Summer in the Middle Ages
When air conditioning was not yet a thing – how people in the Middle Ages coped with the summer months.
Latest Posts
Summer in the Middle Ages
When air conditioning was not yet a thing – how people in the Middle Ages coped with the summer months.
The man who should have lost the Battle of Hastings: The Saga of Swegen Godwinson
Shouldn’t Swegen have arisen to the English kingship in 1066 and been defending the throne at Stamford Bridge and Hastings?
The ‘Healthy’ Medieval Diet
I found that the word ‘diet’ does come into English – it’s originally Greek and then Latin – during the Middle Ages as early as the 13th century and it has a wide range of meanings from a whole course of life, a way of living or thinking, a way of feeding a restricted prescribed course of food for those who are ill or in prison.
Emotion, Drama and Intrigue: A year in York’s relationship with Richard III, 1476 – 77
This talk by Sarah Rees Jones will explore the evidence of the York House Books and the York Mystery Plays for clues to the tumultuous relationship between York and Richard in the years before he became king.
Armenian Art and Contested Lands
The virtual exhibition Ancient Faith: The Churches of Nagorno-Karabakh brings to the attention of international audiences the Armenian historic sites and cultural legacy of the contested region of Artsakh, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Bower’s Scotichronicon – Part 1
This is the first of the Scotichronicast’s book club series. In this episode, Dr. Kate Buchanan and Dr. Marian Toledo talk about the first 5 books in Walter Bower’s Scotichronicon.
Canterbury Cathedral’s windows date back to 12th century, study suggests
A group of windows from Canterbury Cathedral may be the earliest extant stained glass windows in England, according to a team of scientists from University College London and conservators from Canterbury Cathedral.
If you could meet and interview one person from Byzantine history, who would it be and why?, Part 2 with Paroma Chatterjee and Merle Eisenberg
We know so much about the Byzantines, and yet really so little. If we had the chance to meet and debrief one person from that world, who would it be?
Medieval Movie Review: The Green Knight
For many years, medievalists have gone to the movies with the expectation that their beloved stories will be given only lip service in favour of directorial changes meant to pander to a modern audience. With The Green Knight, they are in for a surprise.
The Beginnings of England with Marc Morris
The roots of some important English traditions and political institutions began in one of those historical pockets of huge change but scarce written material in the centuries after the Romans left and the Normans arrived, making it challenging to find answers. Enter Dr. Marc Morris.
Remains of 800-year old bridge discovered in England
Remains of a previously unknown medieval wooden bridge have been discovered in Eastern England. Found in the town of Eye in Suffolk, it is believed to have been part of the defences of a castle, and may date back as far as 1200 AD.
New book explores how poison shaped medieval Chinese medicine, culture
If poison was medicinal, then what was medicine?
Treasure hoard of sixth-century coins discovered in Russia
Russian archaeologists have discovered a cache of coins dating back to the sixth century, at Phanagoria along the Black Sea. The 80 coins, known as copper staters, were found in a layer of rubble from a fire that destroyed much of that city.
Medieval Race and the Image of the “Saracens”
Today, we tend to associate race with skin colour. But, what did “Race” mean in the Medieval era? That’s what we’re finding with…
The Medieval Travel Guide of Cristoforo Buondelmonti
Cristoforo Boundelmonti’s 15th-century guide to the islands and lands around the Aegean Sea is a traveller’s delight.
Eat Like a Medieval King: Dietary Advice to Theuderic I
The following tips are taken from De observatione ciborum epistula, written by Anthimus to Theuderic I, King of the Franks around Metz between 511 and 534.
‘The Worthiest Man’: The story of Count Philip I of Flanders
Philip I Count of Flanders was one of the most controversial nobles in twelfth-century France. His choleric temperament was equaled only by his reputation in many historical and literary works. Where he went, trouble and greatness followed.
The peoples of the Caucasus between Rome, Iran, and the steppe, with Garth Fowden
A conversation with Garth Fowden about how the peoples of the Caucasus – Armenians, Georgians, and Albanians – coped with living between two empires, how those empires sought to intervene in their region, and the cultural and religious changes that took place there during the first half of the first millennium. This episode demonstrates the illuminating ways in which global and regional history can be combined.
Lincoln Cathedral launches appeal for Chapter House conservation project
Lincoln Cathedral has launched an appeal to enable it to undertake the next phase of conservation works, this time to the much-admired Chapter House.
Why did Bruges get a porpoise each year?
For about three centuries, the coastal town of Blankenberge would send to the nearby city of Bruges a porpoise. A new study examines this tradition and why it happened.
Mod Gothic? Medieval Architecture in the Modern Ages
Scholars have long recognised the close connections between Gothic revival, restoration and architectural history in the nineteenth century. But how did personal, institutional and political circumstances shape understanding of medieval architecture in the twentieth century?
Middle Age and Modern Timber Techniques in the Restoration of Notre Dame de Paris
Discussing the use of medieval and modern techniques in the rebuilding of a timber frame at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the damaging fire in 2019.
CastleFest launched in Scotland
As part of new efforts to attract visitors, Historic Environment Scotland has launched Castlefest, which will combine live performance events at historic sites along with online and virtual elements.
How to gain an audience and influence readers in the Middle Ages?
How to gain an audience and influence readers? No one actually knows for sure. People have been struggling to understand the mechanics behind a text’s success since the very emergence of writing systems, trying to elaborate an arsenal of means to enhance the popularity of a written work, secure its widespread dissemination, and make it more influential.
BooksAll posts
Book of the Month: Old Norse for Modern Times
Our next book in the Book of the Month Club will be Old Norse for Modern Times, by Ian Stuart Sharpe, Arngrímur Vídalín and Josh Gillingham.
New Medieval Books: The Kings of the Sea, by C.J. Adrien
Rose de Burford and English Embroidery
Book of the Month: Drout’s Quick and Easy Old English
Why I Wrote a Book of Cartoons about Medieval Baghdad
Medieval Warfare magazine – Preview of issue XI:2
New Medieval Books: Monks and Mongols
Searching for Medieval Battlefields … and UFOs?
Quest for the Historical Arthur: A Kalamazoo Story
Places to SeeAll posts
Örebro Castle: History, Secrets, and Romance
For anyone who visits Örebro, it is hard to miss its castle – an ancient-looking fortress made of weathered grey stones that stands on an islet in the middle of the city centre.
The Vasa: Gustav II Adolf’s Glorious and Doomed Warship
On the 10th of August 1628, the Vasa sank in Stockholm harbour, thus ending the career of the most powerful warship that Sweden had ever seen.
Uppsala Slott: 5 Things You Ought to Know About One of Sweden’s Greatest Castles
This strategic location not only makes the castle a majestic sight, but also earns it the reputation as the most modern defence fortress in its time. But, as all ancient buildings, there is always more than meets the eye. Here are the five things that you may not know about Uppsala Castle.
Making Your Mark: Medieval Masons’ Marks at Tarascon
How do you operate a business when you can’t read and your knowledge of math is extremely limited? Making your mark on the…
The Weird, the Wonderful, and the Macabre in the Cathedral of Narbonne
Narbonne is one of those European cities with evidence of its past on every street.
Medieval English Embroidery on Display for the Last Time at the V&A’s Opus Anglicanum Exhibit
The V&A Museum opened its latest medieval exhibit exhibit on Saturday: Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery. I had the opportunity to see it opening day and it was spectacular.