The Canterbury Fails Richard the Redeless: Terrible Poem Terrible Drink
Jan 31, 2026
Two presenters pick apart a tricky medieval poem and its single-manuscript quirks. They trace 19th and 20th century editorial claims and modern scholarship about authorship. They debate whether the poem is Lancastrian propaganda and compare medieval media to modern fake news. A harshly critiqued cocktail sparks jokes about political tone and the odd flourishing of literature under bad rulers.
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Episode notes
The Nixon Cocktail Pairing
- Matt presents a cocktail called the Nixon (aka Tricky Dicky) to pair with the episode's theme.
- David and Matt find the drink overpowering, purple, and unpleasant, comparing it unfavorably to other cocktails they've tried.
Fake Advice Framed As Counsel
- The poem presents itself as advice to Richard but is written after his death and functions as fabricated 'advice' to later rulers.
- It repeatedly signals "if you do this, next king, you'll be secure," revealing its retrospective political purpose.
Proto Fake News In Medieval Verse
- Matt Hussey and David Coley call Richard the Redeless "fake news": it postdates Richard and rewrites his reign to justify Lancastrian rule.
- The poem functions as astroturf political messaging rather than grassroots criticism.
