The Last Kingdom (BBC)

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.

24 Apr 20174 Aug 2018 thijsporck Anglo-Saxon anecdotes, Cnut the Great, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

An Anglo-Saxon Anecdote: Cnut the Great and the walking dead

Find out how Cnut the Great changed his ways after he had seen the reanimated corpse of Edith of Wilton!

10 Apr 20174 Aug 2018 thijsporck Beowulf, Daily life, Decapitation, Old English Hexateuch, Saints, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Heads on sticks: Decapitation and impalement in early medieval England

A good way to keep out unwanted visitors and an inspiration to authors and artists: decapitation and impalement in Anglo-Saxon England.

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!

5 Nov 201531 May 2020 thijsporck Beowulf, Medievalism, Merlin (BBC), Missionaries, Old English, The Last Kingdom (BBC), Tolkien, Vikings, Vikings (History Channel)

Old English is alive! Five TV series and movies that use Old English

Old English a dead language? Think again! the language of the Anglo-Saxons is making a comeback in modern cinema.

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?

22 Oct 20154 Aug 2018 thijsporck Breca the Pug, Medievalism, Saints, The Last Kingdom (BBC)

Splitting Anglo-Saxon Hairs: Cuthbert’s Comb

Splitting Anglo-Saxon Hairs: Cuthbert’s Comb Vikings, Alfred the Great and ninth-century England - The Last Kingdom (BBC; based on the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell) will undoubtedly spark an interest into the Anglo-Saxons. On this blog, I will regularly discuss some of the historical and/or cultural background of The Last Kingdom, without major plot spoilers. In the first … Continue reading Splitting Anglo-Saxon Hairs: Cuthbert’s Comb