#medieval-history

#medieval-history

Terry Jones was a Python, a historian, a bestselling children's author and a very naughty boy. He loved to play women in drag, started a magazine about countryside ecology (Vole), founded his own real-ale brewery and was even once a columnist for this newspaper, beginning one piece in 2011 like this: In the 14th century there were two pandemics. One was the Black Death, the other was the commercialisation of warfare.

Although a lot of medieval history is murky, the whys and wherefores - not to mention the timeline - of the Hundred Years' War are firmly nailed down. Or are they? This week, Danièle speaks with Michael Livingston about why the Hundred Years' War should actually be called the Two Hundred Years' War, what actually touched off the conflict, and why we should question everything.

Villeneuve lez Avignon has a long and rich history. Legend has it that in the 1 st Century AD, Saint Martha, the Patron Saint of Avignon "resurrected" a shepherd from the town after he drowned in the Rhone (resurrections were rather more frequent in those days). Some 400 years later, another Saint settled in Villeneuve as the locals call it, a Visigoth princess-hermit who devoted her life to God on Puy Andaon, the hill that dominates Villeneuve.

Theories abound regarding why snails were often depicted as formidable foes in medieval manuscripts, with suggestions that they represented the rival Germanic Lombards who had invaded Italy.

Orderic Vitalis’s narrative of the First Crusade in the 1130s reveals how crusading narratives were shaped for monastic and regional audiences in medieval Europe, emphasizing the achievements of Norman figures.

Paul Hill provides a detailed and well-researched reminder that England was not merely imagined into existence or won by a single epoch-defining battle.

The Medieval Murder Maps project provides a visual representation of homicide incidents during the Middle Ages, categorized by weapon and type, covering cities like London, York, and Oxford.

Joanna of England lived a life deeply entangled in the turbulent politics of the Angevin Empire, showcasing her journey from a princess to a powerful figure.

Tasha Marks, a scent designer, creates historical odors for museums to enable visitors to experience the past through smell, as seen at the British Library.

William II of England, while hunting, shouted, "Shoot, you devil! Shoot, in the devil's name!" Just moments later, he was fatally struck by an errant arrow.

The entry of Central Europe into history defies straightforward assumptions; some connections will probably remain forever hidden behind the abyss of time, while for others, conjecture will have to suffice.

Medieval people might have encountered dinosaur fossils, but without the scientific context, these large bones could be interpreted through myth and theology.

"Evidence suggests that John Forde’s transition from being part of a crime gang to a lover of Ela Fitzpayne played a critical role in his eventual murder."

The Normans' journey from Viking roots to rulers of England and the Mediterranean showcases their transformative influence and cultural achievements in medieval history.

The reimagined Medieval Palace at the Tower of London showcases historically accurate medieval decor and highlights the significance of medieval Queens like Eleanor of Castile.

The second reason for seeing the connection as a strategic pact between Pisa and Denia - and this is the circumstantial evidence - lies in the configuration of military actions across the eleventh century.

The transformation of Rodrigo Díaz from a medieval mercenary to a legendary figure illustrates how storytelling can shape history and identity across centuries.

The analysis reveals that almost a third of highlighted routes on the Gough Map date back to the medieval period, illustrating continuity from Roman infrastructure.

In all three scenarios, those annals were written some time after the alleged events they describe, and - in the case of /E and D - by chroniclers who were collaborating to create a narrative that had been purged of uncomfortable details.

Córdoba's sewer network, built under the Umayyad Caliphate, showcased advanced urban hygiene that would not be surpassed in Europe until the 20th century.

Hospitals were a critical institution in the medieval world, providing essential support to the sick, poor, and needy in their communities.