Twenty-eight miles off the coast of Cornwall, the Scilly Isles rise above the waves of the Atlantic.
The Hunted Children of Kings: A Theme in the Old Icelandic Sagas
December 18, 2013 By
In this instance life appears to imitate art, that is if we categorize fairy tales as art. Life, or at least the life of King Sverrir, resembles a story about stepmothers.
Play it Again, Sam: Medieval Tunes
December 5, 2013 By
There are some songs and rhymes that are so well-known in our culture that we often wonder where we learned them.
Medieval Proverbs from The Well-Laden Ship
November 12, 2013 By
Here is a list of some of our favourite medieval proverbs from The Well-Laden Ship, including a few that are very similar to modern ones.
The Earliest Little Red Riding Hood Tale
November 10, 2013 By
Looking at an early 11th century version of tale of Little Red Riding Hood
How Old Is Little Red Riding Hood?: Tales Over Time
November 10, 2013 By
I will discuss some of the ways in which folk tales change using Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs and The Three Bears as examples.
Seasonal Setting and the Human Domain in Early English and Early Scandinavian Literature
November 10, 2013 By
Seasonal Setting and the Human Domain in Early English and Early Scandinavian Literature Paul Sander Langeslag University of Toronto: Doctor of Philosophy, Centre for Medieval Studies (2012) Abstract The contrast between the familiar social space and the world beyond has been widely recognised as an organising principle in medieval literature, in which the natural and the […]
Samhain: How Ritual Formed and Formation of Irish Celtic Identity
October 31, 2013 By
There are many lines of inquiry to explore in the analysis of Samhain’s role in Celtic identity, including: What constituted the Celtic identity? What did the Celtic community hold as its core values, ideals, hopes, and fears? How did Samhain rituals establish and reaffirm Celtic identity?
Werewolves and the Dog-headed Saint in the Middle Ages
October 30, 2013 By
Stories of werewolves and their canine kin have been around for centuries, and some of them may be a bit surprising.
The Medieval Walking Dead
October 20, 2013 By
On January 1, 1091, an army of the dead came to Normandy. For one priest, it would be a night that he would never forget.
Top Ten Monsters of the Middle Ages
October 13, 2013 By
People in the Middle Ages, just like today, could imagine a very strange monster!
Snorri’s Trollwives
September 29, 2013 By
The list by Snorri or incorporated in his work, reproduced here in an appendix, comes after comparable lists of the names of legendary sea-kings, the names of—or for—giants, and is followed by a brief list of bynames for Þórr and then the names of the Æsir. These lists are an important part of the skaldic tool kit and are introduced by Snorri’s comments on word-play—homonymity—and the substitution of metonyms or homologues for more common words in poetry.
Love Magic in Medieval Irish Penitentials, Law and Literature
September 22, 2013 By
I exemplify this striving for ‘neutral’ research in this study of love magic, which starts with a case study on an episode from the Life of Saint Brigit.
When Witches Communed with Fairies
September 20, 2013 By
The late sagas Gundarsson goes on to mention are written after conversion to Christianity, so we see a shift in the way alfs are viewed by the Norse during pre and post conversion periods.
Voyagers in the Vault of Heaven: The Phenomenon of Ships in the Sky in Medieval Ireland and Beyond
September 3, 2013 By
This paper explores the phenomenon of ships voyaging in the sky.
Women of the Sea, Muses of the Ages
September 1, 2013 By
Mermaids, sirens, selkies, water nymphs – female mythological figures of the sea were a source of both inspiration and fear for seagoing men over hundreds of years.
Auðun of the West-Fjords and the Saga Tradition: Similarities of Theme and Structural Suitability
August 23, 2013 By
Auðun of the West-Fjords and the Saga Tradition: Similarities of Theme and Structural Suitability Josie Nolan (Trinity College Dublin) Vexillum, Vol.3 (2013) Abstract This paper evaluates the story of Auðun from the West Fjords, a Þáttr dating from the Sturlinga period of medieval Iceland. It compares the short prose narrative to the much longer sagas […]
Wild woman and her sisters in medieval English literature
August 18, 2013 By
The subject of this work is the concept and figure of the Wild Woman. The primary focus will be on various forms this figure assumes in medieval English literature: Grendel’s mother—the second monster Beowulf faces—and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, along with other figures.
Robin Hood as a Festive Figurehead for Local Autonomy in the 16th Century
August 18, 2013 By
Winner of the University of Chicago’s National Guild of St. Margaret of Scotland Prize for the best BA paper on a medieval topic
The role of mythical and imaginary figures in the mental framework of medieval society
August 16, 2013 By
It is crucial to evaluate also whether or not medieval people distinguished the fiction from reality, and if they did, does this have an impact on the roles which certain figures performed?
The Night the Moon exploded and other Lunar tales from the Middle Ages
July 21, 2013 By
People in the Middle Ages asked what was the moon made of? How far away was it? Could it make my child vindictive? Here is what they found out.
Magic and the Occult in Islam: Ahmad al-Buni (622H/1225CE?) and his Shams Al-Ma’arif
July 8, 2013 By
Lecture by Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad, American University in Cairo
Blood beliefs in early modern Europe
June 29, 2013 By
This thesis focuses on the significance of blood and the perception of the body in both learned and popular culture in order to investigate problems of identity and social exclusion in early modern Europe.
Orkney’s Terrible Trows
June 26, 2013 By
Trows are fascinating creatures found only in the folklore of the Orkney and Shetland islands. Yet, describing them accurately is difficult because sources are not always clear.
Folklore and the Fin Folk of Orkney
June 3, 2013 By
The Orkney Islands possess a folkloric tradition that is both unique and fascinating.
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