Best Kleio Pethainou Podcasts (2025)

1
Who Duped Him Best? A Contest in three acts 12:08

Play Pause

3d ago12:08

12:08

Based on Du Con de la Ringue (Three women who found a ring), this episode features the kind of antics that only medieval literature could get away with. The moral? Trust no one, and especially not your spouse. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social |…

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Medieval Shenanigans: Meet Dane Hew of Leicester 23:48

18d ago23:48

23:48

Guest storyteller Maber Slattery brings the house down, medieval-style. Join us as we discover the misadventures of Dane Hew, the monk who was "hanged once and four times slain"! And join us over on Patreon for the second half, where we talk about medieval humour, storytelling medieval stories, and we throw in a couple of real medieval tales (strai…

1
“Three Blind Men Walk Into an Inn…” (and it just gets worse) 14:19

1M ago14:19

14:19

This fabliau has it all: trickery, fine dining, and a wildly escalating prank that ends with gospel readings, public humiliation, and a very confused innkeeper. I give you Cortebarbe’s Li trois avugles de Compiègne (The three blind men of Compiègne). Content note: includes period-typical ableism. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title mu…

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Impostures, or Maqamat al-Hariri, with Peter Konieczny 21:51

2M ago21:51

21:51

This Easter Sunday, the Court Jester has a special treat usually reserved for Patreon supporters—a full bonus episode, free for all listeners! Join me and the brilliant Peter Konieczny of Medievalists.net as we dive into the witty, sharp, and delightfully clever world of the Maqamat al-Hariri, one of the greatest collections of medieval Arabic tric…

1
Glow Up or Blow Up? 7:43

2M ago7:43

7:43

Three girls. One magical cosmetic powder. A high-stakes prep session before a big tournament. What could possibly go wrong? In the fabliau of Les .iii. meschines (The Three Girls), you decide should pay for the lost powder! 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou…

1
Gombert 9:38

2M ago9:38

9:38

Ever wondered what medieval students got up to? In this episode, we follow two broke university lads who find themselves lodging with a peasant named Gombert. From sneaky bed swaps to stolen cookware, this tale has everything: deception, seduction, and a host who really should have locked his doors. Listen now for a lesson in why letting students s…

1
The Tale of Jaufre with Anne Lister 14:43

3M ago14:43

14:43

Give a warm welcome to The Court Jester's first guest storyteller! Anne Lister, medievalist, storyteller, musician and overall expert in everything there is to know about the Tale of Jaufre, joins us today and shares with us an episode from the Tale. I sat down with Anne for a very interesting interview afterwards, and you can find that on Patreon …

1
The priest and the woman 8:28

3M ago8:28

8:28

A wild story of deception, wit and wicker baskets, Le prestre et la dame proves once more that some women know exactly how to get what they want. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook 🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com…

1
Dead to Her 8:42

4M ago8:42

8:42

The Court Jester was selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top 20 Medieval History Podcasts on the web! What an absolute surprise! And what excellent motivation for me to tell you a story of a medieval married man and his unlikely affliction. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Le vilain de Bailleul (The peasant of Bailleul). Warning: not suitable for actua…

1
Sex Education, Medieval Style 15:37

1y ago15:37

15:37

A knight so dim he didn’t know where to put it. A mother-in-law who steps in to help. Two houseguests who suffer... a lot. And one red-hot awl that should’ve stayed in the drawer. Le sot chevalier (The stupid knight) is a fabliau about sex, stupidity, and why medieval hospitality was a high-risk activity. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵…

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How to Get Rid of Your Mother (Legally, and with Profit) 10:37

1y ago10:37

10:37

A mother wants more respect. A bishop wants to help. A random priest ends up financially and emotionally responsible for a complete stranger. This is Le prestre qui ot mere malgré sien (The priest who had a mother foisted on him) — a fabliau about guilt, identity fraud, and the medieval art of forced family. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubi…

1
Barrabam! A Good Friday Fabliau About Liturgical Chaos 5:15

1y ago5:15

5:15

It’s Good Friday, the church is packed, and the priest has lost the Passion — so naturally, he just starts yelling things until someone stops him. “Barrabam!” echoes off the walls. “Crucifige eum!” sends peasants into breast-beating despair. And the clerk? He’s had enough. Enter Le prestre qui dist la passion (How the priest read the passion story)…

1
The Fart That Changed the Afterlife 6:00

1y ago6:00

6:00

A peasant falls ill. Hell prepares to receive him. A devil arrives with a soul-capturing bag… and instead collects something far, far worse. Le pet au vilain (The peasant’s fart) is a fabliau about digestion, damnation, and the cosmic consequences of one peasant’s truly catastrophic fart. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Ce…

