Not one man, woman or child lived without fear.Magnifying this fear is the man they call The Lord of the Shadows - a terrifying figure who sits at the right hand of the King, manipulating the royal moves like a puppet master. The Lord of the Shadows has been known to tear men apart with his bare hands and can, with a snap of his fingers, alter the future of anyone he chooses. The nobility is terrified of him, and for good reason. That is - the nobility that know of his existence.Lady Sheridan St. James has been drawn into the political arena by her father - having no sons, he bequeaths his power and knowledge to his eldest daughter, a stunningly beautiful and bright creature. Upon his death, Sheridan finds herself at the head of the mighty House of St. James, a major leader in the rebellion against the crown.During her first visit to London she becomes acquainted with a massive knight who has, in kindness, saved her sister's life. She has no idea Sir Sean de Lara is the man known as The Lord of the Shadows, but even when she is told of his horrible deeds she still cannot not believe it. Sheridan and Sean draw close despite the influence of the horrendous affairs of state sweeping London. All she knows is that he is handsome and kind, and although Sean is well aware of the lady's status, it makes no difference that she is, in perception, his enemy. To Sean, Sheridan is quickly becoming his reason for living - but out of necessity his responsibilities to the king become stronger than his love for Sheridan and he is forced to perform his duties or risk death to them both.Still, Sean swears to her that his days as the Shadow Lord are numbered even as rival factions cruelly separated them. It soon becomes a test of Sean and Sheridan's love to find each other again in a world which is determined to keep them apart.

    - Davyss de Winter is the champion for King Henry III, a powerful and arrogant man that descends from a long line of powerful knights. He is also a much-sought after man and has had more than his share of female admirers, including a besotted baron's daughter who bore him bastard twins. His mother and family matriarch, the Lady Katharine de Warrenne de Winter, loses patience with her son's behavior and betrothes him to a woman she hopes will tame his wild ways. She selects a young woman from a lesser noble family with no political ties or ambitions, a perfect match for her son's prideful personality. Enter the Lady Devereux d'Arcy Allington; a young woman of astounding beauty, she wants nothing to do with Davyss. When Davyss, in protest of the marriage, sends his sword Lespada to the marriage ceremony, Devereux is beyond offended. Livid, she battles tooth and nail, refusing to marry a sword by proxy, until Lady Katharine intervenes. Cornered, Devereux is forced to marry Lespada because her groom refuses to show up for the ceremony. When Davyss gives in to his curiosity and meets his wife for the first time, he is overwhelmed with her beauty. Roughly consummating the marriage, he has set the tone for what both Davyss and Devereux believe will be a loveless, hateful marriage. But when Davyss begins to realize what he's done, he swallows his considerable pride and is determined to get to know the woman he married, a woman of grace and compassion like nothing he has ever known before. Though trials and tribulations, Davyss and Devereux's bond only strengthens. When Davyss is involved in the Battle of Evesham against Simon de Montfort, Devereux faces her own life and death situation. Lespada is a love story for the ages

    Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is determined to win back her crown from Stephen, the usurper king. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, is now married to William D'Albini, a warrior of the opposition. Both women are strong and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?

    One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion... with more.Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William's predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache.From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings.Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance... or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?

    The earl is a powerful Lord of the Marches, the dark Welsh borderlands.Then a plague that has swept Europe overtakes England and as life descends into chaos and civil disorder, Maeb is about to discover that the horrors she survived at Pengraic Castle were but a prelude to the terrifying maelstrom which now envelops her and all of her countryfolk.Hell has come to desecrate England, and the only thing that can possibly foil its plans are the wits of one lonely, isolated and terrified woman.

    It also portrays the Viking raids and conquest campaigns that brought the Vikings to virtually every corner of Europe and even to America. Viking ships landed on almost every shore in the Western world during the 350 years that followed the introduction of the sail into the region, from the 9th to the 11th century. Viking ravages united the Spanish kingdoms and stopped Charlemagne and the Franks' advance in Europe. Wherever Viking ships roamed, enormous suffering followed in their wake, but the encounter between cultures changed both European and Nordic societies. Employing unorthodox and unpredictable strategies, which were hard for more organized forces to respond to, the most crucial element of the Viking’s success was their basic strategy of evading the enemy by arriving by sea, then attacking quickly and with great force before withdrawing quickly. The warrior class dominated in a militarized society. Honour was everything, and breaking promises and ruining one’s posthumous reputation was considered worse than death itself. If a man offended another man’s honour, the only way out was blood revenge. Never before have the Viking art of war, weapons and the history of their conquests been presented together in such detail. With over 380 colour illustrations including beautiful reconstruction drawings, maps, cross-section drawings of ships, line-drawings of fortifications, battle plan reconstructions and photos of surviving artefacts including weapons and jewellery, Vikings at War provides a vivid account of one of Europe’s most exciting epochs. Vikings at War was awarded the Norwegian literary prize ‘Saga Prize’ in 2012; currently in its fourth printing in Norwegian, the translation presented here makes it available for the first time in English.

    Rotting in prison, condemned as a heretic, Knight Templar Richard Savage is given a chance of reprieve if he returns to his homeland of Ireland. There is a catch: He must work as a spy for King Edward of England. Scotland and England are at war. The Scots intend to invade Ireland and someone in Ireland is helping them. Savage returns to a land where he cannot be sure who to trust. Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, is said to possess a mysterious treasure, and many are flocking to his cause. Efficient, brutal killers are on the loose and in the middle of it all is Alys de Logan, Savage's former love who he abandoned to join the Templars, who some say has become a witch. Amid feasts, tournaments and war, Savage discovers he left more than just memories behind in Ireland. Can he decide whose side he in on, where Bruce's secret treasure is and above all, stay alive?

    Reigning for over fifty years, he achieved spectacular military triumphs and overcame grave threats to his authority, from parliamentary revolt to the Black Death. Revered by his subjects as a chivalric dynamo, he initiated the Hundred Years' War and gloriously led his men into battle against the Scots and the French.In this illuminating biography, W. Mark Ormrod takes a deeper look at Edward to reveal the man beneath the military muscle. What emerges is Edward's clear sense of his duty to rebuild the prestige of the Crown, and through military gains and shifting diplomacy, to secure a legacy for posterity. New details of the splendor of Edward's court, lavish national celebrations, and innovative use of imagery establish the king's instinctive understanding of the bond between ruler and people. With fresh emphasis on how Edward's rule was affected by his family relationships—including his roles as traumatized son, loving husband, and dutiful father—Ormrod gives a valuable new dimension to our understanding of this remarkable warrior king.

