The year 1066 was a pivotal moment in English history, marked by the Norman Conquest of England. However, before William the Conqueror could claim the English crown, there was a dispute over who should rightfully hold it. The main contenders were Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, and William, Duke of… Read More »The Disputed Crown
The gatehouse was one of the most fortified areas of a castle. It was also one of the more vulnerable. For this reason, engineers designed them with extra protection to keep invaders from easily breaching the castle walls. Commonly, gatehouses consisted of a wooden gate reinforced with iron, as well… Read More »Castle Gatehouses
Currently streaming on Netflix, Secrets of Great British Castles is sitting in ‘My List’ to watch. A documentary series presented by Dan Jones, it explores the history of some of the most iconic castles from medieval England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The show has two seasons. The first season… Read More »Watchlist: Secrets of Great British Castles
After a long hiatus of not writing any new stories, I decided to go back and read Ravens Beneath the Ash today. I first wrote this short story over ten years ago. Life has kept me busy with other things the past few years but I thought I’d re-read some… Read More »Editing old writing
I’ve had Kindle Unlimited now for about a year, and even though I don’t get a chance to read as much as I would like, I definitely think it’s worth $9.99 a month, especially if you’re an avid reader. Ideally, I wish it was maybe $5.99 or $6.99 a month,… Read More »Medieval books and Kindle Unlimited
Everyone is familiar with Hitler and the Third Reich, but why was it called the Third Reich? What were the First and Second Reichs? We have to travel all the way back to the Middle Ages and the time of Charlemagne to find the seeds of what would eventually become… Read More »The Holy Roman Empire and the seeds of the Third Reich
The Codex Gigas is one of the largest surviving medieval manuscripts in the world. Believed to have been created by Herman the Recluse in the Benedictine monastery of Podlazice in Bohemia, the collection contains the Vulgate Bible as well as additional historical documents written in Latin. The monastery was destroyed… Read More »Codex Gigas
Morcar was the Earl of Northumbria from 1065-1066. He was the son of Ælfgar (earl of Mercia) and brother of Eadwine (or Edwin), earl of Mercia. He was the grandson of Leofric and Godiva. Morcar rose to power at the appointment of the thegns in York due to the tyrannical rule… Read More »Morcar, Earl of Northumbria
Today is officially Leif Erikson Day. Commemorated as a national holiday by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the holiday is an observance of Leif Erikson and his companions as the first known Europeans to set foot in North America. The holiday gives the nation a chance to honor the… Read More »Today in Medieval History: Happy Leif Erikson Day!