In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly examine the Battle of Stirling Bridge in Scotland as a clear example of poor generalship. Focusing on the English command’s mistakes, they explore how underestimating William Wallace and the Scottish forces led to disastrous decisions over terrain and timing.
The Death of Mustafa; Description of Aleppo; The Sultan's Entrance; The Sultan at Aleppo; The Campaign This report is pretty long, so I broke it up into sections; the section headers don’t appear in the original report. You can skip the Description of Aleppo and The Sultan’s Entrance sections without losing much context, although I find the Description of Aleppo to be fascinating.
Google's Gemini Nano Bana Pro outperforms ChatGPT 5.1 in generating AI images of a Byzantine Noblewoman from 1060 AD, providing faster, photorealistic results compared to ChatGPT's artistic interpretations. Gemini excels in representing historical context and societal structures accurately, demonstrating the potential of AI to enhance understanding and accessibility of history.
A medieval medical guide reduced healthy living to six simple rules. Explore The Theatre of Health and how its advice on diet, activity, and balance still resonates today.
Explore 12 medieval proverbs about wolves, drawn from Latin sources and translated into English, revealing how medieval writers used the wolf to express moral and social lessons.
Philip the Handsome; Young Charles V; Burgundy; England; Spain Background
State of the Ottoman Court; State of the Army and Navy; Ibrahim's scheming; Barbarossa; Allies and Enemies; the Doge's illegitimate son Luigi Background
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Heather Blurton about how Richard’s contemporaries saw him, the wild stories told about him in the later Middle Ages, and why we still just can’t get enough of this controversial king.
A royal manuscript of the Roman de la Rose offers a fresh look at Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun’s contrasting visions of medieval love and reason.
An essay on medieval history and modern politics One of the buzziest slogans of this year, after the ubiquitous 6-7, is ‘No Kings’.
During the Middle Ages, the court of a great lord was a place filled with lavish feasts, grand tournaments, and other ostentatious displays of wealth and power. Theme: Courtly life Alice Isabella Sullivan, "Courtly culture in the Middle Ages: Origins and sources," 16-17. Kathryn Walton, "The romances of courtly life: Of love, magic, and chivalry," 18-21. Leslie Ivings, "The court of the purple born: Byzantine power and ceremony," 22-25. Jacob H. Deacon, "Pas d'armes: Knights, giants, and unicorns," 26-33. Helen Carr, "The court of Edward III: Chivalry, powers, and spectacle," 34-37. Lucie Laumonier, "Dining at court: Fine cuisine and table manners," 38-43. Jacob H. Deaon, "Freydal: Combat and dance," 44-47. Features: Richard Thomson, "Medieval Edinburgh: The principal burgh of our kingdom," 8-13. Robert Jones, "Knights behaving badly: When chivalric culture failed." 14-15. Conor Robison, "The hard ground at Gladenmore: Reigniting Scotland's war for independence," 48-51. Lucie Laumonier, "Practical magic: Debunking myths about medieval witches," 52-53. James G. Clark, "The Golden Legend: A popular treasury of tales," 54-55. Jonathan H. Jones, "Book review: Johannes Gutenberg: A Biography in Books," 56. Michael Kister, "Book review: Frederick Barbarossa," 57.
What’s new in medieval studies? Here are ten open-access articles published in November, which include papers ranging from bee amulets to the Stone of Scone.
