New Medieval Books: Empires of the Normans
An overview of the Normans and their history, beginning with Rollo and his Vikings, and expanding to cover England, Italy, the First Crusade and more. It goes beyond the typical overview of the Normans to also cover their presence in Asia Minor, North Africa and Scotland.
Harald Hardrada: Fighting in Sicily and Italy
Between 1038 and 1041, a Byzantine force attempted to take control of Sicily and southern Italy. Harald Hadrada would take part in this invasion, but were the saga stories of his victories true?
Miter and Sword: Fighting Norman Bishops and Clergy
This thesis examines Norman bishops and abbots, and their involvement in warfare, either as armed combatants, or commanders of military forces in Normandy, and later in England after William the Conquerors invasion in 1066.
Byzantium and Venice: The Rise and Fall of a Medieval Alliance
The story of the Venetian-Byzantine military alliance is a complex one, with many questions that need to be answered.
BOOK REVIEW: The Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror’s Subjugation of England by Teresa Cole
October marked the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Author Teresa Cole’s latest book, The Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror’s Subjugation of England, looks at the events, key figures, and sources that brought Harold Godwinson (1022-1066) and William I (1028-1087) to this pivotal turning point in English history.
Rollo, Viking Count of Normandy
n recounting what is known of Viking history and the sagas which were written about in the Middle Ages, Clements tells the story of Hrolf the Walker, otherwise known as Rollo or Rolf.
Medieval Books for Christmas
It’s that time of year again – the mad scramble for the perfect Christmas gift for the historian, nerd, avid reader on your list. Here are a few suggestions for you – new releases for December and January!
‘De civitatis utriusque, terrenae scilicet et caelestis’: Foundation Narratives and the Epic Portrayal of the First Crusade
My summary of a paper given at the Institute of Historical research on the accounts of Antioch and Jerusalem during the First Crusade.
Latin Patrons, Greek Fathers: St Bartholomew of Simeri and Byzantine Monastic Reform in Norman Italy, 11th-12th Centuries
St Bartholomew of Simeri (ca. 1050-1130), a Greek monastic founder and reformer from Calabria, saw the effective end of Byzantine imperial power in southern Italy in 1071, the conquest of Muslim Palermo by Robert Guiscard the following year, and the rise of the Norman kingdom of Roger II at the end of his life.
Herleva of Falaise, Mother of William the Conqueror
Legends states the young Duke Robert I of Normandy was on the walkway of his castle at Falaise looking down at the river and discovered a beautiful young girl washing clothes. He asked to see her and she became his mistress. She would become the mother of William the Conqueror.
(Re)casting the Past: The Cloisters and Medievalism
In this essay, I focus on a variety of texts printed using Anglo-Saxon type between 1566 and 1623 in an effort to explore the use of Anglo-Saxon typeface in the early modern period as the use of the Old English language progressed from polemical truncheon to historiographical instrument.
A Feast for the Eyes: Representing Odo at the Banquet in the Bayeux Embroidery
This paper will therefore investigate Odo’s role in the banquet as a way to ask larger questions about how patronage has been portrayed in the literature on the Bayeux Embroidery as a whole.
Greek in Marriage, Latin in Giving: The Greek Community of Fourteenth-century Palermo and the Deceptive Will of Bonannus de Geronimo
This article discusses the pitfalls that can occur in the study of ethnicity in the me- dieval period in the context of the potential existence of two separate Greek minori- ties—one indigenous and one immigrant—in fourteenth-century Latin-dominated Palermo, Italy.
Unpleasant Affairs That Please Us: Admonition and Rebuke in the Letter Collections of the Archbishops of Canterbury, 11th and 12th Centuries
From the Norman Conquest in 1066 up to the famous “murder in the cathedral”2 in 1170, six archbishops of Canterbury ruled over the English church…
How cutting off a horse’s tail was a big insult in the Middle Ages
Want to humiliate your adversary? Attacking his horse and cutting off its tail was the preferred method, according to a recent article.
‘Part of our commonwealth’: a study of the Normans in eleventh-century Byzantine historiography
‘Part of our commonwealth’: a study of the Normans in eleventh-century Byzantine historiography Alexander Olson (Simon Fraser University) Simon Fraser University: Faculty of…
Using Ancient Military Handbooks to fight Medieval Battles: Two stratagems used by Alexios I Comnenos against the Normans and the Pechenegs
During the whole of his lengthy reign, Alexios I Comnenos (1081-1118) faced multiple military threats from many different opponents that seriously threatened the cohesion and the existence of the empire.
Hearing and seeing, remembering and writing: ‘From Memory to Written Record’ across the Norman conquest
Of course, it is well known that some Anglo-Saxon historians took issue with Michael’s characterization of the use and extent of writing in England before 1066. They saw a contradiction between their interpretation of the role of literacy and what Michael had concluded.
Great Medieval Fiction 2013!
For those of you who enjoy some fantasy or a historical novel – this list is for you!
Thomas Fitzanthony’s Borough: Medieval Thomastown in Irish History, 1171-1555
Thomas Fitzanthony’s Borough: Medieval Thomastown in Irish History, 1171-1555 Marilyn Silverman In the Shadow of the Steeple VI, Duchas-Tullaherin Parish Heritage Society (1998)…
1066: The Limits of our Knowledge
As the most pivotal and traumatic event in English history, the Norman Conquest continues to generate controversy and debate, especially among those who know little about it or enjoy passing judgement on the past.
The Fortune of War: Henry I and Normandy, 1116 – 1120
The Fortune of War: Henry I and Normandy, 1116 – 1120 Dillon Byrd Oklahoma Christian University, Tau Sigma, Journal of Historical Studies, Vol.21 (2013) Abstract…
The Norman Invasion of Sicily, 1061-1072: Numbers and Military Tactics
No comprehensive study of the military aspects of the Norman conquest of Sicily has been written, and this paper intends to cover this specific gap. It deals with the first two stages of the Sicilian conquest, the per
Theft, Homicide and Crime in Late Anglo-Saxon Law
In order to understand these issues properly we must first consider our own ideas about ‘crime’, a deeply problematic term for the period before the late twelfth century.
The Garments of Guy in the Bayeux Tapestry
In her paper, Gale R. Owen-Crocker looks at how the late 11th century frieze portrays Guy, Count of Ponthieu.