Medieval women: “Highly visible, often obscured” or hidden in plain sight?
This talk will offer new perspectives on queenship as well as examples of historical figures which can enrich the curriculum and ideas on how we can collectively enhance the visibility of women in the historical narrative.
Five Years After the Fire: Notre-Dame de Paris and the Largest Restoration Project of the Century
Barry Bergdoll talks about the history of Notre-Dame Catherdal in Paris as the repairs from the major fire in 2019 near completion.
Kings on the Move: The Case of the Great Viking Army
Between 865 and 879 CE, the great Viking army campaigned extensively across England, eventually conquering three of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
What is a bestiary for?
What is the purpose of a bestiary? Starting with the history of medieval bestiaries, and touching on dramatically topical issues such as the climate crisis and the risk of species extinction, author Caspar Henderson takes us on a journey of discovery of wondrous and barely imaginable creatures, places, and revolutionary discoveries.
Panorama of Black Writing Inks: From Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
Ira Rabin talks about the evolution of black writing inks and why iron gall ink became so popular in the Middle Ages.
Mongols and their impact upon the Muslim Middle East
This is a video version of episode 26 of the podcast “‘Tis But A Scratch: Fact and Fiction About the Middle Ages,” hosted by Professor Richard Abels.
“The Northman”: ‘Tis But A Scratch: Fact & Fiction About the Middle Ages
In this episode of the podcast ‘Tis But A Scratch: Fact and Fiction About the Middle Ages, Richard Abels and his special guest and co-host Dr. Christine Senecal of Shippensburg University discuss the 2022 Viking movie “The Northman.”
Vikings! ‘Tis But A Scratch: Fact & Fiction About the Middle Ages
In this episode of the podcast “‘Tis But A Scratch”: Fact & Fiction About the Middle Ages, co-hosts Richard Abels and his wife Ellen Abels explain who and what “Vikings” really were, what historical factors contributed to the advent of the Viking Age.
Martyrdom most foul: the Murder of King Edward the Martyr
In this episode of the podcast Tis But A Scratch: Fact and Fiction About the Middle Ages, Richard Abels examines the story of King Edward the Martyr.
The Viking Blood Eagle: Horrific Ritual or Horrific Metaphor?
As described in a number of sagas, the “blood eagle” was a particularly gruesome form of ritual sacrifice of high-status captives to the god Odin. Historians have debated whether this ritual was an actual practice or an invention of thirteenth-century saga writers based on a misunderstanding of an eleventh-century skaldic poem.
Holidaying in the Middle Ages
Have you wanted to escape into the medieval past?
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.
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.
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.
Dis/ability and Byzantine Hagiography
I will discuss first the differences in the narrative teatments of disability by various hagiographers, and their attempts at explaining its source or reason depending on their religious and moral agendas.
People and Place in the Kingdom of Northumbria: New project and fieldwork perspectives
People and Place in the Kingdom of Northumbria: New project and fieldwork perspectives Lecture by Sarah Semple Given at the University of Exeter…
What’s So Great About Albert the Great? His Life, Times, and Contributions to Western Civilization
He was not only an important church leader and accomplished theologian, but he was also the central figure in the medieval scientific revolution that gave rise to the tradition of experimental research that continues today.
Ibn Hamdis of Sicily: A Medieval Life in Modern Circumstances
Ibn Hamdis is the only Muslim Sicilian whose voice we hear from in medieval times. His poetry – about 370 poems survive – is autobiographical and tells us much about his life and experiences.
Astrology in Mongol Iran: foreign fascination or popular pastime?
In this discussion, I want to explore the popularity of astrology in the eastern Islamic world at the time of the Mongol invasion to ask the question of whether the Mongols were bringing anything new to the region or simply drawing on a deep and rich indigenous belief in the power of stars over mundane life.
Visualizing Persian History: The Illustration of Persian Manuscript Histories
How did medieval chroniclers writing in Persian narrate their past and present history and – the main focus of this paper – how were the historical events depicted in the manuscripts in which their work was written?
Contracts as Weapons: Notarial Power and Jewish Agency in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon
Contracts as Weapons: Notarial Power and Jewish Agency in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon Paper by Sarah Ifft Decker Given at The…
Violence as Global Practice in the Early Medieval Western Mediterranean
I challenge the assumption that violence involving Muslims and Christians was necessarily religious. Moreover, I propose that normative texts concerning maritime violence impede rather than illuminate our understanding of that violence, particularly in cases adjacent to religious rhetoric.
The early Vikings of Dublin and why some of them moved to Wirral
Clare Downham talls about why Vikings came to the Wirral and why the area would have been attractive to them.
Religion, Politics, and Identities in Byzantium: Aspects of Medieval Greek Homilies
Homilies, or church sermons, formed an indispensable part of European medieval rhetoric, East and West. Throughout the millennial existence of the Byzantine Empire (AD 330–1453), they carried the burden of the classical Greek tradition of rhetoric, which they continued in varying forms.
Abraham ibn Ezra: A Medieval Philosopher and Poet’s Words for Today
He left behind a legacy of poetry, humor, original biblical scholarship in Hebrew, works on grammar, scientific oeuvres and more meditational works, all of which are imbued with his philosophy.