1
When in Doubt, Bribe the Bishop 9:26

1y ago9:26

9:26

A hardworking donkey dies. His priest gives him a saintly burial. The bishop is outraged — until twenty pounds appear, and suddenly the donkey's soul is forgiven, his sins are wiped clean, and divine justice looks... surprisingly flexible. Le testament de l’asne (The donkey’s legacy) is a fabliau about bribery, holiness, and the most successful don…

1
How to Test Your Wife’s Love 11:40

1y ago11:40

11:40

When a fisherman’s wife claims she wouldn’t mind if he lost a certain... appendage, he decides to put her loyalty to the test. What follows involves a drowned priest, a strategic swap, a bag of beans, and one of the most awkward reunions in fabliau history. Love is complicated. So are fishing trips. Le pecheor de Pont-sur-Seine (The fisherman of Po…

1
The Belt - Or, How to Win Back Your Husband by Seducing Him as a Man 20:03

1+ y ago20:03

20:03

A noblewoman is seduced by a strange knight bearing magical gifts. When her husband finds out, he leaves her. So she gets even. Disguised as “Sir Henry,” she wins tournaments, her husband’s trust, and eventually… him. The Belt by Dietrich von der Glezze is a 13th-century German tale of trickery, transformation, and what happens when your wife becom…

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The Lombard Who Wanted Twelve Wives 9:37

1+ y ago9:37

9:37

A young man boasts he could handle twelve wives. He marries one. She ruins him. When the village captures a wolf, he suggests, “Give him a wife.” Le valet aus .xii. Fames (The fellow with a dozen wives) is a fabliau about ego, endurance, and learning the hard way that marriage is not for amateurs. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title m…

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A Medieval Guide to Cheating Gracefully 9:11

1+ y ago9:11

9:11

A young wife meets her priest in the bushes. Her husband finds the bed empty. What follows is a knife, a near-confession, and a last-minute excuse involving fertility rituals, apostolic dirt, and walking barefoot around a church at midnight. La damme qui fist .iii. tors entor le moustier (Thrice Around the Church) is a fabliau about adultery, audac…

1
Auberee - Mistress of the Needle, Queen of the Scheme 20:41

1+ y ago20:41

20:41

When a young man falls in love with a newlywed, he hires a crafty old neighbor named Auberée to help. What follows includes a planted surcoat, a fake miracle, and one of the most elaborately staged reconciliations in medieval literature. Auberée is a fabliau about lust, lies, logistics—and how to play everyone in town without ever breaking a sweat.…

1
Hot Bath, Cold Betrayal 14:04

1+ y ago14:04

14:04

Two moneychangers. One wife. A tub full of regret. In Les .ii. changeors (The two Moneychangers), a clever woman turns the tables on her husband’s friend—who’s also her not-so-secret lover—with nothing but bathwater, bravado, and a flawless poker face. It’s a cautionary tale about overconfidence, underbathing, and why you should never assume you’re…

1
Heaven’s Worst Day at the Office 11:24

1+ y ago11:24

11:24

When no angels or demons show up to claim his soul, a dead peasant takes matters into his own hands and walks straight into Heaven. Saint Peter tries to kick him out. So does Saint Thomas. Then Saint Paul. All three are verbally demolished by a man who’s had just about enough of sanctimonious gatekeeping. Even Christ Himself has to admit defeat. L’…

1
A Crane for a f*** 10:03

1+ y ago10:03

10:03

A cloistered girl sees a crane. She wants it. The young man carrying it names his price—one she doesn’t understand, but pays all the same. As the bird comes and goes, so too do questions of innocence, value, and the patience of overworked nurses. La damoiselle de la grue (The Crane), a feather-light fabliau with a sharp beak. 📜 Text: Translation by…

1
The knight who heard his wife’s confession 14:10

1+ y ago14:10

14:10

When his sick wife asks for a priest, a knight gets curious. He dresses in robes, sneaks in as a confessor, and listens in. What he hears breaks his heart—or maybe just his pride. Too bad she knew it was him. Le chevalier qui fist sa fame confesse is a hilarious medieval tale of mischief, marriage, and one woman’s improv masterclass in “sins.” 📜 Te…

1
The butcher of Abbeville 18:22

1+ y ago18:22

18:22

A weary butcher stops in a priest’s village with nothing but a stolen sheep and a lot of nerve. By morning, he’s seduced the maid, seduced the priest’s mistress, sold the priest his own animal’s hide, and left a house full of chaos behind him. By Eustache d’Amiens, Le bouchier d’Abevile is a ferociously funny fabliau about hypocrisy, sex, revenge—a…

