Grief and Spiritual Crisis in the Middle Ages
Existential crises and questions of faith in times of hardship are not modern phenomena. Medieval people routinely questioned their faith, most poignantly when it came to death.
When Bread Grew on Trees
Medieval people ate a lot of bread. A lot. They ate pounds of bread every day, and even used it as plates – or trenchers – which sounds both practical and delicious (although trencher bread was usually stale).
Royalit: What Did Medieval Kings Read?
We know that medieval kings and queens did read. The question of the day is: what did they read?
The Ruin: The Past Dreaming of the Past
Besides being chillingly beautiful, this is one of those fantastic moments for literature scholars in which, by describing what life might have been like in a former time, the poet reveals something of his own age: what people of his time thought glory days should be like.
Five Favourite Middle English Romances
My favourite old language is Middle English, with all its quirks and funny letters, so I thought I’d take the time to share five of my favourite Middle English romances with you.
Medieval Falconry: Birds and Lovebirds
The 5MinMedievalist talks to us about the popular medieval sport of falconry!
BOOK REVIEW: Who is the Historian? by Nigel A. Raab
Danièle Cybulskie, @5MinMedievalist, gives a review of Nigel A. Raab’s latest book, ‘Who is the Historian’.
Medieval Eyeglasses: Wearable Technology of the Thirteenth Century
It’s a common misconception that medieval minds regarded every little gadget with superstition and fear. Like us, medieval people loved wearable tech, and adapted useful gear – like sundials – to take with them on the go. In the thirteenth-century, Europeans were keen to get on board with the latest high-tech gadget to come out of Italy: eyeglasses.
Infertility in the Middle Ages
For medieval people, success meant succession. Heredity was at the centre of law and order, from the king down through the ranks of society. As a result, the moment children reached marriageable age – and sometimes even before that – everyone’s focus was on their fertility.
5 Surprising Rules for Medieval Monks
The Rule of Saint Benedict was one of the quintessential texts of the Middle Ages. It explicitly lays out how to effectively run and be a part of the ideal monastic community – at least in Benedict’s view.
Margery and John Paston: Fifteenth-Century Valentines
As we celebrate the day dedicated to love letters, it seems appropriate to share a Valentine’s Day story from one of the most famous letter-writing families of the Middle Ages: the Pastons.
Five Medieval Love Tokens
Here are five popular gifts of love from the Middle Ages.
The Noisy Middle Ages
Let’s take five minutes to lend the Middle Ages an ear.
How to Get Out of a Conviction in the Middle Ages
Whether you’re guilty or innocent, here are five handy tips to help you avoid getting convicted in a medieval court.
Five Things Medieval People Would Hate About the Modern World
Although a medieval person vacationing in the twenty-first century would no doubt be overjoyed at things like electricity, modern transportation, and flushing toilets, there are a lot of things they probably wouldn’t appreciate about our time.
Five Medieval Toothpaste Recipes
Need advice on how to keep your teeth clean and shiny white? Medieval writers have got you covered!
Dolphins in the Middle Ages
Like just about everyone else on planet Earth who’s been lucky enough to see them, medieval people shared a friendly admiration of dolphins. Their smiling faces seem to have garnered them human respect, and curiosity enough for medieval people to study them carefully and share dolphin stories.
Agnès Sorel: Death of the Official Mistress of the King
Some people are born to break the rules, and one of those people was Agnès Sorel.
Using Salt in the Middle Ages
Salt was an integral part of medieval life: not only is some salt a necessary part of a human diet, but it’s also essential for preserving food such as meat, seafood, and dairy products in the absence of refrigeration.
Five (In)famous Medieval Break-Ups
The other day, a friend put me on to the very funny It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Break-Ups in History by Jennifer Wright, a modern and cheeky look at some truly awful splits from Emperor Nero to Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher (and Elizabeth Taylor).
New Online Course: The Middle Ages and the Modern World: Facts and Fiction
2015 brought a lot of interesting opportunities for our Five-Minute Medievalist, Danièle Cybulskie, including the chance to use her expertise to create a new, fully online course on medievalism in collaboration with Conestoga College.
Robot Saints in the Middle Ages
While it’s easy to think of the Middle Ages as a backward time in which everyone struggled with the most basic things, medieval people were no strangers to some pretty cool technology, including robots.
Five Medieval Games to Get You Through Long Winter Nights
Here are five games that date back to the Middle Ages that you can stay in and play on these long nights of winter.
Five Favourite Reads for Medievalists
I thought I’d share just a handful of my favourites that range from medieval-for-beginners to heavier academic stuff.