    Many proto-zoological illustrations, of great charm but variable accuracy, are found in the bestiaries, or compendiums of animal lore, that were exceedingly popular in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. But animals are depicted in every other sort of illuminated manuscript as well, from the eighth-century Echternach Gospels, with its geometrically schematized symbols of the Evangelists, to the early fifteenth-century Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, with its famously naturalistic scenes of peasant and aristocratic life.In his insightful opening chapters, the noted art historian Christian Heck explains that the prevalence of animals in illuminated manuscripts reflects their importance in medieval thought, an importance due in part to the agricultural society of that age, in which a variety of species—and not just docile pets—were the daily companions of man. Animals also had a greater symbolic significance than they do today: in popular fables, such as those of Reynard the Fox, they held up a mirror to the follies of mankind, and on the religious plane, they were understood as an integral part of God’s creation, whose attributes and behaviors could be taken as clues to His plan of salvation.The main part of the book explores the complex and fascinating iconography of the individual creatures most frequently depicted by medieval miniaturists. It is arranged in the manner of a proper bestiary, with essays on one hundred animals alphabetized by their Latin names, from the alauda, or lark, whose morning song was thought to be a hymn to Creation, to the vultur, which enjoyed a certain respect due to its impressive appearance, but whose taste for carrion also made it a symbol of the sinner who indulges in worldly pleasures. The selection includes a number of creatures that would now be considered fantastic, including the griffin, the manticore, and of course the fabled unicorn, tamable only by a gentle maiden.Not merely a study of art history, The Grand Medieval Bestiary uses a theme of timeless interest to present a panorama of medieval life and thought that will captivate even the most sophisticated modern reader.

    journey with Cade and Rhiann to a world of myth and magic in Dark Age Wales! The Last Pendragon - Rhiann knows that demons walk the night. She has been taught to fear them. But from the moment Cade is dragged before her father's throne, beaten and having lost all of his men to her father's treachery, he stirs something inside her that she has never felt before. When Cade is revealed to be not only Arthur's heir but touched by the sidhe, Rhiann must choose between the life she left behind and the one before her--and how much she is willing to risk to follow her heart. The Pendragon's Blade - Having given her trust to Cade and his companions, Rhiann comes face to face with the terror of the sidhe and discovers the true threat they represent to her people--and in so doing, takes her place as a full member of Cade's war band. But even as his relationship with Rhiann deepens, Cade knows that only he can stand at the crossroads between the Underworld and the free people of Wales and prevent the war that the wayward god Mabon hopes to unleash. Song of the Pendragon - Faced with the unleashed might of the Underworld, Rhiann, Cade, and their companions travel to the world of the sidhe. And it is there, in the heart of Arawn's domain, that Cade finds himself finally able to grasp the reins of his own power to become the Christian king and pagan hero that has always been his destiny.The Complete Series reading order: The Last Pendragon, The Pendragon's Blade, Song of the Pendragon, The Pendragon's Quest, The Pendragon's Champions, Rise of the Pendragon, The Pendragon's Challenge, Legend of the Pendragon.

    One man has been kidnapped. Another has been murdered.In the bleakest depths of winter, Frevisse finds her soul chilled with the heavy burdens of duty and responsibility. Even the warmth of charity is in short supply as the villagers of Prior Byfield turn against each in bloody feuds of greed and rage, weaving knots of treachery which even the clever Frevisse may find hard to unwind.Award-winning author Margaret Frazer gathers shadows around the hearth to tell a tale of frigid winter and icy passion. Join Frevisse in her fervent prayers for a true peace of mind and body as she pits all her forceful will against the most cunning of evils. Fear for the lives which may be destroyed in unlocking the secrets of the winter heart...A story from Margaret Frazer's Tales.PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE SERIES"This is a perfect mystery: It's flawless." - Drood Review of Mystery"Frazer's grasp of the society and tangled politics in England in the mid-1400s is masterful." - Firsts, the Book Collector's Magazine"Keeps readers turning the pages." - Marina Oliver, Historical Novels Review"Frazer's quiet yet intense medieval mysteries are so vividly and gracefully written you just float back in time..." - BookNews from The Poisoned Pen"Whether good or evil, her characters are vibrant and compelling. While we might like to believe that the prejudices of that era have passed into history, we are reminded that we are not so very different after all." - Lorraine Gelly, Romantic Times Book ClubA Romantic Times Top Pick.Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.

    A prince in disguise…and a lady torn between love and duty.Lady Tayte Bashan never desired the distinctive black hair that marks her as Undae royalty, but when her family perishes in a devastating tsunami, the burden of leadership falls upon her young shoulders. Even as she prepares her island for the prophesied prince, she fears the duty to marry him is truly meant for another.Sent from the King to an island untouched by the outside world for centuries, Prince Geoffrey Athan D’Ambrose's mission is to lead its people to the ultimate truth. The first sent out, he desires to serve his King, but how is he supposed to win the heart of Undae’s princess when the King sends him disguised as a tutor?Betrayal stirs within Castle Bashan, a threat as deadly as the rising wave. Now Tayte and Athan must brave the maelstrom or watch as the entire island succumbs to treachery’s destructive tide.

    What child hasn't wished to have his or her own dragon or to fight the great fire-breathers? Pegasus - A Dragon's Tale is the delightful, heartwarming story of two young bear cubs and the dragon they find that changes their lives forever.

    It draws on illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, tapestries, paintings, and sculpture from museums and libraries around the world.“Symbolism and metaphors are buried in the art of fashion,” says Roger Wieck, the editor of Illuminating Fashion. Examining the role of social customs and politics in influencing dress, at a time of rapid change in fashion, this fully illustrated volume demonstrates the richness of such symbolism in medieval art and how artists used clothing and costume to help viewers interpret an image.At the heart of the work is A Pictorial History of Fashion, 1325 to 1515, an album of over 300 illustrations with commentary. This is followed by a comprehensive glossary of medieval English and French clothing terms and an extensive list of dated and datable works of art. Not only can this fully illustrated volume be used as guide to a fuller understanding of the works of art, it can also help date an undated work; reveal the shape and structure of actual garments; and open up a picture’s iconographic and social content.It is invaluable for costume designers, students and scholars of the history of dress and history of art, as well as those who need to date works of art.

    But what if the First Crusade s real catalyst lay far to the east of Rome? In this groundbreaking book, countering nearly a millennium of scholarship, Peter Frankopan reveals the untold history of the First Crusade.Nearly all historians of the First Crusade focus on the papacy and its willing warriors in the West, along with innumerable popular tales of bravery, tragedy, and resilience. In sharp contrast, Frankopan examines events from the East, in particular from Constantinople, seat of the Christian Byzantine Empire. The result is revelatory. The true instigator of the First Crusade, we see, was the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who in 1095, with his realm under siege from the Turks and on the point of collapse, begged the pope for military support.Basing his account on long-ignored eastern sources, Frankopan also gives a provocative and highly original explanation of the world-changing events that followed the First Crusade. The Vatican s victory cemented papal power, while Constantinople, the heart of the still-vital Byzantine Empire, never recovered. As a result, both Alexios and Byzantium were consigned to the margins of history. From Frankopan s revolutionary work, we gain a more faithful understanding of the way the taking of Jerusalem set the stage for western Europe s dominance up to the present day and shaped the modern world."

    Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father's household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith's greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

    The book indubitably places Talya Fishman in the vanguard of scholarly research."--Israel J. Yuval, Hebrew University of Jerusalem In Becoming the People of the Talmud, Talya Fishman examines ways in which circumstances of transmission have shaped the cultural meaning of Jewish traditions. Although the Talmud's preeminence in Jewish study and its determining role in Jewish practice are generally taken for granted, Fishman contends that these roles were not solidified until the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. The inscription of Talmud--which Sefardi Jews understand to have occurred quite early, and Ashkenazi Jews only later--precipitated these developments. The encounter with Oral Torah as a written corpus was transformative for both subcultures, and it shaped the roles that Talmud came to play in Jewish life. What were the historical circumstances that led to the inscription of Oral Torah in medieval Europe? How did this body of ancient rabbinic traditions, replete with legal controversies and nonlegal material, come to be construed as a reference work and prescriptive guide to Jewish life? Connecting insights from geonica, medieval Jewish and Christian history, and orality-textuality studies, Becoming the People of the Talmud reconstructs the process of cultural transformation that occurred once medieval Jews encountered the Babylonian Talmud as a written text. According to Fishman, the ascription of greater authority to written text was accompanied by changes in reading habits, compositional predilections, classroom practices, approaches to adjudication, assessments of the past, and social hierarchies. She contends that certain medieval Jews were aware of these changes: some noted that books had replaced teachers; others protested the elevation of Talmud-centered erudition and casuistic virtuosity into standards of religious excellence, at the expense of spiritual refinement. The book concludes with a consideration of Rhineland Pietism's emergence in this context and suggests that two contemporaneous phenomena--the prominence of custom in medieval Ashkenazi culture and the novel Christian attack on Talmud--were indirectly linked to the new eminence of this written text in Jewish life. Talya Fishman is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Shaking the Pillars of Exile: "Voice of a Fool," an Early Modern Jewish Critique of Rabbinic Culture. Jewish Culture and Contexts 2011 424 pages 6 x 9 2 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-4313-0 Cloth $65.00s 42.50 World Rights Religion Short copy: Talya Fishman explores the roles the Babylonian Talmud played in the textualization of medieval European Jewish culture."

    The treasure trove promises to shed unprecedented light on the most mysterious period of British history—the so-called "Dark Ages"—when the Saxons, Anglos, Celts, Picts, Jutes, and Vikings battled for control of the British Isles and a "mish mash of peoples evolved into a homogenous nation possessed with a strong cultural identity," according to New York Times bestselling author of the book, Caroline Alexander.   Alexander, author of the bestselling The Endurance and The Bounty, draws themes from the story of the spectacular treasure to explore the entire fascinating history of the Saxons in England; from the fall of Rome to the flourishing and seemingly incomprehensible spread of Saxon influence. Piece by piece, she draws readers into a world of near constant warfare guided by a unique understanding of Christianity, blended as it was with pagan traditions. Through heroic and epic literature that survives in poems such as Beowulf and the Legends of King Arthur, Alexander seeks to separate myth from reality and wonder, with readers, if the circumstances of the deposit of such a spectacular hoard have parallels in legendary tales. Peering through a millennia of mist and mystery, Alexander reveals a fascinating era—and a mesmerizing discovery—as never before, uncovering a dynamic period of history that would see its conclusion in the birth of the English nation.   Set in a landscape whose beauty endures, the story of the making of England emerges through a wealth of archaeological and written material. The story highlights the fluid nature of human societies and carries a surprisingly modern message of a successful, cohesive culture emerging from a diverse group of peoples.From the Hardcover edition.

    She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

    These objects appeared animated -- they wept, bled, and even walked. Such phenomena posed a challenge to Christians. On the one hand, they sought ever more frequent encounters with miraculous matter and, on the other hand, they turned toward an inward piety that rejected material objects of devotion. By the fifteenth century, these aspirations, accompanied by new anxieties and concerns, were at the heart of religious practice and polemic.In Christian Materiality, Caroline Walker Bynum describes the miracles themselves, discusses the problems they posed to both church authorities and to the ordinary faithful, and probes the basic scientific and religious assumptions about matter that lay behind them. Bynum also provides a deep analysis of the proliferation of religious art in the later Middle Ages.Her argument is without precedent: religious art, in this context and time period, called attention to its own materiality in sophisticated ways that explain both the animation of images and the hostility toward them on the part of iconoclasts. Understanding the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries' Christian culture as a paradoxical affirmation of the glory and the threat of the natural world, Bynum's study suggests a new understanding of the background to sixteenth-century reformations, both Protestant and Catholic. Moving beyond a cultural study of "the body" -- a field she was crucial in establishing -- Bynum exposes how Western attitudes toward the body and person must be placed in the context of changing conceptions of matter itself. Christian Materiality is a major contribution to the study and theory of material culture and religious practice.

    Have you ever dreamed of living in a castle? Did you imagine farm animals crowding the square, a moat filled with poop, and an army of invaders holding you under siege? Life in the Middle Ages was no fairy tale! Charge back in time to find out what real life was like in castles of the Middle Ages in this reluctant reader book.

    The Book of Kells The Book of Kells The Book of Kells The Book of Kells The Book of Kells The Book of Kells

    A bastard orphan, she has claimed the Bell estate in the aftermath of the Black Death. When Lord Andrew Drummond, courtier to King David II, arrives Eryn hides her treasonous deception from the knight, despite his passionate proposal. After Drew discovers her lies, will he convince the king to spare her life? And will either one move beyond their stubborn pride and painful pasts to salvage love ~ before it's too late?*****All would be fine if Lord Andrew Drummond hadn’t made an unexpected visit on behalf of King David II, held in the Tower of London as prisoner of England’s King Edward III. Drew, as the Scottish king’s main connection with the country he reigns over, has been traveling all over Scotland at the king’s behest. He is to assess the damage from the Black Death that has devastated the country; the country King David expects to raise the ransom to secure his freedom.The knight is impressed with the smooth running of Castleton, as well as its Lady. Eryn is tall, graceful, and confident. After months of viewing the horror caused by the Death, he is only too happy to pass some peaceful time at Castleton, before he returns to the king with his troubling report. Eryn knows that assuming a title that was not hers is a punishable offence, even to death. And Drew is certain this lovely lady is hiding something. But the pull between them is causing more problems. Her fear of being discovered, and his determination to uncover her secret, adds even more tension to their developing attraction. Loving the Knight kept me up nights. It was difficult to put the book down, many chores went undone. Kris Tualla has woven a tale of love and fear with splendid results. The anxiety and loneliness of Eryn came through so effectively, it tore at my heart. Her determination to keep Castleton afloat, even using treasonous methods at times, brought remarkable strength to this character. Drew’s feelings of protection and concern, and growing love for this enigmatic woman won me over whole heartedly. Well developed secondary characters rounded out the story nicely, making it a truly enjoyable read. Warning: Don’t start this book late at night!~ Callie Hutton, author of A Run For Love*****I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in such stellar writing. I felt the cold in my bones, heard the brogue, held my breath at every plot twist. I feel privileged to have shared the lives of such admirably flawed characters who, in desperate times, risked it all in the name of love.~ Award-winning author Vijaya Schartz*****A knight on a mission for his king and a woman determined to save the estate of the future laird have had to stand alone and were content to do so, until they meet and catch a glimpse of what it might be to share the journey, if only bothersome things like their pasts, secrets, treason, survival, and pride weren't such obstacles.If you thought finding love in the 21st century was a challenge, trying finding it in 1354 Scotland, after the decimation of the Black Plague. I loved this book!~ Judy - An Avid Romance Reader

    More than simple translations, they recast the familiar plots in daringly imaginative ways, from Satan’s seductive pride (anticipating Milton), to a sympathetic yet tragic Eve, to Moses as a headstrong Germanic warrior-king, to the lyrical nature poetry in Azarias.Whether or not the legendary Caedmon authored any of the poems in this volume, they represent traditional verse in all its vigor. Three of them survive as sequential epics in a manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The first, the Old English Genesis, recounts biblical history from creation and the apocryphal fall of the angels to the sacrifice of Isaac; Abraham emerges as the central figure struggling through exile toward a lasting covenant with God. The second, Exodus, follows Moses as he leads the Hebrew people out of Egyptian slavery and across the Red Sea. Both Abraham and Moses are transformed into martial heroes in the Anglo-Saxon mold. The last in the triad, Daniel, tells of the trials of the Jewish people in Babylonian exile up through Belshazzar’s feast. Azarias, the final poem in this volume (found in an Exeter Cathedral manuscript), relates the apocryphal episode of the three youths in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace.