1
The Partridges 8:03

1+ y ago8:03

8:03

On Christmas Day, the Court Jester brings you the story of two partridges, not on a pear tree, but in…a shrubbery! A peasant roasts two perfect partridges. His wife eats them both. When the priest shows up for dinner, she sends him running and frames him for the theft. Les perdris is a greasy little tale about appetite, improvisation, and how quick…

1
Christmas Special: The story of Grettir and Glamr 14:44

1+ y ago14:44

14:44

On the Christmas Special of The Court Jester, I bring you monsters for Christmas. Grab your beverage of choice and let me take you to medieval Iceland, on a cold and stormy Christmas Eve. And to hear the rest of the Grettis saga, head over to Human Circus podcast. The Court Jester is the labour of love of medievalist Kleio Pethainou, and if you lik…

1
The Priest and Alison 14:41

1+ y ago14:41

14:41

And we’re back to pervert priest territory! This one sets his sights—and his purse—on a young merchant’s daughter. But when a cunning mother swaps in a seasoned professional named Alison, things heat up fast. Add some fire, a butcher with a stick, and one mortified chaplain fleeing nude through town, and you’ve got Le Prestre et Alison, Guillaume l…

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Walter and Marion 3:58

1+ y ago3:58

3:58

On their wedding night, Marion lets one rip—and Walter loses his damn mind. Is she lying? Is she cursed? Is love even real when it smells like that? Gautheron et Marion is a medieval sex farce where purity meets flatulence and nothing sacred survives. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Upd…

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The Blacksmith of Creil 10:41

1+ y ago10:41

10:41

A blacksmith’s wife wants a sample of the help’s famously gigantic tool—but the smith has other plans. One of the raunchiest fabliaux ever forged, Le Fevre de Creeil is featuring a legendary penis described...at length, a suspiciously cooperative apprentice, and a wife who’s about to get hammered. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title m…

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Bisclavret 12:32

1+ y ago12:32

12:32

He vanishes into the woods each week. She steals his secret and thinks she’s safe. But the beast comes back. Marie de France's Bisclavret is a chilling Breton lai of love, loss, and the dark things that wear human faces. No obscenity today. Just medieval monsters. Happy Halloween! 📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodca…

1
A Trial by C*nt 9:38

1+ y ago9:38

9:38

Before The Bachelor, before Judge Judy, there was this: a courtroom drama, complete with witnesses, deliberation, and an uncle with a riddle about genitals. Le Jugement des cons is a medieval tale of law, lust and labial nuance. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates & mischief: @kpeth…

1
Bonus episode: We're Not So Different! 1:04:57

1+ y ago1:04:57

1:04:57

On this bonus episode of The Court Jester, I met with Eleanor and Luke and we talk about things medieval, and about fabliaux and comedy old and new. Give their podcast, We're Not So Different, a follow, and join me on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @kpethainou to talk about the stories, and also follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook…

1
The mourner who got f*ucked at the grave site 8:12

1+ y ago8:12

8:12

A wandering squire made a bet he could seduce the sorrow right out of a grieving widow—and of course, he was right. This is the horniest act of grave desecration ever written down in medieval French. Is it disrespectful? Absolutely. Is it funny? Tragically so. Is it a cautionary tale about the volatility of female desire and the limits of performat…

1
The girl who wanted to fly 8:38

1+ y ago8:38

8:38

In this fabliau, a starry-eyed young woman dreams of flight—and a cunning student offers to equip her with the necessary “tail.” What follows is a cautionary tale of misplaced trust, high aspirations, and what really happens when you try to take off without checking the fine print. La damoiselle qui vost voleror is a story for everyone who’s ever w…

1
The Peasant Doctor 18:54

2y ago18:54

18:54

This poor guy just wanted to plow his field in peace. But one thing led to another—an unwanted marriage, a suspicious priest, a strategic beating—and suddenly he's the kingdom’s most celebrated doctor, despite knowing nothing about medicine except how to get hit with a stick until inspiration strikes. In Le Vilain mire, medicine is just violence wi…

1
Black Balls 7:23

2y ago7:23

7:23

In La Coille Noire, a wife takes her husband to court over the scandalous discovery that his testicles are black. Cue a trial full of confusion, comedy, and anatomical misunderstandings, as the bishop tries to make sense of it all. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates & mischief: @kp…

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The Knight Who Made C*nts Talk 19:09

