Are dwarfs getting you down? Here are five early medieval remedies that may help!
The Medieval in Middle-earth: Anglo-Saxon Elephants and Tolkien’s Oliphaunts
Learn more about the medieval material that inspired Tolkien's Oliphaunts!
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
The boar who would be king: Royal boar prophecies in medieval England
Long live the boar! This blog post calls attention to the role of the boar in medieval English royal prophecies.
The Medieval in Middle-Earth: Anglo-Saxon Elves
From various elf types to ambivalent Wood-Elves and elf-friends, Tolkien's Middle-Earth has close connections to early medieval England. Learn more about Anglo-Saxon elves and their connection to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien.
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!
Cooked crow’s brains and other early medieval remedies for headaches from the Leiden Leechbook
The ninth-century manuscript fragment known as the Leiden Leechbook is a unique witness to medical practice in the early Middle Ages and the multilingual nature of the documents from this period.
Early Medieval Magical Medicine: An Anglo-Saxon Trivia Quiz
An Anglo-Saxon trivia quiz that will test (and/or increase) your knowledge about magical medicine in early medieval England!
Creepy Crawlies in Early Medieval England: Anglo-Saxon Medicine and Minibeasts
What roles do worms, spiders and earwigs play in early medieval medicine? And why should you throw a dungbeetle over your shoulder?
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.
Thijs Porck 