Celibacy, Misogyny, and Sodomy
The medieval insistence on clerical celibacy had dangerous and long-lasting consequences.
History Matters
Thoughts, opinions and commentary on all things historical.
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‘Did You Hear the One …’
What to do when a good joke becomes bad taste.
The Original Anti-Vaxxers
When widespread vaccination was introduced there were objections – some justified, some not.
An Outbreak of Heartbreak
‘Crazy Jane’ was ubiquitous in the late 18th century, the archetypal figure of those driven mad by heartbreak. Was the plight of the love sick a performance or a pandemic?
When They Get to the Border
The Aliens Act of 1905 was the culmination of decades of anxiety about migrants – some of whom attempted to reach Britain by clandestine means.
After Me, Conquest
Edward the Confessor, a model of medieval piety, was a surprisingly effective ruler.
Illuminating Conspiracy
Demonology is a long-established if little known political tradition in the United States.
A Lost City in the North Caucasus
The identification of Magas, capital of the medieval Kingdom of Alania, reveals a civilisation forged by global interconnections.
William Cecil’s Perilous Year
Cecil feared the Tower, until his kinswoman Anne Bacon stepped in.
Rejecting the New Normal
Rhodesia’s ill-fated independence, 55 years on.