Women in the Crusades with Helen Nicholson
From supplying food and medical treatment, to lending emotional and financial support, to occasionally engaging in combat, women were to be found in and around every major conflict of the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen J. Nicholson about the role of women in the most famous clashes of the medieval period: the crusades.
The Siege of Acre (1291)
It’s the event marking the end of the Crusader States in the Near East. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about how the Mamluks conquered the city of Acre in 1291.
True Crusader Crime: Muslim Murder and Political Drama
The crusaders were tough – but they had no monopoly on political violence. Murders within Muslim hierarchies were relatively common too.
New Medieval Books: The Conquest of Santarém and Goswin’s Song of the Conquest of Alcácer do Sal
Part of the very influential Crusade Texts in Translation series, this book offers editions and translations of two accounts of Crusader conquests of two towns that are now part of modern-day Portugal
The Rhineland Massacres of the First Crusade
Around the mid-twelfth century, a Jewish chronicler named Solomon bar Simson penned an account of events that had happened 50 years earlier – events that were devastating for his fellow Jewish community in parts of Europe.
How to organize a museum exhibition – and bring the Holy Land home, with Amanda Luyster
A conversation with Amanda Luyster on how to organize a museum exhibition, from conception and design to securing the objects and planning events around it. We also talk about the famous tiles of Chertsey Abbey, a royal commission that evoked the Crusades with artistic allusions to Byzantium and the Islamic world.
Reasons for Going on the First Crusade: A Checklist
Why did people go on the First Crusade? A look at Pope Urban II’s speech in 1095 and how it helped convince people to take the cross.
True Crusader Crime: What Bloody Man is That? Murder, Government and Power
Violence in the crusading period was endemic – and even at the top of society, tragic accidents were suspiciously commonplace.
The Crusades and Apocalyptic Thought in the Middle Ages
My research is concerned with how medieval perceptions of the end times interface with ideas concerning the brand of pre-modern holy warfare known as the Crusades
The Rebuilding of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1192 – 1244)
By 1244 the Kingdom of Jerusalem had regained control over most of its former territories to the west of the Jordan river including the city of Jerusalem.
The Assassins in Fact and Fiction
Perhaps no other group from the Middle Ages has sparked modern-day imaginations like the Assassins. Viewed as mystical and deadly, they were said to be led in Syria by a charismatic figure known as the Old Man of the Mountain. What can we really know about them?
The Siege of Jerusalem (1099)
It was a city that was besieged 20 times during the medieval period, including its (in)famous capture during the First Crusade. John Hosler joins Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries to talk about his new book Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace. This episode focuses on the siege of 1099
True Crusader Crime: The Murder of the Bishop of Acre
The murder of the bishop of Acre, however, which took place on the night of 29 June 1172, was something altogether more disturbing.
Isaac Komnenos: Tyrannical Villain or Renegade Emperor?
Although the sources that remain provide a poor evaluation of Isaac as a ruler, it is important to consider who wrote those sources and evaluate Isaac’s legacy in that light.
Who ran the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1187)?
Created in the wake of the First Crusade, the Kingdom of Jerusalem proved to be a challenging place to rule over.
The Siege of Lisbon (1147)
One of the major actions of the Second Crusade took place far from the Holy Land, at the western edge of Europe. In this episode of Bow and Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about the Siege of Lisbon in 1147.
Saladin’s Siege of Saone in 1188: A New Interpretation
In July 1188, Saladin and his army arrived at Saone, one of the largest castles held by the Crusaders in Syria. Despite the castle’s size and strength, it fell to the Muslims after a siege that lasted only a few days.
Five tips for unscrupulous mercenaries working in the Medieval Near East
What was the nature of the mercenary market in the Near East?
Crusading in the Baltic with the Teutonic Knights
What did Baltic crusaders feel when fighting on the battlefield? Or, more precisely, what were they supposed to feel, according to chroniclers? In this episode of the Medieval Grad Podcast, Lucie talks with Patrick Eickman, who studies the Baltic crusades through the fascinating lens of the history of emotions.
Why did the Crusader States fall in 1291?
The war between the Mongols and the Mamluks in the second half of the thirteenth century would be the catalyst for the downfall of the Crusader States in the Near East.
How the Crusades stay with us
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?
Why the Crusaders Built Castles: Obvious Answer, Right?
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.
Medieval Scottish Women and the Crusades with Gordon Reynolds
In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Gordon Reynolds to discuss his work on how women supported the crusades and his Instagram project, TheHallofGordon.
10 Things You Might Not Know About The Templars
There are a few things about the military order that are not so widely known. Here are our favourite facts about the Templars.