Who was Thorkell the Tall?
A viking mercenary who fought on three sides, who was Thorkell the Tall?
Medieval
‘The Green Ages’ by Annette Kehnel review
Can The Green Ages: Medieval Innovations in Sustainability by Annette Kehnel find anything worth recycling in medieval modes of living?
A Christmas to Save the Byzantine Empire
Henry IV had a special guest for Christmas in 1400: the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos. United by their Christian faith, they were nonetheless on separate sides of the East-West schism. How did they celebrate?
The St Brice’s Day Massacre
When paying off the Vikings failed to yield lasting peace, on 13 November 1002 king Æthelred ordered the slaughter of England’s Danes instead.
The Allure of Medieval Churches
The ancient stones of churches are portals to the past. Each new generation becomes a custodian.
‘Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife’ and ‘God’s Own Gentlewoman’ review
Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women and God’s Own Gentlewoman bring the real world of medieval women out of the margins.
The Violent Life of the Medieval Monks
Meant to live a life of perfect peacefulness and contemplation, in reality monks were human and fallible. How violent could life in the medieval cloister be?
The Kingdom of Sicily is Born
On 27 September 1130 a Norman usurper gained a crown from a desperate pope and the Kingdom of Sicily was born.
The Last Testaments of Richard II and Henry IV
Tyrant and usurper: the last wills of Richard II and Henry IV give rare insight into the medieval monarchs who wore the crown.
How to Rescue the Reputation of the Nasty Normans
The villains of British history, the Normans can be a difficult sell. But going off script has its rewards.