The White Ship Disaster
The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 had far reaching repercussions for the Anglo-Norman hegemony, sparking a succession crisis and sowing the seeds of three decades of dynastic strife between the Conqueror’s grandchildren.
Latest Posts
Women and public space: Social codes and female presence in the Byzantine urban society of the 6th to the 8th centuries
The aim of the study is to sketch a picture of female presence in public space in the urban milieu of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th to the 8th centuries.
‘Laugh, My Love, Laugh’: Mottos, Proverbs and Love Inscriptions on Late Medieval Bone Saddles
Fifteenth-century bone saddles form a particularly unique and special object group in medieval Central European history.
Vi et Armis: Londoners and Violent Trespass Before the Common Pleas in the Fifteenth Century
The Londoners who entered pleadings in this court between 1405 and 1415 have left a fascinating glimpse into both interpersonal violence and the world of savvy litigators.
Child death, grief, and the community in high and late Medieval England
Today, the heartbreaking news about child death, in most cases, is viewed as “unexpected” or “rare.” However, the medieval corpus reflects the grim reality that child death was common.
Between Brothers: Brotherhood and Masculinity in the Later Middle Ages
This dissertation examines aristocratic brothers in order to understand how elite men negotiated the pressures of gender and kinship in the context of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453).
‘Viking’ Ring discovered in Poland turns out to be unique Christian artefact
A medieval ring from the late 9th to mid 10th century, discovered in central Poland, has been been revealed to be one of the earliest Christian artefacts found in that country.
Buried Viking ship uncovered by Georadar in Norway
A high-resolution georadar has detected traces of a ship burial and a settlement that probably dates to the Merovingian or Viking Period at Edøy in northwestern Norway.
How sex, violence and exclusion shaped masculine expectations in medieval Europe
Ruth Mazo Karras on how expectations for men and masculine behaviour differed between medieval cultures.
The White Ship Disaster
The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 had far reaching repercussions for the Anglo-Norman hegemony, sparking a succession crisis and sowing the seeds of three decades of dynastic strife between the Conqueror’s grandchildren.
Medieval Reads: Ivanhoe, by Walter Scott
Right near the beginning of Ivanhoe, Scott gives a description of the Norman in England and the Saxon. His description sets the Normans in England up very clearly as the evil colonisers and Anglo-Norman as the imposed language of colonisers.
London Under Danish Rule: Cnut’s Politics and Policies as a Demonstration of Power
In 1016, London was one of very few English cities of European significance. This reflected London’s prominence as a trading port, an economic and administrative hub, and population centre, rather than any status as a nascent capital city.
How the borders within Ireland changed during the Middle Ages
Looking at the history of Ireland, including the many states that existed during its medieval period.
Creating Scotland: Assembling a Medieval Kingdom
Creating Scotland: Assembling a Medieval Kingdom Lecture by Hamish Torrie, Adrian Maldonado and Heather Pulliam Given at the National Museum Scotland, on October…
Camino de Santiago: The Medieval Route from Oviedo
‘He who visits Santiago but not San Salvador visits the servant but not the Lord’
Medieval Manuscripts: Prayer or Propaganda? The Hidden Meanings of a Renaissance Bible
Its thousand pages are rich in everyday objects, farming tools, real and imaginary animals, which all conceal a hidden message!
What Imported Viking Age and Medieval Artifacts Can Tell Us about Trade and Exchange in Mývatn, Iceland
This article examines how Mývatn Icelanders were able to partially connect to the continental trade in beads, the Baltic trade in flint, and to other European trade networks operating between the 9th and 15th centuries, and to what extent these networks were able to influence the early Mývatn economy.
The Saxon expeditions against the Wends and the foundation of Magdeburg during Otto I’s reign
This essay ask for the reasons why some rulers such as Otto I strove for an imperial agenda and how the expeditions of his margraves across Elbe were legitimized by contemporary writers.
Hospitality in historical perspective
Catrien Santing explores the concept of hospitality business within the context of sincere charity one side and the earning of money on the other.
Christine de Pizan
This week, Danièle explores the life and writings of one of the most outspoken women of the Middle Ages: Christine de Pizan.
The Berber Queen who defied the Caliphate: Al-Kahina and the Islamic Conquest of North Africa
Seventh-century North Africa would see the rise of a warrior queen named al-Kahina. Who was she and how was she able to wage a war against the Umayyad Caliphate?
A World Besieged: The Status of Politics in Augustine’s Sacramental Worldview
Augustine of how God acts in the world.
b-Mail: Everyday Communication on Birch bark in Medieval Russia
Thanks to these letters have opened a remarkable window on the civilization of medieval Russia, including many details of economic transactions, legal procedures, folk rituals, and everyday life.
Grave Bj 581: the Viking Warrior that was a woman
Is the standing interpretation of the grave as that of a high-status warrior still valid?
Crowdfunder launched to protect King of Scots letter
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by the National Trust for Scotland to preserve and bring to life one of the oldest surviving documents within the conservation charity’s collection – a letter at Brodie Castle in Moray, written in 1312 by King of Scots, Robert the Bruce.
BooksAll posts
Medieval Reads: Ivanhoe, by Walter Scott
Right near the beginning of Ivanhoe, Scott gives a description of the Norman in England and the Saxon. His description sets the Normans in England up very clearly as the evil colonisers and Anglo-Norman as the imposed language of colonisers.
New Medieval Books: Historical Fiction in 2019
New Medieval Books: Vikings and the Norse World
New Medieval Books: England
Medieval Reads: The Nine Tailors, by Dorothy L Sayers
New Medieval Books: Biographies
New Medieval Books: From Swords to Silent Film
Medieval Reads: The Thirteen Hallows, by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman
New Medieval Books: Early Medieval Britain
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.