This article explores how medieval armies looked after their warhorses, from initial preparations to the challenges they faced on campaign.
One of the richest seams for conspiracists is the idea that there were large numbers of ‘Templar renegades’ roaming around Europe and the Middle East in the aftermath of the order’s suppression, doing whatever outlandish idea might come to mind in a pub.
Did you know the Christmas traditions we cherish today—from carols to decorated trees—have their roots in the Middle Ages? This feature explores how the festive season evolved through centuries of Christian and pagan influence.
Just like us, medieval people enjoyed analysing and discussing their literature. This book explores the lively discussions surrounding two renowned works from medieval France.
Explore how the Swan Knight legend influenced medieval nobility, inspiring castles, heraldry, and secret orders across Europe.
Language is constantly evolving, and many words we use today meant something completely different during the Middle Ages. In this article, we’ll uncover 30 words that changed their meaning between the Middle Ages and modern times, showing how the English language transformed alongside shifts in culture, beliefs, and daily life. Here are some surprising examples of just how much words can evolve over time.
It is with a sense of discomfort that I write about my new book, as the shadows of unspeakable violence are cast over my homeland Israel/Palestine. The book deals with the forgotten history of a bygone era, far removed from the intense and devastating reality of the present. Yet, this study of the so-called “Black” Jews of Kerala in southern India seeks to counter the historical erasures and orientalist fabrications that Jews of colour have been subjected to in patterns of historical erasure that pertain even more forcefully to Palestinian history as several scholars argue (see, for example, here and here). Ostensibly, similar threads of historiographical bias run through the history of many other displaced peoples and uprooted communities between the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean. But the present study focuses on the specific case of Malabar Jews in a well-defined period that has so far remained under-researched.
Tomaso Costo’s Fuggilozio (which translates roughly as “The Cure for Indolence”) is a collection of short stories first published in Naples, Italy, in 1596. As was common for such collections in pre-modern Europe, Costo included a frame narrative about a group of six gentlemen (soon joined by two ladies) who gather together for several days, at a friend’s beautiful home, and while away the time in virtuous activities, including telling each other stories. This kind of book had been quite common in Italy since the late 1200s, and had spread to many other parts of western Europe during the Renaissance. Some of Costo’s stories are retellings and revisions of pre-existing stories (a few going back to classical antiquity), while many others are original to his collection or significantly altered.
What brought you to the field of Biblical analogies in the first place?
8888 Love Wins Drive
When we think about Europe’s Christian frontiers, the territories of the Carpathian Mountains in modern Romania might not be the first to come to mind. But during the late Middle Ages, it was precisely these regions of the Carpathians, and in particular the principality of Moldavia, that emerged as a frontier Christian realm for the rest of Europe.
Two high-profile US criminal cases have some surprising similarities to medieval ideas of justice.