    In this remarkable text, Capoferro described and illustrated--in unmatched detail--the use of the rapier alone and with a left-handed dagger, cloak and shield, offering the modern historical fencing student a true wealth of Renaissance fencing theory, form and repertoire.With this book, expert researcher and rapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Capoferro’s teachings, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. To make the book even more useful, Tom has included bullet-point synopses of all the actions illustrated by Capoferro, as well as a glossary of rapier-fencing terms with examples referring the reader to how they are used in the text. Also included is a primer on key rapier-fencing concepts and actions, as well as a historical introduction about Capoferro and his extraordinary relevance in the revival of historical martial arts.

    From the moment we open our eyes till the moment we go to sleep, we're pulled in multiple directions and besieged with the white noise of a busy, busy world. We find ourselves worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. In Seeking Spiritual Intimacy Glenn Myers introduces us to the Beguines, a network of faith communities in Medieval Europe, where women organized their world around the one thing needed--a simple life with Christ at the center. Here you'll learn from the insights of wise women of faith who, from their modest homes and quiet communities, revitalized the faith of a continent.

    Karen Bek-Pedersen provides a thorough understanding of the role played by norns and other beings like them in the relevant sources. Although they are well known, even to people who have only a superficial knowledge of Old Norse mythology, this is the first detailed discussion of the norns to be published amongst the literature dealing with Old Norse beliefs. Surprisingly little has been written specifically about the norns. Although often mentioned in scholarship treating Old Norse culture, the norns are all too often dealt with in overly superficial ways. The research presented in this book goes much deeper in order to properly understand the nature and role of the norns in the Old Norse world view. The conclusions reached by the author overturn a number of stereotypical conceptions that have long dominated our understanding of these beings. The book has a natural focus on Old Norse culture and is especially relevant to those interested in or studying Old Norse culture and tradition. However, comparative material from Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Classical traditions is also employed and the book is therefore of interest also to those with a broader interest in European mythologies.

    Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people. His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead. The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that's exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future. DANIELLE DEARMON has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live. She just never dreamed she'd end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself. With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil Magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists only in the arms of the woman he loves.

    Fun facts and photos, including reenactment shots, illuminate the lives of the inhabitants and the fascinating histories of castles.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

    When Highland patriot Connor Fraser comes to her aid, his steadfast dedication to king and country is challenged by his overwhelming desire to protect Cailin—even if he must marry her to do so. Accused of murdering one of her attackers and determined to rely on her own resourcefulness, Cailin dresses as a lad, intent on seeking refuge at the camp of Robert the Bruce. Can she elude an enemy from her past—a vindictive English lord bent on her utter demise—or will she fall prey to his carnal intent and be executed for a crime she did not commit?

    The guide contains information on the International Phonetic Alphabet, iambic pentameter, and the Great Vowel Shift. It also has word lists and transcription exercises. Refined during four decades of Beidler's own teaching, this booklet is now widely available for the first time.

    So when her father passes and the King begins sending suitors, she feels justified in taking matters into her own hands. Through a series of harmless pranks, Sarra works to keep the potential husbands at bay. Cedric MacNeil is a Scotsman that has lost it all. Death claimed his parents and jealousy claimed his entitled position as Laird of his clan. Since his mother was a familiar of the English court, he leaves his native land and heads to England to fight on behalf of the English King. Tournaments are won, earning honor and glory for the crown. Cedric’s reward is the opportunity to gain what he wants most in this life, land. But as he gets to know Sarra, he realizes he might get more than he bargained for.

    Along the way he meets a widow, Elizabeth Clinton, and makes an enemy of the ruthless outlaw Eustace Folville. Meanwhile, England is threatened by invasion and civil war, and it remains to be seen who will survive and who will perish in the brutal game of 14th century war and politics.

    First published in 1874, this 792 page version includes the Addendum.

    600 and ca. 1100, in a variety of media, manuscripts, stone and wooden sculpture, ivory carving, textiles, and architecture. Firstly, from a post-colonial angle, it examines the way art can both create and narrate national and cultural identity over the centuries during which England was coming into being, moving from Romano-Britain to Anglo-Saxon England to Anglo-Scandinavian England to Anglo-Norman England. Secondly, it treats Anglo-Saxon art as works of art, works that have both an aesthetic and an emotional value, rather than as simply passive historical or archaeological objects. This double focus on art as an aesthetic vehicle and art as an active political force allows us to ask questions not only about what makes something a work of art, but what makesit endure as such, as well as questions about the work that art does in the creation of peoples, cultures, nations and histories. Professor Catherine Karkov teaches in the School of Fine Art, University of Leeds.

    Divided into three main sections, the book first of all discusses repertory, styles and techniques - the key areas of traditional music histories; next taking a topographical view of the subject - from Italy, German-speaking lands, and the Iberian Peninsula; and concludes with chapters on such issues as liturgy, vernacular poetry and reception. Rather than presenting merely a chronological view of the history of medieval music, the volume instead focuses on technical and cultural aspects of the subject. Over nineteen informative chapters, fifteen world-leading scholars give a perspective on the music of the Middle Ages that will serve as a point of orientation for the informed listener and reader, and is a must-have guide for anyone with an interest in listening to and understanding medieval music.

    They are depicted as pets, as mousers, in Bestiaries, in marginalia, and in other surprising images—for example, depictions of cats in religious iconography. This charming gift book presents a wealth of cat imagery from a wide variety of medieval sources and will have a wide appeal for cat lovers everywhere. The text is peppered with fascinating facts about the medieval view of cats and amusing anecdotes about people and their pets in the Middle Ages. For example, "Cats often had full rein of the dining hall, a situation which books of courtesy despaired of, asking that owners refrain from petting cats sitting on tables. They also invaded bedrooms, for which the Boke of Nurture asked with little success that the owner dryve out dogge and catte, or els geve them a clout."

    Many medieval Jews, whether living in Islamic or Christian civilizations, joined Maimonides in accepting the rationalist philosophical-scientific tradition and appropriated extensive bodies of scientific knowledge in various disciplines: astronomy, astrology, mathematics, logic, physics, meteorology, biology, psychology, science of language and medicine. The appropriated texts Ai in the original or in Hebrew translation Ai were the starting points for Jews' own contributions to medieval science and also informed other literary genres: religious-philosophical works, biblical commentaries and even Halakhic (legal) discussions. This volume's essays will provide readers with background knowledge of medieval scientific thought necessary to properly understand canonical Jewish scientific texts. Its breadth reflects the number and diversity of Jewish cultures in the Middle Ages and the necessity of considering the fortunes of science in each within its specific context.

