Kleio Pethainou
@kpethainou.bsky.social
Medievalist, Art Historian & Doctor of Humour (yes, it’s a real thing!) @edincollegeofart.bsky.social🃏
I edit https://bit.ly/MedievalStorytelling, tell stories at #TheCourtJesterPodcast & find something to laugh with every day.
https://linktr.ee/kpethainou
I edit https://bit.ly/MedievalStorytelling, tell stories at #TheCourtJesterPodcast & find something to laugh with every day.
https://linktr.ee/kpethainou
Reposted by Kleio Pethainou
I have been WAITING for a journalist to write this story.
I specialize in manuscripts produced in England between 1300 and 1500. If this had occurred in the midst of writing my dissertation or first book, it would have exploded my career.
I specialize in manuscripts produced in England between 1300 and 1500. If this had occurred in the midst of writing my dissertation or first book, it would have exploded my career.
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I have been WAITING for a journalist to write this story.
I specialize in manuscripts produced in England between 1300 and 1500. If this had occurred in the midst of writing my dissertation or first book, it would have exploded my career.
I specialize in manuscripts produced in England between 1300 and 1500. If this had occurred in the midst of writing my dissertation or first book, it would have exploded my career.
The Halloween special is here: The Ballad of a Dead Brother.
9th-century Balkans. Oaths, ruin, and a mother’s grief strong enough to wake the dead.
Also, it's the first ever Court Jester episode on video. Come see.
buff.ly/IJuqec8
🖼️ Vasso Katraki
#storytelling #medievalsky #Halloween2025
9th-century Balkans. Oaths, ruin, and a mother’s grief strong enough to wake the dead.
Also, it's the first ever Court Jester episode on video. Come see.
buff.ly/IJuqec8
🖼️ Vasso Katraki
#storytelling #medievalsky #Halloween2025
October 30, 2025 at 11:01 AM
The Halloween special is here: The Ballad of a Dead Brother.
9th-century Balkans. Oaths, ruin, and a mother’s grief strong enough to wake the dead.
Also, it's the first ever Court Jester episode on video. Come see.
buff.ly/IJuqec8
🖼️ Vasso Katraki
#storytelling #medievalsky #Halloween2025
9th-century Balkans. Oaths, ruin, and a mother’s grief strong enough to wake the dead.
Also, it's the first ever Court Jester episode on video. Come see.
buff.ly/IJuqec8
🖼️ Vasso Katraki
#storytelling #medievalsky #Halloween2025
The Court Jester is taking a little break for October, preparing new mischief for the winter season.
In the meantime, here’s one from the archives: one of the most (in)famous stories of the genre.
🎧 Listen here: youtu.be/FLQ2J15Yr_M?...
And have you followed The Court Jester on YouTube yet?
In the meantime, here’s one from the archives: one of the most (in)famous stories of the genre.
🎧 Listen here: youtu.be/FLQ2J15Yr_M?...
And have you followed The Court Jester on YouTube yet?
The mourner who got f*ucked at the grave site: The most unhinged graveyard hook-up imaginable
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.…
youtu.be
October 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The Court Jester is taking a little break for October, preparing new mischief for the winter season.
In the meantime, here’s one from the archives: one of the most (in)famous stories of the genre.
🎧 Listen here: youtu.be/FLQ2J15Yr_M?...
And have you followed The Court Jester on YouTube yet?
In the meantime, here’s one from the archives: one of the most (in)famous stories of the genre.
🎧 Listen here: youtu.be/FLQ2J15Yr_M?...
And have you followed The Court Jester on YouTube yet?
What happens when a priest, his lover, and a greedy clerk sit down to dinner?
New episode is now live, give it a spin and find out open.spotify.com/episode/6aq6...
#medievalsky
New episode is now live, give it a spin and find out open.spotify.com/episode/6aq6...
#medievalsky
The Court Jester
Podcast · Kleio Pethainou · Medieval comedy is wild… and we’re here for it! Medievalist and storyteller Kleio Pethainou drags you through the most wild and raucous stories of the Middle Ages. From…
open.spotify.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
What happens when a priest, his lover, and a greedy clerk sit down to dinner?
New episode is now live, give it a spin and find out open.spotify.com/episode/6aq6...
#medievalsky
New episode is now live, give it a spin and find out open.spotify.com/episode/6aq6...
#medievalsky
As a medievalist, I can confirm.
A heaving Bridgerton cleavage or bloody decapitation? What your favourite era of history says about you | Emma Beddington
A survey has found people would rather travel back in time than to the future. I consulted historical experts to find out what that means, writes Guardian columnist Emma Beddington
www.theguardian.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM
As a medievalist, I can confirm.
"Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions, and Functions" just got a warm review at HistoryMedieval!
Spoiler: they liked it 👀
Read it: historymedieval.com/medieval-humour-expressions-receptions-and-functions
#MedievalSky #HumorStudies #MedievalHumour #BookReview
Spoiler: they liked it 👀
Read it: historymedieval.com/medieval-humour-expressions-receptions-and-functions
#MedievalSky #HumorStudies #MedievalHumour #BookReview
Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions and Functions – Medieval History
Medieval Humour explores laughter in manuscripts, tales, and art—revealing the witty, playful, and surprising side of medieval life and culture.
historymedieval.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:01 AM
"Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions, and Functions" just got a warm review at HistoryMedieval!
Spoiler: they liked it 👀
Read it: historymedieval.com/medieval-humour-expressions-receptions-and-functions
#MedievalSky #HumorStudies #MedievalHumour #BookReview
Spoiler: they liked it 👀
Read it: historymedieval.com/medieval-humour-expressions-receptions-and-functions
#MedievalSky #HumorStudies #MedievalHumour #BookReview
Heaven doesn’t pay its debts. A medieval fabliau proves it.
🎧 New episode: The Poor Peddler, now live on Spotify and all platforms.
buff.ly/3vEl3ke
📖 Valenciennes, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 101, fol. 191v. ca. 1230-1260
#MedievalHumour
🎧 New episode: The Poor Peddler, now live on Spotify and all platforms.
buff.ly/3vEl3ke
📖 Valenciennes, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 101, fol. 191v. ca. 1230-1260
#MedievalHumour
God Owes Me Thirty Shillings
The Court Jester · Episode
buff.ly
August 31, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Heaven doesn’t pay its debts. A medieval fabliau proves it.
🎧 New episode: The Poor Peddler, now live on Spotify and all platforms.
buff.ly/3vEl3ke
📖 Valenciennes, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 101, fol. 191v. ca. 1230-1260
#MedievalHumour
🎧 New episode: The Poor Peddler, now live on Spotify and all platforms.
buff.ly/3vEl3ke
📖 Valenciennes, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 101, fol. 191v. ca. 1230-1260
#MedievalHumour
A while ago, I polled listeners about the one fabliau I couldn’t make funny. You asked to hear it anyway, so here it is.
It’s brutal and violent. Let’s talk about why medieval audiences laughed with that.
🎧 I give you The Gelded Lady: buff.ly/yJWfMjK
⚠️ Content warning: everything.
#medievalsky
It’s brutal and violent. Let’s talk about why medieval audiences laughed with that.
🎧 I give you The Gelded Lady: buff.ly/yJWfMjK
⚠️ Content warning: everything.
#medievalsky
August 31, 2025 at 1:09 PM
A while ago, I polled listeners about the one fabliau I couldn’t make funny. You asked to hear it anyway, so here it is.
It’s brutal and violent. Let’s talk about why medieval audiences laughed with that.
🎧 I give you The Gelded Lady: buff.ly/yJWfMjK
⚠️ Content warning: everything.
#medievalsky
It’s brutal and violent. Let’s talk about why medieval audiences laughed with that.
🎧 I give you The Gelded Lady: buff.ly/yJWfMjK
⚠️ Content warning: everything.
#medievalsky
“His balls are WHAT?”
A wife drags her husband before the bishop. The whole town shows up. Confusion, comedy and awkward anatomy lessons follow.
This is Black Balls: a fabliau about medieval justice at its most bewildered.
🎧 Listen here: buff.ly/DseO6v9
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
A wife drags her husband before the bishop. The whole town shows up. Confusion, comedy and awkward anatomy lessons follow.
This is Black Balls: a fabliau about medieval justice at its most bewildered.
🎧 Listen here: buff.ly/DseO6v9
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
August 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM
“His balls are WHAT?”
A wife drags her husband before the bishop. The whole town shows up. Confusion, comedy and awkward anatomy lessons follow.
This is Black Balls: a fabliau about medieval justice at its most bewildered.
🎧 Listen here: buff.ly/DseO6v9
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
A wife drags her husband before the bishop. The whole town shows up. Confusion, comedy and awkward anatomy lessons follow.
This is Black Balls: a fabliau about medieval justice at its most bewildered.
