Pope Innocent III
The time of Pope Innocent III is a struggle between secular and religious powers. Through his reign, the Roman Catholic Church came to dominate...
Medieval Porridge or Frumenty
Porridge, a centuries old staple food, was originally the only way to obtain nutrition from grain, but with the arrival of bread, it...
Towton: the Medieval Battle of the Somme
At Towton (1461), in a matter of hours, more English soldiers were butchered than Tommies who fell on the first day of the Somme...
Chinggis Khan and the Supernatural
Like many of history's conquerors, Chinggis Khan supplicated to the gods petitioning for favor in battle. His total authority was sanctified by direct...
Catholic Attitudes to Slavery in the Middle Ages
In the world in which the church was born slavery was ubiquitous and endemic. Roman and Greek society thrived on it, and the Germanic...
The Sport of Jousting and Medieval Tournaments
Jousting is often depicted in film as quite a romantic sport, with the lady gracing her champions lance with her scarf. In reality it...
Aethelflaed Lady of the Mercians
Aethelflaed was a high-status Anglo-Saxon woman who lived at a time when few women held power or influence. She was a military leader and...
Rings Were Prizes in Medieval England
Usually kings gave a purse of money at jousting tournaments, but in one case at least, ruby and diamond rings held a knights eye....
Reading the History of the Middle Ages
Despite warnings about reading today's motives into people of the past, it's impossible not to notice that people often, and in large numbers,...
The Role of an Apothecary in the Middle Ages: The Work of Healers in...
An apothecary’s shop was full of various cures, most of which he prepared himself. He was usually a trusted member of the medieval community,...