    The expert contributions explore the physical form of books, including their codicology, script and decoration, examine the circulation and exchange of manuscripts and texts between England, Ireland, the Celtic realms and the Continent, discuss the production, presentation and use of different classes of texts, ranging from fine service books to functional schoolbooks, and evaluate the libraries that can be associated with particular individuals and institutions. The result is an authoritative account of the first millennium of the history of books, manuscript-making, and literary culture in Britain which, intimately linked to its cultural contexts, sheds vital light on broader patterns of political, ecclesiastical and cultural history extending from the period of the Vindolanda writing tablets through the age of Bede and Alcuin to the time of the Domesday Book.

    The author approaches the phenomenon from the standpoint of constructivism as understood in the social science tradition of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The author argues in the text that the construction of this unique Orthodox identity, especially by the Greek theologians John S. Romanides and Christos Yannaras, is similar to what is occurring in other religious traditions around the world. Additionally, the author examines the retrieval of the hesychastic tradition of the Orthodox Church using a genealogical approach. Here the thought of the Russian emigration, especially the thought of Georges Florovsky, is of primary importance. The text concludes with an appraisal of this revival in the Orthodox world and its ecumenical possibilities for a pluralistic world.

    They left rugged fiords in search of open land, trade, treasure,or fame. They landed in North America over four hundred years before Columbus. Their exploits are recounted in the ancient Norse sagas. A Dream of Dragons is a modern saga written with all the power of a true story retold in the ageless rhythms of blank verse and beautifully illustrated by Mary Azarian.

    After her father is unjustly accused of attempted murder, and sentenced to hang, life goes from bad to worse. With a hunger for revenge, Joe sets out on a quest to find the princess and rightful heir to the throne and to help rid the country of Exmoor of The Gazers. But before she can start on this quest, she must first escape slavery. Will the outlaws help her? Where has the princess been hiding all these years? And where is the missing church minister, Father Abner?

    While readers usually assume the metaphorical nature of such literary images, Leslie Lockett, in Anglo-Saxon Psychologies in the Vernacular and Latin Traditions, argues that these depictions are literal representations of Anglo-Saxon folk psychology.Lockett analyses both well-studied and little-known texts, including Insular Latin grammars, The Ruin, the Old English Soliloquies, The Rhyming Poem, and the writings of Patrick, Bishop of Dublin. She demonstrates that the Platonist-Christian theory of the incorporeal mind was known to very few Anglo-Saxons throughout most of the period, while the concept of mind-in-the-heart remained widespread. Anglo-Saxon Psychologies in the Vernacular and Latin Traditions examines the interactions of rival - and incompatible - concepts of the mind in a highly original way.

    A medieval philosopher whose vision covered an extensive range, he created a method of mediating between revelation and reason that laid the groundwork for a rational, philosophically sophisticated Judaism. He also provided an approach to biblical interpretation and philosophy that remains relevant for people of all faiths who follow a religion based on sacred text and oral interpretation.In this accessible examination of Maimonides's theological and philosophical teachings, Rabbi Marc D. Angel opens up for us Maimonides's views on the nature of God, providence, prophecy, free will, human nature, repentance and more. He explores basic concepts of faith that Maimonides posits must serve as the basis for proper religious life. He also examines Maimonides's insights on reward and punishment, messianic days, the world to come and other tenets of Jewish faith.Now you can experience the wisdom of Maimonides even if you have no previous knowledge of Judaism or Jewish philosophy. SkyLight Illuminations provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that reveals why Maimonides's teachings continue to have profound relevance to those seeking an intellectually vibrant understanding of Judaism.

    A book on medieval and renaissance cooking including more than 330 recipes, articles on how to do a feast, information on what ingredients were available when, and more.

    Read Patrick's account of his capture and slavery in Ireland in a straightforward and accurate translation by Padraig McCarthy. Succinct and accessible, St Patrick's Confessio is a unique and insightful glimpse into the life of Ireland's patron saint.

    Although these accounts differ significantly in terms of their respective analytical assumptions, theoretical concerns and scholarly contributions, they share at least one common OCo arguably, defining OCo element: a belief that a careful study of medieval geopolitics can help resolve a number of important debates surrounding the nature and dynamics of international relations. There are however three generic weaknesses characterizing the extant literature: a general failure to examine the existing historiography of medieval geopolitics, an inadequate account of the material and ideational forces that create patterns of violent conflict in medieval Latin Christendom, and a failure to take seriously the role of religion in the geopolitical relations of medieval Latin Christendom.This book seeks to address these shortcomings by providing a theoretically guided and historically sensitive account of the geopolitical relations of medieval Latin Christendom. It does this by developing a theoretically informed picture of medieval geopolitics, theorizing the medieval-to-modern transition in a new and fruitful way, and suggesting ways in which a systematic analysis of medieval geopolitical relations can actually help to illuminate a range of contemporary geopolitical phenomena. Finally, it develops an historically sensitive conceptual framework for understanding geopolitical conflict and war more generally."

    As the king casts a blanket of death over the land, the daughter heir is thrown into the filthy bowels of the kingdom's underworld, eventually passing into the care of their most ruthless and brutal mercenary. Yet her strength of spirit will not be broken, earning more than just the respect of her murderous warder.

    Born into the 13th century's turmoil and warfare, Briana of Flint is a lady of legend. Myrrdin, the greatest bard in Wales, prophesied at her birth that she would "rise from fetters and bring freedom with her."In the struggle of the Welsh against the ruthless King Edward I of England, Briana loses almost everything she loves -- her family, her home, and her liberty. But three extraordinary men offer her ways to discover the ultimate, unanticipated truth of Myrrdin's prophecy.Ine, a lesser bard, has no idea why he has been chosen to inherit the Welsh bardic tradition...Rees, the King's nephew, experiences a near death on Crusade, an event that transforms him more than anyone guesses...Owen Glyn, the last of the Welsh rebels, gathers to himself in the fastness of Snowdonia all that remains of Prince Llewelyn's dream of freedom for Wales...Ranging from the deep valleys and high mountains of Wales to the English court at Windsor and Westminster, with stops in France and the Holy Land, this intricate story of music, swordplay, loss, and redemption follows exceptional men and women trying to live in an age with values different from their own -- an age of awakening."Roby James' historical novel A Song of Awakening, set in the reign of Edward I Plantagenet, ranges over the known world from the Holy Land to the North, but, in the end, returns to England, Wales and, in particularly, Flint Castle, to which the child Briana is heiress. Its native rock is strong beneath her feet and dear to her heart. She also has fire in her blood, a spine of steel, and carries the burden of bardic prophecy. She needs all three of these things to fight for her land s and her people s survival during the wars between England and Wales. Although a canny Edward Longshanks seeks to use her as a pawn, she is very much her own woman. She becomes a fit adversary for the half-Norman Crusader whom the king also advances on a bloodstained chessboard of castles, crowns and hearts. A Song of Awakening is a worthy successor to Edith Pargeter s trilogy set over 100 years earlier: The Heaven Tree, The Green Branch and The Scarlet Seed." --Susan Shwartz Author of Shards of Empire and Cross and Crescent Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy nominee"Roby James spins a web that draws us deeply into her mythic Celtic world, described in her latest novel, A Song of Awakening. A trio of male bards opens the door to this post-Arthurian universe, but it is the memorable female characters who keep the reader locked inside. Duty, honor, war, love, death: each makes its appearance, and its mark, but the deepest search is the one that leads toward healing, both personal and political." --Paula Butturini Author of Keeping the Feast

