Where the Middle Ages Begin
Horses played a vital role in medieval warfare, and this book draws on the governmental records of Kings Edward I and Edward II to reveal how these animals were raised, trained for combat, and managed during military campaigns.
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.
Medieval antisemitism flared up most famously and tragically during the Black Death when Jews were accused of deliberately poisoning wells, and thousands were executed for this wholly imagined crime. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Tzafrir Barzliay about what made well poisoning conspiracy theories so powerful, and how they started.
Are you wondering if a woman is in love with you? Here are ten signs from the Middle Ages.
While the jousting was happening, the heralds were busy working the crowds and sometimes causing trouble.
The July 2022 issue of Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies has been released, offering four articles under the special theme of ‘Emerging Issues in Medieval Iberian Studies’.
There’s a new show for medieval-lovers to look forward to at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year: “She-Wolves”, created by and starring Laura Careless.
Five new books about the Middle Ages, focusing on England, Wales and France.
The second issue of After Constantine: Stories from the Late Antique and Early Byzantine Era has been released, giving readers access to three new articles.
Today, the United States and other democratic countries are dealing with fundamental challenges to their electoral systems. Can events from the year 1378 give us some insights into what is a ‘legitimate’ election?
As the Middle Ages ended, the crusades were mostly a fading memory. Yet, today the word and the way it is used seem more popular than ever. How did the crusades return to today’s society?
Italian environmental activists staged a protest in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery by glueing their hands to the painting Primavera by Sandro Botticelli on Friday. The painting was not damaged as it was protected by glass.
Archaeologists at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger could hardly believe their eyes when dress accessories typical of a Viking Age woman was delivered to the museum. Now the archaeologists may have traced the origin of the jewellery.
A conversation with Sergey Ivanov on the monuments, buildings, and ruins of the Byzantine phase of the City’s history. We talk about how to explore them, how to access their history, and even get a feel for the lingering presence of the events that took place in them. We ponder what has been lost and what might yet be found.
Ever since the medieval period ended, people have been looking to the Middle Ages to find inspiration and a sense of cultural roots. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Matthew Vernon about the commonalities and kinship felt by African-American writers as they look back to the medieval past.
Building a castle was an expensive process. Yet the crusaders built many fortifications in the lands they conquered. They had many reasons to do so beyond just defending a piece of territory.
The remains of a medieval ship made from trees felled over 750 years ago is one of three extremely rare shipwrecks that have been granted the highest level of protection by the British government.
If you are looking to watch exhilarating horsemanship and courageous knights face each other in the field, go to Caerlaverock Castle on the last weekend of July for ‘Spectacular Jousting’.
Fans of medieval manuscripts have something new to browse, as one of the works written and illustrated by Matthew Paris has been digitised by the Library of Trinity College Dublin for the first time. The Book of St Albans features 54 individual works of medieval art and has fascinated readers across the centuries.
Altogether, the discovery included over 2,000 beads, 89 brooches, 40 buckles, 51 knives, 15 spearheads and 7 shield bosses.
An archaeological dig in Kyiv in 2007 yielded amazing results.
The Melun Diptych by the French artist Jean Fouquet is one of the most famous artworks from the fifteenth century. Now, new research suggests that the artist created a hidden image, revealed only by combining the two halves.
Several medieval items have recently been discovered by metal detectorists in Wales. They include rings and brooches which have now been declared national treasures.
There is a stretch of ten years in Chinggis Khan’s early life where we have little information about his whereabouts. What was the future ruler of the Mongol Empire doing at this point?
Taking a look back at the 1952 classic movie, Ivanhoe.
A case study of the practices of medieval Indian Ocean pilots, and quite particularly at their sophisticated usage of the lunar mansions (manazil al-qamar), and stars in general, for making their way through the ocean.
Horses played a vital role in medieval warfare, and this book draws on the governmental records of Kings Edward I and Edward II to reveal how these animals were raised, trained for combat, and managed during military campaigns.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
A conversation with Alasdair Grant about the captivity and enslavement that many Greeks (Romaioi) experienced in the late medieval period, a period of state collapse during which they were subject to Italian and Turkish raids and attacks.
