Each year, at the Ascension of Christ, the traditional “Gymnicher Reit” takes place in Gymnich in North-Rhein-Westphalia in Germany ca. 13 km outside Cologne
Category: Medieval Cultural History
Medieval Kings and Kingship
What were medieval kings and kingship? And how might their history shed light upon the upcoming coronation in Westminster in May 2023?
A Great Stone, on which the Kings of Scotland Used to be Crowned
The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, is an ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy, probably used since the 10th century in the inauguration of its kings. As such, the stone is unique owing its preservation to Edward I, who seized the symbolically charged Scottish symbol in 1296.
Hnefatafl – the Game the Vikings played.
In the 7th century, Norwegians on the west coast of Norway exported game pieces made of whalebone to the royal court at Uppsala in East Sweden. Likely, the game they played was a version of Hnefetafl
How to Catch a Medieval Whale?
In the Middle Ages, the main catch was the small harbour porpoises and the pilot whales. Most other whales were only subject to occasional scavenging.
Elegant golden earring from Byzantium found by metal-detector
Unique 11th-century earring made of gold with cloisonné enamelling from was recently discovered by a metal-detector in Western Jutland. The earring likely derives from Byzantium or Egypt.
From Wheat to Rye – Agriculture and Climate in Europe during Late Antiquity
During the 4th-8th century, vast stretches of Europe shifted from growing wheat to rye. Careful studies indicate the shift was a reflection towards a new, more balanced peasant economy.
Christmas Party at Aagaard in Denmark in 1496
Today, Aagaard is an insignificant farm located down to the Limfjord. Its history, though, reaches back into the Viking Age and the fortress at Aggersborg. In 1496 it was home to a famous Christmas party
The Schlüsselfeld Ship
In the 14th century, it became fashionable to decorate tables at noble or royal banquets with models of ships, symbolising “Good Luck” and “Fair Wind”. Later, the wealthy merchants in the cities picked up this fashion. The Schlüsselfeld ship is one of the more famous.
Ships as Table Decorations in the Middle Ages
Ships were prized ornaments decorating the tables of kings and lords into the 16th and 17th century.
Grettir and Glam
Grettir's Saga is perhaps of the lesser known. Nevertheless, the story of this bellicose adventurer is great fun to read aloud to children at Halloween. Not least, because Grettir was renowed as "better able than any other to deal with spectres and goblins" such as Glam.
Byland Abbey Ghosts
This year, no guising and souling. Most children will be kept at home. So how to keep the poor sweet things occupied? Try telling them medieval ghost stories!
Ghost Stories from Byland Abbey
The Byland Abbey Ghost stories from c. 1400 offer us precious glimpses of local life in Yorkshire in and around one of the great abbeys.
An Ancient Atlantic Sturgeon and a Sea-Monster
Recently, archaeologists from Lund University succeeded in identifying a massive specimen of an Atlantic sturgeon in the womb of a capsized royal ship off the Baltic coast
Acting out the Nativity
Sometime in the 10th–11th centuries the tradition evolved to turn part of the Christmas celebrations into a drama. Out of this grew the tradition of building a manger scene
The Three Magi – or Setting the Social Scene
The story of the Magi – also called the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings – visiting and adoring the child in the house of Mary in Bethlehem is unique. Peculiar to Matthew, the story positions Christ in society.