Gone Medieval – How the Wind Blew Up The Middle Ages

Podcast: Gone Medieval (History Hit)
Episode Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Dr. Eleanor Janega
Guest: Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman, Krakatoa, and The Breath of the Gods

Episode Overview

This episode explores how wind—an invisible yet powerful force—shaped the Middle Ages in ways both practical and profound. Guest Simon Winchester draws from his latest book, The Breath of the Gods, to reveal how wind influenced everything from language and mythology to exploration, health, architecture, and even the outcome of empires. The conversation spans cultures and centuries, bringing together stories from Viking legends, Chinese innovation, medieval monastic records, and catastrophic invasions foiled by a change in the breeze.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Wind in Human Thought

Language & Early Records

• The first written records of wind appear in Sumerian, with a specific cuneiform character ("lil") denoting wind. (05:39–07:06)
• Egyptians used a hieroglyph of a wind-filled sail; Chinese characters link wind to insects.
• Wind names and conceptualizations emerge globally, reflecting unique mythologies and practical concerns.

Global Interpretations

• Vikings: Wind as the manifestation of an eagle’s wings over Norway. (07:31–08:35)
• Ancient Greeks: Multiple gods of wind (the Anemoi), also inspiring scientific inquiry by Aristotle (Meteorologica).

Quote:
"Mesopotamia first, Egypt second, China next."
— Simon Winchester (06:55)

2. Wind’s Relationship to Agriculture, Astronomy, and Technology

Agricultural Connection

• Threshing and winnowing: Medieval barns designed to utilize prevailing winds for separating grain from chaff. (09:06–11:13)
• The orientation of barns (typically facing west) is dictated by wind patterns.

Astronomy and Atmosphere

• Early astronomers noted planets and moons with atmospheres also exhibit wind.
• Mercury’s lack of wind highlights dependence on atmosphere plus heat.

Technological Applications

• Wind harnessed not only in navigation (sails) but also agriculture (windmills for pumping water, grinding grain).

3. Wind and Navigation: Driving Exploration and Colonization

Portuguese Exploration

• Portuguese sailors in the 15th century master wind patterns, enabling global navigation and founding colonies along wind corridors. (14:04–17:05)
• The breakthrough: Understanding to sail away from, then return to, the coast to utilize prevailing winds (e.g., Cape Bojador).

Phoenician & Mediterranean Seafaring

• Early Mediterranean sailors, restricted by myth and fear, venture beyond the Pillars of Hercules only after confronting their fear of open-sea winds—with lucrative results. (17:05–18:39)

Quote:
"Such a small country to live in, but the whole world to die in."
— Simon Winchester (14:37)

4. Wind as a Carrier: Disease, Disaster, and Divine Will

Medieval and Cross-Cultural Concerns

• Winds seen as carriers of not just seeds and pollen, but of destructive forces: sand, locusts, and disease. (19:24–20:41)
• Medieval anxieties over noxious winds corresponded to real environmental effects but often linked to spiritual or magical causes.

Black Death & Miasma Theory

• During plague outbreaks, winds blamed for carrying "malodorous fumes" and pestilence.
• Contradictory beliefs: winds could cleanse (fresh air) or contaminate (disease). (41:27–42:22)

5. Scientific and Cultural Transmission

Influence of Greek and Islamic Meteorology

• Aristotle’s theories and Islamic meteorological tracts deeply impacted medieval understanding. (22:52–24:07)
• Islamic scholars in Kublai Khan’s court brought advanced meteorological knowledge to China.

China: Mastery and Hubris

• Chinese efforts to measure and predict winds for navigation—sometimes leading to folly, as with Kublai Khan’s failed invasions of Japan cursed by the "divine wind" or kamikaze (25:29–29:51).

Quote:
"The main eight wind gods written inscribed on the marble... while all this was going on and winds ascribed to deities, Aristotle was pondering and thinking and working it all out..."
— Simon Winchester (13:19)

6. Wind in Medieval Christian and Norse Traditions

Divine Winds in Legend and Faith

• "The breath of God" found throughout Islamic, Christian, Japanese, and Norse tales.
• St. Brendan’s legendary voyage: driven by “heavenly wind” to the New World, pre-Columbus. (33:17–35:20)
• Norse and Icelandic sagas attribute triumphs and disasters to the action of wind and its gods.

