A peasant is a peasant, is a peasant? : Medieval Maritime Peasant Lives
A peasant is a peasant, is a peasant…or is s/he? Was the life of a peasant who lived in the coastal regions of England the same as that of the peasant who made his livelihood toiling on the land for his local lord?
Beautiful Images from the Nuremberg Chronicle
Created in 1493, the Nuremberg Chronicle is a history of the World going back to Biblical times. Written by Hartmann Schedel, it was printed in Latin and German editions with hundreds of copies being sold. The 1801 woodcut illustrations were done by Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. Here are some of favourite images!
Top 10 Antipopes
A list of men who ultimately failed to become Pope.
Quiz: Game of Thrones
Test your knowledge of the first four seasons of Game of Thrones!
A Kid’s Castle Questions Answered
Kids always seem to take a keen interest in castles, and they ask great questions that cut to the heart of the matter. So, keeping in mind that there are plenty of mini-medievalists out there, here are some castle questions from a six-year-old, with kid-friendly answers.
Who was the Best King of Anglo-Saxon England?
There are many rulers and kings from Anglo-Saxon England. Here are ten of the most well-known – who was the best?
A 16th century view of North America in the Vallard Atlas
The scene above shows the second American map, which is of the East Coast of North America, and is one of the most significant of the Vallard Atlas.
Medieval Math Problems
A messenger is sent to a town and advances daily by twenty miles. In how many days will another messenger, sent five days later and advancing daily by thirty miles, overtake him?
Who was the best King of Medieval England?
Here is your chance to choose who you believe was the best Medieval King of England.
Witchcraft Trials In Sweden: With Neighbours Like These, Who Needs Enemies?!
Everyone has “that” neighbour on their floor, or street who they’d secretly love to move to Mars and never see again. Well, the Early Modern Swedes had a way of dealing with those kinds of nasty neighbours…
Roses are Red, Violets are Beowulf
Let’s take five minutes to look at medieval alliterative poetry, using some of the most famous poems of the period.
How to Survive a Poisoning: 10 Tips from Maimonides
Maimonides explains what to do when you believe someone is trying to poison you, and what were some of the most dangerous poisons of the Middle Ages.
How to have a Medieval Hairstyle – Part 2
Janet Stephens has recreated a second hairstyle based on 14th century art. This style belonged to a medieval Tuscan midwife as was depicted by Paolo di Giovanni Fei (1344-1411) in his Birth of the Virgin Mary.
Can You Name These Famous People From The Middle Ages?
Here are 20 famous medieval rulers, saints, men and women depicted in medieval art. Can you guess who they are based on the picture?
Can You Name These Famous Figures From History?
Some of the great images of art depict famous figures from history – can you guess who they are showing?
Make-Up and Medicine in the Middle Ages
A look at cosmetics and make-up in the Middle Ages.
The Impalings of Vlad the Impaler
One of the most infamous chararacters from the Middle Ages was Vlad III Dracula, the prince of Wallachia. Here is the story of how he gained the name of ‘the Impaler’.
How Well Do You Know The Travels of Marco Polo?
It is one of the most famous works of the Middle Ages, but how well do you know this book?
Intersex in the Middle Ages
A brief look at how the medieval world viewed the Intersex individual.
Tacuinum Sanitatis: A Way of Life
How to maintain one’s health in the Middle Ages – the advice from the Tacuinum Sanitatis
Making medieval chainmail
Recently, I picked up a new hobby in this vein: making chain mail.
Medieval Rules for Jousting
Here is a set of rules for jousting created by Alfonso XI, King of Castile, in 1330.
Trolls in the Middle Ages
Where did trolls come from? What did medieval and early modern people think of trolls? How did the concept of the modern day troll evolve?
This Week in Medieval Manuscript Images
From the Tower of Wisdom to attacking strawberries – over 50 images from medieval manuscripts to share with you this week!
Which Famous Explorer Are You Most Like?
Leif Erikson, Marco Polo, or perhaps someone from more recent times? Find out what drives you to discover the next great frontier…