    Apart from a brief description by an eyewitness in 1517, there are no contemporary records that tell us anything about the original commission of the painting, its placement, function or audience.Reindert Falkenburg now offers a detailed analysis of Bosch's eye- and mind boggling play with pictorial traditions. He argues that the painting was created towards the end of the fifteenth century as a conversation piece for an audience of Burgundian nobles. He suggests that the Garden of Earthly Delights served as a multifaceted mirror for viewers to reflect on how humanity, while created in the image and likeness of God, in the course of history has lost its original identity and tends towards becoming one with a world that is susceptible to an all-perverting force of evil origin. This debatable nature of Bosch's imagery is central to any engaged viewership, historical or modern.

    A Latin translation of earlier Greek writings on pharmacy that have not survived, it circulated among collections of 'authorities' on medicine, including Hippocrates, Galen of Pergamun, Soranus, and Ps. Apuleius.This work presents interesting linguistic features, including otherwise unattested Greek and Latin technical terms and unique pharmacological descriptions. Nicholas Everett provides a window onto the medieval translation of ancient science and medieval conceptions of pharmacy. With a comprehensive scholarly apparatus and a contextual introduction, The Alphabet of Galen is a major resource for understanding the richness and diversity of medical history.

    Why the Middle Ages Matter refreshes our thinking about this historical era, and our own, by looking at some pressing concerns from today's world, asking how these issues were really handled in the medieval period, and showing why the past matters now. The contributors here cover topics such as torture, marriage, sexuality, imprisonment, refugees, poverty, work, the status of women, disability, race, political leadership and end of life care. They focus on a variety of regions, from North Africa and the Middle East, through Western and Central Europe, to the British Isles.This collection challenges many negative stereotypes of medieval people, revealing a world from which, for instance, much could be learned about looking after the spiritual needs of the dying, and about integrating prisoners into the wider community through an emphasis on reconciliation between victim and criminal. It represents a new level of engagement with issues of social justice by medievalists and provides a highly engaging way into studying the middle ages. All the essays are written so as to be accessible to students, and each is accompanied by a list of further readings.

    Those who have not dismissed it as incomprehensible gibberish have found it a battlefield for division and misunderstanding. Even Christians, who adhere to the faith of the Creeds, have often found such dogma difficult to grasp. Richard of Saint Victor, a twelfth-century Scottish monk and Prior in the Abbey of Saint Victor, is emblematic in this struggle: "I have often read that there is ... [only] one God... I have also read ... that he is one and triune... But I do not remember having read anything on the evidences for these assertions." Richard's theological response stems from a profoundly mystical life of prayer, which, in the Spirit, seeks to involve the mind, in continuation with the great Augustinian and Anselmian tradition. Ultimately, he presents a trinitarian model, intelligible to a Western context but which could also awake admiration from Greek theologians. Today Richard's dogmatics could represent a bridge for dialogue between different traditions. For the first time this theological masterpiece is being made available, unabridged, in English to allow a broader theological public to benefit from Richard's accomplishments. The translation offered here attempts to provide a clear and flowing text, while remaining as literally faithful as possible to the original Latin. Endorsements: "This first English translation of Richard of St. Victor's De Trinitate is a notable publishing event. Ruben Angelici's helpful introduction is both lively and learned. It is to be hoped that this project will renew the interest of theologians and philosophers in the stimulating theology of Richard of St. Victor." -Paul Helm Teaching Fellow Regent College, Vancouver "Ruben Angelici deserves great credit for his commentary and translation of Richard of St. Victor's On the Trinity. His scholarship is impeccable and insightful and his translation is accurate and lucid. This is a most welcome and much needed contribution to the theological academy." -Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M. Executive Director of the Secretariat for Doctrine United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Author Biography: Ruben Angelici is a Graduate of the University of Manchester. He holds degrees and expertise in theology, philosophy, biology, and music. He has been a sessional lecturer in dogmatic and historical theology at Nazarene Theological College, University of Manchester."

    When it first appeared, it was the only anthology of medieval political philosophy to contain major texts from all three Western monotheistic traditions--Christianity, Judaism, and Islam--and that claim remains true today. This new edition of this classic text of political philosophy--revised and enlarged by Joshua Parens and Joseph C. Macfarland--will make accessible to today's students the insights of these profound medieval thinkers.Prior to the modern separation of religion from politics, these medieval thinkers explored a variety of approaches to the relation between religion and politics--approaches that prompted renewed interest in a world divided over how best to relate the two. For the authors gathered in this volume--including Alfarabi, Alghazali, Averroes, Maimonides, Judah Halevi, Thomas Aquinas, Boethius of Dacia, and Dante Alighieri among many others--there was a greater uniformity of general intention than at any other period. All of these authors studied the works of classical political philosophy and considered in a variety of ways the implications of this political thought for their contemporary situation in a monotheistic religious community.

    Sit down to a meal of eagle, peacock, green-dyed eggs, stuffed pig's stomach, and blood gravy. Medieval royalty would eat giant feasts filled with strange and exotic dishes. Readers join in on the fun and find out what food was like during the Middle Ages in this reluctant reader book.

    Knights have a unique military and romantic legacy, and this analyzes how knighthood has been portrayed in art and literature over the centuries. The book examines the distinct legacy of the knight, focusing on knighthood in its military and romantic modes and looking at the concept of chivalry as an ideal but seldom attained state. It also details the castle, explaining how and why they were built.  It looks at their construction and demonstrates how designs became more intricate over the centuries.  Castle life is examined in detail, focusing on the social fabric and hierarchy, work, entertainment, food production, and the castle town.  The role of religion and monasticism in castles is also explored.  Many of the major castles are visited and mapped, giving a real insight into the role they played in centuries gone by.

    First and foremost it was a drama, a pageant, a liturgy. The setting itself was impressive. Stunning artwork adorned massive buildings. Underlying and supporting the liturgy, the art and the architecture was a carefully constructed theological world of thought and belief. Popular beliefs, spilling over into the magical, celebrated that presence in several tumultuous forms. Church law regulated how far such practice might go as well as who was allowed to perform the liturgy and how and when it might be performed. This volume presents the medieval Eucharist in all its glory combining introductory essays on the liturgy, art, theology, architecture, devotion and theology. Contributors include: Celia Chazelle, Michael Driscoll, Edward Foley, Stephen Edmund Lahey, Lizette Larson-Miller, Ian Christopher Levy, Gerhard Lutz, Gary Macy, Miri Rubin, Elizabeth Saxon, Kristen Van Ausdall and Joseph Wawrykow.

    0 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Door in the Wall. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on The Door in the Wall by none.

