The Monsters, Dangers, and Wonders of the Medieval North
Explore how Adam of Bremen described the medieval North, from Vikings and pagan temples to dragons, Amazons, and lands at the edge of the known world.
Latest Posts
The Monsters, Dangers, and Wonders of the Medieval North
Explore how Adam of Bremen described the medieval North, from Vikings and pagan temples to dragons, Amazons, and lands at the edge of the known world.
Henry V: More Than a Warrior-King
A teenage prince wounded in battle, a king who defied the odds in France, and a ruler whose legacy still shapes how we see the Hundred Years’ War—Henry V was far more complex than the legend suggests. Michael Livingston explores the experiences that forged his character, revealing a leader who combined battlefield brilliance with calculated political ambition.
Medieval Grave in England Reveals Brother and Sister Buried Together
A medieval grave in England has revealed two children buried together were siblings, thanks to new ancient DNA analysis.
New Medieval Books: Chinese Characters across Asia
Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese By Zev Handel University of Washington Press ISBN:…
Lost Pages of a Medieval Manuscript Recovered, Revealing New Testament Text
Researchers have recovered 42 lost pages from a medieval manuscript using imaging technology, revealing new insights into the New Testament and medieval book culture.
Buddhist Warrior Monks: The Sohei of Medieval Japan
Explore the history of Japan’s sohei, the Buddhist warrior monks who fought for power, shaped temple rivalries, and played a key role in medieval conflicts.
How and Why We Teach Roman History, with Beth Digeser
A conversation with Beth Digeser about pedagogy, specifically about what we are hoping to accomplish by teaching Roman history.
Hoard of Medieval Cannonballs Found in Belgian City
Dozens of medieval cannonballs has been discovered in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, during excavations near the site of the city’s historic walls.
Secret Letter Detailing Late Medieval Britain Fully Decoded
A secret medieval letter detailing late medieval England and Scotland has been decoded by a team of historians.
The Carolingian–Abbasid Axis: Charlemagne and the Caliphate
David Bachrach explores the ties between the Carolingian and Abbasid empires, showing how diplomacy, trade, and shared interests connected the early medieval world.
New Medieval Books: Medieval German Tales
Discover the richness of later medieval German literature through these 20 tales, now translated into English. Ranging from comic stories to courtly narratives, they offer a vivid glimpse into the kinds of tales that entertained audiences in the Middle Ages.
The ‘Tricks of Monks’: Fake Miracles and Medieval Christians in The Book of Charlatans
A 13th-century Arabic text reveals how monks staged fake miracles and deceived Christian audiences, offering insights into medieval Muslim–Christian relations.
New Medieval Books: The Art of Making Verses
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.
How Byzantines Saw Themselves: Romans, Not “Byzantines”
The Byzantines never called themselves Byzantines. Zoe Tsiami explores how they understood their Roman identity across the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Vikings, Knights, Elves, and Ogres
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.
Black Death Mass Grave Identified in Germany, Study Finds
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.
The Strange Ritual Before Medieval Duels: Why Opponents Touched
Why did medieval opponents touch before combat? Lorris Chevalier explores the ritual, revealing how law and emotion intersected in duelling practices.
The 5 Most Common Jobs in a Medieval City
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.
New Medieval Books: Vikings Behaving Reasonably
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.
10 New Medieval Studies Articles You Can Read Right Now (Free & Open Access)
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.
New Online Course: Exploring the Troubadours, Trobairitz, and Trouvères
This three-week course begins on April 18th, with live sessions each Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Did People Run in the Middle Ages?
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.
New Medieval Books: Flattening the Medieval Earth
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.
New Online Course: William Marshal: ‘The Greatest Knight of all the World’
This six-week course begins on April 15th, with live sessions each Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: Chinese Characters across Asia
Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese By Zev Handel University of Washington Press ISBN:…
New Medieval Books: Medieval German Tales
New Medieval Books: The Art of Making Verses
New Medieval Books: Vikings, Knights, Elves, and Ogres
New Medieval Books: Vikings Behaving Reasonably
New Medieval Books: Flattening the Medieval Earth
New Medieval Books: The Life of St. Othmar
New Medieval Books: Light on Darkness
New Medieval Books: Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting
Latest Podcast EpisodesAll posts
How and Why We Teach Roman History, with Beth Digeser
A conversation with Beth Digeser about pedagogy, specifically about what we are hoping to accomplish by teaching Roman history.
The Battle of Tours (732)
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.
Three Heresiologists of the 12th-century: Zigabenos, Kamateros, and Choniates, with Alessandra Buccosi, Niccolò Zorzi, Marco Fanelli, and Ottavia Mazzon
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.
Heresiology in the Twelfth Century, with Alessandra Bucossi
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.
East Roman Archaeology: Goals and Challenges, with Marica Cassis
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?
Why were pseudo-Arabic inscriptions placed on churches in Greece?, with Alicia Walker
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?