Medieval Movie Review: The Death of Robin Hood
Danièle Cybulskie reviews The Death of Robin Hood, the latest medieval movie, and finds a thoughtful film that draws deeply on medieval storytelling despite its historical liberties.
Latest Posts
Matthew Paris in Norway
It appears that Matthew only ever left England once, when, in 1248-9, he visited Norway to assist in settling a dispute at the Benedictine abbey of Nidarholm near Trondheim. It is on this episode that the following will focus.
The Mongol Intelligence Apparatus: The Triumphs of Genghis Khan’s Spy Network
Genghis Khan was a great military strategist, but his unparalleled ability to run intelligence operations was the key to his victories.
Theft, Homicide and Crime in Late Anglo-Saxon Law
In order to understand these issues properly we must first consider our own ideas about ‘crime’, a deeply problematic term for the period before the late twelfth century.
The Privileging of Visio over Vox in the Mystical Experiences of Hildegard of Bingen and Joan of Arc
Even though medieval women mystics have enjoyed increased attention in recent scholarly discussion, a topic that still has not been tackled is the possible difference between seeing a vision and hearing a voice during a mystical experience
Danish Penal Law in the Middle Ages: Cases of Homicide and Woundings
In the provincial laws, a killing was not simply a killing. The penalty imposed on the killer depended on the conditions under which the killing had taken place.
The Still Lives of Medieval Objects
Discussions of the relationship between time and medieval artworks often hinge on examinations of use and reception: how has the meaning of this object changed over time?
Reconstruction of a Judicial Duel c. 1400
Watch this demonstration of a judicial duel at the turn of the 15th century, presented at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in 2013
The Battle of Arsuf, 7 September 1191
Benjamin Z. Kedar asks what was Richard I’s plan at Arsuf, one of the key battles of the Third Crusade?
The Garments of Guy in the Bayeux Tapestry
In her paper, Gale R. Owen-Crocker looks at how the late 11th century frieze portrays Guy, Count of Ponthieu.
Reading between the lines: Old Germanic and early Christian views on abortion
The object of my studies was to determine whether women in the early medieval Germanic West (could have) committed abortion, when confronted with an unwanted or inconvenient pregnancy.
‘The king in the car park’: new light on the death and burial of Richard III in the Grey Friars church, Leicester, in 1485
Immortalised by Shakespeare and others as an infamous villain, but with a strong cohort of modern-day supporters, he has remained a highly controversial figure of both history and drama since his death.
The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien released today
The poem, using Old English alliterative meter and written in modern English recounts how Arthur was a British military leader fighting the Saxon invasion, and includes characters such as Guinevere, Lancelot and Mordred.
Word of Mouth: Charlemagne’s Capitulare de Villis
Xavier Riaud examines The Capitulare de Villis, one of Charlemagne’s documents which has a surprising dental content.
Byzantine mosaic discovered in Israel
The 1500 year-old mosaic was discovered during archaeological excavations ahead of the construction of a new highway.
Is the Past a Foreign Country?
People tend to overemphasize similarities and ignore differences when comparing the present with the past, says Suzannah Lipscomb.
The Ecology and Economics of Medieval Deer Parks
There is a wealth of literature on a diversity of aspects of medieval parks, from their invertebrate ecologies, to rare lichens and bryophytes, to their herds of deer, their fishponds, and to the politics of fashion and taste and the provision of sport and entertainment for an affluent elite.
Searching for the Vikings on the Isle of Man
The Vikings were not just the wanton marauders of popular portrayal, says a Longwood University medieval scholar who recently conducted archaeological research on the Isle of Man.
Reading the unreadable: New X-ray technology can now read rolled-up scrolls
Scientific breakthrough will allow historians to virtually read medieval scrolls to fragile to open.
Converso Identities in Late Medieval Spain: Intermediacy and Indeterminacy
In late medieval Spain, Christian leaders and missionaries developed conversion campaigns to bring Jews into Christianity. Some converts appear to have fully assimilated with their new religion. Those who did not effectively assimilate are known as conversos, members of a group whose beliefs and actions grew increasingly suspect. Historians disagree about conversos. Did conversos want to become Christian despite continued Jewish practices, or were they ‘secret Jews’ who knowingly engaged in the practice of their former religion?
