Year: 2020

Evolution of Helmets in Medieval England

To understand why and how military helmets evolved in medieval England this paper will analyse key details of two helmets, namely the Benty Grange helmet, a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon artifact, and the Pembridge helmet, a fourteenth-century English artifact. Key details include construction methods, construction materials, defensive features and iconography, which if analysed together can help to explain why the design of helmets changed so dramatically over this seven hundred year gap of time.

Medieval Thor vs. Marvel Thor (Comics vs. Sagas)

Who was the god Scandinavians called Thor, really? And how does this medieval god compare to the modern superhero? To answer these questions we will analyse the work of Martin Arnold in his book Thor: Myth to Marvel. Then, to see how Thor was represented by contemporary medieval pagans we will analyse “The Saga of the People of Eyri.” After an analyses of the medieval Thor, it will then be possible to spot his differences and similarities to the modern Thor depicted in today’s popular culture, namely his first comic book appearances and the latest Marvel movie from 2017, Thor: Ragnarok.