The 1453 Siege of Constantinople Where did it all go wrong for the Byzantine Empire? And how did poorly planned blackmail result in Constantinople becoming the glorious capital of the Ottomans? The fall of Constantinople in 1453 has arguably been considered the end of the Middle Ages. While the siege…
Female Beauty Practices and Social Power in Late Medieval Italy and France ‘Good looks’ can go a long way for social climbers in modern society. However, using beauty as a tool of social mobility was a skill employed long before the arrival of Instagram influencers. In this episode of Murmuring…
In the sleepy Dutch town of Hoogwoud, a history of violence and political intrigue lies just beneath well-kept fields and the lounging local sheep. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we meet with curator Annemarieke Willemsen from the Leiden Museum of Antiquities to discuss what the discovery of the Hoogwoud…
When your books matter more than your family, you had better bind them well. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we discuss the fascinating 16th-century book collection of Dutchman Huybert van Buchell with Dr. Katell Lavéant. Who was van Buchell? What sort of books did he collect and why? What…
Bad neighbours and weird stenches are universal, but what about jingling pigs? In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we take a look at neighbourly disputes and public sanitation in late medieval Dutch and Belgian cities with Dr. Janna Coomans. How did communities form in the late medieval Low Countries? What…
Meddling messengers and nefarious nuns love to gossip. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, we explore the world of early medieval letter-writing and delivery in Merovingian Gaul with Dr. Robert Flierman. Why did people write letters? What material could messages be written on? How were letters delivered? And who were…