The Domesday Book is one of Medieval England’s greatest treasures. The Domesday Book is closely linked with William the Conqueror’s attempt to dominate Medieval England. Along with a string of castles throughout England, the Domesday Book was to give William huge authority in England.
To further extend his grip on England, William I ordered that a [...]
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own medieval castle? I have. I watch the Internet for “for sale” notices for castles in Scotland, England, and France. They go up for sale more often than you’d think. This week I found a listing by James Rothaar at JustLuxe for the 11th century chateau de Montbrun that [...]
While most animals during the Middle Ages were service animals, our ancestors also enjoyed the company of domesticated pets. The evidence can be found in many different art forms such as literature, paintings, tapestries, stained glass windows, and stuatuary. Lords and ladies and peasants alike all enjoyed the company of domesticated animals. In the stained [...]
The Black Death was one of the worst natural disasters in history. In 1347 an Italian merchant fleet docked at Messina in Sicily with sailors who appeared to be suffering from some strange disease. Terrified, the citizens of Messina drove the vessel back out to sea, but not before a number of the ships’ rats [...]
The people of the Middle Ages were afflicted with many of the same sicknesses, from cancer to nosebleeds, that exist today. But they also had to contend with a variety of skin lesions and other ailments that are no longer the scourges they once were. Diseases such as smallpox, leprosy, St. Anthony’s fire, and St. [...]
Parents, preachers and philosophers all agreed with medieval author Philip Novare that “children should be allowed to play since nature demands it.” And although parents were advised to use strict discipline and Christian morality to guide their children, most felt that children younger than seven were not really capable of learning lessons or telling good [...]
In medieval times childbirth could be a time of great joy or great sorrow. Mortality rates for both mother and baby were high, and many children who lived through the birth died shortly thereafter.
During the delivery, some peasant women received help from female neighbors, others could rely only on their husbands. A woman of the [...]
Throughout the Middle Ages, Europe’s rulers built strongholds along the frontiers of their realm to guard against the constant threat of invasion. The earliest castles were earth-and-timber forts located along trade routes or likely avenues of attack. As kingdoms grew in power and wealth, these forts were replaced by massive permanent structures with thick stone [...]
Being a lover of the written word, a writer, and a voracious reader…I decided to start the medieval history series with books in medieval times! For several hundred years after the collapse of the Roman Empire, book publishing and selling in Europe nearly ceased to exist. So great was the decline of educational opportunity in this [...]
The term Medieval derives from the Latin words ‘medium aevum’ meaning the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages are so called as the middle period between the decline of the Roman Empire and prior to the period called the Renaissance. The early Middle Ages are often referred to as the Dark Ages, though the period was [...]
