Where the Middle Ages Begin
At the Battle of Mont Gisard in 1177, the Templars came within yards of killing Saladin. This feature looks at the near-assassination, the shock of the Frankish charge, and how Saladin sought revenge in the years that followed.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
The Higgins Collection—one of America’s most distinctive assemblies of arms and armor—has finally reopened to the public at the Worcester Art Museum. Its new galleries offer flashes of the old museum’s spirit, along with choices that may surprise longtime admirers.
New research reveals how Augustinian friars shaped medieval rural life through overlooked miracles—from healing livestock to restoring barren land—challenging long-held assumptions about the order’s history.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Heather Blurton about how Richard’s contemporaries saw him, the wild stories told about him in the later Middle Ages, and why we still just can’t get enough of this controversial king.
Medieval soldiers in Edward I’s armies often turned warfare into a source of income, creating a new class of mounted military entrepreneurs.
Excavations in eastern England have revealed an early medieval village near Friston, medieval kiln sites on the coast, and rare prehistoric artefacts, offering new insight into East Anglia’s long-settled landscape.
A new study reveals that medieval communities around Lake Constance created a biodiversity peak through innovative farming, trade, and land management, offering insights for modern conservation.
A royal manuscript of the Roman de la Rose offers a fresh look at Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun’s contrasting visions of medieval love and reason.
Archaeologists in Aarhus, Denmark, have uncovered more than 50 skeletons in a medieval cemetery linked to St. Oluf’s Church, offering rare insight into the city’s transition from the Viking Age to Christian Europe.
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in November, which include papers ranging from bee amulets to the Stone of Scone.
A major volcanic eruption in 1345 triggered climate shocks, famine, and grain trade routes that helped bring the Black Death into Europe, new research shows.
One of the most infamous characters from the Middle Ages was Vlad III Dracula, the prince of Wallachia. Here is the story of how he gained the nickname of ‘the Impaler’.
Learn how medieval monks at Cluny waged battles with words, using biting poetry, classical references, and cutting invective to uphold their spiritual legacy.
Explore the origins and daily practice of the Divine Office in the Middle Ages, from the Desert Fathers to Benedictine monasteries, where time, music, and prayer shaped every aspect of monastic life.
Christie’s will auction a newly identified 10th-century Gospel manuscript, one of the few surviving examples connected to medieval women scribes.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Steve Tibble about who the Assassins were, what tactics they used in the Middle Ages, and what this legendary order stood for.
The 1525 Holy Land map, the first ever printed in a Bible, not only revolutionised biblical illustration but helped shape early modern concepts of territory and nationhood, a new study finds.
Explore how Byzantines—emperors and commoners alike—interpreted their dreams through intuition, tradition, and oneirokritika, revealing a rich spiritual culture that blended ancient beliefs with Christian thought.
A sweeping exploration of pre-modern African history, this book traces the continent’s cultures, migrations, and identities. It blends rigorous research with personal reflection to highlight Africa’s global influence and enduring legacy.
From terrifying medieval depictions of Satan to the enduring myth of the “Devil’s interval,” this article uncovers what people really believed about the tritone and its place in medieval music.
A richly illustrated medieval genealogical roll of Edward IV has been digitised and translated for the first time, offering high-resolution images, annotations, and new insights into fifteenth-century political propaganda through the Digital Mappa platform.
Discover the extraordinary folk traditions surrounding St. Prokop of Sázava, a medieval Czech saint whose legend includes demon expulsions, devotion to the Slavonic rite, and a ghostly return to defend his monastery.
A detailed look at the beguines of medieval Paris, examining their origins, royal support, daily life, and the debates their unconventional religious vocation sparked.
The Castle of Old Wick in northern Scotland has reopened to the public following a round of high-level masonry inspections and minor repairs completed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
Explore the remarkable journey of Boucicaut, the medieval French marshal whose 1399–1400 expedition to Byzantium placed him at the centre of crusading politics and Ottoman-Byzantine conflict
We have relatively few sources for the Islamic conquest of Iberia in the early eighth century. This translation of a later account offers fresh insight into those events.
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly tackle listener questions on Joan of Arc, standout new books on medieval warfare, and whether Richard III really killed the Princes in the Tower.
A conversation with Kim Bowes about her recent book, Surviving Rome: The Economic Lives of the Ninety Percent, which presents a brilliant new model of the Roman imperial economy, specifically for how the majority of the population experienced it.
In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly head to the Pyrenean stronghold of Montségur to unpack the dramatic siege that brought the Cathar refuge to its end. They explore how faith, politics, and military pressure collided on the mountain—and what the fall of Montségur meant for the wider Albigensian Crusade.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, in keeping with tradition, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny, editor of Medievalists.net, about the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2025.
A conversation with Aaron Butts on the conversion to Christianity of Ezana, the fourth-century king of Aksum (in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea). “Conversion” is a conventional term, but what Ezana’s inscriptions and coins reveals is a complicated process of appealing to different groups and the coexistence of religions in his realm and the royal monuments.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Alexander L. Kaufman about how Robin Hood’s legend evolved over time, his transformation into a pantomime favourite, and that time Robin robbed Santa Claus himself.
