Choosing Heaven: The Religion of the Vikings
The Viking-age gods stemmed from two races – Aesir and Vanir.
The Pre-History of Gunpowder
There is a Chinese tradition that a cook carrying a bowl of saltpetre slipped and dropped it onto a charcoal fire. That would certainly create a considerable conflagration but, as the ingredients were not mixed, hardly an explosion.
The Old English Translation of Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum in its Historical and Cultural Context
Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (HE), written c. 731, enjoyed a great popularity among the Anglo-Saxons and Carolingians and was one of the most popular texts in medieval Europe.
What Century Do You Belong In?
Ever wonder if you were born in the right time? Find out if you were or weren’t here!
Bejewelled backdrop to coronations did not cost a king’s ransom
Research into England’s oldest medieval altarpiece – which for centuries provided the backdrop to Westminster Abbey coronations – has revealed that it cost no more than the rather unprincely equivalent of eight cows.
Discovering the ‘killer blow’ to King Richard III
New film footage revealing for the first time details of the potential killer blow that claimed the life of King Richard III has been released by the University of Leicester.
Cryptographic Systems Used in the Romanian Countries between the 15th – 19th Centuries
Situated in the southeast of Europe, Romanian Countries had an intense diplomatic activity, even if this was not recorded accordingly in documents of the day.
The Random Historical Figure Personality Test
You know how history is big, long, and filled with all sorts of personalities? Well this test will surely give you a result that you probably wouldn’t expect. Just answer the questions and you will definitely get a historical persona that matches your distinct traits; Will it be a person that you will like though? Will it be someone that you have even heard of?
How to restore virginity – advice from Caterina Sforza
If you follow the advice of Caterina Sforza, ‘you will see that thing become so narrow that you yourself will be in admiration.’
Huge Anglo-Saxon Coin Hoard goes on display at British Museum
The Lenborough Hoard, which consists of over 5200 coins from Anglo-Saxon times, is now on display at the British Museum. This discovery highlights the ongoing importance of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which just released its 2012 Treasure Report.
The Hare and its Alter Ego in the Middle Ages
This article deals with the topic of hares and rabbits in Creation scenes and Naming of the beasts scenes in bestiaries and other medieval manuscripts.
The Partition of a Kingdom: Strathclyde 1092-1153
The last British king of Strathclyde, Owein, son of Dyfnal, died in 1018. At that time his kingdom stretched from Lennox, north of the Clyde, as far south as the Rere Cross at Stainmore in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
The medieval roots of gender and sexuality in Spanish colonial law
Marie Kelleher will discuss the medieval roots of gender and sexuality in Spanish colonial law, beginning with the written law (both secular and ecclesiastical) and how it defines the parameters of respectable female behavior.
The Age of the Vikings
The Vikings maintain their grip on our imagination, but their image is too often distorted by medieval and modern myth. It is true that they pillaged, looted, and enslaved. But they also settled peacefully and developed a vast trading network. They traveled far from their homelands in swift and sturdy ships, not only to raid but also to explore.
Picts offer historians a picture of non-Roman Briton culture
History has never been too kind to a group of early British Isle inhabitants referred to as the Picts, but the often mischaracterized, always mysterious people may serve as a historical laboratory to explore how the island’s culture might have developed without Roman intervention, according to a Penn State historian.
Three Fairy Tale Romances for Valentine’s Day
What is Valentine’s Day without a little fairy tale romance? For your Valentine’s Day enjoyment, here are three medieval romances involving fairies.
The Female Consort as Intercessor in Sixteenth-Century Saxony
In the first part, I will examine how the consort’s position was defined in the 1537 coronation of Christian III and Dorothea of Denmark-Norway.
From Swifan to Swyved: Contemplating the Evolution of Medieval Double-Entendre Literature
Throughout history verbal jousts tested a participant’s creativity, knowledge, and mastery of language, thus catalyzing the evolution of so-called wisdom literature.
Mons Meg removed from Edinburgh Castle for conservation work
Mons Meg, one of the most famous weapons of the Middle Ages, was removed from Edinburgh Castle last month for specialist restoration and conservation work.
Who lies in the mortuary chests at Winchester Cathedral?
The remains of several kings of Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, including Edmund Ironside, Cnut and William II Rufus are believed to be in Winchester Cathedral. A new project hopes to uncover their remains after they were scattered about nearly 400 years ago.
Forgotten Ruins? The castles of the Welsh Princes
This article offers a fresh look at some of the castles built by the Welsh princes during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Were they built for defensive purposes, or were they merely a status symbol for the princes who commissioned them?
Visualizing the Body: A Symposium in Honor of the 500th Anniversary of Vesalius’ Birth
Thank-you to Kele Cable of the University of Minnesota for allowing us to post his Storify account of the Visualizing the Body Symposium, held in November 2014
What Was Your Medieval Punishment?
How were you tortured in your medieval past life?
The World of Richard III, by Kristie Dean
This book leads you on a journey through the landscape of Richard’s lifetime.