7. Architecture and the Practical Uses of Wind

Monastic and Civic Design

• Cathedral siting and window design, e.g., at Chartres, harness the "Venturi effect" for cooling—an early form of climate control. (36:22–37:34)
• Knowledge of wind patterns influences church construction and city planning, especially in southern France and Trieste.

Windmills and Energy

• Development of windmills in medieval Europe for grinding grain and, later, water management in the Netherlands.
• Technological evolution traced from ancient to modern uses, emphasizing the enduring value of wind power. (43:02–46:16)

8. Wind’s Impact on Health, Mood, and Justice

Health Beliefs

• Certain winds believed to cleanse and heal (e.g., "the Cape Doctor" in Cape Town curing ailments).
• Medieval links between fresh air and wellness, even without germ theory. (40:18–41:20)

Mental Influence & Crime

• Cultural notions (and legal excuses!) linking certain winds with madness or violence:
  "When the Mistral is blowing... judges... will take a more benign attitude towards people that commit crimes of passion." (48:01–49:45)

9. The Wind as Moral Force and Divine Judgment

Weather and Divine Wrath

• Catastrophic winds depicted as God's instrument of judgment, cleansing, or reward across cultures.
• Example: Wind saves Japan from Mongol invasion; likewise, the Spanish Armada's defeat attributed to the "Protestant wind." (50:22–59:34)
• The interconnectedness of volcanic eruption, winds, and famine (e.g., Tambora, 1815) as a driver of historical events. (52:31–53:31)

10. Magic, Spirits, and Folklore of the Wind

Divine and Animistic Traditions

• Medieval magic traditions: wind knots sold to sailors to release storms with a tug.
• Stories of wind as the spirits of the dead or as the breath of gods continue in various cultures.
• Modern artistic attempts to "capture" the sound and spirit of the wind echo ancient magical views. (63:10–65:58)

Quote:
"The wind is the spirits of the dead being wafted away into heaven. It's a lovely image."
— Simon Winchester (65:50)

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "[Wind] isn’t just weather, it’s the breath of the gods themselves, shaping every aspect of medieval life, from the mundane to the miraculous." – Dr. Eleanor Janega (04:45)
• "What then happens is [wind] speeds up and cools down at the same time … [the Venturi effect] keeps the cathedral cool." – Simon Winchester (36:22)
• "You can always go into a cathedral and everything is going to be fine by the time you get in there. It’s everything else up until then." – Dr. Eleanor Janega (37:34)
• "When the Mistral is blowing ... you used to be able to plead ... that’s why I murdered this person." – Simon Winchester (49:02)
• "Ultimately, what could be worse than a world without wind?" – Simon Winchester (55:15)
• "Mostly wind is known by its effects, not by its sheer existence." – Simon Winchester (64:28)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Wind in Ancient Languages & Myths: 05:39–08:35
• Medieval Agriculture & Wind: 09:06–11:13
• Navigation and Exploration: 14:04–18:39
• Wind as Disease Carrier/Miasma: 19:24–20:41; 41:27–42:22
• Kublai Khan & The Kamikaze: 25:29–29:51
• Wind in Christian & Norse Tradition: 33:17–36:22
• Monastic Use of Wind (Venturi effect): 36:22–37:34
• Windmills & Technological Evolution: 43:02–46:16
• Wind’s Influence on Health & Crime: 40:18–41:20, 48:01–49:45
• Wind as Divine Judgment & History: 50:22–59:34
• Magical and Spiritual Wind Beliefs: 63:10–65:58

Conclusion

This episode of Gone Medieval powerfully illustrates the centrality of wind in shaping medieval history and culture across continents. Through tales of myth and measurement, trade and terror, the wind's story is also humanity's story—a reminder of our dependence on forces both seen and unseen. Simon Winchester’s insights provide a sweeping, interconnected view of how a simple gust could lay low empires, inspire epic journeys, or simply cool a stifling cathedral.

Listen to this episode for:

• Fascinating stories of wind’s impact on navigation, war, magic, and mythology
• Surprising cross-cultural parallels and differences
• Practical details about medieval technology and everyday life
• Lively, sharp-witted dialogue, peppered with memorable asides and historical revelations