Medieval History » Archive for August 2009
Werewolf Witch Trials, A History.
Writing the Little Red Riding Hood, A History made me want to research the werewolf trials more. Witch trials to me usually stir up images of early America in the 17th century, and for some odd reason Winona Ryder. Oh well, I digress. What is less known, is the witch trials in America paled in comparison to what was already happening in Europe for a hundred years. Werewolf trials on the other hand, were something … Read entire article »
Filed under: Witch Trials
The English Rebel: One Thousand Years of Troublemaking … By David Horspool
I am eager to read this book, part of me hopes it is a lot like Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States. The book praises the rebels and the downtrodden, and without them the world would unmistakably be a very different place. It is the courage of the ‘rebels’ that produce change in any country in the world throughout history. Review by Jackie Wullschlager History belongs to the victors – or as Sir John Harington … Read entire article »
Filed under: Literature
13th Century Shipwreck Sheds New Light On Medieval Trade
The Engelskär wreck was discovered in 1996. The wreck is lies only in 10 feet of water and is surprisingly unmolested. The exciting thing about this wreck is that the archeologists are finding several whole remains of medieval artifacts that are usually found elsewhere are but fragments of entire pieces they are extracting from this shipwreck. “We have some wrong pre-conceptions about maritime history. In the Middle Ages, the sea was the superhighway … Read entire article »
Filed under: Archaeology, Featured
Little Red Riding Hood, A History.
This morning, Variety reports that Leonardo DiCaprio has bought the movie rights for Little Red Riding Hood and plans to make it into a “Gothic reimaging” of the fairy tale. It is said that David Leslie Johnson will write the script. What does this have to do with medieval history? Not too much, but I thought this news was a great excuse to research and write about the origins of this popular story. The most popular … Read entire article »
Filed under: Literature