Each year on the 30th of December, Spain celebrates the miraculous translation of St. James from Jerusalem to the shores of Galicia.
Category: Medieval Europe
Who Visited Iron Age Uppåkra in AD 463?
Outside Lund, lies the remains of a unique Iron Age settlement, Uppåkra. Known for it rich archaeological finds, much more remains to be revealed. With the help of new scientific methods, more elusive remains, such as DNA, viruses, and bacteria are expected to come to light for the first time.
Medieval Church in Södra Råda in Sweden Rebuilt
This Whitsun, Södra Råda Church in Värmland in Sweden will be re-inaugurated. The aim of the reconstruction of the burnt-down medieval treasure was to learn how a church was built in the 14th century.
Winchester Town and Cathedral
The history of Winchester reaches back into prehistory. From an Iron Age oppidum, it changed into the Roman town. Later, it turned into one of the most important cities in Anglo Saxon and Early Medieval England
Mercenaries in the 14th Century
In the Middle Ages, mercenaries were widely recruited. However, what was the military effectiveness of these forces? And the downside?
The Hundred Years’ War and the Battle at Crécy
In 1346 Edward III launched an invasion of Medieval France. Mounting the largest medieval invasion ever, he gained an overwhelming victory of the French army at Crécy. Since then, scholars have asked whether he was just lucky or a superb strategist.
Territory in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe
In recent political and constitutional history, scholars seldom specify how and why they use the concept of territory. New book argues that territory is the lived space of people
Norwegian Church Art in Bergen
The collection of medieval church art at the University Museum of Bergen in Norway is among the finest of its kind in Europe. A new catalogue presents the collection in several languages.
Godrich of Finchale – Merchant, Pilgrim, Hermit and Saint
Godrich of Finchale (1070-1170) was a popular saint in the county of Durham, where he ended his days as a hermit. A new edition of his life was recently published.
Sweyn, Cnut and Valdemar at Tikøb Church in Denmark 1157?
Tikøb church in Denmark is unique. It is an imposing example of an early 12th-century brick church. Foremost, though, it features a series of striking portraits shaped in burnt clay. Three kings and a bishop – and an abbot, a monk and a horse on the north wall? Who might it be?
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.
Royal Golden Dress from ca. 1400 returns to Denmark
Until 1659 the medieval dress of Queen Margaret I of Denmark and Norway was kept as a precious relic in the Cathedral in Roskilde. Today it is back for a splendid exhibition in Copenhagen at Christiansborg.
Eric IV – Murdered Danish King c. 1216-1241
August 1250, Eric IV – also known as Eric Ploughpenny – was murdered on a boat and dumped in the firth of Schlei. His death was the culmination of ten years of civil war and the harbinger of a tumultuous period in the medieval history of Denmark.
The Materiality of Saint Thomas Becket
A fine collection of essays celebrates the 850th anniversary of Thomas Becket by delving into the blood, the brain, the footsteps, the ripped remnants of cloth and the light.
The Story of Henry II and Thomas Becket – Retold as a Moral Exemplum by Saxo Grammaticus
The story by Saxo of a murder, prompted by the Danish King, Sven Estridsen, in the Cathedral in Roskilde ca. 1160, echoes the events a hundred years later, when Henry II had Thomas Becket murdered
The Battle of Maldon
A new book tells the story of the Battle of Maldon AD 991and explores the famous poem, which framed the devastating event as a heroic and epic tale.