First Catch Your Toad: Medieval Attitudes to Ordeal and Battle
Emma, the mother of Edward the Confessor, had walked over hot iron ploughshares to disprove an allegation of intimacy with Alwyn Bishop of Winchester, while Curthose, the Conqueror’s son, is reputed to have undergone the ordeal to prove his paternity.
Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050-1250
The research addresses the presence of the castles and discusses their roles as weapons of conquest and structures of administrative control.
Arrow-loops in the Great Tower of Kenilworth castle: Symbolism vs Active/Passive ‘Defence’
In 1931, Sidney Toy measured and drew arrow-loops in the top gallery of the Great Tower at Kenilworth and his drawings are reproduced here (Figs. 1 – 6), by permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Living Links: The Role of Marriage between Welsh and Anglo-Norman Aristocratic Families in the Welsh Struggle for Autonomy, 1066-1283
These marriages were utilized by the Welsh in their attempts to preserve their political identity and autonomy against the incursions of the Anglo-Normans, as well as to gain advantages over their Welsh rivals. The Anglo-Normans, in turn, used the marriages to gain land and influence in Wales.
Frankish Rivalries and Norse Warriors
Normandy can be said to have begun in 911 with the treaty of St.Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and the viking Rollo.
The role of the Norman kings in the framing of the British Constitution
I attempted to show how William respected the Anglo-Saxon constitution in its main principles. The Conquest, together with the influence of the system of government then prevaling on the Continent brought about some changes…
Evidence for Viking disruption from early Norman histories and commemorations of saints
Did the Vikings devastate the indigenous culture, leaving only a faint memory of Frankish society in Normandy or did they largely assimilate with ‘minimal disruption’ to Carolingian ways?
Writing the Order: Religious-Political Discourses in Late Anglo-Saxon England
The issue of how authority was created, maintained and defined in religious terms by the written word is therefore the main concern throughout this study.
The Normans: Three Centuries of Achievement, AD 911-1204
The Normans (Northmen) were Scandinavians who, after decades of foreign campaigns in France and the British Isles, settled in 911 with their leader, Rollo, in north-west France.
Sacred Conquest and Ecclesiastical Politics: The Normans and the Church in the Eleventh Century
The Normans’ success hinged upon their ability to appear as divinely appointed rulers who served, protected, and guided the Church in the countries they held. They derived authority from the Church, and they also exercised authority over it.
The Knight and the Serpent: A Legend of Medieval Normandy
John R. Gabourel writes about the universal tale of choices and where they can lead us in his novel The Knight and the Serpent: A Legend of Medieval Normandy
New in Medieval Books this week!
Hey Medievalverse! Ring in 2012 with these fab, hot off the press releases!
Responses to Mental Illness in Twelfth- and Thirteenth-Century Normandy
To what extent was mental illness attributed to the devil? What was the view of illnesses which had physical signs and non-physical signs? What about mental illness caused by trauma?
Alfred the Great: The Most Perfect Man in History?
Barbara Yorke considers the reputation of King Alfred the Great – and the enduring cult around his life and legend.
A Chivalrous Man is Not a Gentleman: A Look at Chivalry in the Age of Chaucer
The concept of knighthood began as a military strategy used to supply men to fight kings’ wars, but it gradually developed into the glamorized ideal of chivalry and became associated with virtuous behavior expected during times of both war and peace.
God and the Normans
David Crouch reconsiders William I and his sons as men of genuine piety – as well as soldiers.
Lackland: The Loss of Normandy in 1215
Nick Barratt argues that Normandy’s loss in the reign of King John has had a far-reaching impact on Britain.
The Myth of the “Invincibility” of the Norman Cavalry Charge in the Eleventh Century: a Comparative Analysis of the Battles of Hastings (1066) and Dyrrachium (1081)
Did the Normans simply implement the same battle tactics they successfully used in Northwest Europe when they went to Italy?
HASKINS CONFERENCE: Anonymous Vaticanus: Another Source for the Normans in the South?
This paper focused on sources detailing the Norman Conquest of Sicily.
HASKINS CONFERENCE: The Monks of Fécamp and their Ducal Patrons: Transformations of the Eleventh Century
This paper investigates the relationship between the 11th century Norman Dukes and the monastery from the monastic point of view.
Southern Italy and the Construction of the Historia ecclesiastica of Orderic Vitalis
Of all the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman historians, Orderic Vitalis was the most interested in southern Italy
At Arm’s Length? On Papal Legates in Normandy (11th and 12th centuries)
At Arm’s Length? On Papal Legates in Normandy (11th and 12th centuries) By Kriston Rennie Revue d’Histoire Ecclesiastique, Vol.105:2 (2010) Abstract: For the…
The Battle of London 1066
The Battle of London 1066 By Peter Mills London Archaeologist, Vol.8:3 (1996) Introduction: By the end of Saturday 14th October 1066 William the…
The mystery of Churchuro: conspiracy or incompetence in twelfth-century Sicily?
Immediately after his successful conquest of Muslim Sicily (1060-92), Roger de Hauteville set about dividing the spoils amongst the small band of Norman, French and Italian knights who were his closest followers.
From Mordoor to Murdrum: The Preconquest Origin and Norman Revival of the Murder Fine
From Mordoor to Murdrum: The Preconquest Origin and Norman Revival of the Murder Fine By Bruce R. O’Brien Speculum, Vol.71:2 (1996) Introduction: What…