Robuta

Ealhswith was a Mercian princess who married Alfred, Anglo-Saxon king of Wessex.

What were bad words in the Middle Ages?

Greek philosophy, Jewish apocryphal literature, Biblical doctrine, and pagan Germanic folklore all contribute elements to the demons which flourished in men's...

Assassination of Nizam al-Mulk in 1192 depicted in a medieval manuscript - Topkapi Palace Museum, Cami Al Tebari TSMK, Inv. No. H. 1653, folio 360b

The Magna Carta, sealed in 1215, was born out of rebellion, as England's barons forced King John to curb his abuses of power. Here is a complete translation of...

This article has emerged out of my interest in the production of Stirling as a symbolic heritage centre and particularly the centrality of the figures of...

A look at the theory that medieval people slept in two periods during the night.

Recent Christian feminists have revived an interest in women mystics and feminine religious imagery. In light of what most people generalize about medieval...

This work is concerned with the comparative study of three minster churches, those of Beverley, Ripon and Southwell, in the period 1066-c.1300.

This thesis is a study of the men who served as archers in the armies of the English kings between 1367 and 1417. However, the focus is not the archers in...

As sustainability becomes ever more critical to the architectural profession, it is worth noting that the practice of recycling has a long history.

To 19th-century romantics, the Middle Ages were a justification for aesthetic passion and communal feeling. In contrast, the 20t...

Were medieval people tortured by a wide assortment of diabolical instruments?

I realized that I needed to know much more about the attitude of the early Church to bathing, and how this evolved in the later Middle Ages. It turns out to be...

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...

This article reconsiders the significance of the German Crusade of 1197-8, often dismissed as a very minor episode in the history of the Crusading movement.

In the tenth century Alp Tegin would find himself serving as a slave soldier for one empire. He would rise through the ranks, and get to the heights of...

Durendal, Roland's legendary sword, has been stolen.

The basis on which the successful administration of the Roman Empire at its zenith was built was the cursus publicus, or the state post. This organization also...

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Looking for printable coloring pages to allow preschoolers and young children learn more about the Middle Ages?

This thesis seeks to discover where criminals where buried after the Norman Conquest and examines the influences behind the changes in funerary treatment of...

Here are five fun facts about medieval archery which you can use to impress your friends

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Explore the first phase of the Crusades to the Holy Land, from the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 to the fall of Edessa and the failed Second Crusade.

Medieval warfare often evokes images of knights and their weapons, yet a significant but less celebrated group played a crucial role: the clerks.

A plaster cross dating back 1,400 years has been discovered on Sir Bani Yas Island, shedding light on medieval Christian life in the Arabian Gulf.

The 27 articles in this collection explore the lead-up to, course of, and aftermath of the Mongol campaigns into Rus and Eastern Europe in the mid-13th...

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Byzantine late Middle Ages and Byzantine Renaissance (1204-1453) are two final periods in the culture and architecture of that 1141 year lasting Empire.

'He is a fruit quite worthy of his diabolical seed.'

Adultery was a serious crime in the Middle Ages, where marriage was sacred, indissoluble, and monogamous.

Learn where words like house, loaf, bishop, font, drag, die, jury, justice, swine, mutton, pork, eyeball and alligator came from!

Archaeological work at Sparrenburg Castle, located in western Germany, has revealed a staircase descending deep into a medieval moat.

The first genetic study of medieval human remains believed to be Crusaders confirms that warriors travelled from western Europe to the near East, where they...

Many inventions from the Middle Ages have had lasting importance, even to the present day. Some are physical objects, while others are more of a place - our...

In this article it is suggested that the emergence of new kinship values was connected to the investment of aristocratic energy and resources in monastic...

The five essays in this collection explore how the Crusades continue to serve as a powerful historical symbol within Far-Right extremism. This influence is...

Explore the medieval rules of jousting established by King Alfonso XI of Castile in 1330, offering a rare glimpse into how knights were judged in tournament...

The Legacy of Birgitta of Sweden. Women, Politics, and Reform in Renaissance Italy project tracks the impact of the 14th century mystic and founder of the...

The Mongol moment has found its place in new scholarship on early forms of globalisation in Eurasia.

Since, at the time of the rise of macaronic poetry, Latin was the language of learn- ing, including medicine, it is expected that an analysis of the Latin in...

The University of Leicester has acquired a 19th century painting of King Richard III on horseback outside the Blue Boar Inn in Leicester.

A new book and database of family names has been released this month, allowing users to learn about over 45,600 of the most frequent surnames in Great Britain...

The fearsome reputation of the Vikings has made them the subject of countless exhibitions, books and films - however, surprisingly little is known about their...

Here we discuss how some medieval scholars in the Western Europe viewed the form of the world and the problem of the Antipodes

It must be stressed that the concept of childhood is certainly not an easy one. One is tempted to ask whether any generalisations about medieval or modern...

The Getty Museum has acquired 38 illuminated manuscript leaves from the Burke Collection, showcasing masterpieces of Italian art from the 12th to 17th...

