Texts and images produced throughout the medieval world reveal that harp music could elicit powerful responses. Infernal...
Medieval
The culture of antiquity played an important role in the literary and artistic endeavors of the Middle...
The powers of saints were believed to extend to their images. By Dr. Wendy A. SteinResearch AssociateDepartment...
The Golden Legend often blends traditional stories about the saints with historical facts, as seen in the...
The text is a detailed account of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai, originally written by...
Dante primarily intended to explain biblical justice through his contrapasso. By Joseph KameenArtist and Educator Contrapasso is...
Dante’s written works are a heady mix of philosophy, politics, and literature. Introduction Dante Alighieri (1265-1321 CE)...
According to East Slavic chronicles, Oleg was supreme ruler of the Rus’ from 879 to 912. Introduction...
The Rurik dynasty (or Rurikids) went on to rule the Kievan Rus’, and ultimately the Tsardom of...
The needs of the times have always influenced office space – whether for the colonial empire or...
Most Cistercian abbeys and churches were built in remote valleys far from cities and populated areas. Introduction...
Christianity had developed as a religious idea in Roman Palestine and slowly spread throughout the Empire. By...
A bestiary, or “book of beasts”, was an attempt to describe the world as it was known...
These deluxe bindings are known as treasure bindings, because of their lavish and high-quality materials and craftsmanship....
The very concept of “woman” changed in a number of ways during the Middle Ages. Introduction Women...
Bologna remained a preeminent center for legal study and training for many centuries. Introduction The origins of...
All Imperial Estates enjoyed immediacy and, therefore, they had no authority above them besides the Holy Roman...
During the sede vacante in 1241, Frederick II blocked the arrival of some cardinal electors known to...
This hoax has resulted in the arrest and killing of Jews throughout history. Introduction Blood libel or...
Pluck. Crush. Cork. Medieval calendars remind us that September is the month for making wine. If planting...
Medieval people called it “the blue sickness”, “La pest” (the pestilence), and “the Great Mortality”. NOTE: Hover...
In medieval times natural phenomena, such as comets and eclipses, were regarded as portents of natural disasters,...
Not until the 1800s did such masks become valued for themselves. Introduction A death mask is a...
The Confederation was an imposition from the outside onto the Baltic people. Introduction The Livonian Confederation was...
The institution of slavery had long antecedents in Scandinavia, probably going back thousands of years before the...
The Annals of St. Bertin refer to a group of Vikings, who called themselves Rhos (qi se,...
Trade and commerce increased. Cities grew larger and wealthier. Newly wealthy merchants and bankers supported the growth...
Exploring trade and commerce, homes and households, disease and medicine, crime and punishment, and leisure and entertainment....
Some misconceptions are due to lack of education and experience, and some are utter nonsense and historically...
The relative inexpensiveness of the infantryman, combined with a shortage of manpower, provided incentives for expanding their...