    Through the life of Columbanus, a highly influential participant in the development of the medieval church and the invigorating transmission of Irish culture to the emerging civilization on the continent, readers gain an understanding of thetransition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages.As a citizen of multiple cultures, Columbanus provides an excellent introduction to an entire era. Each interpretive biography in the Library of World Biography Series focuses on aperson whose actions and ideas either significantly influenced world events or whose life reflects important themes and developments in global history. "

    The culture and lifestyle in the medieval world vary wildly depending on the specific area and the exact point within this ancient period in human history—an era that predates what is typically represented at Renaissance fairs by at least a century.All Things Medieval: An Encyclopedia of the Medieval World covers the widest definition of "medieval Europe" possible, not by covering history in the traditional, textbook manner of listing wars, leaders, and significant historic events, but by presenting detailed alphabetical entries that describe the artifacts of medieval Europe. By examining the hidden material culture and by presenting information about topics that few books cover--pottery, locks and keys, shoes, weaving looms, barrels, toys, pets, ink, kitchen utensils, and much more--readers get invaluable insights into the nature of life during that time period and area.The heartland European regions such as England, France, Italy, and Germany are covered extensively, and information regarding the objects of regions such as Byzantium, Muslim Spain, and Scandinavia are also included. For each topic of material culture, the entry considers the full scope of the medieval period--roughly 500-1450--to give the reader a historical perspective of related traditions or inventions and describes the craftsmen and tools that produced it.

    960-980) are among the most compelling texts in the field of medieval studies, in part because they lack textually supplied solutions. Indeed, these ninety-five Old English riddles have become so popular that they have even been featured on posters for the London Underground and have inspired a sculpture in downtown Exeter. Modern scholars have responded enthusiastically to the challenge of solving the Riddles, but have generally examined them individually. Few have considered the collection as a whole or in a broader context. In this book, Patrick Murphy takes an innovative approach, arguing that in order to understand the Riddles more fully, we must step back from the individual puzzles and consider the group in light of the textual and oral traditions from which they emerged. He offers fresh insights into the nature of the Exeter Riddles' complexity, their intellectual foundations, and their lively use of metaphor.

    Henceforth, the virgin as Christ's spouse was expected to manifest matronly modesty and due submission, hobbling virginity's ancient capacity to destabilize gender roles. In the early Middle Ages, the focus on virginity and the attendant anxiety over its possible loss reinforced the emphasis on claustration in female religious communities, while also profoundly disparaging the nonvirginal members of a given community.With the rising importance of intentionality in determining a person's spiritual profile in the high Middle Ages, the title of bride could be applied and appropriated to laywomen who were nonvirgins as well. Such instances of democratization coincided with the rise of bridal mysticism and a progressive somatization of female spirituality. These factors helped cultivate an increasingly literal and eroticized discourse: women began to undergo mystical enactments of their union with Christ, including ecstatic consummations and vivid phantom pregnancies. Female mystics also became increasingly intimate with their confessors and other clerical confidants, who were sometimes represented as stand-ins for the celestial bridegroom. The dramatic merging of the spiritual and physical in female expressions of religiosity made church authorities fearful, an anxiety that would coalesce around the figure of the witch and her carnal induction into the Sabbath.

    

    They include the earliest known surviving illuminated haggadah: the Birds' Head Haggadah, made in Mainz around 1300, in which many of the faces on the human figures depicted throughout are replaced with those of birds. Also presented is the Golden Haggadah from Barcelona, c. 1320-30, along with two Spanish "siblings," the Rylands Haggadah and its purported Brother, made between 1330 and 1340, which share similar iconography and style.Though the importance of these manuscripts is universally acknowledged, Epstein examines them with fresh and creative eyes, offering insightful solutions to long-unresolved questions concerning the meaning of the art contained within them. In addition, he uses these treasured volumes as a springboard to address broader issues in the study of Jewish thought and culture.

    Edited, translated and annotated by the editors of Beowulf and Other Stories, the anthology introduces readers to the rich and varied literature of Britain, Scandinavia and France of the period in and around the Viking Age. Ranging from the Old English epic Beowulf through to the Anglo-Norman texts which heralded the transition Middle English, thematically organised chapters present elegies, eulogies, laments and followed by material on the Viking Wars in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Vikings gods and Icelandic sagas, and a final chapter on early chivalry introduces the new themes and forms which led to Middle English literature, including Arthurian Romances and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.Laying out in parallel text format selections from the most important Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman works, this anthology presents translated and annotated texts with useful bibliographic references, prefaced by a headnote providing useful background and explanation.

    She merits far greater recognition, however, on several other fronts. Fluent in French, Italian, and Latin, Parr also began, out of necessity, to learn Spanish when she ascended to the throne in 1543. As Henry’s wife and queen of England, she was a noted patron of the arts and music and took a personal interest in the education of her stepchildren, Princesses Mary and Elizabeth and Prince Edward. Above all, Parr commands interest for her literary labors: she was the first woman to publish under her own name in English in England.           For this new edition, Janel Mueller has assembled the four publications attributed to Parr—Psalms or Prayers, Prayers or Meditations, The Lamentation of a Sinner, and a compilation of prayers and Biblical excerpts written in her hand—as well as her extensive correspondence, which is collected here for the first time. Mueller brings to this volume a wealth of knowledge of sixteenth-century English culture. She marshals the impeccable skills of a textual scholar in rendering Parr’s sixteenth-century English for modern readers and provides useful background on the circumstances of and references in Parr’s letters and compositions. Given its scope and ambition, Katherine Parr: Complete Works and Correspondence will be an event for the English publishing world and will make an immediate contribution to the fields of sixteenth-century literature, reformation studies, women’s writing, and Tudor politics.

    However, like his spy novels and fast-paced adventure tales, The Pillars of the Earth is meticulously researched and offers an insider's glimpse at the richly detailed world that his characters inhabit. The world he presents in this saga-length novel is England during the twelfth century.This study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    While traditionally the early centuries of Anglo-Saxon England have been disregarded as"'lost centuries," archaeological evidence, paired with the later written sources, can reveal a complex and often sophisticated society. This period saw the beginnings of urbanization, with the establishment of market-places enabling the trade of local and exotic goods, and the first schools were introduced in the 7th century.Sally Crawford looks at how the Anglo-Saxons lived, from the composition of an Anglo-Saxon family and how status was defined by an individual's occupation, to the complexities of feasting and drinking and how adults and children found entertainment.

    A king would die on the battlefield and a new dynasty would be established. The fighting exemplified the superiority of an all-arms combined attack employing foot soldiers, cavalry and archers against massed infantry. To understand what happened and why – read Battle Story.Photographs of the battlefield today, artist’s interpretations and of course reproductions from the Bayeux tapestry place you in the centre of the action.Easy-to-read maps plot each development in the struggle.Descriptions of the weaponry, armour and tactics of the combatants help explain why the famous housecarls of England were obliterated for all time.Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore a turning point in British and European history.

