Tactics, Strategy, and Battlefield Formation during the Hundred Years War: The Role of the Longbow in the ‘Infantry Revolution’
The English longbow had a tremendous impact on strategy and tactics during the Hundred Years War.
The King’s Welshmen: Welsh Involvement in the Expeditionary Army of 1415
This paper examines the evidence behind the claims that it was Welsh archers that won the battle of Agincourt for Henry V. As might be expected, it is a little less clear-cut than that.
Meet the Real Ulrich von Liechtenstein
If you’ve ever seen A Knight’s Tale, you’ll know that the titular knight takes on the name of Ulrich von Liechtenstein in order to joust on the tournament circuit and win the hand of his lady fair. What you may not have known is that there seems to have been a real thirteenth-century knight named Ulrich von Liechtenstein, who spent his youth jousting to win the heart (and body) of a capricious lady, and then wrote a book about it.
A little touch of Branagh: Henry V
Kenneth Branagh’s film of Henry V, released in 1989, was greeted with wide critical acclaim of a kind which repays close attention.
From Agincourt (1415) to Fornovo (1495): aspects of the writing of warfare in French and Burgundian 15th century historiographical literature
The object of this thesis is to inquire into some major aspects of the historiographical writing of war in France and Burgundy, from Henry V’s invasion of France in 1415 to the first wars of Italy.
Which Invader Of Britain Are You Descended From?
Roman, Saxon, Norman or Viking? Find out your real British Heritage :)
John Gower’s Handwriting identified
John Gower, considered to be one of the greatest poets of medieval England, left behind several remarkable works. A scholar has now been able to identify poems that were written by his own hand, including a poignant piece about how he was going blind.
Czechs and Poles in the Middle Ages: Rivalry, Cooperation and Alliances
The article contains a description of the development of Czech-Polish relations in the Middle Ages.
Understanding Torksey, Lincolnshire: A geoarchaeological and landscape approach to a Viking overwintering camp
Viking overwintering camps of late 9th century England have been excluded from most recent dialogues regarding Viking Age England. Although overwintering camps are directly mentioned in historical records such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, these sites have remained archaeologically elusive.
The Emperor’s Spooky Night
Emperor Charles IV reveals in his autobiography what happened to him one night at Prague Castle, and how he saw a huge swarm of locusts.
Anna Komnene and her Sources for Military Affairs in the Alexiad
Without discounting the contribution of oral traditions of storytelling to the Alexiad, the study favours the growing consensus that Anna was more reliant on written material, especially campaign dispatches and military memoirs.
Down to the Last Stitch: Sumptuary Law and Conspicuous Consumption in Renaissance Italy
Fashion and luxury were very important in Italian Renaissance society. One’s appearance indicated more than whether one was simply attractive, it also indicated one’s social standing.
Back to the Middle Ages!
In honour of the film Back to the Future, we want to know which date back in the Middle Ages you would want to see. Pretend that you have a DeLorean with a flux capacitor and enough fuel for 1.21 gigawatts of electricity – pick which date from this list you would go back in time to!
Chinese translation of De re metallica discovered
Scholars from the University of Tübingen have discovered a 17th century Chinese translation of large parts of De re metallica or On the Nature of Metals, a mining handbook written by Georgius Agricola in 1556.
The Power of Poo: Waste and the Medieval Environment
This study will compare the ways in which three vastly different European cities and their civic institutions, London England – the Chartered Capital of a Kingdom, Siena Italy – an Oligarchic Republic, and Gdansk Poland – the reluctant territory of a Theocratic state
Dan Jones and the Five-Minute Medievalist
Dan Jones on Magna Carta, Russell Crowe, Radiohead, and the brand-new book he’s just started working on.
The Medieval Magazine: The Battle of Agincourt (Issue 38)
October 25th will mark the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, one of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years War. In this issue, we take a look at how the story of the battle has been written over the centuries, and answer why the English longbow was such an effective weapon in the Later Middle Ages.
Medieval Lisbon: Carmo Convent
Part III of my series on Medieval Lisbon. This visit took me to Carmo Monastery and museum.
Why was the Longbow so effective?
One of the most feared military weapons of the Middle Ages was the longbow, used to legendary effect by the English in The Hundred Years’ War. While the longbow has gone down in history as a mighty weapon, what exactly was it and why was it so effective?
Thomas to Katherine: A Medieval Love Letter
‘I pray you, my own sweet cousin even as you love me, to be happy and to eat your meat like a woman.’
Five Fun Facts About Medieval Archery
Here are five fun facts about medieval archery which you can use to impress your friends
Dreams and lovers: the sympathetic guide frame in Middle English courtly love poems
When is a dream not a dream? The Middle English convention of the ‘dream vision’ has been read by modern scholars as a genre that primarily reveals the medieval understanding of dreaming and dream theory, so that events and stories presented within a dream frame are necessarily read through that specific hermeneutic.
Stable isotopes as indicators of change in the food procurement and food preference of Viking Age and Early Christian populations on Gotland (Sweden)
In short, the end of the Viking Age may have involved a suite of environmental, economic, and sociocultural changes, yet despite these changes practices of food preference and food procurement were maintained within the coastal site of Ridanas. Our research contributes to archaeological th
Sewing the Scene: The Uses of Embroidery in Medieval Film
This paper explores how embroidery has been used in films to establish, and often destroy, feminine space and autonomy. However, the most recent addition to the medieval film canon represents a distinct change in this trend.