Lost in Translation: What the West Misunderstands About Byzantium
By Zoe Tsiami Byzantium often feels like a forgotten chapter in history, drifting between the grandeur of Rome and the vibrant Renaissance. For…
Latest Posts
What warrior from history are you?
Spartan, Samurai or Knight: What warrior from history are you?
1,300 year old ski discovered in Norway
As glaciers in Norway melted this summer, 390 artefacts dating back to over 6,000 years ago have emerged from the ice. This includes a 1,300 year old ski, a rune stick and ancient arrows.
Animal bites in the Middle Ages
Medieval authors suggested varied treatments for bites. The initial act usually was to distinguish between the bites of venomous beasts (snakes, scorpions and rabid dogs were included here) and non-venomous animals (hares, cats and non-rabid dogs, for example)
This Week in Medieval Manuscript Images
Wild women, big fish and scary faces are among the nearly 40 medieval manuscript images collected from Twitter in the last week.
Should Columbus Day still be celebrated?
‘The fact that Columbus brought slavery, enormous exploitation or devastating diseases to the Americas used to be seen as a minor detail – if it was recognized at all – in light of his role as the great bringer of white man’s civilization to the benighted idolatrous American continent. But to historians today this information is very important. It changes our whole view of the enterprise.’
Viking Hoard discovered in Scotland
Scottish officials announced today “a hugely significant find” – the discovery of a Viking Hoard in Dumfries. Over 100 artifacts dating back to the 9th and 10th century have been found, including a solid silver cross and a Carolingian pot.
‘There is more to the story than this, of course’: Character and Affect in Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen
Philippa Gregory has critiqued gendered representations of Elizabeth Woodville and has stated that her 2009 novel The White Queen fictionalises Woodville’s history with the aim of challenging such depictions.
Peasant Anger and Violence in the Writings of Orderic Vitalis
This paper examines the representation of peasant anger in the writings of Orderic Vitalis. In his texts, Orderic often associates peasant anger with divine vengeance and just violence.
Viking Chiefs, Irish Kings and Exported Princesses
One of the earliest records which we have of the Deisi, the native kingdom in which Viking Woodstown were constructed, is their origin legend
When gold was medicine
If you came to a medieval physician with a problem such a trembling heart or melancholy, he may give you gold as part of your cure.
The Frankish Pretender Gundovald, 582–585. A Crisis of Merovingian Blood
In the autumn of 582, a claimant to Frankish kingship named Gundovald landed in Marseilles, returning from exile in Constantinople with covert support from very powerful persons in the kingdom.
Medieval emergence of sweet melons, Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae)
De Observantia Ciborum, an early 6th-century book on foods attributed to a Pseudo-Hippocrates, lists cucumere (snake melons) first among the vegetables. The pepone (watermelons), here too, are listed among other fruits that are eaten raw when ripe, pomegranates, grapes and figs, but there is no mention of melopepones or melones
Quiz: Medieval Maps
How good are your geography skills? Try to identify these 15 places based on how they are depicted in medieval maps
Which Chinese Emperor Are You?
Take this quiz to see which Ming or Qing emperor you are most similar to.
Vegetables in the Middle Ages
Vegetables: A Biography, by Evelyne Bloch-Dano, offers the stories of eleven different vegetables – artichokes, beans, chard, cabbage, cardoons, carrots, chili peppers, Jerusalem artichokes, peas, pumpkins, and tomatoes – offering tidbits from science and agriculture to history, culture, and, of course, cooking. Here are a few excerpts from the book that detail their history during the Middle Ages
Knighthood in Le Morte D’Arthur: Recapitulation of Development of Medieval Chivalric Literature
Undoubtedly chivalry belongs among the most influential phenomena in medieval Europe. Since its emergence in the eleventh century chivalry with its concept of knighthood is adopted by various European countries in the era as one of the principal codes applied not only in military campaigns but also in the sphere of morality as well as the social stratification of the monarchies.
Tundale’s Vision: Socialization in 12th Century Ireland
The purpose of this project is to explore the historical image of Hell in Medieval Europe as an agent of socialization for illiterate Christian communities.
John Skelton’s ‘Speke Parott’
Just four days after this video was posted to Youtube, nearly 130 000 people have watched a reading of the Middle English poem Speke Parott.
The influence of conflicting medieval church and social discourses on individual consciousness : dissociation in the visions of Hadewijch of Brabant
This article examines the influence of the conflicting dis- courses in the medieval church and its social context on the subconscious experiences of Hadewijch of Brabant, a 13th century Flemish visionary, mystical author, vernacular theologian and Beguine leader
Movie Review: Dracula Untold
‘Sometimes the world doesn’t need a hero. It needs a monster.’
Can you solve Odin’s Riddles?
Here are 14 riddles that the Norse god Odin says to King Heidrek. Can you solve them?
British Library brings all four Magna Carta manuscripts together for the first time in history
There are only four original Magna Carta documents from 1215 which survive. Two are kept at the British Library, one at Lincoln Cathedral…
10 Medieval and Renaissance Things to See at the Victoria and Albert Museum
My latest visit to the Victoria and Albert Musuem: 10 Medieval and Renaissance Things to See at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Vampires and Watchmen: Categorizing the Mediaeval Icelandic Undead
One can imagine three ways to approach a mediaeval Icelandic draugr, a term which is usually glossed as ‘ghost’ in English.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: The Elder Futhark
At the dawn of the Middle Ages, one of Europe’s most important writing systems was the Elder Futhark. This book introduces this runic alphabet, exploring its symbols and how they were inscribed on rune stones and everyday objects.
New Medieval Books: The Unruly Tongue
New Medieval Books: Black Knights
New Medieval Books: The Wilted Lily
Faith Tibble and the Crown of Thorns: Rethinking a Medieval Icon
‘The Chola Tigers’: A New Historical Novel Set in Medieval India
New Medieval Books: The Deeds of the Neapolitan Bishops
New Medieval Books: Henry III: Reform, Rebellion, Civil War, Settlement, 1258-1272
New Medieval Books: The Warhorse in England
Latest Podcast EpisodesAll posts
Robert DeVere, Royal Favourite with James Ross
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with James Ross about the life of Robert de Vere – the infamous bff of King Richard II – his impact on the kingdom, and why it’s always worth taking a second look at the facts.
Joan of Arc with Deborah McGrady
Maid, hero, heretic, saint – Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Deborah McGrady about Joan’s incredible life and death, her voice, and her complex and enduring legacy.
Medieval Love Letters with Ad Putter and Myra Stokes
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Myra Stokes and Ad Putter about where we find love letters, and the way people wrote and sent them, along with a couple of spicy – and hilarious – examples.
Marco Polo and his World with Sharon Kinoshita
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Sharon Kinoshita about why Marco travelled so far, what sort of detail he wanted to share with his readers, and what was going on in the world around him.
The Renaissance and Byzantium are characters in the same play, with Ada Palmer
A conversation with Ada Palmer about the invention of the idea of the Italian Renaissance and the functions that it serves in the western historical imagination. “Byzantium” is a similarly invented category that often works in tandem with “the Renaissance” to mark good and bad moments in the history of culture.
The Medieval Podcast: Episode 300!
This week, in celebration of Episode 300, Danièle answers your questions on everything from Hastings to hose, with a couple of surprises along the way.