    Originally used to define the manuscripts of ninth- and tenth-century Ireland and the north of England, "Insular" is now more widely applied to include all of the media of these and earlier periods. It is a style that is closely related to the more narrowly defined Anglo-Saxon. Stretching from the sixth or seventh centuries possibly to the late eleventh century, these styles are two of the most innovative of the Middle Ages. The studies in this volume, which were undertaken by some of the most eminent scholars in the field, highlight the close interaction between the two worlds of Ireland and England in the early medieval period. Studies deal with topics as diverse as the Books of Kells and Durrow, the high cross, reliquaries, and shrines as well as issues of reception, liturgy, color, performance, and iconography.The contributors are Herbert R. Broderick III, Michelle P. Brown, Carol Farr, Peter Harbison, Paul Meyvaert, Lawrence Nees, Nancy Netzer, Carol Neuman de Vegvar, Eamonn O Carragain, Neil O'Donoghue, Jennifer O'Reilly, Heather Pulliam, Jane Rosenthal, Michael Ryan, Ben C. Tilghman, and Benjamin Withers.

    This original study of contact and exchange in the middle ages explores the significance of the many cultural, religious and political exchanges between the two countries, arguing that the links were more diverse and stronger than simply the rulers' family connections. Jean Dunbabin shows how influence flowed as much from south to north as vice versa, and that France was strongly influenced by the experiences of those who returned after years of fighting in the Regno. As well as considering the experiences of notable crusading families, she sheds new light on the career of Robert II d'Artois, who virtually ruled the Regno for six years before returning to France to remodel the government of Artois. This comparative history of two societies offers an important new perspective on medieval Western Europe.

    Dadoyan studies the Armenian experience in the medieval Islamic world and takes the reader through hitherto undiscovered paradigmatic cases of interaction with other populations in the region. Being an Armenian, Dadoyan argues, means having an ethnic ancestry laden with narratives drawn from the vast historic Armenian habitat.Contradictory trends went into the making of Armenian history, yet most narratives fail to reflect this rich texture. Linking Armenian-Islamic history is one way of dealing with the problem. Dadoyan's concern is also to outline revolutionary elements in the making of Armenian ideologies and politics. This extensive work captures the multidimensional nature of the Armenian experience in the medieval Islamic world.The author holds that every piece of literature, including historical writing, is an artifact. It is a composition of many elements arranged in certain forms: order, sequence, proportion, detail, intensity, etc. The author has composed and arranged the larger subjects and their sub-themes in such a way as to create an open, dynamic continuity to Armenian history that is intellectually intriguing, aesthetically appealing, and close to lived experiences.

    In Medieval Oral Literature in the De Gruyter Lexikon series, an international team of scholars has provided an in-depth discussion both of theoretical issues and various poetic traditions and genres. In addition to the core areas of the European Middle Ages, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian and Turkish traditions have also been included."

    The surviving volumes of his massive project, dealing in depth with the years 1030-1041, combine astute criticism and wry humor with an unobtrusive display of mastery of the learned literature of the time, both in Arabic and Persian. Through a skillful manipulation of different styles, and timely introduction of the authorial voice as a framing device to bring a sense of heightened drama, the historian comments on mankind's individual frailties and the many lost opportunities that hasten a mighty dynasty's decline. Although there are already a number of articles and monographs in English and other Western languages on aspects of his style and historical approach, this is the first complete translation of the extant volumes with a detailed commentary.

    Simonsohn examines the legislative response of Christian and Jewish religious elites to the problem posed by the appeal of their coreligionists to judicial authorities outside their communities. Focusing on the late seventh to early eleventh centuries in the region between Iraq in the east and present-day Tunisia in the west, Simonsohn explores the multiplicity of judicial systems that coexisted under early Islam to reveal a complex array of social obligations that connected individuals across confessional boundaries. By examining the incentives for appeal to external judicial institutions on the one hand and the response of minority confessional elites on the other, the study fundamentally alters our conception of the social history of the Near East in the early Islamic period.Contrary to the prevalent scholarly notion of a rigid social setting strictly demarcated along confessional lines, Simonsohn's comparative study of Christian and Jewish legal behavior under early Muslim rule exposes a considerable degree of fluidity across communal boundaries. This seeming disregard for religious affiliations threatened to undermine the position of traditional religious elites; in response, they acted vigorously to reinforce communal boundaries, censuring recourse to external judicial institutions and even threatening transgressors with excommunication.

    Drawing from Latin, Greek, Jewish and Arabic sources, this book details how the House of Hauteville, particularly under Robert Guiscard and his brother Roger, used sea power to accomplish what the Papacy, the German Empire and the Eastern Empire could not: the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily from Islam. The subsequent establishment of an aggressive naval presence on Sicily, first by Roger de Hauteville and then by his son Roger II, effectively wrested control of the central Mediterranean from Byzantine and Muslim maritime hegemony, opening the sea to east-west shipping. The author goes on to describe how this development, in turn, emboldened the West Italian maritime republics, principally Genoa and Pisa, to expand eastward in conjunction with the Crusades. It was, quite literally, a sea change, ushering in a new period of western maritime ascendancy which has persisted into the modern era. Charles D. Stanton gained his PhD from the University of Cambridge.

    They were only rediscovered and published at the beginning of the twentieth century, thoughFroissart begins his much more famous work by acknowledging his great debt to the "true chronicles" which Jean le Bel had written. Many of the great pages of Froissart are actually the work of Jean le Bel, and this is the first translation of his book. It introduces English-speaking readers to a vivid text written by a man who, although a canon of the cathedral at Li�ge, had actually fought with Edward III in Scotland, and who was a great admirer of the English king. He writes directly and clearly, with an admirable grasp of narrative; and he writes very much from the point of view of the knights who fought with Edward. Even as a canon, he lived in princely style, with a retinue oftwo knights and forty squires, and he wrote at the request of John of Hainault, the uncle of queen Philippa. He was thus able to draw directly on the verbal accounts of the Cr�cy campaign given to him by soldiers from Hainault who had fought on both sides; and his description of warfare in Scotland is the most realistic account of what it was like to be on campaign that survives from this period. If he succumbs occasionally to a good story from one of theparticipants in the wars, this helps us to understand the way in which the knights saw themselves; but his underlying objective is to keep "as close to the truth as I could, according to what I personally have seen and remembered, and also what I have heard from those who were there". Edward may be his hero, a "gallant and noble king", but Le Bel tells the notorious story of his supposed rape of the countess of Salisbury because he believed it to be true, puzzled and shocked though he was by his material.It is a text which helps to put the massive work of Jean Froissart in perspective, but its concentrated focus and relatively short time span makes it a much more approachable and highly readable insight into the period.

    Exploring the nature of both historical and fictional outlaws, these twelve critical essays survey the literary, historical, and cultural environments that produced them, namely the medieval and early modern periods. Divided into three parts, the text examines the historical records of real outlawed men and women and the representation of Jews in medieval Britain as possible outlaws, outlaws associated specifically with Wales, and the popular figure of Robin Hood and the context of the late medieval poems and plays that feature him as a prominent figure.

    Marcus Elonger, known as the King's Justice, has no time for a quest -- he has a crumbling keep to re-build and lands to re-sow.Brianna Marillac is so desperate to save her people, she has turned thief and pilfers food from nearby barons.When Marcus and Brianna are thrown together to fulfill the conditions of the quest and retrieve the lost Cross of Souls, they fight both the attraction that flares between them, and a mysterious enemy who vows to see them both dead.