For students of the humanities…
Are sea monsters real? Can someone "release the Kraken"? History and literature are filled with a myriad of stories about deadly beasts that sink ships and eat people. This article presents a theory that may explain as least some of the (less deadly and dangerous) stories. link to The Kraken: when myth encounters science
In the Ancient and Medieval worlds, a great deal of the trade (in goods such as silk, spices, and glass) was conducted via the Silk Road--a trade network that ran from Europe through Northern Africa, the Middle East and Persia, India, and eventually into China. This site gives some good background on the various routes… Continue reading Website: Silk Road-History of the silk road
Have you ever doodled in the margins of something you're writing? If so, then Medieval snail fights might interest you--yes, I said snails. The knight vs. snail motif is a recurring one in the margins of Medieval manuscripts, and researchers have yet to figure out why. However, this article from Smithsonian Magazine gives an interesting… Continue reading Article: Why Were Medieval Knights Always Fighting Snails?
If you are interested in Old English or the Middle Ages, then this may be the site for you. Although many of the resources require payment, there are a couple of interesting free options: the Old English word of the day and links to Medieval Resources. link to Old English Wordhord
Unfortunately, the degree to which women were involved in Medieval art and bookbinding has been lost to history. This article from ScienceAdvances details a discovery in the teeth of the remains of a Medieval nun that suggests women may have been more involved in the medieval arts than had previously been thought. Link to Medieval… Continue reading Article: Medieval women’s early involvement in manuscript production suggested by lapis lazuli identification in dental calculus
The place of women in art has been hotly debated for centuries (if not longer). This article from Hyperallergic attempts to redress that by examining represenations of women in Medieval art. link to Tracing the Lives of Women in Medieval Manuscript Illustrations
Unfortunately, not all art is valued all of the time. In Italy, the traditional villages and their traditional way of life were seen as old and tired in the first half of the twentieth century, and many people moved to the city for a faster-paced, hopefully more lucrative life. Things are changing now, and Italy… Continue reading Article: How Italy Is Bringing Its Rustic Villages Back to Life
There are several old sayings about history and its tendency to repeat. This article deals with paintings that showcase disease. Historical ailments, and the art that commemorates them, seem a little more relevant now that we've seen the affects of the Coronavirus. link to Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times… Continue reading Article: Plague in Art: 10 Paintings You Should Know in the Times of Coronavirus
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
Brunhild and Fredegund were queens of the Merovingian Dynasty. They survived the assassinations of their kings and maneuvered their way through the political power plays of their times. Unfortunately, both them and the dynasty they belonged to are often left out of discussions of the Middle Ages. This article from Smithsonian Magazine shines a light… Continue reading Article: The Medieval Queens Whose Daring, Murderous Reigns Were Quickly Forgotten
Pearls have been important in many times and in many places. This video from the Victoria and Albert museum details just a bit of that history. link to A History of Pearls
This website has so much information that it can get a little overwhelming, but luckily it also has a really effective search function. If you are looking for anything from humanities to art history to artistic techniques, My Modern Met may have what you need. link to My Modern Met
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
The brave men and women of Ukraine have been in the news in ways they never could have imagined over the last few days, but how much do you know about their culture? For those who are interested in finding out more about these brave people, this article gives an excellent overview of their rich… Continue reading Article: Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine’s Featured Topics in Ukrainian Art and Architecture
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
Humanities Scholars 