Olga of Kiev ruled the Rus’ – a medieval people in Ukraine related to the Vikings – for over 15 years. She is primarily known for her christianizing influence on the Rus’ lands during her later years in power. But the start of her regency is just as compelling a story. She became leader of […]
Three generations of Crusader kings had to deal with princess and queen Melisende of Jerusalem. None of them were able to exclude her from the government of the kingdom. How was she able to circumvent medieval gender norms and amass tremendous power in the so-called Kingdom of Heaven? Grab a short intro to the Crusades […]
What did people wear in the Early Middle Ages? What clothing options did one have to distinguish oneself from the common peasant? Simply put: if you’re not a princess, how do you dress like one? Frankish regal dress, around 800 CE: not everybody could afford this attire, and that was exactly the point. Short version. […]
What drove the otherwise stern and respected Chinese general Zhang Xun to eat his own concubine? And why did Chinese historiography raise this commander-turned-cannibal to hero status? Well, as it happened, all was not well in the Chinese Empire of his day. Grab a short intro to the Chinese from our Medieval Guidebook. Zhang Xun’s […]
He went on crusade five times. He could count among his allies the King of England, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, and several Holy Roman Emperors. On top of that, he fought Moorish pirates in North Africa and was the first man on the continent to receive the Order of the Garter. His […]
The castle endures as one of the Middle Ages’ most recognizable icons. Its origins lie in turbulent times, and its dusk came from an evolution in the power structures that originally conceived it. Today, castles remain ubiquitous, from metaphors to global entertainment companies. Constructing a concept: the castle’s background To understand the origin of the […]
Chinese diplomats often traveled to the tribes north of their Empire. Especially the forest clans of Manchuria, to the northeast, could count on frequent visits by these emissaries. The dignitaries spoke with clan leaders, tried to negotiate a tribute sum, and enjoyed their hospitality. And enjoy they did: it was Manchurian custom to “serve” visitors […]
Born on the Russian steppe, the fair-skinned and probably blue-eyed Baibars became Sultan of Egypt before he was 40 years old. A tall and menacing commander, he dared to confront the Mongol hordes in open combat. Other campaigns of his design paved the way for the complete ejection of the Crusaders from the Middle East. […]
How did armies during the Rise of Islam conquer such a vast selection of christian lands? What was jihad in the first place? Who were the colorful commanders that led it to the West? Grab a short intro to the Empire of Islam from our Medieval Guidebook. The prophet Muhammad. [1595, Ottoman painting] Islam was […]
The attack was surely coming. The same enemy had raided the realm when his father reigned. Rash and ambitious, the newly crowned 12-year old wanted to destroy his foes. But his advisors counseled caution. An untimely death of the young king would put the line of succession in jeopardy – and thus the kingdom. Prithviraj […]
Vietnam has seen its fair share of invasions, both in modern and medieval times. Usually it were the Chinese who meddled in Vietnamese affairs, with varying results. In the 20th century, one of the world’s superpowers, the United States, tried the same and failed spectacularly. How did the Vietnamese fare against the near-global superpower of […]
Thousands of knights and even more infantrymen fought each other near the then-Flemish town of Bouvines in 1214 CE. The Kingdom of France went head-to-head against the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of England and the County of Flanders. The outcome of the Battle of Bouvines shook royal courts throughout Europe, […]
The first reigning queen in European history, Urraca of León was a trailblazer all her life. The men in her life continuously tried to limit, control or redirect her ambitions. But she chose her own path, which earned her the nickname “the Bold”. Not only was she the first woman in Europe to rule in […]
Was Charlemagne “Roman” Emperor? Or An Upstart Usurper?
Ah, the Romans. Who doesn’t want to be like them? Ever since the legions conquered an empire from the border of Scotland to the deserts of Arabia, many European empires have tried to imitate, claim or even continue Rome’s legacy. From the First French Empire under Napoleon to Fascist Italy in the 20th century, and […]