Alfred the Great – Thijs Porck

18 May 202024 May 2020 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Barberini Gospels, Bayeux Tapestry, Bodleian Library, Bodley 579, Bodleian Library, Hatton 20, Manuscripts, Medievalism, Old English Hexateuch, The Last Kingdom (BBC), Vespasian Psalter, Vikings (History Channel)

Medieval manuscripts in modern media: Anglo-Saxon manuscripts spotted in Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.

Find out which Anglo-Saxon manuscripts found their way into Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla!

26 Jun 20174 Aug 2018 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon anecdotes, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Kings and Candlesticks in Anglo-Saxon England

Three early medieval English kings had a thing for candlesticks. From candle clocks to candle chastisement.

6 Mar 20176 Mar 2017 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Old English

The Illustrated Psalms of Alfred the Great: The Old English Paris Psalter

Learn more about a beautiful Old English manuscript, featuring the (partly) illustrated Psalm translations ascribed to Alfred the Great!

27 Feb 201727 Feb 2017 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Old English

Boars of battle: The wild boar in the early Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, the wild boar was admired and feared for its courage and ferocity. Learn more about this warrior among beasts!

4 May 201631 Dec 2018 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Doctor Who (BBC), Medievalism, Old English

Lǣce Hwā: Doctor Who and Alfred the Great

The TARDIS occasionally found its way to early medieval England and these visits of the nation’s most beloved ‘Time Lord’ can also teach us something about Anglo-Saxon history and the Old English language. This post focuses on Alfred the Great and is the second of a series of three blogs that deal with the visits of … Continue reading Lǣce Hwā: Doctor Who and Alfred the Great

1 Apr 2016 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Tolkien

The Medieval in Middle-earth: Aragorn and Exiled Anglo-Saxon Kings

As a professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, J. R. R. Tolkien could not help but be inspired by the language and literature he studied and taught. As a result, his fictional world is infused with cultural material of the Middle Ages, particularly Old English language and literature. In this post, I focus … Continue reading The Medieval in Middle-earth: Aragorn and Exiled Anglo-Saxon Kings

17 Dec 20154 Aug 2018 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Archaeology, Art, Ivanhoe (MGM), Medievalism, Merlin (BBC), Sutton Hoo, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Anglo-Saxon props: Three TV series and films that use early medieval objects

Three TV-series and movies that use props based on real Anglo-Saxon objects!

12 Nov 201531 May 2020 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Medievalism, Paris Psalter, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Arseling: A Word Coined by Alfred the Great?

This blog post discusses the origins and use of the word 'arseling' in Old English, where it occurs as 'earsling'. There may be a surprising connection to none other than King Alfred the Great himself!

29 Oct 201531 May 2020 thijsporck Alfred the Great, BL, Royal 12 D XVII, Medieval medicine, Medievalism, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Passion, Piles and a Pebble: What Ailed Alfred the Great?

The second episode of The Last Kingdom (UK airdate: Thursday, 29 October, 9 pm, BBC 2) introduces Prince Alfred, who would later become King Alfred the Great (d. 899). In his first scene, Alfred is portrayed as a man tormented both physically (because of his health) and morally (because of his lustful feelings towards the … Continue reading Passion, Piles and a Pebble: What Ailed Alfred the Great?