Where the Middle Ages Begin
Gervase of Melkley promises that “This little book is for beginners!”—yet his medieval guide to poetry is surprisingly inventive. Instead of repeating standard rules, he introduces a fresh method for composing verse, leading readers from clear expression to metaphor and irony.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
Gervase of Melkley promises that “This little book is for beginners!”—yet his medieval guide to poetry is surprisingly inventive. Instead of repeating standard rules, he introduces a fresh method for composing verse, leading readers from clear expression to metaphor and irony.
The Byzantines never called themselves Byzantines. Zoe Tsiami explores how they understood their Roman identity across the Middle Ages.
This collection of nine essays explores medieval literature from England and Scandinavia, bringing together studies on figures and texts including Beowulf, Sir Gawain, the wolf Fenrir and Tolkien.
Researchers identify a possible Black Death mass grave near medieval Erfurt, using chronicles and modern science to locate one of Europe’s rare plague burial sites.
Why did medieval opponents touch before combat? Lorris Chevalier explores the ritual, revealing how law and emotion intersected in duelling practices.
What were the most common jobs in a late medieval city? In this piece, we’ll look at the case of fifteenth-century Montpellier, a city located in the South of France.
This book offers more than just a clever title. It shows how Norse communities relied on the ideal of hóf—a cultural expectation of moderation and restraint—to resolve disputes and maintain order, often without the need for a strong central authority.
Looking for new research on the Middle Ages without hitting a paywall? Here are ten open-access articles published in February and March 2026, covering everything from Beowulf to “finding” a battlefield.
This three-week course begins on April 18th, with live sessions each Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Running in the Middle Ages was more common than expected, with medieval sources revealing evidence of speed, endurance, and foot travel among messengers, soldiers, and ordinary people.
When did the myth that medieval people believed the Earth was flat begin? This book explores how that idea emerged around the year 1600. To be clear, people in the Middle Ages did not believe the world was flat.
This six-week course begins on April 15th, with live sessions each Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Was Thomas Arundel a ruthless persecutor or a defender of the English Church? Chris Given-Wilson’s new book revisits one of the most powerful—and controversial—figures of late medieval England, revealing a far more complex man behind the reputation.
A medieval solar storm detected in tree rings reveals hidden radiation and challenges what historians thought about the famous auroras of 1204.
Joëlle Rollo-Koster looks back on Feudal Society by Marc Bloch. The first in a series where she reviews some of the most important books in medieval studies.
Forests were at the heart of medieval life, supplying everything from fuel and building materials to grazing land and industrial resources. Danny Lake-Giguère examines how rulers in Normandy developed increasingly sophisticated systems to regulate, protect, and profit from these vital landscapes.
How large did an army need to be to successfully storm a fortified town in the early Middle Ages? David Bachrach uses the Burghal Hidage to uncover what this remarkable document reveals about the scale of assault forces and the realities of medieval siege warfare.
Explore 12 strange magical beliefs from the Middle Ages, from werewolves to love spells, based on an 11th-century penitential handbook.
Zoe Tsiami on how Byzantine court etiquette turned imperial rule into political theatre, using ritual, symbolism, and spectacle to project power and reinforce hierarchy.
Averil Cameron, one of the most influential historians of the Byzantine world and a scholar whose work reshaped the study of late antiquity, has passed away at the age of 86.
Though often regarded as one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages, the Battle of Tours remains shrouded in uncertainty. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore the limited evidence to uncover where the battle may have been fought and what might have taken place there.
This hagiographical work recounts the life of Othmar, the first abbot of the Abbey of St. Gall. It describes his leadership, his imprisonment and death, and the miracles later attributed to him.
Norway is investing millions of kroner to preserve medieval ruins and timber buildings, funding conservation projects and traditional craftsmanship across the country.
Archaeologists in southern France have uncovered a medieval cemetery with over 200 graves and the remains of a basilica in Valence, shedding new light on the city’s early Christian past.
Gervase of Melkley promises that “This little book is for beginners!”—yet his medieval guide to poetry is surprisingly inventive. Instead of repeating standard rules, he introduces a fresh method for composing verse, leading readers from clear expression to metaphor and irony.
Though often regarded as one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages, the Battle of Tours remains shrouded in uncertainty. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore the limited evidence to uncover where the battle may have been fought and what might have taken place there.
A conversation on three twelfth-century heresiological texts, the challenges of publishing and studying them, and the ways their central concerns can be presented in a museum exhibition.
On Byzantium & Friends, a conversation with Alessandra Bucossi on the preoccupation with heresy in the twelfth century, which resulted in the production of a number of massive anti-heretical treatises.
A conversation with Marica Cassis about the archaeological study of the east Roman world and how it interfaces with traditional, text-based historiography. What can archaeology see and what not? What challenges has it faced to emerge as a field and what are the prospects that it faces today?
A conversation with Alicia Walker on the pseudo-Arabic inscriptions that appear on a number of tenth- and eleventh-century churches in Greece, most notably at the monastery of Hosios Loukas. What did the Arabic script signify in Orthodox culture at the time if not tension with Islam?
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.