For students of the humanities…
In writing, clarity is the most important thing. In this article from BigThink, the author discusses the idea that simple language is more successful at getting your point across than more complicated (and arguably more impressive) words. Take a look and see if you agree... link to Using Big Words Doesn't Make You Sound Smarter
J.R.R. Tolkien was a brilliant author (and important contributer to the Oxford English Dictionary), but did you know he was also an artist? This article from the Smithsonian Magazine showcases some of the art he created for The Lord of the Rings. It's always interesting when an author is also an artist because it allows… Continue reading Article: Rarely Seen Paintings by J.R.R. Tolkien Portray a Lusch ‘Lord of the Rings’ Landscape
Do you like murder mysteries? Are you interested in detective stories? If the answer to either question is yes, then you may want to check out this site. It provides a lot of great information about Agatha Christie, her works, and her methods. It is a potentially valuable resource for those who want to either… Continue reading Website: Agatha Christie:The world’s best-selling author of all time
Did you know that humanity has lost much of our literature through history? The Lost Plays Database discusses the dramatic losses from English theater in the Renaissance (specifically 1570-1642). It's a solid research tool and a source of a lot of interesting information on the plays that have been lost from that period. link to… Continue reading Website: Lost Plays Database
Do you like mysteries? Are you looking for a good book? If your answer is yes, you may find this list helpful. Mysteries, detective fiction, and crime stories have long entertained armchair sleuths around the world. If this is a subject that interests you, this is a good place to start. link to Gone, But… Continue reading Article: Gone, But Not Forgotten: 12 Great Mystery Authors Readers Still Love
While illuminated manuscripts were created in more times and places than Medieval Europe, the quality and beauty of the Medieval examples are undeniable. In this article from The Collector, you can get a look at 6 truly amazing examples. link to 6 Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts That Will Amaze You
Do you like Rome, the Middle Ages, the Early Church, or Latin? If so, The Latin Library may be for you. The goal of the site's creator was to compile public domain versions of important Latin documents--from Cicero, to Augustine, to Dante. There's only one small issue--all of the texts are in the original Latin,… Continue reading Website: The Latin Library
If you need a book for a project, you might want to check out Project Gutenberg. They provide researchers and readers with open source ebooks in a variety of formats. While they have an extensive collection, they are limited by their desire to only publish works that are out of copyright (you can be fairly… Continue reading Website: Project Gutenberg
The British Library is an excellent source in general, and their Middle Ages project gives a good amount of information on the period--primarily though a look at a number of illuminated manuscripts. Links are provided to multiple articles, and you can view a number of interesting items (with descriptions from their collection. This is part… Continue reading Article: British Library-The Middle Ages
Fairy tales can be disturbing, they can teach valuable lessons, but can they be true? The authors of this article explore some disturbing possibilities about the truth of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Whatever your opinion on this particular story, this article shows that folk and fairy tales can tell us a surprising amount about… Continue reading Article: The Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin
I recently shared translations of the poetry of the Akkadian author Enheduanna, and in that post, I mentioned that we have an image of the lady in question. This article showcases the relief that represents Enheduanna, and it provides a good amount of information both on that and on her life as well. link to… Continue reading Article: Ur Digitization Project: Item of the Month, June 2012
It always gives me great pleasure to remind people that the first author (whose name we know) was a woman. While her poetry is not quite as old as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Enheduanna's work is special because we know who wrote it (the author of The Epic of Gilgamesh remains anonymous). Even better, we… Continue reading Article: The Temple Hymns of Enheduanna
For those who like poetry, Medieval literature, or just need to research obscure literature, this site may prove valuable. It purports to hold translations of 79% of the surviving Old English Poetry. That's pretty impressive. Reading these works can give you an idea of what people in England during the Early Middle Ages were talking… Continue reading Website: Old English Poetry Project
The Victorian Era was a unique moment in Western history that still affects our culture today. In many ways, this period stands on the divide between an older world and the beginnings of the modern world that we know today. This makes the study of the Victorian world and its people particularly interesting. One moment,… Continue reading Website: The Victorian Web
If you are as interested in the Middle Ages as I am, then you should definitely check out Medievalists.net. They publish articles about a wide variety of topics on the Medieval Period in Europe, ranging from witchcraft to warfare to daily life. I highly recommend this site for anyone who would like to see how… Continue reading Website: Medievalists.net
Humanities Scholars 