🎧 Listen here: buff.ly/DseO6v9
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
"Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions and Functions" is now featured on History Medieval! Read my article about the wit and laughter of the Middle Ages here: buff.ly/QUGIAIe
📖 @labnf.bsky.social, Fonds francais 854, fol.121v
#medievalsky
📖 @labnf.bsky.social, Fonds francais 854, fol.121v
#medievalsky
August 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
"Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions and Functions" is now featured on History Medieval! Read my article about the wit and laughter of the Middle Ages here: buff.ly/QUGIAIe
📖 @labnf.bsky.social, Fonds francais 854, fol.121v
#medievalsky
📖 @labnf.bsky.social, Fonds francais 854, fol.121v
#medievalsky
A sly minstrel tries to ruin a clueless groom’s wedding night…but he didn’t account for the bride.
By dawn, the prankster’s bed, clothes and dignity are buried under an avalanche of medieval payback.
🎧 New episode - Jouglet
buff.ly/APjbRzg
#MedievalHumour #Fabliau #TheCourtJesterPodcast
By dawn, the prankster’s bed, clothes and dignity are buried under an avalanche of medieval payback.
🎧 New episode - Jouglet
buff.ly/APjbRzg
#MedievalHumour #Fabliau #TheCourtJesterPodcast
August 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
A sly minstrel tries to ruin a clueless groom’s wedding night…but he didn’t account for the bride.
By dawn, the prankster’s bed, clothes and dignity are buried under an avalanche of medieval payback.
🎧 New episode - Jouglet
buff.ly/APjbRzg
#MedievalHumour #Fabliau #TheCourtJesterPodcast
By dawn, the prankster’s bed, clothes and dignity are buried under an avalanche of medieval payback.
🎧 New episode - Jouglet
buff.ly/APjbRzg
#MedievalHumour #Fabliau #TheCourtJesterPodcast
If this is not my favourite story from the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, it is definitely my favourite illumination.
Have you ever seen a friar and a nun masturbating under a tree while being watched by a weird man?
You have now.
🎧Patreon Bonus: Payment for the Pears.
buff.ly/ZVHOPey
#medievalsky
Have you ever seen a friar and a nun masturbating under a tree while being watched by a weird man?
You have now.
🎧Patreon Bonus: Payment for the Pears.
buff.ly/ZVHOPey
#medievalsky
August 1, 2025 at 5:21 PM
If this is not my favourite story from the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, it is definitely my favourite illumination.
Have you ever seen a friar and a nun masturbating under a tree while being watched by a weird man?
You have now.
🎧Patreon Bonus: Payment for the Pears.
buff.ly/ZVHOPey
#medievalsky
Have you ever seen a friar and a nun masturbating under a tree while being watched by a weird man?
You have now.
🎧Patreon Bonus: Payment for the Pears.
buff.ly/ZVHOPey
#medievalsky
A miller tries to trick a girl. Instead, he loses his pig, his pride and his dignity. By court order.
🎧 New episode: The Miller of Arleux
buff.ly/DBnc8MC
#TheCourtJesterPodcast #Medievalsky
🎧 New episode: The Miller of Arleux
buff.ly/DBnc8MC
#TheCourtJesterPodcast #Medievalsky
July 29, 2025 at 6:40 PM
A miller tries to trick a girl. Instead, he loses his pig, his pride and his dignity. By court order.
🎧 New episode: The Miller of Arleux
buff.ly/DBnc8MC
#TheCourtJesterPodcast #Medievalsky
🎧 New episode: The Miller of Arleux
buff.ly/DBnc8MC
#TheCourtJesterPodcast #Medievalsky
🎧 New episode, complete with guest cat sounds!
A penny-pinching husband suspects his wife is having an affair. So he sets a trap.
But she’s got sharper instincts, a better plan, and the entire household on her side.
Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6tF1...
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
A penny-pinching husband suspects his wife is having an affair. So he sets a trap.
But she’s got sharper instincts, a better plan, and the entire household on her side.
Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6tF1...
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
July 13, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🎧 New episode, complete with guest cat sounds!
A penny-pinching husband suspects his wife is having an affair. So he sets a trap.
But she’s got sharper instincts, a better plan, and the entire household on her side.
Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6tF1...
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
A penny-pinching husband suspects his wife is having an affair. So he sets a trap.
But she’s got sharper instincts, a better plan, and the entire household on her side.
Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/6tF1...
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
The sound quality of The Court Jester's next episode has been seriously compromised by this furry nightmare, who couldn't stop yelling for attention.
Please accept my apologies. He regrets nothing.
#cat #storyteller #storytelling #TheCourtJesterPodcast #medievalsky
Please accept my apologies. He regrets nothing.
