A Man for all Centuries: The Changing Myth of King Arthur
The secret to enduring popularity, clever marketers tell us, is changing just enough to stay relevant. Since the Early Middle Ages, no one has done that better than King Arthur.
The Dead Man’s Prophecy and a Roundtrip to Hell: The Early Adventures of Hadingus
What can be more glorious, more tempting than the conquest of death?
Love, marriage and abduction in Byzantium: the epic romance of Digenes Akritas
What can an epic poem from the the 12th century tells us about love and marriage in the Byzantine world?
Of Monks and Medievalists
As several thousand medievalists made their way by car, plain, and train to this year’s 54th International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan, many took notice, at restaurants, hotels, and other public places, of the cover of Southwest Michigan’s magazine Encore, which features Augustine Marie Reisenauer, a member of the Dominican Order.
And now our watch has ended: A look back at Game of Thrones
Love it or hate it, Game of Thrones has had a major impact on people’s perceptions of the Middle Ages.
Game of Thrones: The Final Scorecard
Well, our collective 11-year journey has finally ended, the Iron Throne has been won…
How to criticize: The Chronicle of Constantine Manasses
Few can match the 12th century chronicler Constantine Manasses when it comes to inventive ways to criticize a ruler.
Shia Islam in Medieval Northern Iran: The Alid dynasties of Tabaristan, Daylam, and Gilan
In part three of this series that looks at medieval northern Iran the focus turns to the emergence of the Alid dynasty and their struggle to gain and hold power in the ninth and tenth centuries.
Medieval Reads: The Owl Service, by Alan Garner
The Owl Service is one of the books that dragged me into becoming a medieval historian and also persuaded me that understanding who people are in relation to their culture is so very important.
Mothers Who Weren’t: Wet Nurses in the Medieval Mediterranean
By Cait Stevenson The mother’s traditional role as first teacher of virtue and religion began with suckling. It’s no wonder, then, that later…
Who Would’ve Killed YOU On Game of Thrones?
Take a revealing trip back through Westeros and choose your own destiny… only to be surprised by which infamous killer character will take your life. Who will it be?
New Medieval Books: Finds from Kalamazoo
One of the big highlights of the International Congress on Medieval Studies is its Book Room, where dozens of publishers show off their latest books about the Middle Ages. Here are five the we picked up at the congress!
Understanding medieval chronicles with Lane Sobehrad
This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Lane Sobehrad about how medieval people wrote history, and how historians today can do their part to help future generations through outreach.
Life, Fantasy, Sagas, and Whatnot: Some Thoughts on Tolkien the Movie
I felt both very thrilled and scared when I learned that they had made a Tolkien biopic.
The Daylamis: Elite Infantrymen in the Age of Mounted Warfare
The Daylamis provided a strong immovable wall of skilled and disciplined infantrymen that formed the main battle line of the army.
Medieval Sexuality with Eleanor Janega
This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Eleanor Janega about getting medieval in the bedroom.
Medieval Geopolitics: Giles of Rome on why the Pope should rule the entire world
The early fourteenth-century would see the King of France and the Papacy fighting over who was the superior power. One of the leading scholars of that time would weigh on the matter – and provide the key arguments for Papal Absolutism.
Why this corner of the medieval world matters: Northern Iran
This is the first of a series of articles on the history of Northern Iran and its people during the 10th and 11th centuries.
The Battle of Winterfell: The Official Medievalists Postgame Analysis
Here’s the post-game, Monday-morning quarterback explanation of everything that went wrong with the Battle of Winterfell from the guy who brought you Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War.
How much Latin can you remember?
Ten questions to test your Latin language skills!
What was the fate of the ‘True Cross’ in the Byzantine-Sassanid Wars?
Despite the fact that there is a relative abundance of contemporary or near contemporary sources on Heraclius’ campaigns, it is hard – if not impossible – to retrace the chronology of the events leading up to the restoration of the Cross.
How Medieval Europe thought of Justice
It was in this division of earthly and spiritual justice that the very notion itself encountered its first major challenge as an institution in medieval society.
Medieval Geopolitics: Questions of Power and Authority between Church and State
Were either the temporal and spiritual authorities supreme, in the sense that they had legitimate jurisdiction over the other? What was the source of supreme authority? In what ways was supreme authority limited?
Plotting, Rebellion, Fratricide: A Game of Thrones in Medieval Sweden
The one story that I wish to tell today is from Erikskrönikan, or ‘The Chronicle of Duke Erik’.
