How to Make a King Fall in Love, According to Medieval Magic
How do you make a medieval king fall in love? The Picatrix has the answer, but you’ll need wax, strange ingredients and a little magic.
New Medieval Books: The Merseburg Charms
In the 10th century, a cleric in Germany wrote down two magical charms rooted in pre-Christian pagan beliefs. This book takes a detailed look at the Merseburg Charms, exploring their origins, meaning, and significance.
Online Course: The Carolingians
Online course begins Friday, September 4th.
Inside the 20th Viking Congress: Where Viking Studies Is Heading
A first-hand look inside the 20th Viking Congress in Norway, where scholars explored new research and the future direction of Viking Studies.
New Medieval Books: Letter on the Double Eclipse of the Sun
Wondering how people understood astronomy in the Early Middle Ages? This book offers the text and translation of a letter to Charlemagne prompted by a rare astronomical event that took place in the early ninth century.
The Battle of Ramla: How Baldwin I Nearly Lost Everything
Baldwin I expected a minor raid at Ramla in 1102. Instead, the King of Jerusalem faced a powerful Fatimid army and one of his most disastrous defeats.
New Medieval Books: The Mongol Archive in Late Medieval France
As news reached 13th-century Europe of a new power emerging in the East, the kings of France were among those most eager to learn more about these mysterious newcomers. This book traces their efforts to understand the Mongols, establish connections with them, and explores how these encounters left their mark on medieval France.
Dear Dad, Send Money: Letters from Students in the Middle Ages
Medieval students faced expensive books, housing and daily costs too. Their surviving letters reveal a familiar solution: writing home to ask for money.
The Medieval Queen Who Survived Childhood Polio
Meet Arégonde, a sixth-century medieval queen whose bones, teeth and even her shoes reveal the lasting effects of childhood polio.
New Medieval Books: Cultures of the Medieval Kingdom of Jerusalem
In the aftermath of the First Crusade, a new state emerged in the eastern Mediterranean that was very different from the lands its conquerors had come from. This book examines the social and cultural landscape of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, revealing a remarkably diverse society shaped by peoples of different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
So, Your Child Has Decided to Become a Medievalist
What happens when a seemingly ordinary child decides to devote their life to the Middle Ages? Ken Mondschein offers parents a survival guide for life with a budding medievalist.
The Complicated Case of Medieval Crime Fiction
Anne McKendry looks at medieval crime fiction and the challenges of solving murders in a world without modern policing or forensic science.
New Medieval Books: Craftland
What was work like before industrialisation? This book looks back at Britain before the rise of modern industry, exploring the professions and occupations that once played an important role in people’s everyday lives.
From Arab Silver to Byzantine Gold: The Vikings in the East
Follow the Vikings eastward as they sought Arab silver and Byzantine gold, forging trade routes across Eastern Europe and helping shape the world of the Rus’.
What 20 Famous Medieval Names Really Mean
Discover the real names of 20 famous medieval figures and how translation, nicknames, titles and linguistic changes created the names we know today.
The Battle of Bosworth (1485)
King Richard III faces Henry Tudor in one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the Battle of Bosworth and how the identification of its battlefield has offered new insights into how the fighting unfolded.
How One Battle Could Change the Medieval World
Discover why medieval battles could have enormous consequences, toppling rulers, reshaping kingdoms and changing the course of European history.
New Medieval Books: Chaucer and Trauma
The 14th-century writer Geoffrey Chaucer included many episodes of “violence, victimhood, and overwhelming grief or loss” in his works. The nine papers in this collection explore how he presents these traumatic experiences and what they reveal about both the writer and his medieval world.
50 Medieval Sayings and What They Mean
Discover 50 medieval sayings about friendship, fortune, animals and everyday life, and learn what these strange and funny proverbs really mean.
New Medieval Books: Nemesis
For the English kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, one rival repeatedly gained the upper hand. This book examines a crucial period in the rivalry between England and France, revealing how Philip Augustus became such a formidable opponent.
Why Trees Mattered in the Middle Ages
Trees held deep meaning in medieval life, appearing in religion, mythology, literature, political gatherings and even the food served at wealthy tables.
The Fall of King Arthur of Britain in Giovanni Boccaccio’s On the Downfall of the Famous
Giovanni Boccaccio uses the tale of the rise and fall of King Arthur to teach the fickleness of fortune and the peril of pridefulness. Christopher Berard and Morris Tichenor provide a new translation of this once influential but now overlooked medieval retelling of Arthur’s downfall.
New Medieval Books: A Medieval Cabinet of Curiosities
It is often said that every object tells a story. This book brings that idea to life through fifty items from the Middle Ages, ranging from spoons to shields.
How the Crusaders Turned Gaza into a Medieval Frontier Fortress
Gaza became a Crusader fortress that isolated Fatimid-held Ascalon and reshaped the medieval struggle between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Egypt.