“A Wonderful Country Inhabited by Blacks”: Ahmad al-Mansur and “His” Conquest of the Bilad al-Sudan
Today we are going to deal with a very famous actually episode in the history of African history that is the so-called Moroccan conquest of this late medieval, early modern polity of West Africa that is the so-called Songhay Empire.
Forbidden Love: Medieval Romance as Critical Race Studies Archive
My goal here is to talk a bit about why medieval romance, and especially medieval English romance, is such a useful archive for the critical study of race.
Computational Analysis as a Tool for Contextualizing the Music of Hildegard of Bingen
For many years, Jennifer Bain has been analyzing and contextualizing the music of Hildegard of Bingen within the medieval chant repertory using manual methodologies.
English peasant settlement in Anglo-Norman Ireland
This paper examines the sometimes conflicting historical, archaeological and place-name evidence for English peasant immigration and settlement in Ireland during the very late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, immediately after the Anglo-Norman invasion.
Becoming a Saint in Byzantium
The model or ideal of human behaviour and achievement in Byzantium was to become a saint.
The Irish DNA Atlas: providing a map of Irish genetics in and out of Ireland
Genetic data from a population can help to contextualise historical records and evidence of that population’s history, provide evidence of that population’s size and the existence of communities within it, and inform us about the genetic legacy of past mixing of other populations resulting from migration.
The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club
The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. But we generally think much less about the people who made, saved and sometimes destroyed medieval manuscripts, over a thousand years of history.
Siege Warfare in the Levant, 1097-1193
What did a siege look like in the 12th-century Middle East? How did people prepare for them? Which technique was the most likely to succeed?
A Life, a Death, a Legacy: Writing the History of Ritual Murder
The Life and Passion of William of Norwich, written in the twelfth century by Thomas of Monmouth a Benedictine monk, contains the earliest accusation that Jews killed a Christian child for hate of Christians and their beliefs.
How to Transcribe a Million Manuscripts with eScriptorium
Recent advances in machine learning combined with the availability of millions of images of manuscript pages means that we are now able to produce automatic transcriptions of medieval and other manuscripts, with over 99% accuracy in the right circumstances.
The Art of War in the Renaissance: Technology, Tactics, and the “Face of Battle”
In this talk, Clifford Rogers will place the Battle of Pavia in this context, explaining the general tactics of the day and how they related to what were then recent developments in the technology of firearms and of armor.
Tracing the Echo of the Romantic Poet in Tolkien’s ‘Beowulf’
Both scholars and fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s authorship generally agree that the medieval poem ‘Beowulf’ was essential for his studies in Old English literature and his creation of Middle-earth.
The Huntsman’s Redemption
Given the longstanding vigour of criticisms of participation in the hunt in the 13th century, any saint’s life, which opened with a hunting scene, would have immediately signalled to readers or listeners that the unfolding story would reveal a deeper character flaw.
Watch Live from the International Medieval Congress: Crusader Criminals with Steve Tibble
To celebrate the launch of Crusader Criminals: Knights Who Went Rogue in the Holy Land, join author Steve Tibble in conversation with Sandra Alvarez from Medievalists.net.
How the Borders within Africa changed during the Middle Ages
Delve into history by exploring the significant shifts in the world’s borders throughout time. These videos offer a reconstruction that vividly illustrates the…
How the Borders within Asia changed during the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages would see the rise and fall of many states, and almost constantly changing borders in any region. These videos show Asia during the medieval period, revealing how its empires and states came and went over years, decades and centuries.
Norfolk Soldiers Serving in the Count of Holland’s Friesland Campaign of 1396
John Alban discusses the involvement of English soldiers from Norfolk in a 1396 military campaign led by Albert of Bavaria, also known as the Count of Holland, against the Frisians in the Netherlands.
Mapping Medieval London
This lecture will look at the challenges and rewards of creating historical maps of London. In particular it will focus on medieval London, and the map published by the Historic Towns Trust in 2019.
How the Borders within Europe changed during the Middle Ages
One fascinating way to explore history is by examining how much the world’s borders have shifted over time. These videos offer a reconstruction that vividly illustrates the rise and fall of European kingdoms, states, and empires across years, decades, and centuries.
Celebrating 70 years since J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sir Gawain lecture in Glasgow (1953-2023)
On 15 April 1953, Tolkien delivered the W.P. Ker Memorial Lecture, on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, to an audience of 300 at the University of Glasgow.
Should we stop talking about The Crusades?
The grand narratives of the crusading past often rely on frameworks and paradigms that were first formulated centuries ago and should now be regarded as more limiting than helpful.
Medieval women: “Highly visible, often obscured” or hidden in plain sight?
This talk will offer new perspectives on queenship as well as examples of historical figures which can enrich the curriculum and ideas on how we can collectively enhance the visibility of women in the historical narrative.
Five Years After the Fire: Notre-Dame de Paris and the Largest Restoration Project of the Century
Barry Bergdoll talks about the history of Notre-Dame Catherdal in Paris as the repairs from the major fire in 2019 near completion.
Kings on the Move: The Case of the Great Viking Army
Between 865 and 879 CE, the great Viking army campaigned extensively across England, eventually conquering three of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
