Medieval Movies Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You
From gritty tales of vengeance to historical horror and epic legends, discover the most anticipated medieval films in development — including The Peasant, Rapture, and Robert Eggers’ Werwulf.
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”: Revisiting Bernard of Chartres’ Metaphor and Its Hidden Legacy
A look at the medieval origins and deeper meaning behind the metaphor of standing on the shoulders of giants.
René of Anjou: The Medieval King Without a Kingdom
A royal with grand titles and no throne, René of Anjou left behind not an empire but a legacy of art, poetry, and grace.
The Seagull, the Dog and the Cockle: A Hidden Scene in the Bayeux Tapestry
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.
Marked by Faith: Tattoos and the Christian Body in the Middle Ages
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.
Earrings and Infamy: The Male Ear in the Medieval Imagination
Explore how male earrings were viewed in the Middle Ages—from symbols of infamy and foreignness to fashionable adornments—through art, religion, and cultural transformation.
Did Medieval People Discover Dinosaurs? Rethinking Fossils in the Middle Ages
Could medieval people have found dinosaur bones? This article explores how fossils may have shaped medieval legends, religious relics, and monstrous beasts long before science named them.
Timur the Lame’s Pyramids of Skulls: Terror as a Medieval Imperial Strategy
Discover how Timur the Lame used pyramids of human skulls to instil fear, crush resistance, and build a brutal medieval empire.
The Wolf of Gubbio: How a Man-Eating Beast Became a Saint’s Brother
Discover the medieval legend of the Wolf of Gubbio, a fearsome beast tamed by Saint Francis of Assisi. Was it a miracle, a metaphor, or a message about peace and power?
The Twenty Medieval Sieges of Constantinople
Discover the twenty medieval sieges of Constantinople, from early attacks by Avars and Arabs to the city’s final fall in 1453.
The Iron Maiden Never Existed – But Louis XI’s Medieval Prison Reforms Did
One of the most infamous images of medieval cruelty—the Iron Maiden—was never used in the Middle Ages. But a real reform by King Louis XI of France, the ‘fillettes,’ tells a different story about medieval justice.
The Hidden Financiers: Women’s Role in Medieval Commerce
Discover how medieval women—noblewomen, abbesses, and merchants—played vital roles in managing estates, running businesses, and shaping the economic life of the Middle Ages.
How Swaddling Shaped Infant Skeletons in the Middle Ages
Swaddling was a common practice in medieval Europe, believed to protect and strengthen infants — but archaeological research shows it may have had unintended effects on their developing skeletons.
Were War Elephants Really Used During the Crusades?
Were war elephants actually used during the Crusades? Discover how history, art, and medieval imagination shaped Western perceptions of these towering beasts.
Can We Build a Forest from It or Not? Investigating the Relics of the True Cross
Did the relics of the True Cross really add up to a whole forest? This article explores medieval claims, 12th-century letters, and the ongoing debate over the authenticity of Christianity’s most famous relic.
A Vision from Heaven: The Dream That Inspired Cluny’s Great Church
Discover how a divine vision experienced by the monk Gunzo inspired the construction of Cluny III, the largest church in medieval Christendom. A story of faith, architecture, and the heavenly mandate that shaped a monastic masterpiece.
What Medieval Women Read
Explore the private libraries of Marie de Berry and Jeanne d’Artois to discover what medieval women read. Their collections reveal the intellectual, devotional, and medical interests of noblewomen in the Late Middle Ages.
Why the Inquisition Didn’t Prosecute Werewolves
Why didn’t the Inquisition prosecute werewolves? This article explores how lycanthropy straddled folklore, law, and theology in early modern Europe.
Genetic Study Confirms the Origins of Saint Ladislaus and Hungarian Dynasty
A new genetic analysis of relics belonging to Saint Ladislaus I of Hungary has confirmed his royal lineage and reshaped our understanding of the early Hungarian monarchy.
Poison in the Middle Ages: Medicine, Murder, and Myth
Discover how poison influenced medieval medicine, power struggles, and storytelling. From royal intrigue to early toxicology, learn how this dangerous substance shaped the Middle Ages.
How ‘Abracadabra’ Became a Magical Word in the Medieval World
Discover how the word “Abracadabra” evolved from ancient roots into a powerful magical term in the medieval world—used in healing, heresy, and hidden charms.
20 Essential Tools of a Medieval Scribe
From ink-stained fingers to feline assistants, medieval scribes relied on an eclectic mix of tools to craft their manuscripts—some practical, some unexpected.
The Phantom Book That Changed the Course of British History
Was England’s medieval history shaped by a book that never existed? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae claims to be based on a lost Breton manuscript—but no one has ever found it, leaving historians to debate whether it was real or a masterful invention.
The Angel of Le Lude: The Middle Ages’ Largest Bronze Statue
The Angel of Le Lude is a remarkable sculpture bridging the gap between medieval artistry and early Renaissance innovation. Created in 1475 by Jean Barbet, a master bronze founder from Lyon, this monumental work stands at 110 cm tall and is the largest known bronze statue of the Middle Ages.
