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How to Write a Letter for a Suspicious Knight
For some were shoemakers in their own shires, some swineherds, and the man has yet to be found who would couple a girl of such noble birth to a man of ignoble origins.
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5 Things to Pack in Your Medieval First Aid Kit
Here are five things that would have been a handy part of a medieval ‘first aid kit’ and that (incidentally) science is slowly proving can still be counted on to work in a pinch.
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Tall Tales: The Trouble with Tours
Tours. They can be great, or they can be cringeworthy and rife with misinformation. A great tour guide knows how to add a flourish or two to a story to keep the audience engaged and the history interesting. A bad tour guide invents things and hopes there isn’t a historian in the audience dismayed by the falsehoods they’re spreading to unwitting listeners…
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Medieval Castle for Sale in France: Chateau d’Avezan
This 13th century castle in southern France is on sale for 950 000 €
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Macbeth: Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in dark, gritty interpretation of Macbeth
Macbeth opened in October in London to critical acclaim. The movie is being released today in Canada and the US.
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How Well Do You Know the Opening Lines of Medieval Literature?
Test yourself by trying to pick which famous work of medieval literature these opening lines are from.
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The Medieval Magazine: The Lighter Side of the Middle Ages (Issue 44)
Find out what was funny in the Middle Ages, plus articles on Guinevere, Norse kings, Glastonbury Abbey, the wives of Robert II of Scotland, and more…
Medieval News

Manuscript fragments bear ‘striking resemblance to The Book of Kells’
Fragments of a medieval manuscript hidden in the spine of a book for hundreds of years could shed new light on Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure, The Book of Kells.

Early Medieval Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland: A Curator’s Perspective
Martin Golberg, Senior Curator at the National Museums of Scotland, travelled to the British Museum to give audiences perspective on the various pieces in the exhibit as well as an introduction to what constitutes “Celtic” art.

Medieval Oslo recreated on Minecraft
A new Youtube video is showing the results of a project by history students at the University of Oslo where they recreate how a city looked in the Middle Ages. ‘Oslo recreated to year 1300′ was made by undergraduates taking part in the university’s Oslo in the Middle Ages course under John McNicol. The project involved […]

I’ll Eat My Hat If It’s Richard: Dr. Turi King on the Impact of the Richard III Project
Turi King discusses some of the more humorous circumstances surrounding Richard III’s discovery, the science behind the dig, and the media onslaught that ensued.

Is Ashgate Publishing about to close?
With Ashgate Publishing’s American office closing this week, and its British office rumoured to do the same next month, it seems that days are numbered for one of the most important publisher’s in the field of medieval studies.
Medieval Articles

The Impact of Holy Land Crusades on State Formation: War Mobilization, Trade Integration and Political Development in Medieval Europe
This paper argues that crusader mobilization had important implications for European state formation.

Medievalism and Exoticism in the Music of Dead Can Dance
In 1991, the alternative rock band Dead Can Dance released an album that caught the attention of music reviewers by constructing an aural allegiance to the Middle Ages.

Writing History in a Paperless World: Archives of the Future
The question I want to pose here concerns the form of archives that will be available to the historians of the early twenty-first century. Or put differently – what will be left behind of the contemporary present in lieu of paper for the future historians?

Of Wilderness, Forest, and Garden: An Eco-Theory of Genre in Middle English Literature
I posit that the components of the environment play a role in the deployment of the narrative by shaping the characters and influencing the action.

