The gaping maws and great belch of the Norse ‘hafgufa’ may well have been a humpback whale simply engaging in trap-feeding.
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Articles on Medieval history
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Much of what we know about the life of the sixth century monk, St David, comes from medieval texts written several centuries later.
The Newport medieval ship is the most complete section of a 15th-century European vessel discovered to date.
Many people gathered and slept in a shared warm space in medieval times.
Tiny drawings, such as knights riding snails, and random lines and squiggles were common in medieval books.
The idea that Europeans brought new diseases to the Americas and returned home with others has been widely accepted. But evidence is mounting that for syphilis this scenario is wrong.
The objects buried with people provide important clues about their lives.
A 12th century sighting of ball lightning has been discovered in a medieval monk’s chronicle.
Today most societies take the A.D. time system for granted. That wasn’t always the case.
Chaucer’s career as a secret agent helped him assume different disguises in his writing. Some scholars interpret this role-playing as Chaucer being sexist and anti-Semitic.
When it came to making sense of lunar eclipses, medieval Christians did not necessarily resort to superstition, magicians, and moon-eating monsters.
Long overlooked in the West, the Byzantine Empire has recently picked up interest among far-right and conspiracist circles. A historian of medieval culture explains what white supremacists get wrong.
The story of the ‘Cadaver Synod’ tells us that in some cases, even the departed can be held to account.
The medieval symbols at the US Capitol riots says more about modern racism rather than true medieval history. We must be vigilant about this symbolism.
All cultures have communicated their knowledge in diverse and marvellous ways throughout time. Failing to see the significance of this is racist and lazy.
From the crusades of the medieval period to racial violence today, mankind has sought ways to ‘sanctify’ harmful actions, explains a scholar of religion.
Stephen of Tournai wanted Denmark to pay damages for Viking raids on France three centuries before.
Medieval disaster response was not so different to the measures we use today.
With the plague decimating the ranks of laborers, surviving workers started pining for higher wages. When the monarchy responded by enacting taxes and restrictive labor laws, the peasants rebelled.
Those experiencing stress and uncertainty amid the coronavirus may find guidance in medieval responses to plagues, which relied on both medicine and prayer.
Top contributors
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Professor in High Medieval History, Durham University
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Senior Lecturer in History, University of Aberdeen
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Teaching Fellow in Medieval Studies, University of Leeds
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Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Department of Physics, University of York
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Professor and Tutorial Fellow in English, University of Oxford
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Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History, Queen Mary University of London
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Chair of Academic Board, Victoria University
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Director, Gender and Women's History Research Centre, Australian Catholic University
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Senior Lecturer in Science Communication, Australian National University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University
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Associate Professor in Experimental Psychology (Perception), University of Oxford
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Senior Research Fellow and Associate Director of the Medieval and Early Modern Centre, University of Sydney
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Lecturer n History, The Open University
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Professor of English, Macquarie University
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Professor of Public Health, Adelphi University
