The search for the lost Norse of Greenland detailed in new book
In his new book The Vanished Settlers of Greenland: In Search of a Legend and Its Legacy, Robert Rix of the University of Copenhagen argues that the lost Norse settlement played a decisive role in Denmark’s efforts to colonize Greenland during the 18th century.
Book of the Month: Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, Volume 3
Our Book of the Month for July will be volume 3 of Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, translated by Robert Bedrosian.
New Medieval Books: The Making of England
A general overview of English history from the mid-4th to the mid-16th centuries, with a very good balance of coverage between the Early and Later Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Fate the Hunter
A collection of 26 poems and one prose piece from the pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras, focused on hunting, a hugely important activity among the Arabs.
New Medieval Books: The Donkey and the Boat
There is a good chance that The Donkey and the Boat will be one of the most important books in medieval studies for 2023.
New Medieval Books: The Book of Kings and the Explanations of the World
Likely created in the seventh century, this text is a cross between history and scripture written by the Mandaeans, a people living in present-day Iraq and Iran. It offers a look at the perspective of one community in the Middle East during the Early Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: De La Pole, Father and Son
A double biography of two leading nobles in fifteenth-century England: John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, and his son, also named John. They become involved in the politics of the English crown and the Wars of the Roses.
New Medieval Books: Three Pilgrimages to The Holy Land
Translations of three texts from the twelfth century which relate pilgrimages to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Saewulf was English, while John of Wurzburg and Theoderic were both Germans. They offer interesting insights into how Jerusalem and the Near East region changed in the aftermath of the First Crusade.
New Medieval Books: Egypt and the Mediterranean World
A collection of fifteen essays that look at Egypt’s history between the years 500 to 1000, as it transitions from being under Byzantine rule to Islamic rule.
Book of the Month: Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, Volume 2
Our Book of the Month for June will be volume 2 of Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, translated by Robert Bedrosian.
New Medieval Books: The Bones of Birka
Aimed at younger readers, this book takes a look at the story of Bj 581, the grave in Birka where a female Viking warrior was buried.
New Medieval Books: The Cambridge History of the Polar Regions
A collection of 31 essays examining the history of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, from prehistoric times to the modern day. Includes a few essays of interest to medievalists.
New Medieval Books: The Other Renaissance
A work that straddles that Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, The Other Renaissance aims to give readers introductions to many important figures and their importance to the modern world.
New Medieval Books: Minstrels and Minstrelsy in Late Medieval England
This book examines the careers of professional entertainers between the fourteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
Book of the Month: Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, Volume 1
Our Book of the Month for May will be volume 1 of Matthew of Edessa’s Chronicle, translated by Robert Bedrosian.
New Medieval Books: Making a Medieval Stained Glass Window
Using a case study of the Great East Window at the York Minster, this book examines what we can learn about medieval glass windows through scientific research such as chemical analysis and x-ray fluorescence scans.
New Medieval Books: Empires of the Normans
An overview of the Normans and their history, beginning with Rollo and his Vikings, and expanding to cover England, Italy, the First Crusade and more. It goes beyond the typical overview of the Normans to also cover their presence in Asia Minor, North Africa and Scotland.
New Medieval Books: Wonders and Rarities
This book introduces us to the life and works of Zakariyyāʾ Qazwīnī, a 13th-century scholar from Iran. He wrote about the cosmos and the geography of the world, producing an influential book known as Wonders and Rarities.
New Medieval Books: Merits of the Plague
Part of Penguin Classics, this is a translation of an early fifteenth-century work about the Black Death and plagues. Written in Egypt, it is a valuable addition to our understanding of the pandemic and how people reacted to it.
New Medieval Books: Tales of Merlin, Arthur, and the Magic Arts
Tales of Merlin, Arthur, and the Magic Arts: From the Welsh Chronicle of the Six Ages of the World By Elis Gruffydd, translated…
New Medieval Books: Kalīlah and Dimnah: Fables of Virtue and Vice
Kalīlah and Dimnah: Fables of Virtue and Vice By Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ Translated by Michael Fishbein and James E. Montgomery New York University Press…
New Medieval Books: The Poetic Edda: A Dual-Language Edition (Open Access)
Having this work published, especially in Open Access, is a great service to readers and students of Norse mythology. The work is entertaining enough that anyone interested in the Middle Ages, especially the Viking world, should check it out.
New Medieval Books: The World of Wu Zhao
This is a good supplemental piece for those interested in the life and times of Wu Zhao or Tang Dynasty China.
Book of the Month: The History of the Tartars
Our Book of the Month for April is The History of the Tartars: Flower of the Histories of the East, by Het’um, translated by Robert Bedrosian.