Gargoyles and the Grotesque in Medieval Architecture
Gargoyles in its most technical term refer to waterspouts projecting from the roof of the Cathedrals.
The Medieval Walking Dead
On January 1, 1091, an army of the dead came to Normandy. For one priest, it would be a night that he would never forget.
Galileo, the Impact of the Telescope, and the Birth of Modern Astronomy
Galileo would have dearly loved to explain to his examiners how his observations made belief in the Copernican system more intellectually respectable even though he had no irrefutable proof of the Earth’s motion, but this was an opportunity he never got.
Capital Punishment: The Curious History of its Privileged Place in Christendom
The Death Penalty and war have long been linked as practices that present special problems for any professedly Christian ethic.
Synthesis of Thought and Action: Muslim-Christian Political, Military and Theological Cohesion From the Time of the First Caliphs to the Reign of the Fatimid Empire
Muslim-Christian theological synthesis, beginning in the Umayyad period and culminating in eleventh century Fatimid Egypt, will be explored through the particular lens of Coptic-Christian clerical and lay efforts to appropriate the Arabic cultural language as a means of religious survival and dialogue with Muslim apologists.
If Game of Thrones were a show about a Medieval Theme Park!
The people from Bad Lip Reading have created a very funny (if at times incomprehensible) video from Game of Thrones.
Investing In England: The Designation Of Heirs To The Crown Throughout English History
It was not until the late eighteenth century that rules for succession to the English throne were written.
Medieval Dead – 6 part TV documentary series to air in UK
If the Medieval Dead could speak, what would they tell us?
Medieval Shoes
What set the trends for medieval shoe styles? The Politics, power, economics and climate behind medieval shoes.
Barbarians and Literature – Viking Metal and its Links to Old Norse Mythology
Barbarians and Literature – Viking Metal and its Links to Old Norse Mythology By Imke von Helden The Metal Void: First Gatherings, edited by Niall W.…
Castle for Sale in Scotland: Cavers Castle
Although now in ruins, this 15th century tower house located in the Scottish borderlands was once an impressive home.
De Itinere Navali: A German Third Crusader’s Chronicle of his Voyage and the Siege of Almohad Silves 1189 AD
Eleven shiploads of German crusaders from the cities of Lübeck and Bremen departed the Holy Roman Empire in 1189CE, part of Frederick Barbarossa’s crusader army destined for the Holy Land via England, Portugal, and the Mediterranean polities.
The millennium King Arthur: the commodification of the Arthurian legend in the 20th century
The prophesy that King Arthur will return has come true. This legendary icon of Western civilization lives again in the popular culture novels of contemporary and futuristic literature.
Medieval mystic Angela da Foligno is named a Saint
Pope Francis made the surprising announcement last week that Angela da Foligno, an Italian Franciscan and mystic, has been named a saint.
Wolves in Lamb’s Clothing: Redeeming the Images of Catherine of Siena and Angela of Foligno
Medieval holy women were revered for their power and efforts, by both their communities and the Church. However, what are contemporary women to make of these female saints?
Medieval Fortress discovered in Ireland
‘There is no doubt in my mind that we are looking at a major, unstudied settlement.’
The Forbidden City comes to Toronto
The Royal Ontario Museum will be hosting the exhibition ‘The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors’ beginning on March 8, 2014.
1066: The Limits of our Knowledge
As the most pivotal and traumatic event in English history, the Norman Conquest continues to generate controversy and debate, especially among those who know little about it or enjoy passing judgement on the past.
The Norman Conquest: The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England
The Norman Conquest: The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England By Marc Morris Pegasus Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-60598-451-3 Publisher’s Description: An…
Two Augustines?
Beyond the decision to keep what Christians call the Old Testament, probably the only positive Christian contribution to Jewish-Christian relations from the patristic era was Augustine’s ‘witness doctrine.’
How Shall a Man Be Armed? Evolution of Armor during the Hundred Years War
Special presentation at the 2013 International Congress on Medieval Studies
The Caliph’s Favorite: New Light from Manuscript Sources on Hasdai ibn Shaprut of Cordova
By approximately 930, the Jewish family of Hasdai son of Joseph ibn Shaprut had moved from their hometown of Jaen to the Muslim capital of Cordova,
Melisende: A True Queen
This leads us to our primary question: did Melisende rule as a political entity during this time?
Top Ten Monsters of the Middle Ages
People in the Middle Ages, just like today, could imagine a very strange monster!
Editing Chaucer
Over the centuries many authors have attempted to re‐write or adapt the work of Geoffrey Chaucer, including John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and William Wordsworth. This trend has continued into the 21st century, as Chaucer has been reaffirmed as an English literary icon