The Boy Who Was a Girl: The Romance of Silence
Suppose girls cannot inherit, but your only child is a daughter and you happen to have an enormous inheritance, what will you do?
The Sad Story of the Queen of the Elves: An Icelandic Folktale
Once upon a time, in a mountainous region somewhere in Iceland, something strange took place that was at the same time puzzling and frightening: every year
‘I wanted to make them a little book’: The knight and the book for his daughters
I wanted to make them a little book to read so they might learn and study and understand the good and evil that has already happened, in order to keep them from that which is yet to come.
The Kitten that Nearly Killed King Arthur
“I’ve never feared for myself any more than I did when I was entangled with that devil…”
Famous Boars in Medieval Arthurian Romance
In medieval literature boars made teh perfect enemies that the hero must conquer in order to complete their quest.
Eloping Lovers and A Werewolf: The Romance of Guillaume de Palerne
In addition to being a story celebrating courtly love and all the romance tropes, Guillaume de Palerne is essentially a story of transformation and disguise
Elen More: The Moorish Lass in James IV’s Court
It won’t take you long to spot an ‘Elen More’ among the courtiers of King James IV. Or the ‘Moorish Lass’, as they dubbed her.
Under the Polar Sky: A ‘Dark’ Conference in a Dark Place
Darkness is where the light ends but the imagination begins.
From Haggis to Oyster Stew: Medieval Recipes from Liber cure cocorum
Looking to get some culinary expertise from the Middle Ages? Try these four recipes from the fifteenth-century.
Queen, Priestess, General: The Legendary Life of Fu Hao
Queen, landed lady, priestess – all these are but some of the roles that this powerful lady played in life. Thanks to the oracle bone inscriptions, we can piece together Fu Hao’s life and career
A Guide to Medieval Guernsey
The island is in fact loaded with medieval things, which I’ve decided to share with you here.
The Lives and Deaths of Houses in the Iron and Viking Ages
The longhouses built in the Norse world were more than just simple structures that served as places of shelter. In many ways they had a life of their own.
Fiore dei Liberi: Master of the Sword
Have you ever wondered how medieval people really fought with swords?
A Treasure Hoard of Medieval Manuscripts – A look into the exhibition ‘Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War’
The highly anticipated Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War exhibition has turned the British Library into a treasure hoard.
The Medieval Art of Riding: King Duarte’s Advice on Horsemanship
Not only practical for those who wish to hone their equestrian skills, they also give us a glimpse into Duarte’s mind and the medieval art of riding at large.
The Burden of the Throne: A Medieval King’s Thoughts on Mental Health
Duarte incorporates his personal experience of physical and mental health into state governing: deeply believed in the body politic, Duarte believes that the sovereign’s mental stability affects the stability of the kingdom, so it lies within a king’s duty to seek happiness.
Knights, Wizards, Enchantresses: The World of Arthurian Fantasy
From Merlin and Morgan le Fay to Here Lies Arthur. Minjie Su covers Here Be Dragons at the University of Oxford.
Making a copy of Njáls saga: the story of the Urðabók manuscript
Who scribed Urðabók? And for whom and what? Wawn aims at unveiling the story behind this little, modest manuscript.
From Vinland to Valhalla, From Saga to Manga
The works in focus are Vinland saga, an ongoing manga series created by Makoto Yukimura, and Valhalla, a Danish comics series that can be traced back to the 1970s.
Proving Facts in Njáls saga
Clover uncovers the seemingly inadequate evidence-finding process in Njáls saga and discusses how the legal process can be transmitted to the saga’s narrative structure.
Like Master, Like Horse: Five Famous Horses in Medieval Legends
In many medieval legends and literary works, great knights and great horses are often found in pairs; the master’s worthiness manifests in the extraordinariness of his horse.
Axlar-Björn: The Only Serial Killer of Iceland
Axlar-Björn, or Björn of the farm Öxl, was executed in 1596 for having murdered at least 18 people.
Sko-Ella: The Woman Worse than the Devil
What is it that you truly desire? How far are you prepared to go to get it? Would you, say, treasure it even more than your immortal soul?
The Making of Flateyjarbók: What we are learning about Iceland’s National Treasure
Made in the last quarter of the 14th century, Flateyjarbók (Book of Flatey) is probably the finest manuscript that Iceland has ever produced.
