Do You Know Your Renaissance History?
The Renaissance was an important era in the world. Do you know the famous Renaissance paintings, artists, and creations?
Of thieves, counterfeiters and homicides: crime in Hedeby and Birka
Material evidence of prehistoric crime is rare. A compilation of finds from Hedeby harbour however offers three case studies, where three different offences – thievery, counterfeiting and homicide – are likely.
Christians in the amphitheater? The ‘Christianization’ of spectacle buildings and martyrial memory
This article presents an overview of the archaeological evidence for Christian spaces inside spectacle buildings – stadia, hippodromes, theaters and amphitheaters.
‘Game of Thrones, Television and Medieval History’ – medieval and media studies team up to offer course on popular show
For 20 students at Northern Illinois University, Game of Thrones isn’t merely the most entertaining show on television — it’s also among the most thought-provoking classes on campus this spring.
Incest in Early Medieval Society
The question of what persons and why can have sexual relations with each other and consequently, can contract marriage, is of basic importance for the functioning of every society, irrespective of time, place and the degree of the society’s development.
The Great Hours of Anne of Brittany
The Great Hours of Anne of Brittany, created between 1503 and 1508 in Tours, France, is undoubtedly a masterpiece of French painting.
Review of Wolf Hall, Episode 3: Anna Regina
Three things happened that made it possible for Henry VIII to marry Anne Boleyn. Without these three factors, there’d have been no marriage.
Ireland’s Ancient East campaign to showcase country’s medieval sites
The Irish government has started a tourism campaign – Ireland’s Ancient East – in hopes that the country’s heritage will attract another 600,000 overseas visitors per year.
Midlands Viking Symposium to take place this week
From burials in boats to the perceived magical properties of runic charms, members of the public are invited to come together at the University of Leicester to learn about the latest research developments in the world of Vikings during the annual Midlands Viking Symposium on Saturday 25 April.
Medieval Microstates
Did tiny kingdoms and states exist in the Middle Ages? Here is our list of ten European microstates the were created, sometimes by accident, including a few that remain in existence to this day!
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.
Places to See: The King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester
Now that Richard III has been laid to rest, and his tomb is open to the public for viewing, what more is there left to see when you’re in Leicester? Plenty.
Sewing as Authority in the Middle Ages
Analysing manuscripts, relics, indulgences, and even a bishop’s mitre, the article argues that stitching was a way to enact, or intensify, the ritual purpose of objects, whether that was ceremonial, devotional, or authoritative.
Rituals of Royalty: Prescription, Politics and Practice in English Coronation and Royal Funeral Rituals c. 1327 to c. 1485
This thesis examines English royal ritual culture in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing specifically upon the rituals of coronation and funeral.
Reinventing the Hero: Gardner’s Grendel and the Shifting Face of Beowulf in Popular Culture
In twentieth- and twenty-first century Anglophone culture, the impact of Beowulfiana — what we call that amorphous mass of materials that have accumulated around the poem — has been widespread yet subtle.
How Well Do You Know The Eighth Century?
From Charlemagne to the Abbasids – ten questions on people and events from the eighth century.
’I’m gonna git Medieval on your ass’: Pulp Fiction for the 90s – the 1190s
We feel confident in asserting that there are any number of telling informative analogies between Pulp Fiction and medieval chivalric literature, particularly Arthurian romance.
Moses as a Germanic hero? Biblical Poetry in Anglo-Saxon England
Samantha Zacher talks about Anglo-Saxon Jewish heroes.
The Defensive Role of Church Round Towers: A Re-Assessment
Towers were erected essentially to house church bells so was the defensive roll of the tower incidental to that roll or integral to its purpose?
Building Materials in Anglo-Saxon Churches and Towers
Church historians know that the Romans had used a wide range of building materials, which in theory could also have been used in construction during the Anglo-Saxon period.
Medieval Baltimore: Using American Medievalism to Teach about the European Middle Ages
The article describes the experience of teaching undergraduate college students the history of Medieval Europe through individual research projects using the city of Baltimore (USA), its buildings, monuments, museums, and the professional medievalists working and residing in the area.
How Well Do You Know the TV series Vikings?
Are you as big of a fan of Vikings as you think you are? Find out now!
Medieval Blacksmiths: The Men Behind the Metal
Medieval blacksmiths were loved, hated, thought to have magical healing powers, and able to fend off the devil. Here’s a quick look at the men behind the metal.
Church receives £544,000 to restore medieval wallpaintings
A set of medieval wallpaintings in St Mary’s Church in Chalgrove will be restored after England’s Heritage Lottery Fund awarded £544,000 to the project.
This Week in Medieval Manuscript Images
From Dragon Hats to Forced Tooth Extraction – the medieval manuscript images we loved this week!