Many know Geoffrey Chaucer as the famous Middle English poet who wrote The Canterbury Tales. But did you know that Chaucer’s life could still be considered extraordinary even if he never wrote that poem? Indeed, he went to war in France, he witnessed and survived the Black Death as well
Why is the West the way it is today? Modern history explains much, but a full picture is impossible without at least knowing these early medieval history highlights. From the Christian conversion of pagan kings to the repeated sieges of Constantinople, let’s explore them. By the end you’ll see why
This drip goes hard! Do you agree? It’s from the Hyghalmen Roll, a roll of arms made in 15th-century Cologne, Germany. What is a roll of arms, anyway? Let’s find out while we look at more examples. A roll of arms, or an armorial, is a manuscript that shows lists
What Coins Did People Use in the Middle Ages? What Were Medieval Coins Called? And What Were They Made Of? Let’s Find Out! This list of medieval coins includes units of account and money from all over the Western and Mediterranean world throughout the entire Middle Ages. The coins in
So, my solo road trip across Canada was not what you’d expect! I drove across Canada coast to coast in the month of August, 2022, from Vancouver Island to Cape Breton Island in 27 days. I did it affordably, safely and had a wonderful time. I’m still excited to have
While reading Conquest of Peru by William H. Prescott, I was astonished to learn that the arquebus (harquebus), a 16th-century matchlock rifle, was used very similarly, at least in terms of tactics on the battlefield, as the English longbow was used in the 14th century. I was astonished because the
A Philosophical Rant for the Modern-day Medievalist yet to Explore Metaverse Technology Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently had an in-depth interview with Lex Fridman where he talked about his ideas for the Metaverse. If you’re unaware, “metaverse” as a term has been around for decades and is used often
A Useful System to Remember What the Roman Numerals of Kings and Queens from the Middle Ages Actually Mean Maybe it’s to make myself feel better, but I like to believe you need to learn something up to 7 times before you finally know it. I’ve tried to memorize Roman
Were Medieval Slaves Like Slaves in Ancient Greece? To begin, let’s first understand that slavery used to be a socially accepted part of civilization in ancient Greece. With part two of this study I’ll try to prove that slavery wasn’t as socially accepted in medieval Europe as it was in
And a History into the Origins of Hockey As a Canadian medievalist, I love hockey and I love Vikings! And it’s hard for me to think ice hockey doesn’t have some kind of medieval origin when I see the Las Vegas Golden Knights facing off against the Los Angeles Kings,
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