The Survival of Roman Education in Early Medieval Britain
Roman rule ended in 410, but Latin education did not. Nicholas J. Higham explores elite learning and literary culture in post-Roman Britain.
15 Plots Against William the Conqueror
Discover 15 rebellions, conspiracies, and assassination plots against William the Conqueror, from his youth in Normandy to his reign as King of England.
Baybars and the Fall of the Syrian Assassins
Steve Tibble on how Baybars dismantled the Syrian Assassins, turned them into Mamluk agents, and reshaped Nizari Ismailism in the thirteenth century.
New Medieval Books: Father Chaucer and the Apologists
One of the most hotly debated issues in medieval literary studies in recent years concerns Cecily Chaumpaigne, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the contested meaning of the phrase de raptu meo. This book traces how scholars have interpreted the case since the nineteenth century and shows how those debates have shaped—and sometimes reshaped—the study of Chaucer’s writings.
Online Courses on Medieval Music
If you are interested in medieval music, we have six online courses starting up over the next three months.
New Medieval Books: The Conqueror’s Gift
The Romans were deeply connected with peoples both within and beyond their empire. This book explores how those ties shifted between the first and seventh centuries AD—especially as Christianity spread—and how these changes reshaped the Empire.
Music for a Medieval Coronation: Edward the Confessor at Winchester
What music accompanied Edward the Confessor’s coronation in 1043? Explore the procession, ceremony, and the Winchester Troper’s possible links to the chants and polyphony heard at Winchester Cathedral.
New Medieval Books: The Medieval Moon
People across the medieval world looked up at the moon and found all kinds of meaning in it—scientific learning, literature, art, faith, and folklore. This book explores how the moon shaped society in all these ways, and why it mattered so much to people at the time.
The Magical Gemstones of King John of England
King John of England’s treasure hoard included gemstones prized not only for their rarity, but for the powers medieval people believed they held. James Turner explores how kings used jewels to project authority, how lapidaries shaped ideas about stones, and what the evidence suggests about John’s personal fascination with them.
The Byzantine Poor: Poverty, Charity, and Social Order
Zoe Tsiami writes about how poverty shaped everyday life in the Byzantine Empire, and how the state and Church responded through law, charity, and social institutions.
Military Intelligence and Planning in the Carolingian Empire
David Bachrach explores how the Carolingian rulers gathered intelligence, interrogated travellers, and compiled detailed frontier reports to plan and execute their military campaigns.
Explore the Medieval Maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom Online
Explore the Ryukyu Kuniezu—three massive 17th-century maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom—now online in high resolution, with zoomable details of Okinawa and the island chains, plus the Wako Zukan pirate scroll.
From Medieval Moon Princess to Anime Icon: The Many Lives of Princess Kaguya
From tragic moon princess to anime icon, discover how Princess Kaguya’s medieval story lives on.
New Medieval Books: Celtic Magic
The Celts, who had lived in northwestern Europe since antiquity, developed a distinctive religious and supernatural worldview. This book explores their beliefs and traces their continuing influence on medieval folklore and magical traditions.
Online Course: Medieval Gender and Sexuality
The six-week course with Eleanor Janega begins February 18th with live sessions on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm EST.
Medieval Remedies for Desire and Potency
Medieval medical writers offered foods and prescriptions to boost desire and potency. Explore Ahmed Ibn al-Jazzar’s influential handbook and its remedies, from simple ingredients to elaborate recipes.
New Medieval Books: Ipomedon
Want a medieval tale about a prince who goes incognito to meet a queen—only to be sent off on adventures, thrown into tournaments, and tested at every turn? Will this couple earn their happy-ever-after? Find out in this translation of a 12th-century romance.
New Online Course: The Hundred Years’ War
The Hundred Years’ War and the Birth of Modern Europe is a 10-week course taught by C.J. Adrien. The course begins on February 17th with live classes each Tuesday from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST.
A Viking-Age Valentine’s Day Card: A Medieval Runic Love Message from Sweden
How do you tell someone you love them in Viking-Age Sweden? You carve a message in runes on a knife: “Think of me, and I’ll think of you.”
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?
10 Medieval Studies’ Articles Published Last Month
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in January, which include papers on Christianity in Ethiopia to the Templars in England.
New Online Course: The Americas during the Middle Ages
The Americas during the Middle Ages: 500-1500 CE, is a new online course offering a wider, global perspective on events of the medieval period. Taught by Charlie Presti of Portland Community College, this six-week course begins on February 17th with classes running each Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm EST.
New Medieval Books: The Rose, the Bastard and the Saint King
One of the lesser-known episodes of the Wars of the Roses was the 1471 attempt by supporters of Henry VI to strike at London and free their captive king. This book is the first full study of that failed siege—and it follows the story through to Henry’s final fate.
25 Tips from the Middle Ages
Explore 25 tips from the Middle Ages, featuring practical and sometimes strange medieval advice on health, travel, animals, family life, and everyday living, drawn from medieval sources.
