Call for Papers: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, text and images
Conference in Paris, from December 7th to 9th, 2023
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Medieval Mass Abduction?
What really happened on June 26, 1284, in the German town of Hamelin?
How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple with Azzan Yadin-Israel
Everyone knows that the fruit Eve was tempted to eat in the Garden of Eden was an apple – or was it? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Azzan Yadin-Israel about the original fruit of original sin, how written culture and art worked together to transform it, and why it took centuries to settle on the apple.
Was a woman the first editor of the Qur’an?
Did one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad have a crucial role in editing and codifying the Qur’an? A study about Hafsa bint ‘Umar offers some different perspectives on the early days of Islam.
Wisdom from a Medieval King
Are you looking for some wise advice? Perhaps the wisdom that came from King Aldfrith of Northumbria will offer you some answers.
Medieval Table Manners: The Messiest Myth?
Because medieval people ate with their hands, there is a common idea that they had no table manners at all.
517 Viking Nicknames
Of all the peoples of the Middle Ages, it was the Norse who had the best nicknames. You can now explore a list of hundreds of interesting and strange nicknames from the Viking Age.
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.
10 Types of Bad Friends: A Medieval Guide
What kind of friend are you? A 13th-century writer looks at friendship, including ten types of friends you should stay away from!
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.
Banquets in the Middle Ages
If the medieval meal you’re imagining looks a little bit like a modern wedding, you’re not too far off.
John Gower with Eve Salisbury and Georgiana Donavin
Everyone’s heard of Geoffrey Chaucer, but he wasn’t the only poet writing powerful and political verse in fourteenth-century London. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eve Salisbury and Georgiana Donavin about John Gower, his poetry, and why we should all get to know him.
Why the Middle Ages are called the ‘Dark Ages’
The Dark Ages – it is a term that evokes images of war, destruction and death. How did the term ‘Dark Ages’ become synonymous with the Middle Ages, and why do we still refer to it like that?
Bal des Ardents: When the King of France nearly burned to death
What was supposed to be a fun night celebrating a wedding ended with four French nobles dead, and the King of France coming close to burning to death.
Ten Medieval Warrior Women
There are many examples of women who took up arms or commanded armies during the Middle Ages. Here is our list of ten medieval warrior women.
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.
Famous Last Words from the Middle Ages
From the strange to the serene, here are some last words by kings, queens, saints, warriors and other people from the Middle Ages.
When Hundreds of Arabs came to Medieval France
The story of Louis IX and the Christian converts he brought to his kingdom.
How Messages were sent in the Middle Ages
What it must have been like to try and communicate across long distances in the Middle Ages.
The Catacombs of Marcellino and Peter: A Landmark of Early Medieval Rome
One of the most popular pilgrimage sites in early medieval Rome was the Catacombs of Marcellino and Peter. It has a fascinating history dating back to the fourth century, which includes being robbed by one of the most famous writers of the Carolingian era.
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.
A Medieval Autobiography
The autobiography of Opicino de Canistris is both very mundane and very strange.
Thor with Declan Taggart
He’s a comic book hero. He’s a movie star. He’s Earth’s mightiest Avenger, and a day of the week. He’s the god of thunder… or is he? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Declan Taggart about Thor.
10 Medieval Places That Don’t Exist
There were some strange lands and places that medieval people thought were real.