Just like us, medieval people enjoyed analysing and discussing their literature. This book explores the lively discussions surrounding two renowned works from...

The right to defend oneself in front of a judge is but one of many legal principles that originate from medieval canon law.

The history of female monastic life in Anglo-Saxon England has generally been seen as falling into two distinct phases conveniently separated by the...

Umberto Eco, who gained international fame for his novel The Name of the Rose, passed away on Friday. He was 84.

King Henry IV would face a major threat from within England, led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy. Percy's rebellion would culminate at the Battle of Shrewsbury,...

Walter Goffart, a leading historian of European history in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, has passed away at the age of 90.

Many historians will want to read through this book - it's the first English translation of the chronicle and the most important source we have of Pedro the...

While magic and historical figures seem like polar opposites to many today, in the Middle Ages, they were frequently connected. Medieval historical records...

Had the arms, armour and tactics of the tournament become so removed from actual warfare that the tournament was no longer able to provide valuable martial...

Researchers from Estonia believe that the remains of Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, are buried in a church in Naples, Italy.

The British Library has opened a major exhibition: Medieval Women: In Their Own Words. Running until March, it brings together over 140 rare items that reveal...

Legends states the young Duke Robert I of Normandy was on the walkway of his castle at Falaise looking down at the river and discovered a beautiful young girl...

Iblis depicted in Kitab al-Bulhan

Marco Polo's account of his journey to Asia is one of the most well-known texts to come out of the Middle Ages. This book explores the people, places, and...

We would like examine the life of a woman who was a contemporary of Queen Emma, Queen Matilda and mentor of Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Photo Courtesy of Sotheby's

The Ashmolean Museum will be purchasing a treasure hoard dating back to time of King Alfred the Great. The museum, which is located in Oxford, has raised the...

The German Hanse, whose rise and decline spanned almost four centuries, was a rather unique institution in late medieval Europe.

For medieval people, success meant succession. Heredity was at the centre of law and order, from the king down through the ranks of society. As a result, the...

Archaeology is transforming the way we understand medieval warfare. One way it is doing this is by revealing what kinds of injuries and wounds warriors...

Explore 20 pieces of political wisdom from Francesco Guicciardini, a medieval statesman whose sharp maxims on power, ambition, and human nature remain...

Christine de Pizan depicted in a work from 1413 - British Library MS Harley 4431, fol. 4r

If you were living in London in the mid-15th century, you may have got caught up in the alchemy craze. The idea of turning base metals into gold and silver was...

Following the success of Medieval Equestrianism Sessions at the IMC Leeds 2016, we invite papers for special sessions on medieval equestrian history for the...

There was a lot packed into this first episode and although there were some graphic scenes to keep people glued to their screens, the opening episode really...

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The Great Hours of Anne of Brittany, created between 1503 and 1508 in Tours, France, is undoubtedly a masterpiece of French painting.

A rare piece of early medieval history has been secured for display in an English museum, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign. The Anglo-Saxon gold...

In the final decades of the Middle Ages and into the 16th century, Europe experienced a renewed emphasis on scientific inquiry. This book explores that...

Dervorguilla is a familiar figure in Scottish history, a lady of wealth, substance and impeccable pedigree. She is mentioned because she is the great...

Michael and Kelly are joined by Nicholas Morton, author of The Mongol Storm, to discuss how Chinggis Khan and the Mongols were able to use their military power...

Gargoyles in its most technical term refer to waterspouts projecting from the roof of the Cathedrals.

Medieval people were interested in accessing secret knowledge like magic, divination and astrology. This book examines over 20 works from the period that deals...

What I want to suggest here is that there were important connection between Anglo-Norman England and Scandinavian literature and culture as well, even though...

I just wrote a book about the Middle Ages viewed through the lens of the most potent and dramatic aspect of war - battle.

Individuals of slave descent led significant households in Baghdad and Samarra, the capitals of the Abbasid caliphate, the second great empire of the Muslim...

The writings of Pawel Wlodkowic, a 15th-century Polish canon lawyer, are translated in this book. It offers a fascinating view from Poland of their rivalry...

Which famous fictional or real life warrior woman are you? Are you on a quest to redeem your past like Xena or are you on a divine mission like Joan of Arc?...

Detail of a miniature of Alexander and Aristotle, and Bucephalus being brought in by two attendants. - British Library MS Royal 20 B XX f. 12

What coins can teach us about the Mongol Empire.

Curious about what medieval peasant homes really looked like?

I followed the link I was given and found a website that goes on and on about how brutal the medieval justice system was (with gory examples of limb-lopping...

A single medieval manuscript in the British Library contains the only surviving copies of several of the most important Middle English texts. This book...

Old High German was spoken between the eighth and eleventh centuries, and a small but significant body of its literature has survived. This anthology brings...

A conversation with Ahmad Al-Jallad about the languages and inscriptions of pre-Islamic Arabia, our main contemporary source for life, death, and worship...

Love magic was used for a variety of purposes connected to love, sex and reproduction in the Middle Ages. It was most often used to arouse love or sexual...