New Viking Exhibition in Oslo
A new Viking exhibition – Vikingr – opened last year in Oslo, showcasing some of the fabulous finds from recent years…
Vikings Before Vikings
When the two Viking ships found at Salme and holding the remains of 41 dead warriors were dated to ca. AD 700-750, the sensation rippled through academic circles. Now, the finds are exhibited in Estonia.
The Viking Expedition – Copenhagen 2021
In a few weeks time, The National Museum of Denmark opens its doors to a whole new “take” of the Viking Experience….
The Viking World – Exhibition in Stockholm 2021
A new exhibition in Stockholm called the Viking World boasts of being the world’s largest. Opening its doors in June, the jury is still out. But the preview seems impressive….
The Rus – Vikings of the East
In January 2022, the Museum at Moesgaard in Århus plans to open a new exhibition telling how the Vikings conquered the East while sailing, trading, raiding and settling from Novgorod to Kiev and further South…
Thomas Becket – Major Exhibition
850 years ago, on the 29th of December, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered at the altar in his Cathedral on King Henry II’s instigation. A major exhibition in the British Museum promises to guide us through his history…
Becket – Life, Death, and Legacy
The celebrations and activities surrounding the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Thomas Becket have suffered due to the pandemic. Luckily, an important conference has shifted to zoom and April 2021…
Thomas Becket’s Shirt Returns in 2022
A garment traditionally thought to have been worn by Saint Thomas Becket at the time of his brutal murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 was to return to the UK as part of the commemorations to mark 850 years since his death. The return has been postponed to 2022…
Was Thomas Becket a Controversial Saint in Scandinavia?
The history of the 12th-century Scandinavian church and the formation of the Norwegian and Swedish provinces is interwoven with the murder of Thomas Becket…
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…
News
The Lendbreen Pass – and a Lost Viking Settlement
12/06/2021Cold, and desolate, the mountainous landscape in Jotunheimen in Norway offers hardship and tough hikes. Nevertheless, a thousand years ago, a rugged mountain pass was one of the arteries of Viking Age traffic. Read more
Digital Anglo-Norman Dictionary Launched
13/02/2021Researchers at Aberystwyth University have launched a new digital platform providing detailed chronological information for all Anglo-Norman words for the first time ever online Read more
Fast and Feast – a Taste of Easter Past
09/02/2021The intriguing world of medieval Easter will be unearthed at a new virtual course staged by Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle in conjunction with Durham University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies Read more
That JORVIK Viking Thing 2021
09/02/2021For years Yorvik has hosted a week-long celebration of all thing Viking. In 2021. Jorvik Plans an online festival of all things Viking. Read more
Face Masks – A Nightmarish Challenge?
18/01/2021Recurring nightmares seems to be one of the unforeseen complications following Covid-19. Some people report being attacked by masked medieval monsters. Read more
The Royal Castle in Alsace – Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg
18/12/2020The Castle Ruin at Staufenberg from the 12th century in Alsace was rebuilt by the Emperor, Wilhelm II between 1900-1908. An archaeological report tells the story of this iconic “Medieval Castle” Read more
Civilizations of the Supernatural
11/12/2020Astrology, amulets, pagan magic charms, witches, and superstitions. All figure in a new book
Read more
IMC 2021 Goes Virtual
29/10/2020International Medieval Congress in 2021 will be digitally organised. Clearly, Leeds hope to overwinter as the flagship of the Medieval History World Read more
New Books
The Viking Great Army and the Making of England
12/06/2021The discovery of the Viking Winter Camp of the “mycel heathen here” in Torksey in 2013 was an eyeopener. For the first time, the immense size of the army and its historical impact was revealed archaeologically. Now, a new book offers the story of these decisive events in the history of England Read more
Thomas Becket: murder and the making of a saint
13/03/2021Marking the 850th anniversary of his dramatic murder of Thomas Becket, this book accompanies a major exhibition at the British Museum Read more
The Materiality of Saint Thomas Becket
12/03/2021A 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. Read more
The Chasuble of Thomas Becket
12/03/2021The Cathedral in Fermo in Italy has preserved Thomas Becket’s chasuble. A new book explores the golden textile Read more
New Research
Limbo at Thunau
27/01/2021Archaeologists have been working for decades to excavate the early medieval settlements at Thurnau near Gars in Eastern Austria. Recent studies of the burial ground excavated in 1975-2000 tell the story of the burial of the unbaptized destined for limbo. Read more
From Wheat to Rye – Agriculture and Climate in Europe during Late Antiquity
16/12/2020During 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. Read more
The Schlüsselfeld Ship
07/11/2020In 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. Read more
Ships as Table Decorations in the Middle Ages
06/11/2020Ships were prized ornaments decorating the tables of kings and lords into the 16th and 17th century. Read more