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Medieval Warhorses: Does Size Matter?
While Braveheart isn't known for its historical accuracy - there is one surprising fact it gets dramatically wrong. In the medieval period, the large foreboding horses often depicted riding into battle, were actually no bigger than a modern day po... -
How to Survive in Medieval England
If you travelled back in time to the Medieval period this very second, do you think you would survive? The short answer is probably not. If you weren't wearing a hat, wore glasses on the street, or even laced your corset in the wrong way, things w... -
Vikings: What Does Their Hair Tell Us?
If you've watched a film or TV show about vikings recently, you may well have noticed a distinctive hairstyle featuring an undercut and a ponytail. But is this actually a realistic depiction? And, do we really know much about viking hair at all? ... -
English Steel: A Knight's Armour
Knights in their armour is one of the most enduring images of the Middle Ages, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind and a role that many of us would have played at as children. Yet surprisingly, there are no surviving examples of English armo… -
Viking In the Frankish Kingdom
The Kingdom of the Franks was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe, ruled by the Franks during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. But how did it fare against Viking attacks? From the changes in travel, early raids, export… -
Who Was Joan of Arc?
Joan of Arc is a name that’s instantly recognisable to most. A controversial figure in her own day, she has remained so ever since, often being adopted as a talisman of French nationalism. But how much do we really know—or understand—about ..… -
Leprosy in the Middle Ages
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It’s a condition that can have a devastating effect on those who catch it, affecting the skin, the eyes, the peripheral nerves and th... -
A Medieval New Year
In the medieval world, January 1 wasn’t actually New Year’s Day (that was March 25), but the anniversary of Jesus’s circumcision (according to the church). In fact, unlike many Christmas traditions, there’s very little in the way of New Years traditi… -
Vikings: Surviving Winter
Vikings are often depicted as fearless warriors, but they were not immune to the harsh realities of northern weather. They not only survived in countries like Greenland and Iceland but thrived. How did they adapt to the unforgiving ice and snow? In t… -
A Medieval Christmas
Ever wondered why we call Christmas, ‘Christmas’? And why it’s celebrated on the 25th December? Or maybe where the Christmas tree came from, the Yule log, the nativity, Father Christmas and even the advent calendar? Well you might be surprised to l…
Gone Medieval
By History Hit
From long-lost Viking ships to kings buried in unexpected places; from murders and power politics, to myths, religion, the lives of ordinary people: Gone Medieval is History Hit’s podcast dedicated to the middle ages, in Europe and far beyond.
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