Irish and Scots may have been first to settle Iceland, researcher finds
It has long been believed that the first people to inhabit Iceland were the Norse settlers who arrived around the year 874 AD. However, the discovery of Christian crosses carved into man-made caves in the southern part of the island is offering evidence that Celtic-speaking people from Scotland and Ireland had come to Iceland around the beginning the ninth century.
The Hammer of the Scots: Edward I and the Scottish Wars of Independence
This book offers a fresh interpretation of Edward’s military career, with a particular focus on his Scottish wars. In part this is a study of personality: Edward was a remarkable man. His struggles with tenacious opponents – including Robert the Bruce and William Wallace – have become the stuff of legend.
Special issue of Medieval Warfare: 1415 – The Battle of Agincourt
Take a look at this special issue of Medieval Warfare magazine, commemorating the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt
Holy and Unholy Miracle Workers
Examining the miracles of Byzantine saints
New Books on the Crusades
Looking for the latest books about the Crusades? Check out our list of ten recently published books…
The Changing Story of Cnut and the Waves
There is famous story about King Cnut and the waves. However, most people know do not know the original version.
Deviant Burials: Societal Exclusion of Dead Outlaws in Medieval Norway
Deviant Burials: Societal Exclusion of Dead Outlaws in Medieval Norway By Anne Irene Riisøy COLLeGIUM: Studies across Disciplines in the Humanities and Social…
The Host in the late Middle Ages: superstitions, faith, miracles and magic
The problem of taking and metabolizing Christ had been a major concern in Medieval times.
Who wrote Magna Carta?
This year’s lecture celebrates the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta which falls on 15 June 2015.
Ibn Al-Haytham’s Contributions to Optics and Renaissance Art
I am going to talk about the science of optics, the history of western art, and the influence of Ibn Al-Haytham.
GoPro to the Middle Ages
How medieval history lovers are making use of GoProCameras
Great Charter Festival to take place in June
The Great Charter Festival, which marks the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta, will take place at Royal Holloway, University of London on Sunday 14 June. It offers a free festival of art and ideas, a fusion of professional and community artists and performers.
Human-Bovine Plagues in the Early Middle Ages
In other words, when spreading among cattle, a now-extinct morbillivirus episodically colonized and spread in human populations during the early Middle Ages.
The Astrolabe: Medieval Multi-Tool of Navigation
They were the Swiss Army knife of medieval travelers.
Shadow of the Sword (The Headsman)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gives us a sympathetic Headsman in Reformation Austria, in the ‘Shadow of the Sword (The Headsman)’.
Viking dragon’s head discovered in Sweden
Archaeologists from Sweden and Germany have discovered a little dragon’s head while digging in the port of the Viking town of Birka near Stockholm.
Anglo-Saxon Butter Churn Lid Discovered
Archaeologists have discovered that a wooden butter churn lid unearthed at a major rail development near Stafford is from the Anglo-Saxon period following scientific tests.
Two hegemonies, one island: Cyprus as a ‘Middle Ground’ between the Byzantines and the Arabs (650-850 A.D.)
This paper aims to assess the political and cultural status of the island of Cyprus as the only place within the Mediterranean where Christian heirs of Romans and Muslims shared the local tax revenue to create a buffer zone between two empires.
The search for Prester John, a projected crusade and the eroding prestige of Ethiopian kings, c.1200–c.1540
The myth of Prester John, a priest-king of phenomenal wealth and power somewhere in the East, was a popular theme in medieval writings and had remarkable staying power.
Crafting the Perfect Army: Innovation and the Assizes of Arms in Plantagenet England
Daniel Franke, Assistant Professor for medieval and military history at the United States Military Academy, examines military obligation towards English rulers and how the crown raised armies for their campaigns against enemies such as France and Scotland.
Which Historical Figure Are You?
Are you a great Renaissance Man, like Leonardo da Vinci, or an ambitious dictator like Napoleon Bonaparte? Erwin Rommel? Julius Caesar? Find out in this quiz!
Enumerating the Battles, Skirmishes, and Naval Actions at the Siege of Acre
Hosler examines the many episodes during the siege, which involved Saladin’s Egyptian and Syrian troops, fighting against crusader forces that were eventually joined by kings Philip Augustus and Richard I.
Study reveals size of livestock were at their lowest in Early Middle Ages
A new study, covering the last 2000 years of livestock animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, has revealed that in Spain these animals were at their smallest size during the 8th and 9th centuries.
Defenders of the Faith: Augustine, Aquinas, and the Evolution of Medieval Just War Theory
Christianity has always had a difficult relationship with the concept of war. After all, it is impossible to follow Christ’s command to ‘love one’s neighbor’ on the battlefield.