Five Maps to Explore Medieval Britain
These five interactive maps offer us a lot of ways to look back on Britain during the Middle Ages.
Latest Posts
Five Maps to Explore Medieval Britain
These five interactive maps offer us a lot of ways to look back on Britain during the Middle Ages.
True Crusader Crime: The Mysterious ‘Lord S’
Who killed William of Rouen?
The Stirrup Thesis: A transformative technology that wasn’t
Sometimes there is a story that’s just so simple and explanatory that it just must be true … even when it isn’t.
“I hold your faith, hold mine”: 14th-century ring could fetch £40,000 at auction
A medieval ring discovered by a metal detectorist in southwest England is set to go up for auction. It’s estimated that it will be sold for between £30,000-40,000.
The Lance
A colloquial way to invite a knight to joust was to ask him to “break a lance” with you.
New Medieval Books: Splendor Solis
A luxury edition comprising principles of an ancient field of knowledge, the tradition of which is very much alive. Perfect gift for philosophers, stone seekers and art lovers. Readers of Medievalists.net can get 15% off the price.
Surviving the Mongol Storm, with Nicholas Morton
A conversation with Nicholas Morton about the Mongol conquests of the thirteenth century, the terror that they inspired, and the strategies by which its targets tried to survive them. What did the Mongols think they were doing and how did the Byzantines use diplomacy to deflect the danger and even use it to their advantage?
Where you can find Medievalists.net on social media
We thought it would be a good time to let you know where you can find us on social media. Medievalists.net posts at a few different places:
Medieval Manuscript Exhibition comes for Christmas in Switzerland
If you are looking to see some medieval manuscripts this December, the place to go would be Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books will be opening the doors to its gallery to exhibit some extremely rare examples of illumination and decoration from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The Queen and the Mistress with Gemma Hollman
It’s not that easy being queen, especially when one of your ladies-in-waiting catches the eye of your husband. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Gemma Hollman about Philippa of Hainault and Alice Perrers, the wife and the mistress of Edward III.
Medieval physicians understood the ‘Placebo Effect’, study finds
Historians have often derided the medical cures found in medieval texts as not effective and being just “mere placebo.” However, a new study points out that the ‘Placebo Effect’, being a real thing, could provide relief to patients, even in the Middle Ages. Moreover, medieval physicians understood how to help their patients achieve these benefits.
Researchers to examine and digitise 15th-century English genealogical roll
Work has begun on examining and analysing a genealogical roll from the 15th century which has not been seen publicly for over 20 years.
Was Feudalism Wasteful?
A look at the economics of feudalism can reveal a major fault of this system – the failure to put surplus earnings to productive uses.
34,000 new digital images of medieval items go online
Seven institutions have come together to create a database of 34,000 new images of medieval manuscripts, books and coins. This includes over 600 manuscripts that are now online.
The Viking Axe
Few weapons were so feared or as evocative as the axe used by the Vikings in their feuds and in battle, as well as on their raids throughout Europe in the eighth and ninth centuries and beyond.
8th-century medical text lost for centuries has been rediscovered
Jianshangren’s Secret Prescription, a text of Chinese Traditional Medicine that was brought to Japan in the 8th century, has long been believed to be lost. However, the text has now been published after being passed down through a family for 52 generations.
New Medieval Books: From Swans to Saxons
Five new books about the Middle Ages, telling you about the Norman Conquest and working in Catalonian cities.
Metaphor and Metonymy in Names
Using examples from The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, the lecture discusses surnames from bird-names, animal names and fish-names.
True Crusader Crime: The Murder of the Bishop of Acre
The murder of the bishop of Acre, however, which took place on the night of 29 June 1172, was something altogether more disturbing.
Les Enluminures celebrates 10 years in New York with new exhibition
Les Enluminures, one of the major private dealers in medieval manuscripts, has opened a new exhibition – Timeless Treasures: 10 Manuscripts to Celebrate 10 Years in New York.
Hidden Hands: The Secret Lives of Manuscript Makers and Owners
Mary Wellesley will trace the stories of the people who made, loved and sometimes destroyed medieval manuscripts, which are some of the most engaging artefacts ever made by human hands.
New Zealand was first settled in the 13th century, study finds
The Māori came and settled in New Zealand, a land which they called Aotearoa, in the mid-13th century, according to new archaeological research.
”Taken into the king’s hands”: Prisoners of War and English Kings
Let us begin with a tale of two kings, both of whom were taken prisoner in battle. They were both Scottish kings, taken in attempts to invade England. While the accounts of their capture are interesting in themselves, this article is more interested in what happened after they were captured.
A medieval chronicle written by a woman: The Annals of Quedlinburg
Relatively few surviving works from the Middle Ages were written by women. One of them is a monastic chronicle known as the Annals of Quedlinburg, created in the early eleventh century. A look into this work reveals some interesting insights into the writer and her abbey.
BooksAll posts
New Medieval Books: Splendor Solis
A luxury edition comprising principles of an ancient field of knowledge, the tradition of which is very much alive. Perfect gift for philosophers, stone seekers and art lovers. Readers of Medievalists.net can get 15% off the price.
New Medieval Books: From Swans to Saxons
New Medieval Books: From Chivalry to Gems
Book of the Month: Once She Had Escaped the Tower – Aucassin and Nicolette, and Marie de France’s Gugemer
Book of the Month: The Battle at the Halfway Oak and The Spanish Count
New Medieval Books: Global Medievalism: An Introduction – available for free
New Medieval Books: From Manuscripts to Cathedrals
New Medieval Books: Fiction set in the Middle Ages from 2022
Book of the Month: Consorts of the Caliphs: Women and the Court of Baghdad
Places to SeeAll posts
Örebro Castle: History, Secrets, and Romance
For anyone who visits Örebro, it is hard to miss its castle – an ancient-looking fortress made of weathered grey stones that stands on an islet in the middle of the city centre.
The Vasa: Gustav II Adolf’s Glorious and Doomed Warship
On the 10th of August 1628, the Vasa sank in Stockholm harbour, thus ending the career of the most powerful warship that Sweden had ever seen.
Uppsala Slott: 5 Things You Ought to Know About One of Sweden’s Greatest Castles
This strategic location not only makes the castle a majestic sight, but also earns it the reputation as the most modern defence fortress in its time. But, as all ancient buildings, there is always more than meets the eye. Here are the five things that you may not know about Uppsala Castle.
Making Your Mark: Medieval Masons’ Marks at Tarascon
How do you operate a business when you can’t read and your knowledge of math is extremely limited? Making your mark on the…
The Weird, the Wonderful, and the Macabre in the Cathedral of Narbonne
Narbonne is one of those European cities with evidence of its past on every street.
Medieval English Embroidery on Display for the Last Time at the V&A’s Opus Anglicanum Exhibit
The V&A Museum opened its latest medieval exhibit exhibit on Saturday: Opus Anglicanum: Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery. I had the opportunity to see it opening day and it was spectacular.