Where the Middle Ages Begin
Embark on a journey through the fascinating world of the Vikings with the Life in the Viking Age online course. Offered by Medievalists.net, this self-paced mini course introduces you to how Norse society was structured and how people lived. Also included is discussion of the social classes, gender, and the importance of family.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
If you lived during the Middle Ages, what kind of things would you have? Here is a guide to some of the everyday items that a medieval person would have used or had.
The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford is urgently raising funds to purchase a painting of the Crucifixion by Renaissance master Fra Angelico, created in the 1420s. The museum has until 29 October to raise £4,481,000 to buy the painting, otherwise it will be sold to a private owner outside the United Kingdom.
Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a small knife inscribed with the country’s oldest runic inscription, hirila, meaning ‘Little Sword’. Dating back nearly 2,000 years, it is now on display at Museum Odense.
By Nancy Bazilchuk Noblemen and women, in fancy clothing and pearls – but with dragon wings and tails. A laughing man with a…
Embark on a journey through the fascinating world of the Vikings with the Life in the Viking Age online course. Offered by Medievalists.net, this self-paced mini course introduces you to how Norse society was structured and how people lived. Also included is discussion of the social classes, gender, and the importance of family.
How ancient is this bond between humans and storks? Where did it first form, and how has it evolved over time?
Scotland’s most iconic historical sites will be transformed from Saturday, 12 October to Sunday, 20 October for the Great Big Living History Week, featuring re-enactments and immersive performances that bring centuries of history to life.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China’s greatest literary masterpieces, has fascinated readers for centuries with its epic tales of warfare, intrigue, and heroism. If you’re eager to dive into this 14th-century classic but don’t read Chinese, you might be wondering: Which English translation should you choose?
Kamala Harris’ laughter has stirred criticism that taps into centuries-old misogyny. This article links her detractors to medieval fears of humor’s power to challenge authority.
Struggling with speaking—whether in public or even with a friend? A medieval treatise offers timeless advice on what not to do.
The British Library has delighted medieval enthusiasts by restoring access to its digitised manuscripts collection. After being offline for nearly a year due to a cyberattack last October, the first 1,000 manuscripts, many of which date from the Middle Ages, have now been returned to the website.
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in September, which tell us about topics including the dietary habits of Florentines and the rediscovery of an African empire.
Richard II came to the throne as a young child, only to lose it to his cousin Henry IV in 1399. But why did Henry take such drastic action? And what became of the teenage boy who stood up to a crowd of angry peasants and held his own? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen Castor about these rival cousins, the events that shaped them, and how an anointed king could lose his hollow crown.
A hoard of silver coins, buried nearly 1,000 years ago, has been discovered on the Isle of Man.
Imagine stumbling upon a centuries-old manuscript and discovering an unexpected visitor had left its mark – a cat’s paw, immortalised in ink. This quirky image, a medieval equivalent of your cat jumping on your keyboard, has captivated social media for over ten years.
A new state might be coming to Europe, and it has a medieval connection. The Albanian government is planning to allow a religious order dating back to the 13th century to have its own microstate.
Are you looking to get a helmet worn by a Viking or Norman warrior? Or a stunning terracotta horse created in China during the Tang Dynasty? These are among the item going up for auction later this month.
Amid growing health concerns over chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, modern researchers are increasingly looking to the past for innovative solutions. A new study examines what a 14th-century text reveals about ‘food as medicine’.
Unlock the rich and diverse world of medieval literature with our list of 50 masterpieces. From epic tales of heroism to timeless romances and spiritual writings, these works from the Middle Ages have shaped cultures and influenced storytelling traditions for centuries.
Sponsored by the British Archaeological Association, this event aims to demonstrate the range of career options available to medievalists, especially those studying in Art History and adjacent disciplines such as History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies.
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.
It turns out that Norway’s Viking Age was much more violent.
This is a two-part lecture with Lindy Grant speaking on ‘Power and domesticity: Castles and Capetian rulership in the the thirteenth century’ and Jeremy Ashbee speaking on ‘The Royal Castles of Edward I and English Control of North Wales’
Archaeologists have uncovered the 14th-century church of the medieval monastery of St. Theodosius of Tarnovski near Veliko Tarnovo, in northern Bulgaria, shedding light on the rich historical legacy of the region.
A new project aims to uncover how genetic traits from the Black Death era shaped human populations, providing insights into disease susceptibility that may still affect us today. Led by Harald Ringbauer of the Max Plank Institute, the research team will analyze the genomes of 500 victims to link medieval and modern genes in an unprecedented way.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China’s greatest literary masterpieces, has fascinated readers for centuries with its epic tales of warfare, intrigue, and heroism. If you’re eager to dive into this 14th-century classic but don’t read Chinese, you might be wondering: Which English translation should you choose?
Richard II came to the throne as a young child, only to lose it to his cousin Henry IV in 1399. But why did Henry take such drastic action? And what became of the teenage boy who stood up to a crowd of angry peasants and held his own? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen Castor about these rival cousins, the events that shaped them, and how an anointed king could lose his hollow crown.
What’s so great about Charlemagne? We’re about to find out. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Cullen Chandler about the reign of Charlemagne, how he ruled such a massive empire, and how he still took the time to care about font.
In this episode, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries answer your questions about medieval warfare.
What’s new and beautiful and hitting the medieval history section of the bookshop? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares six new books spanning art, gunpowder, translation, and medicine in the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, falconry was one of the most popular pastimes across the known world. More than just a pleasant diversion in the countryside, it was a way to show status, education, sophistication, and leadership. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Yannis Hadjinicolaou about why falconry was so widely beloved, and such a popular metaphor for both love and power.
In the eleventh-century, Iberia was in the process of evolving networks of tiny villages into the powerful kingdoms we recognize from the end of the medieval period – sometimes by any means necessary. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Simon Doubleday about the ways in which Queen Sancha and King Fernando I shaped northern Spain and Portugal.