The Most Dramatic Moment of the Middle Ages!
The Middle Ages had its share of dramatic moments with excitement and historical importance. However, what happened on the 23rd of March, 1369, has a truly epic quality to it.
Crusader Fleets: A Missing Ingredient
We tend to associate the Crusaders with all the bold, visually striking, images of medieval warfare. Charging knights and crossbowmen. Castles and siege towers. What we do not often think of is sailors and fleets
Medievalists.net’s Featured Book: The Crusader Strategy
The Medievalists.net Monthly Book Selection for March is The Crusader Strategy: Defending the Holy Land, by Steve Tibble.
New Medieval Books: Africanism
A groundbreaking book that examines the history between Arab and African peoples in the Middle Ages, focusing on Arab depictions of Black people in literature.
Rome and the Papacy with Jessica Wärnberg
He’s one of the most powerful figures in all of Western history, with influence not only over life and death, but over the immortal souls of billions of people over thousands of years. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jessica Wärnberg about the role of the pope, his influence on Rome, and what happens when the holiest of men isn’t quite so holy.
Medieval Ireland: Ten Articles
Are you interested in Ireland in the Middle Ages? Here are ten recent articles that examine Ireland’s medieval history, all of which can be read for free.
Escaping the Mongols: A Survivor’s Account from the 13th century
The story of Master Roger, one of the many people caught up in the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241.
Monthly Tasks on Medieval Farms
What did medieval farmers need to do each year? A fourteenth-century guide breaks down their tasks month by month.
Lager Beer was first brewed in 1602, study finds
Lager beer likely first originated at the court brewery (Hofbräuhaus) of Maximilian the Great, elector of Bavaria, in Munich in 1602.
Warwick Castle to Open a Medieval Hotel this Summer
Warwick Castle, the impressive medieval castle located in central England, will be launching a medieval-themed hotel this summer. It hopes to bring guests a new experience for the landmark which attracts over half-a-million visitors each year.
Seven videos on making medieval manuscripts
What goes into making a medieval manuscript? Here are seven videos from The British Library where Patricia Lovett, a professional calligrapher and illuminator explains the process, tools and techniques used in designing an illuminated page.
Up to 50,000 coins from the 4th century discovered off of Sardinia
Archaeologists exploring the waters off the Italian island of Sardinia have discovered a cache of between 30,000 and 50,000 coins dating back to the first half of the 4th century.
The Humour of Medieval Scribes
Thanks to new research, we are now finding many more examples of medieval scribes’ sense of humour, as they wrote jokes, complaints and even complete nonsense.
New Medieval Books: The Killing Ground
A look at the area of Thermopylae in Greece, which according to the authors “might be the most blood-soaked ground in the world.” They detail twenty-seven military actions that took place here, including seven that took place in the Middle Ages.
Vikings and Cats
Did the Vikings keep cats as pets? A recent study reveals that felines were much more part of Norse society than previously believed.
Medieval Manuscripts: Scribes’ Secret Humor Revealed
How medieval scribes were leaving jokes, complaints and even complete nonsense in their manuscripts.
Rare Medieval Gold Ring discovered in Denmark
A metal detector exploring an area in southwest Denmark has discovered an early medieval gold ring. Experts believe it also reveals the existence of an elite family with connections to the Merovingians.
Heaven on Earth: How to Build a Cathedral
Emma Wells delves into the triumphs and tragedies of the people who built and used Europe’s Gothic cathedrals.
Pieces of medieval history return to Malbork in Poland
Malbork Castle in Poland is one of the country’s most famous medieval sites. Some physical parts of that history have now been returned to the castle in recent weeks.
Preaching Christianity in the Muslim Ilkhanate
The current paper tries to offer a new perspective by examining two Bible translations or arrangements into Persian that can be proved to have originated in this milieu, currently held in manuscript collections in Istanbul.
Medievalist David Nirenberg receives Leopold Lucas Prize
The University of Tübingen has awarded the 2024 Leopold Lucas Prize to David Nirenberg, a leading medieval historian. The award committee recognized Nirenberg’s research on the relationship between Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages and today.
Inheriting the Mantle of the Roman Empire, with Nathan Aschenbrenner
A conversation with Nathan Aschenbrenner about Western European claims to the Roman imperial title, from the Middle Ages to early modernity. We also discuss some plans in the West after 1453 to reclaim the “eastern empire” and a curious history from the early sixteenth that fuses Western and Eastern imperial history into one.
Medieval Manuscripts Take Center Stage in Innovative New Game
Inkulinati, a turn-based strategy game, launches today. Gamers on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One can now get into the Middle Ages by playing with characters right out of medieval manuscripts
Medieval Charms with Katherine Storm Hindley
Like many people today, medieval people used charms, personal talismans, and amulets to help smooth their way through life. But just who used them? How did they use them? And what did the church think about such things? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Katherine Storm Hindley about charms in the Middle Ages.
Medieval coin hoard sells for £325,560
An important hoard of 122 Anglo-Saxon pennies that were found by two metal detectorists, in 2019 near Braintree in Essex sold for a hammer price of £325,560 at an auction held by Noonans Mayfair. They had been expected to fetch up to £180,000 with the proceeds of the hoard being shared between the two finders and the landowner.