New Medieval Books: From Foxes to Craft Beer
Five new books about the Middle Ages to tell you about, including on a somewhat forgotten English prince, and what they were saying about animals in Paris.
Latest Posts
Medieval church in Wales to be auctioned
A medieval church in Wales dating back to the 12th century will be going up for auction in February, with a guide price…
Being Roman in Syriac, with Hartmut Leppin
On this episode of Byzantium & Friends, Anthony speaks with Hartmut Leppin about how one could be a Roman in Syriac, focusing on the sixth-century author John of Ephesos, otherwise known as Yuhannan from Amida. If one could be Roman in Greek (which is what we call “Byzantium”), why not also in Syriac?
Warhorses in medieval England are about the size of a modern-day pony, study finds
Warhorses were not always bred for size, but for success in a wide range of different functions – including tournaments and long-distance raiding campaigns.
New Medieval Books: From Foxes to Craft Beer
Five new books about the Middle Ages to tell you about, including on a somewhat forgotten English prince, and what they were saying about animals in Paris.
The Great Complicity: Medievalism and Nationalism
Certain fake ideas about the medieval past become a central reference point for these nations as they strive to create distinctive national identities in support of their various goals. Medieval culture is co-opted as a “usable past” and made to serve national ideologies.
Seafaring in the Norse world: Advice from the Konungs skuggsjá
The Konungs skuggsjá, a thirteenth-century Norwegian text, details some of the dangers and the marvels to be found in the North Atlantic
Cryptocurrency and Medieval Monetary Theory
The state of affairs in late medieval France—also a time of inflation and economic uncertainty—has much to tell us about the digital economy.
Going Medieval in Dungeons & Dragons
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle starts the new year with a fun episode exploring how real history can be used to add challenges to your Dungeons & Dragons games.
Book of the Month: The Sword: Form and Thought
Our next book in the Book of the Month Club will be The Sword: Form and Thought, edited by Lisa Deutscher, Mirjam Kaiser and Sixt Wetzler.
“Do you wanna build a snow-lion?”: Fun with snow in medieval China
The annual snowfall across much of medieval China provided various opportunities for fun and games.
Abu Muslim: The Architect of the Abbasid Revolution
He lived an extraordinary life; he was a servant/slave, a partisan, a revolutionary, a soldier, and rose to be the most powerful man in the caliphate.
Uncovering the Story: Old Books, New Science, and the Silk Roads
Discover the back story behind Hidden Stories: Books Along the Silk Roads with an enthralling talk featuring the leader of the Toronto-based research team whose cutting-edge work made the exhibition possible.
Japan’s Medieval Economic Miracle
Mikael Adolphson on Japan’s economy between the 11th and 16th centuries
Medieval Movie Review: The Lion in Winter
Directed by Anthony Harvey and released in 1968, The Lion in Winter is an intimate and visceral depiction of a fictionalized Christmas court held by Henry II following this clash and the death of his heir apparent.
Vikings actually could tear out a person’s lungs, researchers suggest
One of the most fantastic and gruesome stories about the Vikings was the torture ritual known as the Blood Eagle. New research suggests that the ability to tear out a person’s lungs through their back is anatomically possible.
Bower’s Scotichronicon – Part 2
This is the second part of Scotichronicast’s book club series. In this episode, Kate Buchanan and Joanna Richardson talk about books 6-10 in Walter Bower’s Scotichronicon.
The Roles in a Medieval Monastery
Here is a quick guide for understanding the hierarchy and various roles monks and nuns would have in a medieval monastery.
St. Francis, Giotto and Geology
St. Francis of Assisi (c.1181-1226) and Giotto (c.1270-1337), would change the history of religion, art and ecology. Some 800 years later, geologists would examine the limestone used to construct the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi and would discover the secret behind the extinction of the dinosaurs.
A Decisive Battle? Richard the Lionheart vs Saladin at Arsuf
While Arsuf was a tactical and operational success, it was far from “decisive” – or even very significant – on the strategic level.
Early Medieval graveyard discovered
Archaeologists in Germany have discovered 110 graves dating back to the sixth and seventh centuries. Their finds include gold and bronze objects, along with a decapitated horse.
New Medieval Books: Mind and Body
Five new books about the Middle Ages that deal with topics related to health and good living.
Viking trade with the Middle East dates back to the year 775, researchers find
An interdisciplinary Danish team of researchers has used new astronomical knowledge to establish an exact time anchor for the arrival of trade flows from the Middle East in Viking-age Scandinavia.
Who were these people copying manuscripts? The mysteries of medieval scribes
Medieval scribes, the producers of the manuscripts that are for us such crucial and fascinating sources, are mostly shrouded in mystery, especially when we travel back further in time.
Medieval Events that Happened on Christmas Day
Christmas Day was one of the most important days of the year for medieval Christians. It would be a time for baptisms, coronations and even truces.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: From Foxes to Craft Beer
Five new books about the Middle Ages to tell you about, including on a somewhat forgotten English prince, and what they were saying about animals in Paris.
Book of the Month: The Sword: Form and Thought
New Medieval Books: Mind and Body
Ten Books about the Middle Ages you can read for free
The Eclectic Visual Cultures of Medieval Eastern Europe
New Medieval Books: From Paper to Asses
Book of the Month: Magnificence and Princely Splendour in the Middle Ages
New Medieval Books: Vikings
A medieval recipe for a Meatless Mushroom Dish
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.