A Postmodem Look at a Medieval Poet: The Case of William Dunbar
Recently, Umberto Eco, that well-known postmodemist critic/writer, has lamented that “‘postmodem’ is a term bon atout jaire. I have the impres- sion that it is applied today to anything the user happens to like.
Let the Drama Begin
Unlike in many of today’s performances, audiences were encouraged to participate in the action, heckling the ‘bad guys’ and cheering for the ‘good guys.’
The Lives of St Samson: rewriting the ambitions of an early medieval cult
In the middle of the ninth century, at the monastery of Dol in Brittany, the Life of the sixth-century saint Samson was rewritten. The rewriter evidently perceived a defi- ciency in the existing Life of St Samson, and one that many modern historians would come to share: the fact that it had very little to say about Brittany.
The Siege of Beauvais in 1472
The Burgundians made a rush into the gap. The citizens fought madly from the walls with swords, their bodies, stones and lead. Archery and crossbow fire rained down on the enemy.
The Unicorn, St Andrew and the Thistle: Was there an Order of Chivalry in Late Medieval Scotland?
A common expression of kingship throughout Europe in the fifteenth century was the founding of orders of chivalry. Whether the Scottish crown also attempted to appropriate the ideologies of chivalry in this way is important to establish.
Feeding the micel here in England c. 865-878
Feeding the micel here in England c. 865-878 Shane McLeod Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association, Volume 3 (2007) Abstract With the…
An early medieval symbol carved on a tree trunk: pathfinder or territorial marker?
The chance discovery of a carved symbol on a waterlogged tree of the six–ninth century AD may be the earliest mark on a living tree that has so far come to light.
The Montfortian bishops and the justification of conciliar government in 1264
In 1266, five English bishops were suspended from office for supporting Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, in rebellion against King Henry III.
The Last Week of the Life of Edward the Black Prince
Edward the Black Prince died in the palace of Westminster, after years of debilitating illness, on Trinity Sunday, 8 June 1376. There has been little or no discussion by historians of why the prince should have chosen Canterbury for burial, when Westminster abbey was already well-established as the royal mausoleum, or any discussion at all of another matter to which the prince gave attention in his very last days, namely the grant of a charter of disaffor- estation to the community of Wirral in his earldom and county of Chester.
Medievalism as fun and games
Medievalism hides in many guises in contemporary culture, of which four will be examined here.
Tasting Misery Among Snakes: The Situation of Smiths in Anglo-Saxon Settlements
The prominence of smiths in early medieval culture should capture the imagination of archaeologists interpreting the remains of Anglo-Saxon metalworking.
Elemental theory in everyday practice: food disposal in the later medieval English countryside
For medieval rural communities the story of food did not necessarily end in its eating.
‘Grandissima Gratia’: The Power of Italian Renaissance Shoes as Intimate Wear
In the Renaissance fashion system gender identification and expressions of power through shoes were instead primarily based on varying degrees of their invisibility.
Kings and sons: princely rebellions and the structures of revolt in western Europe, c.1170–c.1280
The 1173 revolt was, in fact, representative of a phenomenon in evidence across the medieval West: that of an uprising led not by disgruntled lords, but by a ruler’s chosen heir.
The Richest Bachelor in Late Medieval Reval
When Hans Bouwer had his last will and testament composed on 9 April 1519, he bequeathed approximately 7000 Rigan marks to different institutions and individuals.
And The Angel Spake unto Harunobu: A Japanese Christian miracle story of 1591
The early-modern, Portuguese-sponsored Jesuit mission to Japan left behind a body of Christian literature in Japanese whose alphabetic texts have been a treasure trove for linguists, its existence a point of pride for Christian sectarians, and its content rich material for historians.
Commons in the late medieval Crown of Aragon: Regulation, uses and conflicts, 13th-15th centuries
In this paper, we shall show some characteristics of the use of pastures and commons in the Crown of Aragon between the thirteen and fifteenth centuries.
Managing the Commons: The role of the elites in the uses of common lands in the Midlands of the kingdom of Valencia during the Middle Ages
In a recent paper, Danie Curtis has given a framework for classifying preindustrial societies in accordance with four variables, these are, the property, the power, the market of basic products and the modes of production.
Sal ich von den Ioden liten große pin? – Integration and Isolation in the Medieval German Christmas Play
I would like to start with two responses to the performance of Christmas plays that provide some insight into their effect on the socialization of the Christian communities in which they were performed.
On Omissions and Substitutions in the Medieval English Translations of the Gospel
In view of this we carried out research on two English medieval translations of John’s Gospel, believing that their comparison would not only reveal differences in the perception and experience of biblical concepts (expressed through language), but also those in culture, society and cognition that occurred in the period between their occurrence.
A Twelfth-Century Oil Press Complex at the Crusader Town of Arsur (Apollonia-Arsuf) and the Olive Oil Industry in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem
This article documents an oil press discovered in the southern part of the Crusader town of Arsur, dating to the twelfth century CE.
Viking Archaeology, Sagas, and Interdisciplinary Research in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley
At this time, we are researching and excavating fourteen sites throughout the valley. These excavations are providing a detailed picture of Viking Age life in Iceland and in the North Atlantic.
The last Serbian queen: Helena Palaiologina (1431- 1473)
Serbo-Byzantine marriages had occurred many times in the past years, when the Empire was still vast and powerful.
Did St. Peter Damian Die in 1073? A New Perspective on His Final Days
The historical narrative of Peter Damian’s final years has been shaped by the belief that he died in early 1072. His chronic ill health, scholars assume, must have gotten worse as he reached his mid sixties.