There are few women in late Anglo-Saxon England for whom we have as much information as Emma of Normandy. The wife of two kings, we find her name in charter witness lists, […]
Queenship and Power: The Political Life of Emma of Normandy
A Scribe’s Life (3): Snorri Sturluson
This article is part of an ongoing series of short biographies of medieval scribes. Scribe: Snorri Sturluson Lived c. 1179 – 1241 Location: Reykholt, Iceland Notable works: Prose Edda – literary work, […]
A Scribe’s Life (2): John of Worcester
This article is part of an ongoing series of short biographies of medieval scribes. Scribe: John of Worcester Lived: c.1075 – 1140 Location: Worcester Priory Notable works: Chronicon ex chronicis John of […]
A Scribe’s Life (1): William of Malmesbury
This is the first of an ongoing series of short biographies of medieval scribes. Scribe: William of Malmesbury Lived c. 1095 – 1143 Location: Malmesbury Abbey, England Notable works: Gesta regum Anglorum […]
The Image of the King – 10 Portraits from Medieval England
Early medieval England did not have the rich tradition of royal portraiture that existed among in the contemporary Byzantine, Ottonian, and Carolingian courts. Our earliest images outside of numismatics (coinage) date from […]
Creating a Saint – King Edmund the Martyr & the Great Viking Army
Riddled with spears, clinging to his faith, King Edmund of East Anglia was beheaded on 20 November 869 at the orders of Ivar Ragnarsson ‘the Boneless.’ Or at least that is what […]
Shrouded in Rumour – The Lost Childhood of King Æthelstan
It is frequently claimed that the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelstan was the illegitimate son of King Edward the Elder and an unnamed concubine (or even a shepherdess). This persistent rumour has become a […]
Wicked Queens and Martyred Kings – the 794 Beheading of S. Æthelberht of East Anglia
Murdered (or executed) by Offa of Mercia in 794, the passio of King Æthelberht of East Anglia is an obscure tale that has so many twists and turns in its narrative transmission […]
Wicked Queens and Martyred Kings – the 819 Murder of S. Kenelm of Mercia
Killed by his sister Cwoenthryth in 819, King Kenelm of Mercia – a lad of a mere seven years – spent less than a year on his throne before meeting a martyr’s […]
Wicked Queens and Martyred Kings – the 978 Assassination of Edward the Martyr
Ascending to the throne of England in 975 upon the death of his father, Edgar the Peaceable, Edward the Martyr is primarily remembered for being assassinated after only three years on the […]
The Postgrad Chronicles 