Why are there Ostrich Eggs in Medieval Churches?
The peculiar practice of placing ostrich eggs in medieval church sanctuaries has left historians and theologians puzzled for centuries.
New Medieval Books: ‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England
Examining how charms – a set of instructions that allows someone to use ‘magic’ – were connected to Christianity in early medieval England.
William of Auvergne with Lesley Smith
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Lesley Smith about William of Auvergne, the thirteenth-century upstart bishop of Paris who shaped a royal saint, changed the university forever, and gently guided the lives of ordinary Parisians with wit and compassion.
Warming the Soul: The Forgotten Role of Handwarmers in Medieval Worship
In the realm of medieval liturgy, where sacred rituals and ceremonies unfolded in the hallowed halls of cathedrals and monasteries, a surprising yet practical element played a role in ensuring the comfort of clergy and worshippers alike: handwarmers.
Religion, Politics, and Identities in Byzantium: Aspects of Medieval Greek Homilies
Homilies, or church sermons, formed an indispensable part of European medieval rhetoric, East and West. Throughout the millennial existence of the Byzantine Empire (AD 330–1453), they carried the burden of the classical Greek tradition of rhetoric, which they continued in varying forms.
How to kill a God: Christians against Pagans in the Middle Ages
To bring new lands under Roman Catholicism, the old pagan faiths had to be destroyed. Here is how this was done on the island of Rügen in the twelfth century.
The Medieval Cult of Mary’s Hair
A look at one of the most important relics of the Middle Ages: the hair of the Virgin Mary.
How to be a Medieval Priest
A look into the 15th-century work Instructions for Parish Priests, by John Myrc.
The Pagan and Christian Origins of Halloween
With roots in Europe’s Christianization, Halloween is something of a hybrid holiday strongly influenced by ancient pagan beliefs, and for this reason, its celebration has long been somewhat controversial within the Christian faith.
A rare medieval tattoo from Africa
A Polish-Sudanese team of researchers investigating a medieval African monastery has made another interesting discovery: a religious tattoo on an individual who lived 1300 years ago.
The Vegetable Saint
My talk today explores the relationship between the True Cross, its legendary history and the category of miraculous carved crucifixes made from trees growing in a German countryside in the 14th century.
30 Medieval Superstitions
We know a lot about Christianity in the Middle Ages, but much less about the ‘pagan’ and folk religion that many people had. A list from the eighth century offers some clues into those medieval beliefs and superstitions.
Trees and Religion in Early Medieval England with Michael Bintley
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michael D.J. Bintley about the evolving role of trees in early medieval England.
On the Paths of Hugues de Berzé: A Repentant Crusader Knight
Hugues de Berzé and how is experience in the Fourth Crusade changes him.
How Does a Place Become Holy? The Case of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
The interesting question is: in what sense was the monastery connected to the Cross, and when and why was this connection established?
A Medieval Peace Movement: The Bianchi of 1399
Sick and tired of war and violence, many people throughout Italy left their homes and cities to march for peace in the year 1399.
What were 12th-century Maps of the Holy Land meant to express?
My argument is that the earliest Western type of Holy Land map was formulated in a purely religious context — not in relation to the Crusader enterprise and ideology — and that this type of map was a pure devotional image.
How Pagan Was Medieval Britain?
Ronald Hutton explores how the idea of pagan survivals became prevalent among British historians, based on work by folklorist Lady Raglan and Margaret Murray.
How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple with Azzan Yadin-Israel
Everyone knows that the fruit Eve was tempted to eat in the Garden of Eden was an apple – or was it? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Azzan Yadin-Israel about the original fruit of original sin, how written culture and art worked together to transform it, and why it took centuries to settle on the apple.
The Catacombs of Marcellino and Peter: A Landmark of Early Medieval Rome
One of the most popular pilgrimage sites in early medieval Rome was the Catacombs of Marcellino and Peter. It has a fascinating history dating back to the fourth century, which includes being robbed by one of the most famous writers of the Carolingian era.
A Medieval Autobiography
The autobiography of Opicino de Canistris is both very mundane and very strange.
The Madaba Map: A Further Reexamination
I claim that the Madaba map belonged to a new genre of “Holy Land” iconography that appeared in Palestine in the sixth century, iconography that related to the formation of the Holy Land’s sacred space and the interpretation of its landscape in light of the biblical text.
Conference: The Other Sister: New Research on Non-Cloistered Religious Women (1100-1800)
You can attend in person or online for this conference, which takes place at the University of Toronto from May 18th – 20th.
New Medieval Books: Women, Dance and Parish Religion in England, 1300-1640
Those interested in how people decide what is immoral or sinful will find this a particularly fascinating case study. It tells the story of how one practice goes from something that people think is good to something that is seen as evil.
Natural Light in Medieval Churches
A new book explores how the study of sunlight inside Christian churches can help reveal essential aspects of the design, decoration, and function of medieval sacred spaces.