Where the Middle Ages Begin
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
Explore how to make an omelet, medieval-style, from a 14th-century Egyptian cookbook.
Donatello’s Gattamelata, the celebrated bronze equestrian statue in Padua, has been carefully removed from its pedestal for conservation. Experts are conducting detailed studies to prepare for the restoration of this fifteenth-century masterpiece.
A four-week course exploring the social world of Early Byzantium — where emperors ruled, clergy guided, soldiers fought, and commoners toiled. Explore how religion, law, and the economy shaped identity and mobility, bringing primary sources vividly to life.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ben Parsons about what medieval people named their pets and working animals, how we know about them, and which animals are still called by their medieval nicknames.
In the Middle Ages, Paris stood at the heart of Europe’s luxury trade. Behind its grand churches and royal palaces was a bustling network of merchants, artisans, and aristocrats whose wealth shaped the city’s rise to prominence.
As the Eternal City’s power waned, enemies closed in. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly delve into two devastating sieges of Rome — one led by the Goths, the other by the Vandals.
When Harold Godwinson marched to Hastings on 14 October 1066 he brought with him thousands of men. Who were these warriors and why did they fight on behalf of their king?
Mathilda of Flanders was the Duchess of Normandy and, following the Norman Conquest, became Queen of England. This book explores her life and achievements as one of the most powerful and influential women of the eleventh century.
Discover the extraordinary life of Qutulun, the Mongol princess who never lost a wrestling match. Explore how this undefeated warrior and daughter of Qaidu Khan shaped politics, warfare, and legend in the Mongol Empire.
An exploration of the life and career of Giovanni Boccaccio, one of Italy’s most celebrated writers. This book examines his family background and tumultuous professional path, revealing how his personal experiences shaped masterpieces such as The Decameron.
A 1960s French TV hit, Thierry la Fronde, reimagined Robin Hood during the Hundred Years’ War—turning an English outlaw tale into a story of French resistance, national pride, and political subtext.
Learn how Ridwan of Aleppo allied with the Assassins, allowing them to spread their influence and carry out their first missions in medieval Syria.
Written in the mid-15th century by a French diplomat, this newly translated report offers more than just a glimpse of Europe’s lands and regions. Part travel guide and part survey, it provides a concise yet vivid look at the peoples and states of the medieval world.
Explore ten medieval math riddles written by Alcuin of York, the great scholar of Charlemagne’s court. These clever puzzles from the early Middle Ages reveal how medieval students learned logic, numbers, and reasoning — and they’re still fun to solve today.
Can a historian from over 600 years ago still guide us today? This book explores Ibn Khaldun’s groundbreaking ideas on global history and reveals how his insights continue to inform modern historical thinking.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers saw them, and how wolves both add to – and steal – language.
This book presents a translation of a 15th-century chronicle, a key primary source for the study of the Wars of the Roses.
This book explores the rise of the Kingdom of Mercia, focusing on the reigns of Æthelbald (716–757) and Offa (757–796). It shows how Mercia became a dominant power in early medieval Britain, laying crucial foundations for the emergence of England.
For twenty years, medieval Trebizond was torn apart by assassinations, coups, and betrayals that set emperor against emperor. This little-known 14th-century civil war shows how chaos and ambition shaped one of the last outposts of Rome.
Discover 10 fun facts about medieval fashion, from straw hats to slipper-socks, revealing the surprising trends that shaped style in the Middle Ages.
This collection of 22 short stories from the early Ming Dynasty holds the distinction of being the first work of fiction ever banned in China. Fortunately, these tales—ranging from tender romances to eerie encounters with the supernatural—have survived for us to enjoy today.
This novel brings to life the rise and fall of the ninth-century Egyptian capital founded by the ambitious governor-turned-ruler Ahmad Ibn Tulun. Blending historical detail with vivid storytelling, Bassiouney explores the city’s architecture, politics, and cultural legacy.
Explore how baptism shaped faith, identity, and belonging in medieval Europe, influencing community ties, godparents, and views on the unbaptized.
The TORF Research Unit is uncovering the medieval past of North Frisia’s Wadden Sea—revealing drowned settlements like Rungholt, storm surge disasters, and centuries-old human efforts to shape the coastline.
Medieval history has been invoked in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This book brings together five essays examining how the medieval past has been used, interpreted, and contested in this modern conflict. It offers a valuable contribution to the study of medievalism and the politics of historical memory.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
A conversation with James Rives on the history of ancient animal sacrifice in the Roman world. We focus on its decline and eventual demise in the third and fourth centuries. Animal sacrifice was caught up in the conflicts between the Roman emperors and the Christian Church, which endowed it with an importance it had not had before.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michael Livingston about why the Hundred Years’ War should actually be called the Two Hundred Years’ War, what actually touched off the conflict, and why we should question everything.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ben Parsons about what medieval people named their pets and working animals, how we know about them, and which animals are still called by their medieval nicknames.
As the Eternal City’s power waned, enemies closed in. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly delve into two devastating sieges of Rome — one led by the Goths, the other by the Vandals.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers saw them, and how wolves both add to – and steal – language.