Birds of the Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire the world has ever known, had, among other things, a goodly number of falconers, poultry raisers, birdcatchers, cooks, and other experts on various aspects of birding.
Baghdad as a Center of Learning and Book Production
Why does Baghdad become some an enormous centre of book production – of literature and the physical production of books?
Common Rights and Natural Resources: The 1217 Charter of the Forest in Historical Perspective
It is the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest in 1217.
Female Secret Agents in the Middle Ages
When we talk about spies in the Middle Ages, it’s easy to envision soldiers sneaking into enemy camps or royal messengers with a hidden agenda.
Did everyone believe in religion in medieval Europe?
One common idea about medieval Europe was that everyone were firm believers in religion. If you were a Christian, then you accepted your faith without question.
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, Issue 8) : Mother’s Day Issue
In our latest issue: Celebrating Mother’s Day. Mothers Who Weren’t: Wet Nurses in the Late Medieval Mediterranean
Motherly advice from the ninth century, Sex in the Roman Empire: In Bed with the Romans! Feast, Famine, and Food in Medieval Russia, Books: A trip through Welsh past in Mysterious Wales and much, much more!
The Idea of World Domination in the Public Consciousness in Europe in the Early and Developed Middle Ages
The article explores a public thought and public consciousness in the early and developed Middle Ages in Europe.
The Affects of Warfare Upon Trade: Growth in a War-Torn World, Northern Europe 1000-1700
By requiring rulers to raise new revenue streams, warfare forced them to bargain for new resources. This bargaining granted concessions to cities and merchants, in the form of city charters and monopolies, which encouraged trade and therefore increased the economic well-being of the affected states.
Popular Culture and Royal Propaganda in Norway and Iceland in the 13th century
Do the kings presented in Strengleikar appear as the European Christian rex justus kings, which was the dominant medieval royal model, or do they convey another image – an image that may be interpreted to explain both the intended function and the popularity of the translations in Norway and Iceland
Death of a Renaissance Record-Keeper: The Murder of Tomasso da Tortona in Ferrara, 1385
Beginning with a description of the murder of an Italian record-keeper at the hands of an angry mob in the late fourteenth century, this essay explores the historical background of official records destruction during the Renaissance
The Lack of a Western European Military Response to the Ottoman Invasions of Eastern Europe from Nicopolis (1396) to Mohacs (1526)
On 25 September 1396, on the plains south of the central Bulgarian city of Nicopolis, a battle was fought.
The personality of Guibert de Nogent reconsidered
Uncertainty over Guibert’s reasons for writing his autobiography, the De vita sua, has prompted attempts at psycho-historical analyses of his personality.
Vikings Survey Quiz
Take this quiz to discover what people believe about the Vikings and about their lasting legacy on our world today.
Letters from the Otherworld: Arthur and Henry II in Stephen of Rouen’s Draco Normannicus
The poem Draco Normannicus includes a correspondence between King Arthur, now ruler of the Antipodes, and Henry II.
Scotland’s most important medieval charters now on display
For the first time precious examples from two of Scotland’s most important collections of medieval charters are going on show in National Records of Scotland.