MAP97: Hunger Games: The Great Famine of 1315

MAP97: Hunger Games: The Great Famine of 1315

From Medieval Archives by The Archivist

November 10, 2025 · 29 min · Episode 97

About this episode

This episode discusses the Great Famine of 1315 and its impact on medieval Europe.

🌾Hunger Games: The Great Famine of 1315🌾 Executive Producers wanted: ⭐YOUR NAME HERE; Thank you to all the listeners! 💰Become a Producer! DONATE to the show via PayPal , or use Venmo You can also donate with Stripe 📜 Sign Up for our newsletter The 14th century opened with a nightmare beginning a period called the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, which lasted almost 200 years and was filled with famine, plague, religious schisms and wars, lots of wars. Sadly, it’s the beginning of the end for the medieval era. After centuries of warmth, prosperity, and booming harvests, Europe plunged into a cold, wet catastrophe, the Great Famine of 1315. In this episode, you’ll learn about the end of the Medieval Warm Period and the disaster that began the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages. The Great Famine of 1315–1317 was the beginning of the crisis and one of the most devastating in 14th century Medieval Europe, a harrowing event that killed millions and reshaped the fabric of society. From endless rain and rotting grain to livestock dying in the fields and desperate people turning to unthinkable acts, the famine reshaped Europe for generations. We'll look at the medieval world before the…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Rayburn

Topics covered

  • Great Famine
  • Crisis of the Late Middle Ages
  • Medieval Warm Period
  • 14th century Europe

Keywords

  • famine
  • plague
  • wars
  • society
  • agriculture

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Castamatic, iCatcher

Books & works: Hansel and Gretel, The Evil Times of Edward II, A Distant Mirror, Hansel & Gretel, Medieval History

Places: Europe, Indonesia, Iceland

More episodes of Medieval Archives

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Medieval Archives podcast page.