#cat #storyteller #storytelling #TheCourtJesterPodcast #medievalsky
July 10, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The sound quality of The Court Jester's next episode has been seriously compromised by this furry nightmare, who couldn't stop yelling for attention.
Please accept my apologies. He regrets nothing.
#cat #storyteller #storytelling #TheCourtJesterPodcast #medievalsky
Please accept my apologies. He regrets nothing.
#cat #storyteller #storytelling #TheCourtJesterPodcast #medievalsky
If you’re heading to #IMC2025, stick this in your ears on the train and arrive fully in the #medieval mood: curious, inventive and just slightly scandalised.
And follow The Court Jester wherever you get your podcasts!
🎧https://open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRSbyx0Ac1asD1RudD
📖BnF Fr. 25526, f. 111r.
And follow The Court Jester wherever you get your podcasts!
🎧https://open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRSbyx0Ac1asD1RudD
📖BnF Fr. 25526, f. 111r.
July 6, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Some fabliaux are about sex.
Some are about power.
This one is about a man who kisses a mysterious knight’s butt and doesn’t realise it’s his wife.
“Bérangier au lonc cul” is all about status anxiety, gender performance and sexual frustration.
youtu.be/nOSUexYEuso?...
#fabliaux #medieval
Some are about power.
This one is about a man who kisses a mysterious knight’s butt and doesn’t realise it’s his wife.
“Bérangier au lonc cul” is all about status anxiety, gender performance and sexual frustration.
youtu.be/nOSUexYEuso?...
#fabliaux #medieval
July 2, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Some fabliaux are about sex.
Some are about power.
This one is about a man who kisses a mysterious knight’s butt and doesn’t realise it’s his wife.
“Bérangier au lonc cul” is all about status anxiety, gender performance and sexual frustration.
youtu.be/nOSUexYEuso?...
#fabliaux #medieval
Some are about power.
This one is about a man who kisses a mysterious knight’s butt and doesn’t realise it’s his wife.
“Bérangier au lonc cul” is all about status anxiety, gender performance and sexual frustration.
youtu.be/nOSUexYEuso?...
#fabliaux #medieval
Whether you're travelling or already queueing for conference coffee in #IMC2025, I’ve got you. This month’s newsletter dives into the Bal des Ardents, to give you some perspective on the importance of Health and Safety in event planning.
Sign up and read it on the way to Leeds: buff.ly/7n4XYfI
Sign up and read it on the way to Leeds: buff.ly/7n4XYfI
June 30, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Whether you're travelling or already queueing for conference coffee in #IMC2025, I’ve got you. This month’s newsletter dives into the Bal des Ardents, to give you some perspective on the importance of Health and Safety in event planning.
Sign up and read it on the way to Leeds: buff.ly/7n4XYfI
Sign up and read it on the way to Leeds: buff.ly/7n4XYfI
Boivin had a purse full of lies and a knack for trouble.
He scammed a brothel, sparked a riot and left with a payday.
🎧 New episode: open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRS...
📖 Scene of a bathhouse, c. 1470. Berlin Staatsbibliothek, Ms. Dep. Breslau 2, vol. 2, fol. 244.
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
He scammed a brothel, sparked a riot and left with a payday.
🎧 New episode: open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRS...
📖 Scene of a bathhouse, c. 1470. Berlin Staatsbibliothek, Ms. Dep. Breslau 2, vol. 2, fol. 244.
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
June 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Boivin had a purse full of lies and a knack for trouble.
He scammed a brothel, sparked a riot and left with a payday.
🎧 New episode: open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRS...
📖 Scene of a bathhouse, c. 1470. Berlin Staatsbibliothek, Ms. Dep. Breslau 2, vol. 2, fol. 244.
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
He scammed a brothel, sparked a riot and left with a payday.
🎧 New episode: open.spotify.com/show/1Do3IRS...
📖 Scene of a bathhouse, c. 1470. Berlin Staatsbibliothek, Ms. Dep. Breslau 2, vol. 2, fol. 244.
#Medievalsky #TheCourtJesterPodcast
The Book That Almost Vanished
A story about medieval humour, academic publishing and a book that deserves a second chance
A story about medieval humour, academic publishing and a book that deserves a second chance
The Book That Almost Vanished
A story about medieval humour, academic publishing and a book that deserves a second chance
kleiopethainou.com
June 25, 2025 at 5:48 AM
The Book That Almost Vanished
A story about medieval humour, academic publishing and a book that deserves a second chance
A story about medieval humour, academic publishing and a book that deserves a second chance
If you ever find yourself in Akşehir in July, you might witness a man in 13th-century robes riding backwards on a donkey, leading a cheerful procession through the city.
