The Middle Ages span from the seventh to the fifteenth century and remains infamous as one of the most exciting and bloodthirsty periods in European history. Stories of torture and executions have peppered this time and flavored it with a reputation for the barbaric. Read More…
Elizabeth Stanley, Countess of Derby, was the ruler of the Isle of Man from c.1612 to 1627, a tiny island in the Irish Sea that in the Medieval period was the seat of a powerful maritime kingdom ruled by Norse kings. By the Early Modern period the island was considered part of the wider British Isles but it was not part of the realm of England; rather, it was a dependent of the English crown with its own separate government exempt from acts of Parliament. Read More…
Musical borrowing: the intentional integration of previously-composed material into a new composition. Such borrowing has been an integral facet of music composition throughout music history, and was particularly important during the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Read More…
When discussing the issues surrounding current global warming, is not uncommon to hear people bring up the so-called “Medieval Warm Period.” Such conversations are littered with debates about what the Medieval Warm Period actually was, how it impacted the world of the Middle Ages, and what an accurate comprehension of it could mean for our future. Read More…
The work of the early fifteenth-century artists collectively called “the Limbourg Brothers” is neither unknown to scholars of medieval history nor fully understood by them. Read More…
The image of the female heroine in early modern art is one that varies greatly depending upon the artist portraying her. However, some of these works move beyond simple variation and into the exception. Read More…
In an adventure formula, conflict with the villain is essential for moving the story along and provides wit, suspense, as well as illustrating what should not be done. Read More…
The nature of domestic violence in the early modern period was of vital importance not only to individuals but also to social units of various complexities. What was happening in homes commanded the attention of ecclesiastical authorities who wrote numerous conduct books on the grounds and acceptable limits of spousal abuse. Read More…
During the European Renaissance, a culture of manliness formed around the ideals of action, reason, and contemplation. These ideals are epitomized in the Master Works of Albrecht Dürer: Knight, Death and the Devil, St. Jerome in his Study, and Melancholia I. Read More…
Jan Sanders Van Hemessen presents a muscular, nude figure wielding a sword as the chaste widow of Judith with the Head of Holofernes of 1540. Read More…
The development of historical writing from the late Medieval period to the early Renaissance reveals changes in the purpose of historical memory. Read More…