Rose without Thorn, Eagle without Feathers: Nation and Power in Late Medieval England and Germany
It is hard at times to take the Agincourt Carol entirely seriously. Patriotism of such brash exuberance seems more properly to belong in a brightly lit Laurence Olivier world of mid twentieth-century medievalism than amid the grim and tangled realities of fifteenth- century politics and war.
The Lover’s Confession: Three Tales by John Gower
Sarah Higley, from the University of Rochester, created this film based on three stories from Confessio Amantis: The Travelers and the Angel, The Tale of Machaire and Canace, and The Tale of Florent.
Race, Periodicity, and the (Neo-) Middle Ages
My goal is to intervene in ongoing discussions of race and periodicity, particularly vis-à-vis medieval culture, in order to investigate the informing role of the medieval and more particularly of medievalisms in the construction, representation, and perpetuation of modern racisms.
The Reenactors: A Documentary on Medieval reenactors
We are visiting the medieval fair on Gotland. Here we find people dedicating mostly of their spare time to as accurate as possible recreate medieval life. What makes them want to do that? Is it geeks escaping reality or a proper presentation of researched history? Or maybe a little bit of both?
Dreaming the Middle Ages: American Neomedievalism in A Knight’s Tale and Timeline
This study will offer two Hollywood productions, A Knight’s Tale and Timeline, as visual representations that illustrate the reasons behind what may be called American Neomedievalism.
The ‘Viking Apocalypse’ of 22nd February 2014: An Analysis of the Jorvik Viking Centre’s Ragnarǫk and Its Media Reception
If one signed on to a social media site, checked a news website or, in some cases, even watched one’s local evening news during mid- to late February 2014, one may have encountered some surprising news
The American Dark Ages and the Terrorist Witch in Season of the Witch
In this article we argue that medieval films are not to be analyzed according to their faithfulness to the known historical sources, but that they can only be fully analyzed by understanding medievalist codes, traditions and (filmic) intertextuality.
The Use of History in Dracula Tourism in Romania
In this article I will examine what kinds of history and tradition are used and told in Dracula tourism in Romania, and which eras of history are highlighted and why.
Making Sacrifices: Beowulf and Film
This essay reviews opening scenes in some recent film Beowulfs, which, although they have nothing at all to say about Scyld Scefing, suggest a sacrificial reading of the prologue and perhaps even the whole poem.
The Kalamazoo Diaries at the 2014 Hamilton Fringe Festival
Playing from July 18th-July 27th at Hamilton Theatre
The two swords: using the symbol of the battle of Grunwald (1410) in the 19th and 20th century Poland
It would be difficult to find an event in the Polish history which imprinted more influence on common social imagination or the actions of modern Polish social and political leaders that would be comparable to the battle of Grunwald.
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘A Knight’s Tale’
Staying home on a Sunday night? Looking for a fun medieval movie to watch? Here is my review of ‘A Knight’s Tale’ for your Sunday night selection!
Book Review: An Unsuitable Princess, by Jane Rosenberg LaForge
The fantasy breaks up the troubling narcissism of the diary, while the diary gives the fantasy its grounding and meaning.
Staging Medievalisms: Touching the Middle Ages through Contemporary Performance
Examining the Middle Ages through modern eyes: movies, TV, stage, tourism and books. How do we perform the Middle Ages?
Medievalism, the Beautiful Book, and the Arts and Crafts Movement
My objective here is to examine briefly the influence of Medievalism on the emergence of the concept of the beautiful book in the Arts and Crafts movement, first in England and then its impact in publication design in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
‘A great heathen fist from the North’: Vikings, Norse Mythology, and Medievalism in Nordic Extreme Metal Music
Viking metal is a dynamic and popular subgenre of metal music of burgeoning popularity coming primarily from Nordic countries.
Smearing the Medieval: Architectural Objects and Time Travel in Amnesia: The Dark Descent
In late 2010, a small game development company known as Frictional Games launched Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a survival horror game fixated upon medieval and Renaissance traditions.
‘It’s the Middle Ages, Yo!’: Race, Neo/medievalisms, and the World of Dragon Age
This article examines ways in which the idea of an authentic Middle Ages is deployed in fan debates over perceived racism in the role-playing video-game Dragon Age: Origins (DAO), its sequel Dragon Age II (DA2), and the forthcoming third game.
Apocalypse et Moyen Âge : un cocktail détonnant
Dans l’imaginaire contemporain, Apocalypse et Moyen âge semblent aller de pair. Rares sont les films médiévalistes où il n’est pas question de fin du monde, où qui ne représente pas une société en plein déclin, au bord de sa propre destruction.
Prince Valiant, un chevalier du Rio Bravo
An article in French on the American comic book Prince Valiant.
The Most Significant Manuscript Sources of Medieval Croatian Vernacular Verse
The first part of the article gives a brief overview of the history of Croatian literacy up to the first written record of poetry in the Old Croatian language.
Knights of Badassdom
TUGG screenings begin January 21st; available On Demand and Digitally February 11th
Were the Peasants Really So Clean? The Middle Ages in Film
Movies about the European Middle Ages are profoundly modern creations. They tend to reflect the anxieties and preoccupations of their modern creators rather than those of people who lived a thousand years ago.
Chaucer’s reading list: Sir Thopas, Auchinleck, and Middle English romances in translation
One frustration of engaging in any branch of European medieval studies as an academic pursuit is that few claim expertise about the ancient or Roman worlds, but seemingly everyone on an internet discussion forum believes him or herself knowledgeable about the medieval period, usually based on patently false beliefs.