Tiny Edens: What Grew in a Medieval Monastery’s Garden
Explore five key elements of medieval monastery gardens, from sacred plants to healing herbs, and learn how they shaped monastic life and worship.
Hellmouths, Rockets, and Feather Pillows: Special Effects in Medieval Theatre
From flaming hellmouths to heavenly ropes and staged miracles, discover the surprising special effects that brought medieval theatre to life.
10 Famous Forgeries from the Middle Ages
Medieval history is full of secrets—and some of its most influential documents were outright fakes. From forged royal charters to fabricated letters from mythical kings, here are 10 famous forgeries that reshaped the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Complete Essentials for the Military Classics
This is a partial translation of Wujing Zongyao, an important 11th-century Chinese military treatise. The section translated in this volume contains examples from Chinese history that serve as examples of good strategies and tactics related to warfare.
Who was Allah before Islam?, with Ahmad Al-Jallad
A conversation with Ahmad Al-Jallad about the languages and inscriptions of pre-Islamic Arabia, our main contemporary source for life, death, and worship before the time of the Prophet Muhammad. We talk about field surveys in search of inscriptions and what they tell us about Allah and other Arabian deities in the early centuries of the first millennium.
Medieval Ladies-in-Waiting with Caroline Dunn
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Caroline Dunn about the lives of ladies in waiting.
New Medieval Books: Story, World and Character in the Late Íslendingasögur
The Icelandic sagas written after the year 1300 tend to get classified as being not as good as the more famous Family Sagas. However, this book explains why these ‘rogue sagas’ are also very interesting, especially their superhero characters and paranormal encounters.
The Rise of Gunpowder Weapons in Medieval Korea
One of the key developments in medieval history was the creation of gunpowder weaponry. Throughout the medieval world, it would greatly change how war was waged. The Annals of King T’aejo includes an account of how gunpowder weapons were introduced to Korea.
The Evolution of Papal Authority: Plenitudo Potestatis and Sovereignty in Medieval Canon Law
How did medieval canon law shape the idea of absolute papal authority? This article traces the evolution of key legal concepts—plenitudo potestatis, potestas absoluta, and pro ratione voluntas—from Pope Innocent III to Hostiensis, revealing their lasting impact on theories of sovereignty.
The Siege of Belgrade (1521)
The Ottomans launch another siege against the city of Belgrade. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Kelly and Michael explore how Suleiman the Magnificent and his forces ultimately achieved victory.
New Online Course: The Three Religions of Medieval Spain
Explore nearly 1,000 years of history in this six-part course, tracing the Iberian Peninsula’s dynamic past of innovation, collaboration, and conflict.
New Medieval Books: Authentically Medieval
A collection of ten essays that examines how the Middle Ages is portrayed in novels and modern literature. It aims to answer the question how to bring a true-to-life medieval world in fiction.
The Historiography of a Construct: “Feudalism” and the Medieval Historian
Was medieval Europe truly a “feudal” society, or is feudalism a modern construct imposed on the past? This article explores how historians have debated, redefined, and even rejected the term, shaping our understanding of medieval governance and society.
The Changing Image of Saladin: From Crusader Villain to Chivalric Hero
Few historical figures have undergone as dramatic a transformation as Saladin. Once cast as a ruthless enemy of Christendom, he later became the very model of knightly virtue in Western literature.
20 Essential Tools of a Medieval Scribe
From ink-stained fingers to feline assistants, medieval scribes relied on an eclectic mix of tools to craft their manuscripts—some practical, some unexpected.
New Medieval Books: Chronicle of King Charles VII
An edition and translation of a chronicle by a monk with ties to the French government, offering a detailed account of political and military events in France, particularly those of the Hundred Years’ War.
English Towns Recovered from the Black Death Faster Than Expected, Study Finds
The Black Death devastated English towns, wiping out more than half their populations—but did they ever fully recover? A new study finds that urban centers like Nottingham rebounded much faster than previously believed, with migration and economic shifts driving their revival in the decades after the plague.
Six Medieval States That Merged Peacefully
Not all medieval states were forged through war—some united through diplomacy, marriage, and mutual agreement. These six peaceful mergers strengthened kingdoms, expanded influence, and reshaped the political landscape of Europe.
Lucrezia Borgia’s Life in Ferrara: Marriage, Intrigue, and Scandal
In 1500, Lucrezia Borgia found herself once again a pawn in the ruthless game of power and politics. With two failed marriages behind her—one ending in murder—she was at the centre of a marriage negotiation that would test the strength of two powerful families: the Borgias and the Estes of Ferrara.
How Medieval Nobles Learned French
Imagine learning French not from a textbook but through a lively medieval poem filled with lessons on daily life. That’s exactly what The…
The Phantom Book That Changed the Course of British History
Was England’s medieval history shaped by a book that never existed? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae claims to be based on a lost Breton manuscript—but no one has ever found it, leaving historians to debate whether it was real or a masterful invention.
New Medieval Books: The Roads to Rome
The Roman Empire constructed an extensive road network that spanned the Mediterranean and much of Europe. This book explores the enduring legacy of these roads, including their significance during the Middle Ages.
Global Ships with Amanda Respess
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Amanda Respess about ships and shipbuilding in the medieval world, what we know about early global trade routes, and the fascinating bits of archaeology we’re still finding under the sea.
Over 110,000 Medieval Manuscripts May Have Been Copied by Women
A new study reveals medieval women copied over 110,000 manuscripts—far more than once believed.
