During the thousand years of the Middle Ages, the Church held considerable power all over Medieval Europe. Their influence was so great that they made laws and had a major say in how the monarchs ran their kingdoms. As it was a separate entity from the government at the time, they weren’t taxed even though …
How The Church Regulated Warfare In The Middle Ages Read More »
Queen Mary I was known by many names during her reign as Queen of England by her many critics. She was called Bloody Mary for her harsh treatment of Protestants, which earned her a reputation as a cruel and heartless ruler. But why did she deserve this nickname? Let’s look at the events that led …
There are many tales of people who have lived to be very old, but the story of Old Tom Parr is perhaps one of the most interesting; some claim that he lived to be 152 years old! Obviously, this cannot be confirmed, but some evidence suggests he may have been quite elderly when he died. …
The Story of Old Tom Parr, The Man Some Claim Lived to 152 Read More »
Marco Polo was one of the most famous explorers of all time; he chronicled his travels to China and other parts of Asia in a book many still read today. What about his wife, Donata Badoer? Who was she, and what role did she play in Marco Polo’s life? Let’s explore the life of Donata Badoer …
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem was one of the most interesting and tragic figures of the 12th century. Born in 1161 and diagnosed with Leprosy at age nine, Baldwin IV became king of Jerusalem at thirteen when his father, Almaric, passed suddenly of dysentery. Although he was a child, Baldwin was a brave and determined ruler …
The Life of Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, the Leper King Read More »
In the National Archives of the United Kingdom in London, there are two volumes of a work produced in medieval England at the end of the thirteenth and start of the fourteenth centuries. Known as the Liber Feodorum or Book of Fees, this text records feudal landholdings in England or lands effectively held by individuals directly from the …
The Strange Story of the Court Jester, Roland the Farter Read More »
Monasteries, priories, convents, and nunneries were a ubiquitous part of life in medieval Europe. No matter where one went in Western or Central Europe, they probably weren’t far from a religious house. Male religious orders such as the Benedictines, Dominicans, and Franciscans are the most well-known. But, curiously enough, some scholars estimate that the number of …
In the medieval period, the Roman Catholic Church was one of Europe’s central pillars of society. There was no part of life that the church didn’t extend. Unlike today, where an increasingly small number of people attend their local church, everyone would attend on Sunday. Moreover, all farmers, who made up the bulk of most …
What Was a Priest’s Role During the Middle Ages? Read More »
At the monastery of Jasna Gora in Częstochowa in Poland today, there is a revered icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has been housed there for some time, but its history is shrouded in legend. The image is of Mary holding Jesus. It is believed, at least in Christian lore, to have been originally …
The world we live in today is largely governed through democracy and ensures constitutional rights to its citizens. The kings and queens we hear of hold little more than symbolic power. But, that wasn’t always the case. The European world, often lauded as a bastion of democracy today, was once ruled by absolute monarchies. This …