Europe’s Many Worlds and Their Global Interconnections
First, I will discuss the three Europes of the Middle Ages: the tri-continental Mediterranean-centred World, the Northern World originating in Scandinavia, and the intermediate Europe north of the Alpine mountains and south of the Baltic Sea.
Medieval Videos
Power and Politics at the time of King Harald Bluetooth, Denmark
He was the Harald that won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made pagans Christian, and that is fairly easy to read, but what did he exactly say? What does it meant when he says he won for himself all of Denmark?
Heirs of Genghis Khan
It all begin in the year 1190 when Genghis Khan managed to bring together the different nomadic tribes of Mongolia in a single, powerful army of 200,000 men.
The Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago): The Temple of the Stars
A documentary about the famous pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages
Medieval Books
In Search of Alfred the Great: The King, The Grave, The Legend
The only English monarch ever to have had the epithet ‘the Great’, Alfred’s reputation reaches down to us through the years. Christian hero, successful defender of England against the Vikings, social and educational reformer. There is a man and a life buried amid the myths. Within these pages, discover Alfred’s dramatic story.
Ten Castles that Made Medieval Britain, by James Turner
An ebook from Medievalists.net
MEDIEVAL BOOKS: Black Friday!
Here are a few recent releases for medievalists hunting for Black Friday books and early Christmas gifts!
Medieval Movies & TV
Macbeth: Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in dark, gritty interpretation of Macbeth
Macbeth opened in October in London to critical acclaim. The movie is being released today in Canada and the US.
Sewing the Scene: The Uses of Embroidery in Medieval Film
This paper explores how embroidery has been used in films to establish, and often destroy, feminine space and autonomy. However, the most recent addition to the medieval film canon represents a distinct change in this trend.
The Top 10 Viking Movies
YouTuber Listy McGee has created his list of the Top 10 Viking Movies
More Medieval History
Making the Medieval Relevant: Crossing Boundaries: Interdisciplinary Studies on Disease and Disability
A summary of a paper given by Professor Christina Lee at the University of Nottingham’s “Making the Medieval Relevant” Conference.
Cracking down on illegal gambling in Medieval Livonia
Just like their modern day counterparts, medieval cities had to deal with their own criminal underworlds – the sex trade, gambling, and violence taking place within their walls. At the International Medieval Congress, held earlier this month at the University of Leeds, these issues were explored as part of session #706: Perceiving and Regulating Vices.
Imprisonment, Execution and Escape: Medieval History and the National Curriculum
The final talk in Sesson #1041, Engaging the Public with the Medieval World, looked at what English children are being taught in school. How much medieval history is in the new programme that was released in September 2014? Megan Gooch, Curator at the Historic Royal Palaces breaks down the English system for us in her paper, ‘Imprisonment, Execution, and Escape: Medieval History and the National Curriculum’.
Making the Castle a Home: Creating an Immersive Medieval World Using Live Costumed Interpreters
How does the use of unscripted, adaptive, historical interpretation boost the tourist experience? Right on the heels of our look at the Tower of London’s visitor engagement, we heard a paper from Lauren Johnson, Research Manager for Past Pleasures, the oldest historical interpretation company in the UK who educate and entertain the public at historical sites, museums, on stage and and on TV.
‘But Where are the Dungeons?’: How to Engage the Public at the Tower of London
A talk about how historical sites, like the Tower of London engage the public. How to handle visitor expectations, what do people come t see and how to tell history in a captivating but accurate manner.
The Last Kingdom: An Interview with Bernard Cornwell
What I find most compelling is the struggle to create a country which became England, a struggle that must have seemed hopeless at times and which roiled Britain in constant fighting. We think of England (especially) as a peaceful landscape, but in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries it was horribly brutal and merciless.
The Archer’s Loss: England’s War, Fate’s Arrows
As England crumbles, so does Thomas as he rails against the world which has snatched life and love away from him so savagely. The end of the 116 year struggle between old foes shall be the making and breaking of a boy yet to develop into a man….
Book Review: The Iron King, by Maurice Druon
Touted by George R.R. Martin as the original Game of Thrones, Druon’s series has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity recently, and can be found in major bookstores.
Teaching Historical Theory through Video Games
The potential of video games for teaching history is receiving increasing recognition. However, the greatest emphasis is on their use as tools in secondary education. The few studies focusing on undergraduate education demonstrate the use of games to create an immersive historical experience with counterfactual options.
Minecraft and the Middle Ages
It is one of the most popular video games ever created. Moreover, educators are finding ways to use Minecraft as a teaching tool, and one that could be ideal for learning about the Middle Ages.
Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf
Dark and visceral, the graphic novel version of Beowulf created by Gareth Hinds is considered to be one of the most successful adaptations of the Old English tale.
Using LEGO to teach the Middle Ages
Here are a few ideas that teachers can use to teach the Middle Ages with LEGO










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