Whispers from Beyond: Medieval Ghosts and Their Messages About the Afterlife
In the Middle Ages, ghostly encounters were more than just frightening tales—they were seen as windows into the afterlife, offering messages from purgatory or warnings from demonic spirits. Discover how medieval people communicated with the dead and what these spirits revealed about their journey beyond the grave.
How Did Danish Vikings Become Christian European?
The lecture presents some of the most significant archaeological finds in Denmark from the transition from the pre-Christian period into the Early Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Translating Faith
At the close of the Middle Ages, a community of Ethiopian pilgrims settled in Rome. This book explores the records maintained by these Ethiopian Christians, shedding light on their way of life and their interactions with the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century.
The Strange Medieval Sculptures of Nidaros Cathedral
By Nancy Bazilchuk Noblemen and women, in fancy clothing and pearls – but with dragon wings and tails. A laughing man with a…
The Queens Who Shaped Medieval Christianity: Gregory the Great’s Forgotten Allies
While Gregory’s influence is well known, the role of several powerful queens in promoting Catholic Christianity during his time is a fascinating but often overlooked aspect of this period.
Medieval Pilgrimages: It’s All About the Journey
An integral part of this tangible form of faith was the pilgrimage: a spiritual journey to visit a holy site.
New Medieval Books: The Mirror of Simple Souls
This novel, originally in French as La nuit de béguines, tells the story of a community of religious women in 14th century Paris. It is based on the Beguines, the lay religious order that courted controversy in the later Middle Ages.
Medieval Faith or Fiction? When Believers in the Middle Ages Questioned Religion
Uncover the hidden truth of medieval Europe, where not all were devout believers, as tales of doubt, skepticism, and even atheism emerged. Explore how these surprising challenges to religious norms reshaped our understanding of the Middle Ages.
Madonna of the Pantheon Restoration Unveiled
The iconic Madonna of the Pantheon has been meticulously restored after a eight-month project. The revered medieval icon was unveiled last month.
New Medieval Books: Shi’ite Rulers, Sunni Rivals, and Christians in Between
This book examines how inter-religious relations worked in the Fatimid Caliphate during the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. It would be a period that saw great swings back and forth when it came to religious tolerance.
Early medieval fragment of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas discovered
Researchers in Germany have discovered the earliest surviving copy of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Dating to the 4th or 5th century AD, the fragment is part of a Gospel which tells episodes of the childhood of Jesus.
New Medieval Books: Cunning Folk
A look at everyday magic in England between the 14th and 17th centuries. It reveals how people from different backgrounds believed that magic could help them with various tasks, whether it be finding buried treasure or predicting the future.
New Medieval Books: The Medieval Clergy, 800-1250
More than 70 sources are translated here to offer readers a look into the lives of priests, bishops and other clergy in the Middle Ages. It is a wide-ranging book, covering topics from how to do baptisms to bishops getting involved in wars.
Five Jokes about the Medieval Church
Could medieval people joke about religion? Poggio Bracciolini proves it to be true, and offers us five funny stories. In 1470 the Italian…
The Holy Foreskin: The Story of Christianity’s Strangest Relic
When I first heard about the Sanctum Praeputium I thought it was a joke thought up by some medievalist. However, in the Middle Ages there was much debate if a little piece of Jesus Christ remained on Earth.
Why are there Ostrich Eggs in Medieval Churches?
The peculiar practice of placing ostrich eggs in medieval church sanctuaries has left historians and theologians puzzled for centuries.
New Medieval Books: ‘Charms’, Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England
Examining how charms – a set of instructions that allows someone to use ‘magic’ – were connected to Christianity in early medieval England.
William of Auvergne with Lesley Smith
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Lesley Smith about William of Auvergne, the thirteenth-century upstart bishop of Paris who shaped a royal saint, changed the university forever, and gently guided the lives of ordinary Parisians with wit and compassion.
Warming the Soul: The Forgotten Role of Handwarmers in Medieval Worship
In the realm of medieval liturgy, where sacred rituals and ceremonies unfolded in the hallowed halls of cathedrals and monasteries, a surprising yet practical element played a role in ensuring the comfort of clergy and worshippers alike: handwarmers.
Religion, Politics, and Identities in Byzantium: Aspects of Medieval Greek Homilies
Homilies, or church sermons, formed an indispensable part of European medieval rhetoric, East and West. Throughout the millennial existence of the Byzantine Empire (AD 330–1453), they carried the burden of the classical Greek tradition of rhetoric, which they continued in varying forms.
How to kill a God: Christians against Pagans in the Middle Ages
To bring new lands under Roman Catholicism, the old pagan faiths had to be destroyed. Here is how this was done on the island of Rügen in the twelfth century.
The Medieval Cult of Mary’s Hair
A look at one of the most important relics of the Middle Ages: the hair of the Virgin Mary.
How to be a Medieval Priest
A look into the 15th-century work Instructions for Parish Priests, by John Myrc.
The Pagan and Christian Origins of Halloween
With roots in Europe’s Christianization, Halloween is something of a hybrid holiday strongly influenced by ancient pagan beliefs, and for this reason, its celebration has long been somewhat controversial within the Christian faith.