Episode 213. Frogs in the Medieval World with Greti Dinkova-Bruun episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 5, 2025 · 1H 38M

Episode 213. Frogs in the Medieval World with Greti Dinkova-Bruun

from AmphibiCast · host Dan Drobates

We've all heard the tales of witches using "eye of newt" in their potions, but did you know that amphibians (frogs in particular) were actually a common ingredient in medieval curatives? Medieval medicine was in fact rife with recipes that used frogs (in part or whole) as cures, charms, and treatments for a long list of ailments.  And, in addition to their medical usage, frogs were also used as characters in medieval fables that depicted them as everything from heroes to villainsTo help us understand frogs in the medieval world,  week I am honored to be joined by medievalist and librarian, Greti Dinkova-Bruun. In this episode, we discuss her recent article, The Medieval Frog in Medical Recipes and Fable Narratives. We talk about historical context, and many of the specifics behind the usage of frogs in both medicine and literatureGreti Dinkova-Bruun's article The Medieval Frog in Medical Recipes and Fable Narratives, is published in the latest issue of Mediaeval Studies, To read the article, visit:https://www.academia.edu/130177325/_The_Medieval_Frog_in_Medical_Recipes_and_Fable_Narratives_Mediaeval_Studies_85_2023_139_162https://pims.ca/news-item/medieval-frog/Broaden your knowledge of herpetology online or in person at the Amphibian Foundation. Register now at www.amphibianfoundation.org and use code AMPHIBICAST at checkout for 10% off This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creationshttps://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreationsExo Terra is our sponsor this week. For all your amphibian needs visit: Exo-terra.com or visit your local dealer and follow @exoterrausa on social media. NEHERP is our sponsor this week For your bioactive vivarium needs visit: https://www.neherpetoculture.com/

We've all heard the tales of witches using "eye of newt" in their potions, but did you know that amphibians (frogs in particular) were actually a common ingredient in medieval curatives? Medieval medicine was in fact rife with recipes that used frogs (in part or whole) as cures, charms, and treatments for a long list of ailments. And, in addition to their medical usage, frogs were also used as characters in medieval fables that depicted them as everything from heroes to villains To help...

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Episode 213. Frogs in the Medieval World with Greti Dinkova-Bruun

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This episode was published on December 5, 2025.

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We've all heard the tales of witches using "eye of newt" in their potions, but did you know that amphibians (frogs in particular) were actually a common ingredient in medieval curatives? Medieval medicine was in fact rife with recipes that used...

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