‘Wine-contamination’ of the Adriatic: Examples of punishing wine smugglers from medieval Dubrovnik
Strict import-export regulations of the medieval Dubrovnik (Ragusean) authorities included also a rather rigid control of the wine trade.
Which Baltic God/Goddess Are You?
Have you ever wondered who were/are the last pagans in Europe? Baltic Gods were never forgotten. Lithuanians have so many however who from the main ones do you resemble the most – Perkūnas, Žemyna, Vėlinas, Ragutis, Milda or Laima?
The Viking Age: A Reader
I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone who is interested in Vikings, especially those who are creating classes or researching. Good primary source collections are hard to find, and this is definitely one of them.
Places to See: Arundel Castle
I spent a soggy, but fun filled Sunday in Sussex at Arundel Castle during International Joust Week July 21-26th. Even without the jousting,…
Fish commoditization and the historical origins of catching fish for profit
Herring trade expanded in the late 1300s with the introduction in Holland of an improved curing process that allowed the salting of fresh herring in barrels at sea.
Management of penile tumours during the Byzantine period
In the Byzantine period, surgery appeared to have been highly developed, as one may conclude from the surgical material included mainly in the works of Oribasius of Pergamus and Paul of Aegina.
Performing the Seven Deadly Sins: How One Late-Medieval English Preacher did it
Some preachers, it is true, shunned certain of the rhetorical embellishments characteristically recommended in the artes predicandi.
Medieval Jews on Christianity
Whatever medieval Jews said, or thought, about Christianity, one may be sure that very little of it was good.
Menstruation: curse or blessing?
Menstruation in our lifetime has been commonly called ‘The Curse’. Our sisters in the 16th century, however, welcomed this cleansing as a fertility sign from God, through the moon that determined the tides of all that flowed on the earth.
Ten Castles that Made Medieval Britain: Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle is intimately entwined with the history of Scotland and her monarchy, a significance which is recognized and presented throughout its numerous components with admirable vigour.
Explore the Medieval Jewish Trail in Winchester
Visitors to Winchester have a new way to explore the English city’s medieval Jewish past. Winchester City Council and the University of Winchester have launched a new city trail telling the story of this community.
Maria the Prophetess: Mother of Alchemy
One of the first female scientists, Maria, the Jewess also referred to as Maria the Prophetissa and Maria, Sister of Moses, whose inventions and designs of equipment are used in laboratories today.
BOOK REVIEW: The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau
Joanna Stafford, our intrepid ex-Dominican super sleuth is at it again. This time, she’s hurled straight into the midst of plotting and deception at Henry VIII’s court.
Medieval Studies and STEM
Here are 15 ways that medieval studies and STEM are working together.
What Is Medieval European Literature?
It is a great pleasure for us to publish the first issue of Interfaces. A Journal of Medieval European Literatures, offering free availability for all.
An Eye for Odin? Divine Role-Playing in the Age of Sutton Hoo
This paper presents some new observations concerning the construction of the Sutton Hoo helmet, as a point of entry to a wider discussion of pre-Christian religious and ideological links across Scandinavia.
Rich and Powerful: The Image of the Female Deity in Migration Age Scandinavia
I believe serious blunders have been made concerning the identification of males and females. It
is simply inadmissable to interpret any figure with open, shoulder-length hair as female when all the evidence for the centuries in question shows females have only been depicted with long hair tied in the Irish ribbon knot.
A note on the regional distribution of pagan burials in Iceland
Comparison of the distribution of pagan burials in Iceland with medieval information about the number of farmers in different parts of the country allows a division of the country into three zones of low, medium and high frequency of pagan burials relative to the number of settlements.
Pragmatic Literacy and Political Consciousness in Later Medieval England
This article examines the profound impact that the concept of pragmatic literacy has had on the research methodologies of medievalists. Particular attention is given to the insight it has afforded historians of political culture who seek to better understand the nature of political consciousness in this period.
Festival of Archaeology at Dunluce Castle today
Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland will host a family friendly archaeological event on Saturday 25 July from 10.30am – 4.30pm.
Magna Carta exhibition shows off newly found copy of charter
Earlier this year a copy of Magna Carta dated to the year 1300 was discovered in Kent. This rare copy now goes on public display as part of an exhibition starting today at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone.
Parker Library on the Web turns 10-years-old, announces improvements to medieval manuscripts database
Parker Library on the Web has become one of the leading digital medieval manuscript sites since 2005, when an early prototype was first demonstrated. Now, ten years after the prototype, and six years after the release of the first production version, work has begun on Parker on the Web 2.0.
‘Naked and Unarmoured’: A Reassessment of the Role of the Galwegians at the Battle of the Standard
Accounts of the Battle of the Standard, fought in 1138 between the army of David I, King of Scots and the northern English forces rallied by Thurstan, Archbishop of York, have unvaryingly placed the blame for the Scottish defeat on David’s Galwegian warriors who, against armoured English ranks, fled in confusion.
Crash Course: Middle Ages
Watch the medieval history videos created by Crash Course
Making Identities in the Hundred Years War: Aquitaine, Gascony and Béarn
This paper focuses on three phases in which political issues played crucial roles to make Gascon identities in the time of the Hundred Years War.