Shining a Light on the Mysteries of State: The Origins of Fiscal Transparency in Western Europe
The extent of fiscal transparency in Western Europe has varied over the centuries. Although ancient Greek, Roman, and medieval governments were sometimes open about their finances, the absolute monarchies of the 1600s and 1700s shrouded them in mystery.
Why skaldic verse? Fashion and cultural politics in thirteenth-century Iceland
In this paper I intend to address this question through the poetic evidence of the sagas of Icelanders, analyzing two sagas which were written in the west of Iceland in the middle of thirteenth century.
The Crown in the Nibelungenlied
Among the many unsolved problems which continue to exercise the mind of the student of the the one receiving directly Nibelunmgenlied, and indirectly the greatest attention today is that of the positiontaken by the Nibelungenlied in relation to the other poetical works of the period in which it was given its final form.
Matthew Paris and the Royal Christmas: Ritualised Communication in Text and Practice
In the Chronica majora, and its abbreviations, Paris opened each year with a description of how and where the king held Christmas.
Mnemotechnics and the Reception of the Aeneid in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
If Simonides was the inventor of the art of memory, and ‘Tulliua’ its teacher, Thomas Aquinas became something like its patron saint.
‘Take almaundes blaunched …’ Cookbooks in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times
What is a cooking recipe, what is a manual to good, healthy food in the epoch of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age?
The Development of Arthurian Legends
King Arthur is a well known character of literature and film, and any person on the street could probably recall many aspects of his story. However, the story that so many people know and love is the result of hundreds of years of transformation and manipulation of a legend. It did not begin with much grandiosity or with very much background information.
Medieval Byzantine Magical Amulets and Their Tradition
A diverse yet distinctive group of magical amulets has periodically attracted the attention of scholars from Renaissance times to the present. The amulets take many forms, including engraved gems and cameos, enamel pendants, die-struck bronze tokens, cast or engraved pendants of gold, silver, bronze, and lead, and rings of silver and bronze.
Medieval bindings: stiff board structures in Slovenian manuscript collection
The paper aims to present the methodology of work used in the research as well as the process of formulating description form related to conservation bookbinding. The paper closes with observations and conclusions drawn from the analysis of the Slovenian collection of medieval codices.
The Earls of Desmond in the Fourteenth Century
This thesis explores these ambitions and relationships. It looks at the complex, sometimes violent, relationships between the earls of Desmond and local gentry, neighbouring magnates, absentee landholders, the royal government and the English crown as well as with the Irish.
Henry Ill’s Plans for a German Marriage (1225) and their Context
In this paper I would like to investigate how these and other factors influenced the two major marriage projects pursued by Henry III in 1225: the king himself was to marry a daughter of the duke of Austria, and his sister Isabella the son and heir of Emperor Frederick I, Henry (VII).
Healthscaping a Medieval City: Lucca’s Curia viarum and the Future of Public Health History
Healthscaping a Medieval City: Lucca’s Curia viarum and the Future of Public Health History G. Geltner (Department of History, University of Amsterdam) Urban History: 40,…
Snow Castles and Horse Racing on Ice: Winter Fun in the Medieval North
Although the winters could be long and harsh in medieval Sweden, the people still found time to have fun and games.
Cutting and Running from the (Medieval) Middle East: The Mises-hors-scène of Kingdom of Heaven’s Double DVDs
Cutting and Running from the (Medieval) Middle East: The Mises-hors-scène of Kingdom of Heaven’s Double DVDs Richard Burt 15 | 2007 : Le Moyen…
From Scott to Rispart, from Ivanhoe to The York Massacre of the Jews Rewriting and translating historical “fact” into fiction in the historical novel
From Scott to Rispart, from Ivanhoe to The York Massacre of the Jews Rewriting and translating historical “fact” into fiction in the historical…
Women, War, and Social Change in Armenia during the Mongol Domination
The Mongol conquest of Armenia precipitated social changes that were in motion since the late 10th-early 11th centuries, such as the dissolution of some princely houses, the realignment of others, as well as the rise of new ones.
Thomas Fitzanthony’s Borough: Medieval Thomastown in Irish History, 1171-1555
Thomas Fitzanthony’s Borough: Medieval Thomastown in Irish History, 1171-1555 Marilyn Silverman In the Shadow of the Steeple VI, Duchas-Tullaherin Parish Heritage Society (1998)…
Illustrated Octateuch Manuscripts: A Byzantine Phenomenon
Illustrated Octateuch Manuscripts: A Byzantine Phenomenon John Lowden The Old Testament in Byzantium: Selected papers from a symposium held Dec. 2006, Dumbarton Oaks Abstract…
Doctor Who in the Middle Ages
As the television show Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, we take a look at the adventures of the Doctor during medieval times.
Grave of 12th-century warrior discovered in Finland
Archaeologist in Finland have discovered the remains of a 12th-century warrior along with two swords, one that dates back to the Viking era.
Medieval Poison Ring discovered in Bulgaria
Bulgarian archaeologists have discovered a medieval ring that had a secret compartment which could have been used to conceal poison.
A risk society? Environmental hazards, risk and resilience in the later Middle Ages in Europe
The roll-call of disasters during the later medieval period was a lengthy one.
Ironing Out the Myth of the Flat Earth
It seems there’s one fact about the Middle Ages that always seems to astound people: medieval people did not actually think the world was flat.
The Venerable Bede
Venerable: commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence because of noble character; a title for someone proclaimed by the Roman Catholic church to have attained the first degree of sanctity. The Anglo-Saxon monk Bede easily met this definition.