Medieval Dressing Room Scandal: The Mantle That Reveals All
Arthur’s court is thrown into chaos when a fairy-made mantle is offered to the one woman it truly fits—and instead humiliates nearly everyone who tries it on. Told in a French lai and later reworked in Möttuls saga, the story turns chivalry and courtly love into a sharp, public joke.
20 New Open Access Books Medieval History Fans Can Read for Free
Medieval studies fans can download and read all of these 20 newly published open-access books.
The Siege of Montségur (1243-44)
In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly head to the Pyrenean stronghold of Montségur to unpack the dramatic siege that brought the Cathar refuge to its end. They explore how faith, politics, and military pressure collided on the mountain—and what the fall of Montségur meant for the wider Albigensian Crusade.
The Boar’s Head Carol: A Medieval Christmas Tradition
A look at the Boar’s Head Carol in the Middle Ages: boar-hunting symbolism, Christmas feasting, and the enduring ceremony at Queen’s College, Oxford.
Christmas Day in the Middle Ages: Coronations, Conversions, and a Truce
Christmas Day mattered in the Middle Ages. Explore key events on 25 December, from the baptism of Clovis and Charlemagne’s coronation to William the Conqueror’s crowning and a truce at Orléans.
2025: The Medieval Year in Review
This week on The Medieval Podcast, in keeping with tradition, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny, editor of Medievalists.net, about the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2025.
Roland the Farter: A Royal Christmas Performer
Roland the Farter held land in medieval England on a bizarre Christmas condition: “one jump, one whistle, and one fart” before the king. A short look at serjeanty, court ritual, and medieval humour.
Holiday Gifts in the Middle Ages
Christmas in the Middle Ages looked quite different than it does today, but gifts still played a role. Read on to find out what gift-giving looked like during the holidays in the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Europe and the End of Medieval Japan
The years 1549 to 1650 are often described as Japan’s ‘Christian Century’—a period marked by intense contact with European traders, missionaries, and ideas. This book uses that era as a case study in medieval and early modern globalisation, tracing how cross-cultural exchanges reshaped politics, religion, and daily life.
The Medieval Origins of Military Chaplaincy
How medieval armies developed military chaplaincy, from Constantine’s bishops to Ireland’s repeatable confession and the Carolingian reforms that put priests on campaign across Western Europe.
Bethlehem’s Christmas Relic: The Chalky Soil of the Milk Grotto
Discover Bethlehem’s Milk Grotto and its chalky white soil, a medieval Christian relic linked to the Virgin Mary’s milk and used in devotion, healing, fertility, and pilgrimage traditions across Europe.
New Medieval Books: Assassins and Templars
When it comes to the crusading era, few groups have been more mythologised than the Knights Templar and the Ismailis—often labelled the “Assassins.” This book takes a fresh look at both, showing not only how their histories have been shaped by legend, but also how—and why—they could resemble each other in surprising ways.
Medieval Male Underwear: Hidden But Revealing
Medieval male underwear wasn’t invisible in art. Exploring what braies reveal for martyrs and peasants.
New Medieval Books: Lion Hearts
Dan Jones has a gift for writing vivid, compelling prose, whether he’s tackling history or historical fiction. This novel is best read after the first two books in the trilogy. Readers interested in the fourteenth century and the Hundred Years’ War will likely find it especially rewarding.
Cartier and the Lost Crusader Sword
Louis J. Cartier discovered a medieval sword pommel in a Damascus bazaar in the 1920s—an artefact later identified as belonging to crusader Peter of Dreux. Now at The Met, the object offers a rare, personal link to the Seventh Crusade and its leading French nobles.
New Medieval Books: The Floods of the Tiber
In 1530, the River Tiber burst its banks, triggering a major flood in Rome. The following year, a scholar named Luis Gómez wrote about the disaster—placing it alongside earlier floods recorded in the city’s history.
Robin Hood and the Christmastime Tradition with Alex Kaufman
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Alexander L. Kaufman about how Robin Hood’s legend evolved over time, his transformation into a pantomime favourite, and that time Robin robbed Santa Claus himself.
The Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297)
In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly examine the Battle of Stirling Bridge in Scotland as a clear example of poor generalship. Focusing on the English command’s mistakes, they explore how underestimating William Wallace and the Scottish forces led to disastrous decisions over terrain and timing.
The Donation of Constantine: A Medieval Forgery That Shaped Church Power
How a medieval forgery known as the Donation of Constantine shaped Church power, papal authority, and medieval ideas of truth and legitimacy.
Six Medieval Rules for Healthy Living
A medieval medical guide reduced healthy living to six simple rules. Explore The Theatre of Health and how its advice on diet, activity, and balance still resonates today.
25 Ways Historians Have Shaped the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages we know today is shaped by historians as much as by history itself. Discover 25 historiographical constructs that define how the medieval world is studied and understood.
12 Medieval Proverbs on Wolves
Explore 12 medieval proverbs about wolves, drawn from Latin sources and translated into English, revealing how medieval writers used the wolf to express moral and social lessons.
Assassins and Templars at War – Ambushes and Ambassadors
A dramatic ambush derailed a potential alliance between the Crusaders and the Assassins, plunging the Kingdom of Jerusalem into crisis. This article explores the negotiations, the killing of the Nizari envoy and the political fallout that followed.
New Medieval Books: Approaching Pipe Rolls
This book guides historians in working with Pipe Rolls, the English government’s financial records that date back to the twelfth century. These documents reveal a great deal about how England’s administration functioned during the Middle Ages.
