Julian of Norwich: The Quiet Voice of Contemplation
However you encounter Julian, whether for the first time or the hundredth, no doubt you will hear the quiet voice of a lifetime of contemplation.
Book Review: Three Sisters, Three Queens
Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory pulls together the lives of Margaret Tudor, her younger sister Mary, and Katherine of Aragon.
Northmen: The Viking Saga 793-1241 AD
In his new book Northmen: The Viking Saga, 793 – 1241 AD, John Haywood gives an overview of the age of the people we now call Vikings.
Medieval Advice for Students Away From Home
By Danièle Cybulskie Over the last few weeks, countless parents have kissed their sons and daughters and sent them off to study away…
Fighting to Win: The Art of Sword Combat in The Early Modern Period
By Danièle Cybulskie Usually, writing about the Early Modern Age isn’t my deal, but it was definitely an interesting time. This was the…
The Emergence of “Regnal” Sovereignty at the Turn of the Fourteenth Century
By Andrew Latham Introduction As the 13th century ended, two basic models of sovereignty – understood as the supreme authority to command, legislate…
Did Henry VIII Suffer from Head Trauma?
How did the champion of the church become the killer of queens? Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine think it may have been traumatic head injury.
Book Review: A Palace for Our Kings
When I first picked it up, I prepared myself for what I imagined might be a dry read – after all, wasn’t it just going to be a list of comings and goings? But Wright has put together an enjoyable, extremely readable history of a palace that held an important place in medieval history.
How to Make Medieval Artists’ Tools
An amazingly detailed how-to manual from the fifteenth century is Cennino Cennini’s Il Libro Dell’arte, an instruction manual for artists that details both how to become a great artist, and how to make and use the tools of the trade.
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 2 Issue 22)
This issue looks at where King Harold fell, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, London in 7 drinks, and much more!
Isabelle of Angoulême: Jezebel of the Middle Ages?
Matthew Paris said that, ‘she ought to be called a wicked Jezebel, rather than Isabel.’
Did Medieval People Believe in King Arthur?
By Danièle Cybulskie If you’ve ever had your doubts that King Arthur was a real, living, breathing human being at some point, you’re…
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 2 Issue 21)
This issue looks at Point Rosee, The Battle of the Bastards, remedies for infertility, and much more! Inside this issue: About the Festival…
Can you move in armour? An Experiment in Mythbusting
In this video we have recreated the deeds of the famous knight Jean le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, which were put in writing in the early 15th century.
Medieval Mysteries: Miscellanies and Mix Tapes
By Danièle Cybulskie In thinking this week about the medieval mysteries we’ll never solve, it struck me that one of the most fun…
Book Review: Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire
By Danièle Cybulskie Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire, a compilation of the first five comic books in the new Assassin’s Creed series, comes…
Christine the Astonishing
Christine’s life is one of the most fascinating holy stories I’ve read
Anne of Bohemia, Queen of England
By Susan Abernethy King Richard II’s first wife Anne has the distinction of being the only English queen from Bohemia. The marriage was…
The Fantastical Shoemaker and the Head of Death
This twisted tale comes from Walter Map’s twelfth-century miscellany De Nugis Curialium or Courtiers’ Trifles
Saint Eadburh, Daughter of King Edward the Elder
By Susan Abernethy Eadburh, daughter of King Edward the Elder and grand-daughter of King Alfred the Great, was dedicated to the Nunnaminster at…
Jeanne de Valois, Queen of France and Duchess of Berri
By Susan Abernethy Jeanne de Valois was the daughter, sister, and wife of kings. She was born with disabilities and suffered through a…
The Poetry of Trauma: On the Crécy Dead
By Danièle Cybulskie Time and again, I’ve heard medieval knights referred to as “killing machines”, bred for a lifetime of battle and destruction.…
Epistolae: Letters of Medieval Women
Like a lot of historians, I’m hugely interested in reading primary sources – the words of medieval people themselves – but it can often be difficult to find them. Lucky for us, Dr. Joan Ferrante and her team have made a website that features letters to and from medieval women, all translated into English, all for free.
The Ideal Medieval Hospital: St. John of Jerusalem
Let’s take five minutes to look at what may be the most famous hospital of the Middle Ages: The Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem