New Medieval Books: From Battles to Beds
This week’s look at five new books on the Middle Ages
Life in a Small Medieval Town – The Limburg Chronicle
Some scenes of daily life from a small town in medieval Germany, recorded in the fourteenth-century.
The Hidden Symbols of Fertility in Michelangelo’s Medici Chapel
Michelangelo often surreptitiously inserted pagan symbols into his works of art, many of them possibly associated with anatomical representations. A new analysis suggests that Michelangelo may have concealed symbols associated with female anatomy within his famous work in the Medici Chapel.Michelangelo often surreptitiously inserted pagan symbols into his works of art, many of them possibly associated with anatomical representations. A new analysis suggests that Michelangelo may have concealed symbols associated with female anatomy within his famous work in the Medici Chapel.
When did the Vikings start raiding England?
A fresh examination of written records from Anglo-Saxon England suggests that the Vikings were raiding the country even before their infamous attack on Lindisfarne in the year 793.
Castle for Sale in Germany: Schochwitz Castle
This stunning castle dates from the 15th century, and has been carefully renovated with conservation of many of the original elements.
Women as Artists in the Middle Ages
This essay surveys the evidence of women as artists in the Western and Byzantine Middle Ages in the centuries between about 600 and 1400.
Traditio vel Aemulatio? The Singing Contest of Samarra, Expression of a Medieval Culture of Competition
The rivalry between two famous female singers was the topic of the day in al-Mutawakkil’s (r. 847–61) Samarra, according to the Kitab al-aghani.
Past and Present in Mid-Byzantine Chronicles: Change in Narrative Technique and the Transmission of Knowledge
Particular emphasis will be placed on the Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor and the Chronicle of Symeon the Logothete.
A Wolfish Reflection: A Literary Analysis of the Werewolf Story in ‘The King’s Mirror’
Why has the werewolf story been selected? How should it be read and understood?
The Ostrogothic Military
This chapter explores the place of the army and military organisation within the Ostrogothic kingdom.
New Medieval Books: From Bastards to Conquerors
Five new books that look at the powerful and the despised in the Middle Ages.
Seven Things You Didn’t Know About Medieval Dragons
Why were dragons so popular—and what was a dragon in the Middle Ages, anyway? Here are a few things you might not know about medieval dragons
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, Issue 7)
In our latest issue: Being lovesick was a real disease in the Middle Ages! Judaism, War, and Chivalry: Why is this Knight Different than Other Knights? Travel Tips: San Lorenzo’s Medici Crypt! Crusade in Europe
The “Mona Lisa” of Medieval Art
Medieval art has its own enigma: the woman featured in the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. This tapestry set contains some of the most well-known images from medieval art, yet many details about the six textiles are still unknown.
Getting High in the Middle Ages: Hashish in Medieval Egypt
In recent years, there has been a contentious debate on how should society deal with drugs like marijuana. Should it be legalized and accepted? What is the harm or benefits of these drugs? The same questions were being raised in medieval Egypt.
Medieval priest buried 700 years ago may have been a victim of the Great Famine, archaeologists report
The remains of Richard de W’Peton, a medieval priest who died 700 years ago – on 17 April 1317 – have been uncovered in an elaborate grave.
Imagining the Past: Interplay between literary and visual imagery in late medieval France
Her research examines the relationships between text and image in vernacular late medieval French manuscripts.
Medieval Sources of Sovereignty: The Idea of Supreme Authority in Quanto Personam and its Glosses
Pope Innocent III’s decretal Quanto personam, issued on 21 August 1198, makes a number of claims regarding the locus, source and character of supreme authority within the Church.
Leprosy victim buried 900 years ago offers insights into how the disease spread through medieval Europe
Medieval leprosy victim in English cemetery was likely a religious pilgrim, possibly from overseas
The Historiography of Crisis: Jordanes, Cassiodorus and Justinian in mid sixth-century Constantinople
This article presents a new interpretation of the historiographical production of Jordanes by situating it in the political and social environment of Constantinople of the years 550-552.
The Mongol Invasion of Croatia and Serbia in 1242
The Mongol invasion of Croatia and Serbia constitutes a single, albeit extremely interesting, episode in the great western campaign of 1236-1242, so meticulously planned and executed by the armies of Batu, grandson of Chingis Khan and founder of the “Golden Horde”.
Say What I am Called: A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Self-Referential Inscriptions
This thesis compiles a working corpus of Anglo-Saxon self-referential inscribed artifacts to examine how the inscriptions and supports utilize self-reference to push the viewer to understand the social and cultural significance of such objects.
Isabel of Aragon (d. 1336): Model Queen or Model Saint?
This study of Isabel of Aragon (c. 1270–1336), wife of King Dinis of Portugal (1279–1325), who was venerated as a saint from shortly after her death, aims to explore the relationship between Isabel’s queenship and her sainthood.
Moses as a Role Model in the Serbian Charters after 1371: Changing Patterns
The aspects of the Old Testament figure of Moses highlighted in the charters of post-Nemanjić Serbia, or under the Lazarević and Branković dynasties (1371– 1459), testify to a changed attitude towards Old Testament role models.
A millennium of Belgrade (Sixth-Sixteenth centuries): A Short Overview
This paper gives an overview of the history of Belgrade from the reign of Justinian I (527–565), i.e. the time of Slavic settlement, to the Ottoman conquest in 1521.