The Vatican Library – A History
The Vatican Library in Rome is a collection of Roman Catholic manuscripts which was shrouded in secrecy for centuries. The oldest texts date back...
Weapons of Medieval Europe
Medieval knights had many different weapons in their arsenal, but they were all designed to inflict the most damage possible to their opponents...
Royal Charters: Sources for the Study of the Early Capetian Kings
The study of the early Capetian kings, from Hugh Capet to Philip I, is a period of vague understandings, especially when compared to that...
The Acquisition of Bourges by Philip I of France
In his 48 year reign, Philip I, 1060-1108, managed to increase his demesne by shrewd political manoeuvring, outright conquest and by means of a...
Feudalism, the Stirrup and the Franks
Many works have attempted to define feudalism and its origins. In fact, it has been the subject most debated upon by social and legal...
The Merry Month of May: Ancient Mayday Traditions
Ancient religion was based on the cycle of nature, and in the cold northern realms, the coming of spring and its explosion of new...
Ordeals in Medieval Europe
Medieval people struggled with lies and truth, as do modern people, but in their courts they could always stoke the fire, fill the cauldron-and...
The Viking Expansion
Historians have theorized a number of factors contributing to the Viking expansion from the 8th to 11th centuries.
Most historians place the onset of...
Barbary Pirates, The Terrors of the North African Coast
This was no coincidence. The spark that lit the flame was the Crusading era, which began in 1095 and did not end until 1303....
Christmas Season in Dark Ages and Medieval Time
Developing from Celtic and Roman times, through the Dark and into the Middle Ages, or Medieval time, the Christmas season was celebrated from Hallow's...