The Strange Ritual Before Medieval Duels: Why Opponents Touched
Why did medieval opponents touch before combat? Lorris Chevalier explores the ritual, revealing how law and emotion intersected in duelling practices.
Did People Run in the Middle Ages?
Running in the Middle Ages was more common than expected, with medieval sources revealing evidence of speed, endurance, and foot travel among messengers, soldiers, and ordinary people.
Judas in the Middle Ages: The Making of an Anti-Hero
Judas was one of the most troubling figures in medieval Christian thought, not simply as Christ’s betrayer but as a symbol of despair, envy, and damnation. Lorris Chevalier explores how medieval writers turned him into a full anti-hero, reshaping a brief biblical figure into one of the era’s most powerful moral myths.
How Many Workers Built a Medieval Cathedral?
Building a medieval cathedral didn’t take thousands. Discover how small teams at Girona Cathedral carried out this monumental task.
Did Medieval People Have Bad Teeth and Bad Breath?
Did people in the Middle Ages really suffer from terrible teeth and foul breath? A closer look at medieval medical texts and hygiene practices reveals a more complex picture of dental care and everyday health.
Is the Staffordshire Hoard ‘Mystery Object’ a Holy Warrior’s Headpiece?
New research suggests the Staffordshire Hoard’s mysterious object may be a ceremonial headpiece worn by a priest or holy warrior in early medieval England.
10 Medieval Latin Wine Proverbs
Enjoy ten medieval Latin wine proverbs—presented in the original Latin with English translations—ranging from feast-day cheer to sharp warnings about overindulgence.
The Boar’s Head Carol: A Medieval Christmas Tradition
A look at the Boar’s Head Carol in the Middle Ages: boar-hunting symbolism, Christmas feasting, and the enduring ceremony at Queen’s College, Oxford.
Roland the Farter: A Royal Christmas Performer
Roland the Farter held land in medieval England on a bizarre Christmas condition: “one jump, one whistle, and one fart” before the king. A short look at serjeanty, court ritual, and medieval humour.
Bethlehem’s Christmas Relic: The Chalky Soil of the Milk Grotto
Discover Bethlehem’s Milk Grotto and its chalky white soil, a medieval Christian relic linked to the Virgin Mary’s milk and used in devotion, healing, fertility, and pilgrimage traditions across Europe.
12 Medieval Proverbs on Wolves
Explore 12 medieval proverbs about wolves, drawn from Latin sources and translated into English, revealing how medieval writers used the wolf to express moral and social lessons.
How to Insult Like a Medieval Monk
Learn how medieval monks at Cluny waged battles with words, using biting poetry, classical references, and cutting invective to uphold their spiritual legacy.
Why the Death Penalty Was Rare in Medieval Europe
Discover why the death penalty was rare in medieval Europe, as courts relied on fines, banishment, and royal pardons instead of routine execution.
Medieval England’s Coin-Clipping Scandal: The 1279 Mass Execution of Jews
Discover how a medieval panic over coin-clipping in 1278–79 sparked mass arrests, harsh trials, and the execution of hundreds of Jews in Edward I’s England. The article traces the commissions, procedures, and consequences that followed.
The Unusual Status of the Unborn Child in Medieval Valais
Medieval Valais developed distinctive laws on the unborn child, combining Roman legal traditions and Christian beliefs to shape inheritance rights, baptismal requirements, and ideas of life before birth.
The Mysterious Tombs of the Knights of the Round Table
In the 13th-century, a Dominican preacher linked real graves in Burgundy to the legendary Knights of the Round Table. Étienne de Bourbon’s account reveals how medieval belief, archaeology, and Arthurian myth intertwined in the mysterious tombs of Saint-Émiland.
Before the Holy Grail: The Original Meaning of the Medieval ‘Graal’
Learn how the medieval graal began not as a holy cup but as an ordinary serving dish in the court of the Fisher King—revealing the surprising origins of the legendary Holy Grail.
Weird Medieval Job: The Criers of the Dead
Meet the “criers of the dead,” professional mourners who once roamed medieval towns announcing deaths with bells and prayers. Explore how these strange but vital figures shaped the soundscape of mourning in the Middle Ages.
Can You Solve These Ten Medieval Mathematical Riddles?
Explore ten medieval math riddles written by Alcuin of York, the great scholar of Charlemagne’s court. These clever puzzles from the early Middle Ages reveal how medieval students learned logic, numbers, and reasoning — and they’re still fun to solve today.
The Making of Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Chaos, Castles, and Comedy
Explore the chaotic, low-budget making of Monty Python and the Holy Grail—from castles and coconuts to comedy legends and cult success.
Trial by Combat and Fire: The Strangest Way to Settle a Medieval Religious Dispute
A medieval king turned to trial by combat and fire to decide a religious dispute in Spain — one of the strangest episodes of the Middle Ages.
Why Did the Medieval Irish Bury Butter?
Why did the medieval Irish bury butter in peat bogs? Discover the surprising reasons behind bog butter, from preservation and protection to ritual offerings and curious modern finds.
Trees in the Middle Ages: The Good and The Bad
Explore the symbolic world of medieval trees—sacred lindens, deadly yews, and feared walnuts—in faith, folklore, and daily life
Ten Medieval Kings Who Died While Hunting
Discover ten medieval kings who met their end while hunting, from fatal falls to arrows gone astray, revealing the deadly risks of royal sport.