BOOK REVIEW: The Anglo-Saxons in 100 Facts by Martin Wall
Looking for a “historical beach read” this summer? Look no further. Martin Wall’s latest book, The Anglo-Saxons in 100 Facts brings pre-conquest England to life in a chronological series full of interesting, humorous and gruesome facts about the Anglo Saxons.
The Troubadours and the Song of the Crusades
The troubadours have been credited as giving birth to the lyrical poetry of modern European languages. Emerging in France, they were predominantly male composers from parts of Western Europe during the High Middle Ages
Young hands, old books: Drawings by children in a fourteenth-century manuscript, LJS MS. 361
Added to manuscripts by scribes or illuminators during the production of a book, medieval marginal illuminations might include and combine defecating monks, tumbling animals, grotesques and various other ‘weirdnesses’.
Richard I and Berengaria of Navarre
Berengaria of’ Navarre was brought to Richard’s court, then at Messina in Sicily, in March 1191. She accompanied the crusader-king on his journey east and they were married in Cyprus, at Limassol, on 12 May 1191.
Vampire Burials in Medieval Poland: An Overview of Past Controversies and Recent Reevaluations
Recently, the sensationalist interpretations of deviant burials have also permeated into (inter)national media, leading the general public to misinformation about Poland’s past and the mentalities of its medieval societies.
Annihilation and Authorship: Three Women Mystics of the 1290s
Mechthild of Hackeborn, Angela of Foligno, and Marguerite Porete were exact contemporaries who differed in language, social status, and modes of religious life; their books diverge no less in genre, modes of production, and posthumous destinies.
Monastic medicine: medieval herbalism meets modern science
A group of German researchers is bringing to light the medicinal wisdom of the Middle Ages.
Isabelle of Angoulême: Jezebel of the Middle Ages?
Matthew Paris said that, ‘she ought to be called a wicked Jezebel, rather than Isabel.’
The Herbal Cures of Hildegard von Bingen – was she right?
There is a 1 in 10,000,000 chance that Hildegard von Bingen was just making up her list of medical cures based on herbs and plants.
Did Medieval People Believe in King Arthur?
By Danièle Cybulskie If you’ve ever had your doubts that King Arthur was a real, living, breathing human being at some point, you’re…
Becoming a Prince: Prince Arthur’s early life and his training to be king
Within a month of his birth on 20 September 1486, Prince Arthur was separated from his family and living in a nursery at Farnham Palace in Surrey.
Four medieval sites added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Medieval sites in Europe, Asia and the Pacific have been added to the World Heritage List this week, as part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Meetings, which have been taking place in Istanbul.
Tea and Other Decoctions for ‘Nourishing Life’ in Medieval China
Professor Benn examines one significant way in which tea, a relatively new beverage in Tang-dynasty China, was first consumed and understood, alongside other decoctions intended to promote health and wellness.
Negotiating the Sacred: Byzantium, Venice and the True Cross in Late Medieval Venice
Dr. Klein’s lecture about art, faith and politics in late medieval Venice.
Constructing Imaginary Cities in Fifteenth-Century Illumination
In the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the Trojan legend was one of the most popular myths in the European courts, and in the Burgundian court in particular. The legend was depicted in numerous tapestries and illuminated manuscripts.
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 2 Issue 21)
This issue looks at Point Rosee, The Battle of the Bastards, remedies for infertility, and much more! Inside this issue: About the Festival…
A haunch for Hrothgar
Naomi Sykes takes a taste of venison amid the Feast Halls of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon Motte and Bailey Castle for Sale
This Anglo-Saxon motte and bailey is located on a smallholding in the village of Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire and has recently been put on the market. It is of considerable interest because it was one of only three sites constructed prior to the Norman conquest.
Soldiers of Christ: The Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar in medieval Ireland
In an Irish context, the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar were the most significant expressions of this unusual vocation that sought to combine military service with monastic observance.
Isabella of France: The Rebel Queen
Read an excerpt from the new book by Kathryn Warner
The Varangian Legend: Testimony from the Old Norse sources
In the eleventh century there existed, within the great army of the Byzantine empire, a regiment composed mainly of soldiers from Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. This regiment was known as the Varangian Guard
Medieval Warfare Magazine – Volume 6 Issue 3
This summer you can read about the so-called ‘Last War of Antiquity’. The theme of the latest issue of Medieval Warfare is the Byzantine-Sassanid War of the seventh-century.
Can you move in armour? An Experiment in Mythbusting
In this video we have recreated the deeds of the famous knight Jean le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, which were put in writing in the early 15th century.
Medieval Mysteries: Miscellanies and Mix Tapes
By Danièle Cybulskie In thinking this week about the medieval mysteries we’ll never solve, it struck me that one of the most fun…