Explore the fascinating world of the Middle Ages through our collection of medieval history articles. Learn what life was like during this era, delve into key events and figures, and discover the rich culture, beliefs, religion, archaeology, and architecture that defined the period.
Table of contents
Medieval Life and Society
European History: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
This travel website contains many links to diverse online resources related to the European history in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. Medieval topics covered in various ways include Art, Political History, War, Urban History, the Black Death, and more. There is an equally fine collection of links for the study of the Renaissance.
Asher & Lyric
The Medieval Lifestyle: Food, Clothing, Weapons, Medicine and More
When students think of medieval times, they might first imagine the legends of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. While knights, quests, and codes of honor did play a role in medieval times, also known as the Middle Ages, they occupy only a small and early part of history. Much more beyond legendary British tales remains to learn about this age from more than half a millennium ago.
Lulus.com
Middle Ages and Renaissance Facts for Kids
Have you ever wondered how people lived in the past? Two of the most exciting time periods that humanity has lived through were called the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They happened one right after the other, and without them, life today wouldn’t be the same. Here’s what you might not know about both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance!
medievalcollectibles.com
The Enduring Appeal of a Lolcat: Ancient and Medieval Cats as Pets
The concept of taking humorous pictures of cats (even complete with captions) goes back more than a century. Way back in 1870, an Englishman named Harry Pointer started to take pictures of cats in humorous circumstances. He would sell these pictures as greeting cards.
Just History Posts 2017
An Anglo-Saxon August
“I’ve been posting at intervals extracts from the Old English poem known as the Menologium, a tenth-century poem which catalogues the months of the year, describing their characteristic seasonal features and saints’ feasts. Nearly thirty lines are devoted to August, the month of Lammas and the harvest, and of several important saints’ days.”
Clerk of Oxford blog
Arming a Knight in the 15th Century
“By the time we reach the late fifteenth century armour has developed to the extent where plate has almost completely replaced mail, thus creating the ‘knight in shining armour’ of popular imagination. But getting into it was a lot more complicated than you might think …”
Catherine Hanley
In Brief – Saxons, Vikings and Normans
The History of London 2018
Key Events and Figures of the Middle Ages
The History of the Byzantine Empire – Podcasts
This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire through the study of twelve of its greatest rulers.
Lars Brownworth, 12 Byzantine Rulers
Exploring the True Origins of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
It is believed that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been in existence since the Middle Ages, passed down through word-of-mouth over the centuries. It has generally been regarded as purely a tale of fiction. However, recent research suggests the famous fairy tale may not be so fictional after all.
April Holloway, Ancient Origins 2015
Royal People: Emperor Charlemagne, King of the Franks
Charlemagne lived between c. 747 and c. 814. He became joint Frankish King in 768 upon the death of his father, and once his brother and co-King, Carloman, died suddenly in 771, Charlemagne became sole ruler.
Just History Posts 2016
Prester John – Podcast
In the Middle Ages, Prester John was seen as the great hope for Crusaders struggling to hold on to, then regain, Jerusalem. He was thought to rule a lost Christian kingdom somewhere in the East and was ready to attack Muslim opponents with his enormous armies.
In our Time, BBC Radio 4 2015
Stitches in Time: A History of the Bayeux Tapestry
Little is known about the origins of the Bayeux Tapestry, or its journey from Norman propaganda to a world-famous tourist attraction. Yet those moments in which its story does come into focus reveal a surprising history of cross-cultural exchange.
Charlie Rozier, History Today 2018
The Crusades: A Complete History
A comprehensive account of a compelling and controversial topic, whose bitter legacy resonates to this day.
Jonathan Phillips, History Today 2015
Shot through the eye and who’s to blame?
Unpicking a tangle of history, myth and misunderstanding reveals why, for so long, we believed Harold was shot through the eye.
Martin Foys, History Today 2016
The Biggest Party Ever? The Field of the Cloth of Gold
Just History 2017
Medieval Culture, Beliefs, and Religion
Medieval Dating Tips; or, How to Bag Yourself an Eligible Lord or Lady
Gemma Hollman, Just History 2017
Back to the Dark Ages
The ‘Dark Ages’ is an outdated stereotype abandoned by historians years ago, which makes its use by English Heritage all the more disappointing.
Kate Wiles, History Today 2016
Defending the ‘Dark Ages’
In describing the violent culture of the fifth and sixth centuries, the term ‘Dark Ages’ has both meaning and resonance.
Ian Mortimer, History Today 2016
Chivalry – Podcast
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss chivalry, the moral code observed by knights of the Middle Ages. Chivalry originated in the military practices of aristocratic French and German soldiers, but developed into an elaborate system governing many different aspects of knightly behaviour. Articles on the Middle Ages.
