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
Arrow-loops in the Great Tower of Kenilworth castle: Symbolism vs Active/Passive ‘Defence’
May 30, 2012 By
Living Links: The Role of Marriage between Welsh and Anglo-Norman Aristocratic Families in the Welsh Struggle for Autonomy, 1066-1283
May 30, 2012 By
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
May 23, 2012 By
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
April 26, 2012 By
Evidence for Viking disruption from early Norman histories and commemorations of saints
April 13, 2012 By
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
March 19, 2012 By
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
March 9, 2012 By
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
March 7, 2012 By
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
January 27, 2012 By
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!
December 31, 2011 By
Hey Medievalverse! Ring in 2012 with these fab, hot off the press releases!
Responses to Mental Illness in Twelfth- and Thirteenth-Century Normandy
December 1, 2011 By
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?
November 28, 2011 By
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
November 27, 2011 By
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
November 22, 2011 By
David Crouch reconsiders William I and his sons as men of genuine piety – as well as soldiers.
Lackland: The Loss of Normandy in 1215
November 22, 2011 By
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)
November 21, 2011 By
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?
November 10, 2011 By
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
November 5, 2011 By
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
November 5, 2011 By
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)
October 18, 2011 By
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 church in France (Gallia, Francia) during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, there was no universal reception of reforming ideas, persons, and legislation. Dispute settlement in Normandy was routinely practiced within the ecclesiastical […]
The Battle of London 1066
October 16, 2011 By
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 Bastard, Duke of Normandy and claimant to the English throne, was the victor of the Battle of Hastings. Some 5,000 Saxon and Norman troops lay dead and the English had fled the […]
From Mordoor to Murdrum: The Preconquest Origin and Norman Revival of the Murder Fine
October 5, 2011 By
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 was the English opinion of the Normans who had conquered them in 1066? Perhaps it makes better sense to ask, What did they see when they beheld one of their new Norman […]
“Apud Lotharingos Altus et Doctus”: Leofric of Exeter, 1050-1072
September 22, 2011 By
“Apud Lotharingos Altus et Doctus”: Leofric of Exeter, 1050-1072 Corradini, Erika (University of Leicester) The Proceedings of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies Postgraduate Conference (2005) Abstract The life and activities of Leofric, bishop of Exeter, 1050−1072, have recently been the focus of a substantial amount of critical study that has highlighted the bishop’s importance […]
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