Find out which Anglo-Saxon manuscripts found their way into Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla!
Pigs and Bagpipes: Geoffrey Chaucer’s Miller in Context
Geoffrey Chaucer drew on various medieval traditions surrounding pigs to characterise one of his most memorable characters in the Canterbury Tales: Robin the Miller. A boarish fellow In his Canterbury Tales (1387-1400), Geoffrey Chaucer brings to life a great variety of characters who set out on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. To pass the time, the … Continue reading Pigs and Bagpipes: Geoffrey Chaucer’s Miller in Context
Old age as a prefiguration of Hell: Senescence in early medieval England
This blog looks at some of the downsides of growing old in early medieval England and identifies some cases of what may be termed ‘gerontophobia’, the fear for old age.
Anglo-Saxon gift horses: Equine gifts in early medieval England
Whether as a royal present, a reward for heroism, a treasured heirloom or an impressive bride price, a horse was the perfect gift in early medieval England!
Half-assed humanoids: Centaurs in early medieval England
With the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, centaurs are one of the most recognisable creatures of Greek mythology. However, these horse-human-hybrids also make their appearance in the cultural record of early medieval England.
Adoring the Magi in early medieval England
Learn more about how early medieval English artists depicted the Adoration of the Magi!
Anglo-Saxon obscenities: Explicit art from early medieval England
From the Bayeux Tapestry erection to well-endowed figurines of Woden, naked devils and a sinner pulling not just at his beard. This blog post is full of Anglo-Saxon obscenities!
An Anglo-Saxon comic book collector: Cuthwine and the Carmen Paschale
Illustrated medieval manuscripts and severed babies. Cuthwine, bishop of Dunwich, had a taste for comics and gory details.
The Illustrated Old English Hexateuch: An early medieval picture book
This blog post focuses on one of the most extensively illustrated books from the Middle Ages: The Illustrated Old English Hexateuch (The British Library, Cotton Claudius B.IV). A unique picture book from early medieval England. The Illustrated Old English Hexateuch as a picture book Thirty-three goats, twenty-six sheep, thirty-one camels, thirty cows and twenty-nine asses. … Continue reading The Illustrated Old English Hexateuch: An early medieval picture book
Teaching the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons: An early medieval comic strip in the St Augustine Gospels
As Easter is drawing near, this blog post deals with a unique early medieval manuscript that reveals how missionaries around the year 600 tried to teach the story of the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons. Notably, they used a rather modern method: teaching through comics. Saint Augustine of Canterbury (d. 604) In the year 597, a … Continue reading Teaching the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons: An early medieval comic strip in the St Augustine Gospels
Thijs Porck 