Where the Middle Ages Begin
Art and artefacts from the Middle Ages offer a vivid window into the values, fears, and imaginations of medieval society. This updated edition explores how these objects reflect beliefs and folklore—both devout and delightfully strange.
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.
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.
A major excavation at the Tower of London is uncovering rare medieval burials, artifacts, and evidence of earlier chapels beneath St Peter ad Vincula, offering new insights into the fortress’s hidden past.
Discover how Notker the Stammerer, a monk of St. Gall, helped shape Charlemagne’s musical legacy through his writings, chant compositions, and lasting influence on medieval liturgy.
This article explores how the crusade emerged as a distinct medieval institution, shaped by ideas of holy war, just war, and penance.
This newly translated chronicle provides a rare Venetian perspective on twelfth-century events, including the latter parts of the Fourth Crusade. The volume also features translations of two additional texts: a brief set of annals and a firsthand account of the 1071 election of Domenico Selvo as Doge.
New research reveals that medieval Hungarians continued to eat horsemeat long after converting to Christianity, challenging long-held beliefs about religious dietary taboos in the Middle Ages.
A conversation with Anastasia Koumousi about the recently identified portrait of the last emperor of the Romans in Constantinople, Konstantinos XI Palaiologos, in a monastery church in the northern Peloponnese.
A global team is translating and preserving the General estoria, a 13th-century universal history commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile, with support from a $2.1 million Canadian grant.
The daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joanna of England lived a life deeply entangled in the turbulent politics of the Angevin Empire.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Robert Lively about how a person became a Viking lawyer, what the process was for solving disputes, and how fixing bad behaviour worked in this shame-based culture.
Explore how medieval beliefs about demons, witchcraft, and sex shaped centuries of theology, persecution, and fantasy—revealing the dark origins of one of history’s most persistent tropes.
A 14th-century church in Thetford, England, is set to be restored after decades of neglect, with plans to transform the medieval building into a community space.
Discover 12 medieval life tips from Alain de Lille—a 12th-century genius whose advice on courage, greed, and fate still feels surprisingly modern.
One interpretation of a curious scene in the Bayeux Tapestry suggests a seagull using a dog to open a cockle—offering a rare glimpse of everyday life on the Norman beaches before the 1066 invasion.
Caerphilly Castle reopens after a £8M restoration, featuring a revamped Great Hall, digital exhibits, and improved access to Wales’ largest medieval fortress.
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.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Beusterien about elephants and ivory in medieval China and Spain, including how elephants were put into service, and how ivory was used and traded across the world.
Discover the meaning of hwæt, the iconic first word of Beowulf, and explore the medieval and modern debates over how it should be translated.
Britain and France agree on historic cultural loan involving the Bayeux Tapestry, Sutton Hoo treasures, and Lewis Chessmen.
Discover 517 real Viking nicknames from the sagas, including bold, funny, and bizarre names like “Butter Penis” and “Fairhair.” Explore what these names reveal about Norse culture and identity.
Tattoos in the Middle Ages? While often associated with criminals or pagans, these marks on the skin could also signal Christian devotion, sacred journeys, and personal identity in unexpected ways.
Discover the final words of medieval kings, popes, saints, and warriors—revealing how people in the Middle Ages faced death with faith, fear, or defiance.
One of the key features of the Renaissance in Italy was a renewed interest in Ancient Rome. So when the perfectly preserved body…
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Art and artefacts from the Middle Ages offer a vivid window into the values, fears, and imaginations of medieval society. This updated edition explores how these objects reflect beliefs and folklore—both devout and delightfully strange.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
A conversation with James Rives on the history of ancient animal sacrifice in the Roman world. We focus on its decline and eventual demise in the third and fourth centuries. Animal sacrifice was caught up in the conflicts between the Roman emperors and the Christian Church, which endowed it with an importance it had not had before.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michael Livingston about why the Hundred Years’ War should actually be called the Two Hundred Years’ War, what actually touched off the conflict, and why we should question everything.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ben Parsons about what medieval people named their pets and working animals, how we know about them, and which animals are still called by their medieval nicknames.
As the Eternal City’s power waned, enemies closed in. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly delve into two devastating sieges of Rome — one led by the Goths, the other by the Vandals.
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers saw them, and how wolves both add to – and steal – language.
