The Rise of a Tax State: Portugal, 1367-1401
This paper uses the case of fourteenth-century Portugal to question a common assumption of “fiscal history” literature, namely the linear relationship between war-related fiscal demands increase the level of taxation.
Petrus Hispanus (circa 1215-1277) and ‘The Treasury of the Poor’
The identity of Petrus Hispanus is a matter of some controversy. Part of the problem is centred on the fact that ‘Hispanus’ covers the general region of the Iberian Peninsula, referred to in medieval times as ‘las Españas’ (the Spains), incorporating both present day Spain and Portgual.
The Origins of the Shroud of Turin
Charles Freeman, surprised by the lack of research into one of the great unsolved mysteries, reveals for the first time his groundbreaking examination into the creation of the venerated object.
Instructions for a Medieval Parish Priest
Myrc was a clergyman writing in England in the early fifteenth century, and his long poem was created to help priests who were not particularly learned remember all the most important parts of their work.
10 Terrifying Reads for Halloween!
Here are some spooky medieval books for you to celebrate with over Halloween!
Dental and oral diseases in Medieval Persia, lessons from Hedayat Akhawayni
Persian physicians had a great role in assimilation and expansion of medical sciences during the medieval period and Islamic golden age.
Dynastic Intrigues and Domestic Realities during the Reigns of Andrew I and Bela I
In the mid-1030s, the cousin of King Stephen I of Hungary, Prince Vazul (the son of Michael, the younger brother of Geza, Stephen’s father) conspired to assassinate the elderly and ailing king.
Which Woman Would You Be in King Arthur’s Court?
The legendary days of King Arthur were full of love and betrayal, loyalty and ambition, violence and intrigue. Which woman would you have been in Arthurian times? Take the test and find out!
Which Man Would You Be in King Arthur’s Court?
The legendary days of King Arthur were full of love and betrayal, loyalty and ambition, violence and intrigue. Which man would you have been in Arthurian times? Take the test and find out!
Interview with Sherry Jones – The Sharp Hook of Love
I try to tell whatever story I’m telling with struck adherence to the known facts and as faithfully to the era — its culture, mores, values, etc. — as I can be without having been there. However, I also recognize that history is its own form of fiction
Of dead kings, dukes and constables: the historical context of the Danse Macabre in late medieval Paris
Why did the danse macabre rise to fame only when incorporated in a mural scheme that was created in a period of major political upheaval?
Late Medieval Knight Reflecting on his Public Life: Hugo de Urriés (c. 1405-c. 1493), Diplomacy and Translating the Classics
This article focuses on Aragonese courtier Hugo de Urriés’s public profile by means of analyzing the critical points derived from examining his personal, political, cultural and historical stands making use of an invaluable primary source, his letter to Fernando the Catholic in the early 1490s.
The Names of Criminals in Medieval England
Agnes Daythef, Henry Golichtly, Godwin Haluedeuel and Walter Litlegod – how did they get such names?
De Herinacio. On the Hedgehog
Obrazki nunu and Discarding Images have teamed up to create a great video based on a medieval bestiary.
The drawings that Michelangelo did not want you to see
There are about 600 drawings by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo that have survived to the present day – many of them stunningly beautiful – but he would probably have been ‘absolutely horrified’ that the general public can now see them.
Does a Reformation End?: Rethinking Religious Simulation in Sixteenth-Century Italy
A paper examining the Italian Reformation.
The Importance of Parks in Fifteenth-Century Society
In this paper, my aim is to consider the role of parks in the fifteenth century.
‘I know not what it is’: Illustrating Plants in Medieval Manuscripts
If a medical literary expert such as Simon of Genoa could not always identify the plants mentioned in the literature, where would that leave physicians who probably had little time to devote to inquiries as deeply and tenaciously as Simon?
Gendered Souls: Female Religious and Imperial Power in Early Byzantium
I examine three empresses, Pulcheria (398-453 CE), Theodora (500-548 CE), and Irene (752-803 CE), in the hopes of illuminating their claims to imperial power while also placing them in the context of a larger historical tradition.
This Week in Medieval Manuscript Images
From pigs on crutches to lions at your feet, some of the best images from medieval manuscripts posted on Twitter in the last week.
The Wife of Bath: Standup Comic
In this article I argue that the prologue to The Wife of Bath’s Tale is also an exercise in carnival, and that rather than being a true autobiography of Alisoun of Bath, it is a joke routine for a standup comic.
Judith in Late Anglo-Saxon England
Judith makes two spectacular appearances in the Old English corpus: she is the brave heroine of a poem which is included in one of the most famous manuscripts of the late Anglo-Saxon period, the Nowell Codex, which also contains the heroic epic, Beowulf.
The Norman Conquest of England: The Alternative Histories
We take a look at two alternative histories of the Norman Conquest – Waces’s Roman de Rou and the Vita Haroldi
Norse Religion and Ritual Sites in Scandinavia in the 6th – 11th century
Today we have increasing opportunities for archaeological identification of the pre-Christian rites in the various accounts given by the written sources.
Being a Medieval Surgeon: From Dog Bites to Brain Surgery
Henri de Mondeville (c. 1260 – 1316) was the surgeon to two kings of France – Philip IV and Louis X. In 1312 he wrote Cyrurgia (Surgery), one of the first works of its kind from the Middle Ages.