We have added 11 new articles to our website, www.medievalists.net
F. Baring, The Making of New Forest
James Howard-Johnston, Urban Continuity in the Balkans in the Early Middle Ages
Peter Charanis, Observations on the Demography of the Byzantine Empire
K.A.C. Creswell, The Founding of Cairo
Charles H. Haskins, The Materials for the Reign of Robert I of Normandy
Cyril Mango, The Development of Constantinople as an Urban Centre
A. Kingsley Porter, Compostela, Bari and Romanesque Architecture
Raymond S. Stites, Leonardo da Vinci, Sculptor
Cyril Toumanoff, The Background to Mantzikert
Zinaida V. Udal'cova, Kiev and Constantinople: Cultural Relations before the Thirteenth Century
Gaston Wiet, The Golden Age of Arab and Islamic Culture
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Everyone's Joan Of Arc: Exhibit Explores How Young Martyr Has Long Captivated
Everyone's Joan Of Arc: Exhibit Explores How Young Martyr Has Long Captivated
By Jesse Leavenworth
6 June 2007
The Hartford Courant
Joan is ours," Pope Leo XIII declared in 1894, claiming Joan of Arc for the Catholic church. But the pontiff's pronouncement and the teenage warrior's subsequent sainthood did not lessen her secular appeal. Whether focused on her faith, bravery, patriotism or defiance of authority, everyone seeimingly wants a piece of Joan.
"Joan of Arc: Medieval Maiden to Modern Saint," a summerlong exhibit at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, shows the shifting image of the 15th-century visionary as interpreted by poets, propagandists, activists and patriots throughout the world.
The exhibit -- which moved to New Haven from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington -- tells Joan's story in three rooms, painted blue, white and red to match the French flag.
Period armor and weapons evoke the burden and horror of medieval combat, while exquisitely illustrated manuscripts show the influence of the medieval church. Dominating the displays of life-controlling nobility and church, however, are posters, coins, medals, books, movie stills, wallpaper and a half-ton white marble statue dedicated to a peasant girl.
Born in 1412, Joan D'Arc grew up in a country ravaged by more than 70 years of war with England. At age 13, she began hearing heavenly voices. According to Joan, St. Michael the Archangel, along with St. Catherine and St. Margaret, relayed God's command that she must save France from the foreign invaders.
At a time when illiterate country girls had virtually no influence, Joan persuaded French noblemen and Charles VII, the prince they backed as royal heir, to uproot the English siege of Orleans. Believing she had God's mandate and protection, Joan promised she would lead French forces to victory. And the men followed her. Characters in George Bernard Shaw's play "St. Joan" say simply, "There's something about the girl."
Clad in armor and waving her flag of war, "the Maid" inspired victory at Orleans and several other battles in 1429. Charles was crowned king in Rheims that summer. The following year, however, enemy forces captured Joan. She was tried as a heretic, then burned at the stake in 1431.
She was cleared at a "rehabilitation trial" in 1455-56, but Joan of Arc as the embodiment of patriot-saint did not emerge clearly until centuries later. In "Henry VI," Shakespeare labeled her a slut, liar and "foul accursed minister of hell." Even in her native land, Joan's legacy was ravaged. The 18th-century French writer Voltaire wrote a bawdy, mock-heroic poem titled "The Maid of Orleans" that skewered Joan's virginity and mysticism, along with the clergy and royalty. The poem enjoyed a long popularity.
"No book on the Maid's life has ever been published more widely than Voltaire's satire," according to the curators.
Later authors were much more admiring. Mark Twain, who wrote a novel titled "The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by the Sieur Louis de Conte," called his heroine "easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced."
Joan's bravery and her refusal to dress in women's clothes also inspired suffragettes in both Britain and the U.S.
"For them, Joan represented patriotism, courage, militancy and a fighting spirit, but it was her sex and challenge to gender roles that made her particularly appealing," according to an exhibit description.
The U.S. government also used that appeal. A World War I poster for war bonds shows Joan in full armor with raised sword, calling on American women to raise their own fighting spirits.
"She was a symbol of strength, courage and piety," Knights of Columbus Museum curator Mary Lou Cummings said. "People used her according to their needs."
For more information on the exhibit, visit www.kofc.org .
By Jesse Leavenworth
6 June 2007
The Hartford Courant
Joan is ours," Pope Leo XIII declared in 1894, claiming Joan of Arc for the Catholic church. But the pontiff's pronouncement and the teenage warrior's subsequent sainthood did not lessen her secular appeal. Whether focused on her faith, bravery, patriotism or defiance of authority, everyone seeimingly wants a piece of Joan.
