When I was at uni, I spent an awful lot of time digging through dusty old books. Our uni library was perfect for someone like me: the history section had loads of history journals and Victorian reprints of medieval documents, and the law section had a whole row dedicated to the records of the Court… Continue reading Edward II And The Necromancer Who Tried To Kill Him
Category: History
Collectivism and Individualism in European Literature
When we look at European history through a modern lens, it seems apparent that Western culture has always placed great value on personal achievement. Recent discourse in some historical circles has pointed out the persistently individualistic nature of Western attitudes—many events tied into colonialism, for example, were rooted not only in a desire to better… Continue reading Collectivism and Individualism in European Literature
Make Yourself a Coat of Arms
I've been trying to make a personal coat of arms (or achievement, as it's properly known) for a long time now. First thing's first: in the UK and many other countries, you can't just go ahead and design your own coat of arms. To officially acquire one, you have to have one presented to you… Continue reading Make Yourself a Coat of Arms
The History Of Medieval Football
Football has been around a long, long time. Henry VIII ordered a pair of custom-made football boots which would have cost £1,300 in modern money. (source: cnn.com) It evolved from a very simple game known to us as 'mob football' (though they probably just called it 'ball'), which emerged in the early Middle Ages and… Continue reading The History Of Medieval Football
Why Aren’t Eggs Called Ayrenn?
In 1476, the first book printed by a machine appeared in England. It was a copy of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and it was printed by William Caxton, who brought the printing press to England from the continent. At the time, English varied dramatically across the British Isles. Even between different English regions, dialects… Continue reading Why Aren’t Eggs Called Ayrenn?
The Centuries-Old Spice Blend We Don’t Use Anymore
This one's a bit of an assumption on my part - but I'm pretty confident in it. I watch a brilliant YouTube channel called Townsends. They're a group of historical re-enactors who make videos about American cookery in the 1700s. It's an interesting time to explore - much of the food is exactly the same… Continue reading The Centuries-Old Spice Blend We Don’t Use Anymore
Is Neuschwanstein Castle… Actually A Castle?
I recently did a silly, off-the-cuff tweet that actually got some traction: I asked people what their favourite castles were. I got some obvious ones, like the castle from Beauty and the Beast and the Disney castle. And a few conventionally awesome ones, like Leeds and Warwick castles, both of which are stunning. But the… Continue reading Is Neuschwanstein Castle… Actually A Castle?
Review: House of Treason by Robert Hutchinson
I bought House of Treason in a small bookshop in North Wales. I was drawn to it by the gorgeous cover, which was designed by David Wardle - who has since designed many beautiful covers for both fiction and non-fiction books. (I was also tempted by the reduced price sticker.) What a pretty cover! It… Continue reading Review: House of Treason by Robert Hutchinson
Oppression vs Repression: Approaching History Without Bias
Just a quick one today because I wanted to get this idea down on paper. (Or pixels. Eh.) I was helping someone with some work on the Normans the other day. Medieval history, my specialty, and of course it was to do with castles. I wrote them a few brief notes, and one key phrase… Continue reading Oppression vs Repression: Approaching History Without Bias
What’s the Point of History?
It's a question we should ask ourselves more often. Or answer, I suppose, because I see lots of people get it wrong. "To know what happened so we can't make the same mistakes again!" "To appreciate and understand the past." "To shape the future!" "To help us understand the present." Good tries. And they all… Continue reading What’s the Point of History?
Dewi Hargreaves 