Bai Juyi: The Tang dynasty’s baldest poet
The thinning and graying of the hair on one’s head has been a preoccupation of many writers throughout Chinese history, but none more so than the Tang dynasty’s Bai Juyi (772–846).
Latest Posts
Bai Juyi: The Tang dynasty’s baldest poet
The thinning and graying of the hair on one’s head has been a preoccupation of many writers throughout Chinese history, but none more so than the Tang dynasty’s Bai Juyi (772–846).
History in Three Dimensions – TEDx Revisited
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle revisits her TEDx talk, History in Three Dimensions, five years later to reflect on what’s changed in the field, to give you some of the footnotes, and to explore what couldn’t be squeezed into eighteen nerve-wracking minutes.
The Siege of Lisbon (1147)
One of the major actions of the Second Crusade took place far from the Holy Land, at the western edge of Europe. In this episode of Bow and Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about the Siege of Lisbon in 1147.
Call for Papers: Easter in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
We at Medievalists.net are teaming up with the journal After Constantine and the Orthodox Academy of Crete to host a one-day conference on Easter in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Medieval cog discovered off the coast of Sweden
A previously undiscovered shipwreck has been found off the west coast of Sweden. Dating back to the 13th century, it is one of the oldest cogs to be found in Europe.
Edinburgh Castle to become a ‘Castle of Light’
Edinburgh Castle will transform into a ‘Kingdom of Colours’ in November and December as the Scottish capital’s most iconic landmark is illuminated with state-of-the-art projections to highlight stories from Scotland’s history.
Saladin’s Siege of Saone in 1188: A New Interpretation
In July 1188, Saladin and his army arrived at Saone, one of the largest castles held by the Crusaders in Syria. Despite the castle’s size and strength, it fell to the Muslims after a siege that lasted only a few days.
‘Forgotten archive’ of medieval books and manuscripts discovered in Romanian church
A team of researchers in Romania has discovered over 200 books and manuscripts in a church in Mediaș. It includes dozens of early printed works and manuscript fragments dating back to as early as the 9th century.
Joan of Arc’s Heretical Tree of Domrémy
The tree represented a useful trump card for Joan’s judges in order to convict her of heresy and eventually burn her at the stake
Rus-Byzantine Treaties – A unique insight into the tenth century
Two treaties from the tenth century are fascinating sources about life and legality in a time before we know much about Rus.
New Medieval Books: Global Medievalism: An Introduction – available for free
Global Medievalism: An Introduction is free to download until September 28th. Here are the details about the book.
Five tips for unscrupulous mercenaries working in the Medieval Near East
What was the nature of the mercenary market in the Near East?
How to Understand Medieval Arabic Names
Even though medieval Arabic names can get very long and look daunting, they reveal much about the person carrying them.
Hilary Mantel, award-winning novelist, passes away
Hilary Mantel, the author of the 2009 novel Wolf Hall and other works of historical fiction, has passed away at the age of 70. She is being widely praised as one of the best British novelists of her time.
Astronomers use Byzantine chronicles to learn about the Earth’s rotation
Japanese researchers investigated Byzantine texts from the 4th to 7th centuries to identify five total solar eclipses near the Eastern Mediterranean and improve the model of the Earth’s rotation over time.
Royal Funerals – Medieval and Modern
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle reflects on the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, how it relates back to medieval royal funerals, and what traditional elements may be left behind in the future.
Massive migration came to Early Medieval England, study finds
More than 3/4 of the population in Eastern and Southern England during the early Middle Ages had ancestors who came from the European continent, according to a new study published in Nature. It reveals the huge extent of the Anglo-Saxon migrations.
Rome’s Catacomb of Commodilla to open to the public for the first time
The Catacomb of Commodilla in Rome, currently undergoing restoration, will open to the public for the first time ever in 2025.
The Charters in the Margin of Matthew Paris’s Chronica Maiora
Matthew Paris’s Chronica maiora is famous for its illustrations: maps of Great Britain, the murder of an archbishop, and an elephant gifted to England’s King Henry III. But as I sat in the archive, reading Matthew’s own copy of the Chronica, something else caught my eye: small charters drawn in the margins, reproduced in meticulous detail down to their colorful seals.
Crusading in the Baltic with the Teutonic Knights
What did Baltic crusaders feel when fighting on the battlefield? Or, more precisely, what were they supposed to feel, according to chroniclers? In this episode of the Medieval Grad Podcast, Lucie talks with Patrick Eickman, who studies the Baltic crusades through the fascinating lens of the history of emotions.
New Richard III exhibition at The Wallace Collection
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the remains of Richard III in Leicester. To commemorate this event, The Wallace Collection is hosting an exhibition devoted to one of British history’s most controversial sovereigns.
Canadian library acquires rare medieval Scandinavian book
A rare first edition of Ole Worm’s Runir, seu, Danica literatura antiqvissima (Runes, or, the ancient literature of the Norse people) has come to the University of Manitoba.
New Medieval Books: From Manuscripts to Cathedrals
Five new books about the Middle Ages, taking you to Italy, Germany and the Low Countries.
Why did the Crusader States fall in 1291?
The war between the Mongols and the Mamluks in the second half of the thirteenth century would be the catalyst for the downfall of the Crusader States in the Near East.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: Global Medievalism: An Introduction – available for free
Global Medievalism: An Introduction is free to download until September 28th. Here are the details about the book.
New Medieval Books: From Manuscripts to Cathedrals
New Medieval Books: Fiction set in the Middle Ages from 2022
Book of the Month: Consorts of the Caliphs: Women and the Court of Baghdad
New Medieval Books: New Translations of Marie de France
Book of the Month: Scents and Flavors
New Medieval Books: From Rome to Kusk
New Medieval Books: Castles, Queens and Crecy
Book of the Month: Impostures
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.