Said to have been built on the East side of the River Tigris by King Vardanes (or Vardanus), Ctesiphon served as the administrative capital of both the Parthian and Sassanid Empires and attracted scientists, architects and writers from all over the Middle Eastern world. It was located twenty miles south of the location where Baghdad […]Read More Ctesiphon
On Saturday the 14th of October, 1066, Harold Godwinson assembled his foot soldiers upon a ridge at Senlac Hill, not far from the village of Hastings. His men had marched South rapidly following the successful Battle of Stamford Bridge, and were now preparing to face William the “Bastard”, Duke of Normandy, who had invaded the […]Read More The Battle of Hastings
The Quarterstaff became extremely popular in Medieval Europe, notably England, and was used as an informal, close-combat weapon.Read More Medieval Weapons – The Quarterstaff [Ep5]
Maces, or as they were otherwise known, bludgeons, became extremely popular in the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, where the poorer soldiers could arm themselves cheaply with an easy-to-produce weapon with deadly potential.Read More Medieval Weapons – The Mace [Ep4]
1. Did the Romans really control a quarter of the world? No, they didn’t. They conquered the majority of Europe, a slice along the North of Africa and mostly dominated the east. This map shows the extent of the Roman Empire in the year 117AD, at around the height of its landmass and power. It […]Read More Five (More) Commonly Asked History Questions
In the oldest, darkest of Ancient Times, there existed a period of great celebration stretching from around late December to the first days of January, known to the pagans and druids of the cold and icy North.Read More A brief history of Christmas through the ages…
How did they follow the seasons? What tools did they use? How long did they work? How much were they payed?Read More What was medieval farming like?
We’ve seen it all, in movies, books, exaggerated but unhistoric illustrations and oftentimes our imaginations. But the question is, did swordsmen ever really pull a sword from a back scabbard, and how practical would it have been to carry your weapon out of your view – and potentially out of your reach?Read More Drawing a sword from your back? Nonsense.
The 13 unlucky ways you could be put to death for your crimes in the Dark Ages. These include medieval ways of public and private execution, and certainly some of the most painful and brutal methods in history.Read More In what ways could you be executed in Medieval Times?
The crossbow was able to release heavier, thicker bolts with more puncturing potential from a stored source of energy.Read More The crossbow – Medieval weapons #3
The longsword was also known as the Bastardsword and became popular in Europe between 1100 and 1400.Read More The longsword – Medieval weapons #2
The longbow, a devastatingly powerful long range weapon, was highly popular with English armies in the Middle Ages, although it was the Welsh who designed such a practical and deadly device. English Kings brought it into common use following defeated attacks on Wales.Read More The Longbow – Medieval Weapons #1
Welcome, Knight Errant! I see you want to be talked through the steps in the process of forging your own medieval sword! We won’t be making no flimsy wooden swords here – grab your swordsmith and we can get to work blacksmithing a new weapon!Read More How were medieval swords made?
I’ve been making additions to some of my blog posts – adding new facts, trying to elaborate more on my points and checking grammar. Here is the article of editing today:Read More Article Updates #1
Castles were impressive structures by nearly all definitions and a key aspect of medieval society. They served as miniature administrative offices, defensive positions and markers of realms. How they were built is truly astonishing, and required huge amounts of manual, human labour without necessarily advanced measuring equipment or machinery.Read More How to build a medieval castle
What kept those valiant warriors fighting to the end? Today we look at what kinds of food medieval Knights ate to energise and strengthen them, ready for combat on the battlefield.Read More What Did Knights In The Middle Ages Eat?
What image comes to mind when you think of Medieval feasting? Roudy men getting outrageously drunk and people flinging bones all over the floor? Surely most people imagine this.Read More Medieval Table Manners Were More Sophisticated Than You Think