Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus

Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus by Robert Steele breathes new life into the curious, practical, and poetic wisdom of the Middle Ages. Compiled and introduced with a spirited preface by William Morris, this audiobook draws on Bartholomew Anglicus’s celebrated De Proprietatibus Rerum to present medieval explanations of the natural world, animals, plants, minerals, medicine, and the cosmology that shaped everyday belief. Steele’s selections reveal a rich tapestry of medieval thought—part natural history, part theology, and threaded with folklore—offering a corrective to the old caricature of the Middle Ages as merely gloomy or ignorant. Listeners encounter how medieval scholars categorized nature, reconciled observation with faith, and wove practical knowledge into cultural and literary life. The narration highlights the historical context of scholastic learning and the enduring influence of Bartholomew’s encyclopedic approach. Ideal for fans of medieval history, history of science, folklore, and literary history, this nonfiction audiobook is both informative and evocative. Listen to rediscover a world where wonder and explanation walked hand in hand, and gain fresh insight into how medieval people understood their universe.