Welcome to the world of Nasreddin Hodja. Read all about him on this month's Patreon:.
buff.ly/CaAccYV
#medievalsky #jesterlore
Welcome to the world of Nasreddin Hodja. Read all about him on this month's Patreon:.
buff.ly/CaAccYV
#medievalsky #jesterlore
June 21, 2025 at 1:25 PM
If you ever find yourself in Akşehir in July, you might witness a man in 13th-century robes riding backwards on a donkey, leading a cheerful procession through the city.
Welcome to the world of Nasreddin Hodja. Read all about him on this month's Patreon:.
buff.ly/CaAccYV
#medievalsky #jesterlore
Welcome to the world of Nasreddin Hodja. Read all about him on this month's Patreon:.
buff.ly/CaAccYV
#medievalsky #jesterlore
Talking about my usual smutty medieval images at @prayticipate.bsky.social in @uniofstandrews.bsky.social and feeling like a rockstar.
#medievalsky #medievalist #medievalistlife #conferenceseason #medievalhumour #deadseriousjokes #centnouvellesnouvelles
#medievalsky #medievalist #medievalistlife #conferenceseason #medievalhumour #deadseriousjokes #centnouvellesnouvelles
June 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Talking about my usual smutty medieval images at @prayticipate.bsky.social in @uniofstandrews.bsky.social and feeling like a rockstar.
#medievalsky #medievalist #medievalistlife #conferenceseason #medievalhumour #deadseriousjokes #centnouvellesnouvelles
#medievalsky #medievalist #medievalistlife #conferenceseason #medievalhumour #deadseriousjokes #centnouvellesnouvelles
Voted most likely to survive a medieval power vacuum.
Evangelist John on Patmos, and marginal detail of rooster holding a sceptre in left foot.
Book of Hours. France, Provence, ca. 1440-1450. Morgan Library, MS M.358, fol. 13r.
#medievalsky
Evangelist John on Patmos, and marginal detail of rooster holding a sceptre in left foot.
Book of Hours. France, Provence, ca. 1440-1450. Morgan Library, MS M.358, fol. 13r.
#medievalsky
June 17, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Voted most likely to survive a medieval power vacuum.
Evangelist John on Patmos, and marginal detail of rooster holding a sceptre in left foot.
Book of Hours. France, Provence, ca. 1440-1450. Morgan Library, MS M.358, fol. 13r.
#medievalsky
Evangelist John on Patmos, and marginal detail of rooster holding a sceptre in left foot.
Book of Hours. France, Provence, ca. 1440-1450. Morgan Library, MS M.358, fol. 13r.
#medievalsky
In this month’s Patreon, I chat with actor, writer and medievalist @debsca.bsky.social , whose one-woman show "Green Knight" has been casting its spell on audiences for nearly a decade.
#Storytelling, subtext and subversion, all in one very green conversation.
buff.ly/Yb1iBNk
#medievalsky
#Storytelling, subtext and subversion, all in one very green conversation.
buff.ly/Yb1iBNk
#medievalsky
June 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
In this month’s Patreon, I chat with actor, writer and medievalist @debsca.bsky.social , whose one-woman show "Green Knight" has been casting its spell on audiences for nearly a decade.
#Storytelling, subtext and subversion, all in one very green conversation.
buff.ly/Yb1iBNk
#medievalsky
#Storytelling, subtext and subversion, all in one very green conversation.
buff.ly/Yb1iBNk
#medievalsky
Sir Gawain and the #GreenKnight needs no introduction, and this week it's on #TheCourtJesterPodcast. Tune in as Debbie Cannon performs a fascinating excerpt from this masterpiece!
Listen: buff.ly/BC6U6rz
#KingArthur #Medievalsky #Arthuriana
📖 @britishlibrary.bsky.social , MS Cotton Nero AX2, f 95r
Listen: buff.ly/BC6U6rz
#KingArthur #Medievalsky #Arthuriana
📖 @britishlibrary.bsky.social , MS Cotton Nero AX2, f 95r
June 15, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Sir Gawain and the #GreenKnight needs no introduction, and this week it's on #TheCourtJesterPodcast. Tune in as Debbie Cannon performs a fascinating excerpt from this masterpiece!
Listen: buff.ly/BC6U6rz
#KingArthur #Medievalsky #Arthuriana
📖 @britishlibrary.bsky.social , MS Cotton Nero AX2, f 95r
Listen: buff.ly/BC6U6rz
#KingArthur #Medievalsky #Arthuriana
📖 @britishlibrary.bsky.social , MS Cotton Nero AX2, f 95r