In our Time, BBC Radio 4 2014
Betwixt nature and God dwelt the medieval ‘preternatural’
[Some kinds of] accidents of nature were known as ‘prodigies’,. i.e. floods; rains of blood or body parts; miscarriages, human and animal; volcanic eruptions and earthquakes; comets, eclipses … They occupied a middle ground between natural and supernatural: the preternatural.
Laura Bland, Aeon
Surviving Winter in the Middle Ages
In 2013, a medieval reenactment group set out to see what it would be like to survive a Russian winter in the Middle Ages. They selected one of their members, Pavel Sapozhnikov, to live on a farmstead, with only ninth century tools, clothing and shelter for six months as part of a project entitled, ‘Alone in the Past.’
Medievalists.net 2015
Laundry, Lye and Blood-letting
The Anglo-Saxon Monk lingers over the laundry duties of a medieval priory and discovers more than just soap and water.
Anglo Saxon Monk 2016
Law and Order in Anglo-Saxon England
Extensive review of the book “Law and Order in Anglo-Saxon England” by Tom Lambert
Dr Philippa Byrne, Reviews in History
Medieval Rules for Jousting
Medievalists.net 2015
Top 10 Medieval Places That Don’t Exist
Based on medieval legends, fictional stories, or somewhat less than useful geographic reports, here is our list of ten medieval places you won’t be able to visit!
Medievalists.net 2014
Medieval Archaeology and Architecture
A brief introduction to gargoyles
Usually taking the form of a twisted face or a animal hybrid, these ominous stone icons are referred to in Greek mythology as ‘chimera’ – a creature with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the long tail of a snake. Medieval history articles.
Heritage Calling 2018
Exploring abandoned castles in France
France is home to thousands of medieval castles, some that are prominent tourist sites or serve as hotels or lavish homes. However, there are hundreds of these sites that have been abandoned and left to slowly ruin. One website is documenting these places in hopes that it will lead to some conservation efforts. Medieval history articles.
Medievalists.net 2013
Temple Church: the hidden church founded by the Knights Templar
Caroline, Flickering Lamps 2015
The Many Renaissances of Medieval Europe
An exhibition of illuminated manuscripts and Greek and Roman antiquities questions the idea that medieval artists operated in the dark.
Sarah Waldorf and Annelisa Stephan, The Iris 2017
This Viking ‘Parliament’ Lay Hidden for Centuries in Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest
Before Robin Hood hid out in Sherwood Forest, Vikings held their most important meetings there
Alanna Martinez, Observer 2017
Aachen Cathedral: Charlemagne’s Enigmatic “Paradox”
Often referred to as the ‘Imperial Cathedral’, the Aachen Cathedral (in Aachen, west of Bonn, Germany) is a Roman Catholic church that is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe.
Dattatreya Mandal, Realm of History 2015
Anglo Saxon London Map: Updated
“In 2011, we put together a map showing the London area in Anglo Saxon times (roughly speaking, 500-1066AD). It’s pieced together from many resources, showing our guess at the roads, rivers, forests and marshland that characterised the region. We’ve now updated the map, based on feedback and further research.”
Londonist 2018
Anglo-Saxon ‘Palace’ Possibly Discovered Near Sutton Hoo Site
“Rendlesham lies only about 4 miles from Sutton Hoo, and yet it might just compete with the renowned Anglo-Saxon site in terms of sheer archaeological value. To that end, researchers have recently discovered the structural remains of a 23 m (75 ft) by 9 m (30 ft) building that could have been a royal hall or a palace-like construction.”
Dattatreya Mandal, Realm of History 2016
Building a 13th-Century Castle in the 21st Century – The Atlantic
Guedelon Castle is a project started in 1997 by Michel Guyot and Maryline Martin in the Burgundy region of France. The castle is styled on typical French medieval chateau-fort, modeled on designs from the 13th century, and is being built using techniques and materials available to masons and builders 800 years ago.
Alan Taylor, Atlantic 2016
Clones Castle rediscovered after 250 years
A 17th century castle “lost” for more than 250 years has been rediscovered in the centre of a town on the Irish border. The walls were covered in ivy and hidden in undergrowth but there were clues that had been overlooked.
Julian Fowler, BBC News 2016
This Benedictine Monk Travels The World Helping Preserve Centuries-Old Manuscripts, Cultural Heritage
Father Columba Stewart (@ColumbaStewart) has spent more than a decade traveling to some of the world’s most dangerous regions- Iraq, Syria, the Balkans – to find and preserve manuscripts, many of them centuries old. Medieval history articles.
Here and Now 2017
Related Pages on Century Past
Here are CenturyPast.org pages with books or other resources on related subjects. Use the top Menu to look through our 400+ pages.