Five Ways Gawain Kicks Lancelot’s Ass
Here are five ways in which Gawain shows Lancelot who’s boss!
Landscape and Warfare in Anglo-Saxon England and the Viking Campaign of 1006
The last twenty-five years have seen huge advances made in the way that battlefields can be recorded and understood through archaeological techniques, but these methods have only recently been accepted as a useful complement to traditional military history.
With a Bended Bow: An Interview with Erik Roth
Erik Roth presents a comprehensive examination of the archer and his weapon in a time when archery was both economically and militarily vital to the security of England, based on the study of mediaeval writings and period artefacts.
Margery Kempe and her Autobiography
Margery Kempe was a self-proclaimed holy woman, visionary, mystic and medieval pilgrim. She is also unique because although she was not proficient at reading and writing, she was determined to record her visions, journeys and spiritual experiences
Qur’an manuscript discovered in England could be over 1400 years old
Experts at the University of Birmingham believe they have discovered a manuscript of the Qur’an that is at least 1370 years old, making it the oldest known copy of the Islamic Holy Book.
Prostitution in the Medieval City
Prostitution was a vice that was was considered a necessary evil because of “men’s lust”. Ecclesiastics felt that if brothels weren’t available to men in cities, they would find other inappropriate outlets for their entertainment. In an effort to curb potential problems, civic officials permitted prostitution to function within the city walls so long as it was regulated and turned a profit.
To what extent has the concept of ‘deformity’ affected Richard III’s image and character?
This essay will adopt a chronological approach in an attempt to assess when, how, and why the concept of ‘deformity’ or disfigurement became so integral to the central argument surrounding Ricardian historiography, and whether Richard was a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ king.
Inside Lincoln Cathedral
A behind the scenes look at Lincoln Cathedral
Golf on the Rhine: On the Origins of Golf, with Sidelights on Polo
The purpose of this article is to show that this claim of Scottish origin is unsubstantiated and to bring to the attention of golf historians new source material which proves the continental origins of Scotland’s national game. A
Robin Hood: A Legend in Text, Film and Popular Consciousness
All four films entirely reject the setting for the legend given by the early/scholarly tradition. All four are set firmly and unmistakably in or just after the reign of Richard I (1189-99), either during Richard’s absence on Crusade, or (Marian alone) just after his death at Chaluz.
Cracking down on illegal gambling in Medieval Livonia
Just like their modern day counterparts, medieval cities had to deal with their own criminal underworlds – the sex trade, gambling, and violence taking place within their walls. At the International Medieval Congress, held earlier this month at the University of Leeds, these issues were explored as part of session #706: Perceiving and Regulating Vices.
Ten Castles that Made Medieval Britain: Caernarfon Castle
Perhaps more than any other castle found within the British Isles, Caernarfon embodies that most terrifying of a castles aspects; a tool for the aggressive and utter domination of territory.
10 Unusual Things that happened during the First Crusade
The First Crusade was one of the most written about events during the Middle Ages. Many Christian writers, including some who took part in the pilgrimage/campaign, left detailed accounts of what happened. They sometimes also included some more unusual tales, ranging from battles with bears to sitting on a throne when you are not supposed to.
The First Great Divergence?
The ‘Papal Revolution’ in late eleventh and early twelfth century western Europe and the unsuccessful campaign by Wang An Shi and his followers to reform the imperial administration of Song China at just the same time are regarded as critical turning points in their respective histories.
Golf: The True History
Was Scotland the Birthplace of Golf?
How Well Do You Know Your Shakespeare?
Eight questions about the plays of the famous English bard – see if you know them all!
Buried, Forgotten, Disinterred?: The 1944 National Socialist St. Olav Monument at Stiklestad
In ‘Buried, Forgotten, Disinterred?: The 1944 National Socialist St. Olav Monument at Stiklestad’, Øystein Ekroll gave the audience a glimpse into a struggle going on in Norway as it deals with its Nazi past.
What Does Normal Look Like?
Thomas Hoccleve was a fifteenth-century clerk and poet who suffered a mental breakdown around 1416. In his poem, which we now call Hoccleve’s Compleint, he describes his depression and anxiety about not being able to convince his friends and co-workers that he has recovered.
Book Review: The Iron King, by Maurice Druon
Touted by George R.R. Martin as the original Game of Thrones, Druon’s series has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity recently, and can be found in major bookstores.
How Much Taxes Did a Medieval Peasant Pay? The numbers from Sweden
A new study on taxation in late medieval Sweden has revealed fascinating details about how much peasants had to pay to the royal government in taxes.
When Reality Becomes Fantasy: How Video Games are Hijacking the Middle Ages
“The Middle Ages is a space where White Supremecy is legitimised. The maintenance of white privilege. The gamer community use ‘historical facts’ to legitimise this kind of literacy.’
Is it better to be right or left-handed? The view from the 9th century
Was it really bad to be left-handed in the Middle Ages? Or was it better than being right-handed? The 9th century writer of all things unusual, al-Jahiz, weighs in.
How I Built an Information Time Machine
Frederic Kaplan shows off the Venice Time Machine, a project to digitize 80 kilometers of books to create a historical and geographical simulation of Venice across 1000 years
‘Virile Strength In A Feminine Breast’: Women, Hostageship, Captivity, And Society In The Anglo-French World, C. 1000- C.1300
My interest in the relationship between hostage- and captive-taking practices and gender originally arose out of the idea for a much grander project about women and warfare.
The City of Rome in the Middle Ages
Let us begin by considering the importance of the idea of Rome in the medieval mind. On the one hand there was the ancient prestige of the City, the capital of the greatest empire the world had known, the seat of a civilisation and art so far above what most of the Middle Ages could attain.