Medieval

Exhibiting the Lindisfarne Gospels

Michelle Brown, curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at the British Library, discusses new interpretations of this treasure, and how this month visitors to the Library will be able to get closer to it than ever before.

Heraldry and the Medieval Gentlewoman

Maurice Keen looks at the significance of female lines of descent in heraldic arms, and what this tells us about women of noble and gentle birth in medieval England.

Wallace and Bruce: Scotland’s Uneasy Heroes

Was Bruce as patriotic or as harmonious in his relationship with Wallace as the view of historical romance has handed down? Andrew Fisher investigates the meaning of patriotism in 14th-century Scotland and suggests the tradition needs revising.