatures like the Questing Beast and the unicorn. Trace the events of the Black Death and the ways it altered the world in its wake, and much more.

With Professor Armstrong, you will dig deep into the ways that later generations reshaped the narrative of the medieval years and perpetuated the myths of a simpler and less civilized age, which was, in fact, much richer and more complex than many of us have been led to believe.

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

What listeners say about Medieval Myths & Mysteries

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Quick and informative!

This was a fantastic introduction into many medieval misconceptions that left me eager to dive into many of the topics more thoroughly. It was also very well performed and presented. A must listen for anyone with even a small interest in medieval history.

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Good History lesson!

Never been a history student but loved these chapters and the way they were presented. Really Interesting.

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Good stringing together of the stories.

I thought this was extremely interesting, the untruths we believe, the more likely stories revealed. still there is enough mystery to grab your attention and the flow is very good. If every professor was this good I think more students might be interested in history.

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SO GOOD! Too short!

This was so well done. Interesting and such an interesting way to challenge the status quo of what we know. My only negative is that it is too short!

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Amazing Audiobook

I really enjoy it and learned a lot. I am glad I purchased this book.

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Wow

I enjoyed this very much the tone was conversational and casual which makes heavy and dry history so engaging and fun

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A very good overview!

Really enjoyed the professor, and the material is quite good, though if you have any sort of familiarity with the topics, there will be a lot of unsurprising basics here. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, there’s an entire lecture on its resonances with medieval history—I’m not so much, so that was somewhat lost on me. Could have perhaps been a bit more thematically coherent, but has me excited to listen to Professor Armstrong’s more in-depth courses.

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started out great

I enjoyed the beginning. got me excited to learn more but ended up with games of thrones talk. I've never seen it and her references just didn't make sense. if you've seen the show the last hour might be more enjoyable.

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loved the content!

Content was great , and always love Dorsey Armstrong. very interesting and captivating. she has a way to jeep you intrigued, a used and interested thank you very much Dorsey Armstrong.

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A great primer with interesting details

I think this lecture series does good to explain in modern ways how the medieval world worked. I'm a bit surprised at how the constant pop culture references don't ever reference Dungeons and Dragons given it's medieval bent. That said, it's an all around interesting starting point for anyone interested in the topic. I may give this author's other online content a look.

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