Was the White Ship disaster mass murder?
It was perhaps the worst maritime disaster of the Middle Ages, not just because it cost 300 lives, but because one of them was the heir to the Anglo-Norman Empire. One scholar has a theory that the sinking of the White Ship on the night of November 25, 1120 was not a tragic accident, rather a case of mass murder.
Civic and Religious Understanding of the Mentally Ill, Incompetent, and Disabled of Medieval England
This brief summary covered the fourth paper given at KZOO’s Mental Health in Non-medical Terms. It covered ways in which theologians, like Thomas Aquinas, tried to categorize mental disability. Aquinas also tried to prove that the mentally impaired were able to receive sacraments depending their lucidity and where they fit in his four categories. It was an interesting and enjoyable paper.
Prince Hal’s Head-Wound: Cause and Effect
The future King Henry V was hit by an arrow to the face at the Battle of Shrewsbury – how did he survive?
The Borgias – Review of Season 3 Episode 6: Relics
Michelotto reunites Giovanni with Lucrezia, Plague ridden rags are sealed in a box and sent to Rome, Rodrigo negotiates with the Jews, and Cesare builds a bastard army all on this week’s episode of The Borgias.
Game of Thrones – Review of Season 3 Episode 8: Second Sons
In this review of the latest episode of Game of Thrones, we look at the wedding of Tyrion and Sansa, which brings all of King’s Landing out; the Hound with Arya, Daenerys confronting the mercenary company known as the Second Sons; Melisandre getting close to Gendry; and Sam and Gilly being attacked by a White Walker.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: Constructing the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
Few texts are as important to our understanding of early medieval England as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This book investigates how the Chronicle came into being and how generations of scribes and scholars sustained the project for over 200 years.
New Medieval Books: Depicting the Holy War
New Medieval Books: Saint Benedict, Montecassino, and the Crisis of Ninth-Century Southern Lombards in Early Medieval Cassinese Memory
From Sin to Capitalism: Jacques Le Goff on Usury in the Middle Ages
New Medieval Books: Medieval Mining and Power in Thirteenth-Century Europe
New Medieval Books: The Philokalia
New Medieval Books: The Genius of Invective
New Medieval Books: The Medieval Mediterranean between Islam and Christianity
Earth Wounds: Creative Explorations of Viking Age Funerary Customs
Latest Podcast EpisodesAll posts
The Book of Daniel, the Four Kingdoms, and Imperial Eschatology, with Chris Bonura
A conversation with Christopher Bonura about the apocalyptic tradition of identifying the Four Kingdoms prophesied in the Book of Daniel. Which one was the Roman empire? The fourth, scheduled to fall with the others, or something that came afterward (a tradition sometimes called imperial eschatology)? Among other topics we discuss Eusebios of Caesarea and the reign of Herakleios as possible turning points in this tradition.
The Battle of Hattin (1187)
One of the pivotal battles of the Crusades, the Battle of Hattin was shaped by both brilliant strategy and disastrous decisions. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore how Saladin orchestrated a crushing defeat of the Crusader army, while also sharing insights into the film Kingdom of Heaven.
Q&A #14: Why were Infantry Defeating Knights in Battle?
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly answer questions about infantry vs cavalry in late medieval battles, will there be archaeological excavations at Hundred Years’ War battlefields, favourite centuries and what our hosts will be doing this summer.
Julian Augustus and the Dream of a Platonic Roman Empire, with Jeremy Swist
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on the emperor Julian (361-363 AD) and how he tried to combine his love of philosophy with ruling the Roman Empire. We talk about why Julian continues to excite such passions, how in some ways he may have been more Roman than Greek, and how he read Roman history in light of the theurgical Neoplatonism that he espoused.
The Battle of Grandson (1476)
Charles the Bold was building his Duchy of Burgundy into a European power when he faced the Old Swiss Confederacy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about the Battle of Grandson, a key event of the Burgundian Wars.
The Menologion of Basil II, with Charlie Kuper
A conversation with Charlie Kuper about the Menologion of Basil II, a lavishly illustrated manuscript pairing brief notices about the saints with images of them and their ordeals, arranged according to the liturgical calendar.