Booty in Border Warfare
Nothing is more revealing in this universal itch to ravage and to spoil than the traces we find in the sources of rules for the sharing of the plunder.
The imperial abbey of Ellwangen and its peasants: a study of the polyptych of 1337
This paper presents an analysis of Ellwangen Abbey’s polyptych of 1337, with a view to understanding better the nature of the south German rural economy in this period.
Which Deadly Warrior Are You?
Throughout the ages, civilizations have risen and fallen on the backs of elite fighters. Which legendary sect do you belong to?
Can You Guess Which Animal This Is?
Here are 25 images of animals from the Middle Ages – can you figure out which creature they are?
Ceremonial Drinking in the Viking Age
Drinking ceremonies played a very important social role in Viking Age Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England.
War on the Waterways: Maritime Conflict in the Viking Age in the North Sea Region
The ubiquitous Viking warship is perhaps the most high-profile symbol of early medieval Scandinavians.
Eyewitness accounts of the 1510 influenza pandemic in Europe
In 1510, there was little appreciation that a specific respiratory disease might have been recurring over centuries, but historians now believe that influenza had probably been circulating as an epidemic disease since as early as the 9th century AD, if not earlier.
Dragons: A Symbol of Evil in European Synagogue Decoration?
At first glance, images of evil would seem to be an unexpected element in synagogue art. Only during a relatively short period in eighteenth-century eastern-European synagogues were paintings of predatory beasts and birds catching their prey depicted to convey the idea of the People of Israel pursued by enemies.
Ten Strange Medieval Animals You Might Not Have Heard Of
A fish that can stop a ship and a bull that passes gas to defend itself – these and more strange animals from the Middle Ages!
Historical Lives in Fiction, Characters in Fiction: Are they the same people?
There is a strong relationship between history and fiction. The characters created by writers, either in historical novels and literary fiction, reflect that relationship. Many of the characteristics of fictional characters can also be ascribed to characters depicted in historical fiction and biographical writing.
Trowbridge Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Conference
Trowbridge, home to one of the 25 barons elected to enforce Magna Carta, will be hosting an entertaining event at the Civic Centre on 25th April 2015, with a full day of informative seminars by some of the country’s leading historians.
Free online course offers unique insights into Richard III reinterment
The third run of the free popular ‘England in the Time of King Richard III’ online course will be launching Monday 16 February – and will offer a fascinating insight into life during 15th century England in the build up to the reinterment of Richard III on Thursday 26 March.
The Anonymous of Bethune, King John and Magna Carta
One of the most frequently met generalizations about King John is that he was unfortunate to have lived at a time when those authors who chronicled the events of their own day were churchmen
The Troubadours, Part I: Sad Songs Say So Much
The height of their popularity was in the 12th-13th Centuries, and they wrote songs about people, politics, and religion, but most of all, love. Let’s take five minutes to talk about troubadours.
Mermaids in the Middle Ages
Florentine writer Brunetto Lattini explains what mermaids are in his Book of Treasures.
Through Trial and Error: Learning and Adaptation in the English Tactical System from Bannockburn to Poitiers
During the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century, the English in medieval Europe fought in two wars: the Scottish Wars of Independence followed by the Hundred Years War.
Medieval Warfare Magazine – Volume V Issue 1
The latest issue of Medieval Warfare Magazine explores Traitors in the Middle Ages.
Where should the remains of Richard III be until he is buried?
Some of the people responsible for finding Richard III are asking that his remains be no longer kept in an university laboratory, but be coffined in a holy place until his reburial in March.
A Quick Guide to Norse Gods
The Norse pantheon includes some very interesting characters. This is a little guide to get you started about learning who these gods and goddesses were.
Slavs in Fredegar and Paul the Deacon: medieval gens or ‘scourge of God’?
This article presents a new interpretation of the accounts of Slavs given by two early medieval Latin narrative sources.
Chaucer the Love Poet: A Study in Historical Criticism
This thesis is an historically based inquiry into the aesthetic function and moral significance of the themes of marriage, fornication, and adultery in Chaucer’s poetry about sexual love
‘Iceland: Land of Fire, Ice and Vikings’ symposium takes place next month
Those interested in Iceland’s history and future will be gathering at California Lutheran University next month for the 16th Annual Nordic Spirit Symposium. The two-day conference’s theme is ‘Iceland: Land of Fire, Ice and Vikings’.
Gothic Wonder: New Book examines the spectacular buildings of Medieval England
In his book, Gothic Wonder, Professor Paul Binski explores a period in which English art and architecture pushed the boundaries to produce some of Europe’s most spectacular buildings and illuminated manuscripts.
Why Candlelight offers little Light
How much light does candlelight offer?
This Week in Medieval Manuscript Images
After missing a week, we are back with the best of Twitter when it comes to medieval manuscript art – including monkeys playing organs and owls wearing hats