2y ago19:09

19:09

Warning: private parts are about to go public. In Garin's infamous Le Chevalier Qui Fesoit Les Cons Parler, a down-on-his-luck knight is gifted the bizarre magical ability to make women's genitals (and if necessary, their anuses) speak the truth. As he travels from tournaments to courts, this strange power causes chaos, confession, and courtly mayh…

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Brother Denise 11:59

2y ago11:59

11:59

In Freire Denise le cordelier, Rutebeuf offers a poetic takedown of every dude who uses God to get laid. A teenage girl dreams of holy life; a Franciscan friar sees an opportunity. Disguised as “Brother Denise,” she enters the monastery—and his bed—until a sharp noblewoman spots the girl under the tonsure. A darkly comic tale of religious abuse, dr…

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The Beaten Path 7:40

2y ago7:40

7:40

In Le sentier batu, Jean de Condé tells the story of a knight who gets roasted at a party by the woman he once hoped to marry—and absolutely cooks her back. A lesson in why public shame is a blade that cuts both ways—and why some roads are better left untraveled. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Na…

1
The Knight of the Red Robe 12:07

2y ago12:07

12:07

When a well-dressed knight visits his lover while her husband is at court, all goes to plan—until the husband unexpectedly returns. What follows is a spiraling comedy of cover-ups, in which the lady spins a web of lies so convincing she not only protects her secret lover but manages to convince her husband that he’s possessed, demented, and in need…

1
Long Butthole Berengier 15:46

2y ago15:46

15:46

In Berangier au lonc cul, Guérin (the creative mastermind behind this amazing story) delivers a humiliating farce about one man's lie, one woman’s vengeance, and one monumental butt. This knight might wear armour, but his guts are all gone—literally scared into kissing what he thought was a man’s “long butthole.” That’s right: the title is not a me…

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The Three Hunchbacks 12:41

2y ago12:41

12:41

When a miserly hunchback marries far above his station, his obsession with control meets its match in his wife's quick wits and a sturdy bed with three drawers. In Les iii boçus, bodies pile up, a porter loses his mind, and a husband learns (posthumously) that money can’t buy loyalty. One of the fabliaux’s tightest murder farces, this is slapstick …

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"Amen to That"! The C*nt Blessed by a Bishop 9:40

2y ago9:40

9:40

In L’evesque qui beneï le con, the bishop of Bayeux learns the hard way that abusing power for sex can blow up in your face—especially when the woman’s husband is hiding behind the bed, waiting to say Amen. God sees everything, and so does the guy behind the curtain. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexande…

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Trollops and Troupers 7:33

2y ago7:33

7:33

When God made the world, He gave jobs to knights, peasants, and priests—and forgot the whores and the entertainers. So they complained. The result? Harlots got Church patronage, jugglers got tossed some bones, and the moral order of the universe got pantsed in public. Jean de Condé’s Des putains et des lecheors is divine bureaucracy at its pettiest…

1
Father Got Nailed 7:18

2y ago7:18

7:18

A master woodcarver leaves his wife alone for one afternoon, and she decides it’s open season for clergy. Unfortunately for the priest, her husband’s home early and his hands are very good with a blade. Le Prestre crucefié (The Crurcified Priest) is a righteous tale of cuckold rage, divine justice, and testicles left at the foot of the cross. 📜 Tex…

1
The C*nt Made with a Spade 6:06

2y ago6:06

6:06

God made man from dust, woman from bone—and then promptly forgot a key anatomical detail. Luckily, the Devil had a spade, a fart, and a very strange sense of customer service. Du con qui fu fait a la besche explains why women talk so much and why you should always check who's handling the divine blueprints. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin…

1
The Squirrel 7:26

2y ago7:26

7:26

When a sheltered young lady learns the forbidden word for a man's genitals, things quickly get nutty. Robin, a strapping lad with a wild imagination and an even wilder metaphor, offers her a lesson in squirrel-taming that starts with mischief and ends in a mess. L' Escuiruel is a fabliau of slippery language and more slippery morals, where talking …

1
The Bishop and the Boner Curse 6:11

2y ago6:11

6:11

Warning: Wearing strange jewellery found by a river may lead to catastrophic boners. Ask your medieval doctor if this fabliau is right for you. I give you L’anel qui faisoit les viz grans et roides (The ring that controlled erections), by Haiseau. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin 🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada 📲 Updates…

1
Coming Soon! 3:19

3+ y ago3:19

3:19

Hosted by Kleio Pethainou, the Court Jester brings you saucy stories from the Middle Ages. Join Kleio on twitter @kpethainou, and talk about each week’s story. Become a patron and get bonus episodes, additional material and other perks at patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast. Or you throw some coins to your jester at ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast. Get …