Daily Medieval

It was expected that kings and other nobles would try to gain alliances (and therefore security) by marrying their sons and daughters to imp...

The Joust was a specific kind of tournament , and was one of the few types of military contests that had to be on horseback and involved on...

In a message for the World Day of Creation (27 June, 2024), Pope Francis said of Joachim de Fiore that he  "was able to propose the ide...

So...Sandwich. Most people just think about the food item that shares its name, but it has had more history than that, and not just as a Cin...

Alexander Neckham was a theologian and writer from St. Albans whose birthday gave him a surprising status. He was born on 8 September 1157, ...

Gerald of Wales (c.1146 - 1223) wrote about Henry II and his sons, giving a different facet to the most prominent figures in England at the ...

Pontefract Castle, where Richard II was imprisoned  by his cousin (although for a very short time), had been begun very shortly after Willi...

In 1194, Richard I of England created a system by which all financial transactions by Jews would be documented by the Crown. This system cre...

When Richard I of England was kidnapped coming back from the Third Crusade, the ransom was going to be enormous: 100,000 pounds of silver. ...

William Longchamp (or "de Longchamp") achieved success the old-fashioned way: he paid lots of money for it. That's not fair; b...

During the coronation of Richard I , many citizens wanted to show their loyalty to the new king (and perhaps gain future favor) by giving hi...

Richard I of England was not his father. Not only did he rebel against his father and reject support of his father's favorites, but he...

On his way back from the Third Crusade, King Richard I "Lionheart" of England was captured. He had made many enemies in Europe. Th...

King Henry VI of Germany who survived the Erfurt Latrine Disaster went on to become Holy Roman. Emperor. He was the second son of Holy Roma...

The Protestant Reformation in the 1500s undermined the authority of and people's faith in the pope and the Catholic Church. This was a b...

You are Frederick I, offspring of two of Germany's most powerful families. As a young man, you went on Crusade and distinguished yoursel...

When Henry II died, his eldest son living was Geoffrey. Geoffrey was not in a position to ascend to the throne, however, because he was ille...

Henry II had conflicts with the Scotland, with Ireland, with Wales, with France, but the most difficult conflicts may have been with his fam...

When King Stephen I of England died in 1154, the terms of the Treaty of Wallingford meant his rival's son would inherit the throne. Hen...

I have written about Muslim-Christian relations before ( here and here ). Conflict between the forces of Western European culture and the A...