"Joan of Arc: Medieval Maiden to Modern Saint," a summerlong exhibit at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, shows the shifting image of the 15th-century visionary as interpreted by poets, propagandists, activists and patriots throughout the world.
The exhibit -- which moved to New Haven from the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington -- tells Joan's story in three rooms, painted blue, white and red to match the French flag.
Period armor and weapons evoke the burden and horror of medieval combat, while exquisitely illustrated manuscripts show the influence of the medieval church. Dominating the displays of life-controlling nobility and church, however, are posters, coins, medals, books, movie stills, wallpaper and a half-ton white marble statue dedicated to a peasant girl.
Born in 1412, Joan D'Arc grew up in a country ravaged by more than 70 years of war with England. At age 13, she began hearing heavenly voices. According to Joan, St. Michael the Archangel, along with St. Catherine and St. Margaret, relayed God's command that she must save France from the foreign invaders.
At a time when illiterate country girls had virtually no influence, Joan persuaded French noblemen and Charles VII, the prince they backed as royal heir, to uproot the English siege of Orleans. Believing she had God's mandate and protection, Joan promised she would lead French forces to victory. And the men followed her. Characters in George Bernard Shaw's play "St. Joan" say simply, "There's something about the girl."
Clad in armor and waving her flag of war, "the Maid" inspired victory at Orleans and several other battles in 1429. Charles was crowned king in Rheims that summer. The following year, however, enemy forces captured Joan. She was tried as a heretic, then burned at the stake in 1431.
She was cleared at a "rehabilitation trial" in 1455-56, but Joan of Arc as the embodiment of patriot-saint did not emerge clearly until centuries later. In "Henry VI," Shakespeare labeled her a slut, liar and "foul accursed minister of hell." Even in her native land, Joan's legacy was ravaged. The 18th-century French writer Voltaire wrote a bawdy, mock-heroic poem titled "The Maid of Orleans" that skewered Joan's virginity and mysticism, along with the clergy and royalty. The poem enjoyed a long popularity.
"No book on the Maid's life has ever been published more widely than Voltaire's satire," according to the curators.
Later authors were much more admiring. Mark Twain, who wrote a novel titled "The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by the Sieur Louis de Conte," called his heroine "easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced."
Joan's bravery and her refusal to dress in women's clothes also inspired suffragettes in both Britain and the U.S.
"For them, Joan represented patriotism, courage, militancy and a fighting spirit, but it was her sex and challenge to gender roles that made her particularly appealing," according to an exhibit description.
The U.S. government also used that appeal. A World War I poster for war bonds shows Joan in full armor with raised sword, calling on American women to raise their own fighting spirits.
"She was a symbol of strength, courage and piety," Knights of Columbus Museum curator Mary Lou Cummings said. "People used her according to their needs."
For more information on the exhibit, visit www.kofc.org .
Lost documents shed light on Black Death
Lost documents shed light on Black Death
Simon de Bruxelles
1 June 2007
The Times
For centuries, rats and fleas have been fingered as the culprits responsible for the Black Death, the medieval plague that killed as many as two thirds of Europe's population.
But historians studying 14th-century court records from Dorset believe they may have uncovered evidence that exonerates them. The parchment records, contained in a recently discovered archive, reveal that an estimated 50 per cent of the 2,000 people living in Gillingham died within four months of the Black Death reaching the town in October 1348.
The deaths are recorded in land transfers lodged with the manorial court which - unusually for the period -sat every three weeks, giving a clear picture of who had died and when.
The records show that 190 of the 300 tenants holding land in the town died during the winter of 1348-49, at a time when a form of bubonic plague spread by rat fleas would have been dormant.
Experts now believe that the Black Death is more likely to have been a viral infection, similar to haemorrhagic fever or Ebola, that spread from person to person.
The records came to light after they were donated to the Dorset History Centre by a firm of solicitors in whose office attic they had been stored.
The historian Susan Scott, of the University of Liverpool, said the documents backed up her theory that the outbreak was not caused by bubonic plague.
She said: "Bubonic plague relies on fleas breeding and it is too cold during winter in Britain for this to happen."
Humans to blame for Black Death
1 June 2007
The Daily Express
RATS have been cleared of spreading the Black Death that ravaged 14th century Britain. For hundreds of years they have been blamed for the outbreak of what was thought to be bubonic plague.
But a study of medieval records indicates the disease was probably a type of ebola virus – a blood disorder passed on by humans. The evidence is in the Manorial Court records of the north Dorset town of Gillingham. These cover all the minutiae of everyday legal life from 1290 until 1935.
The Black Death hit Dorset in 1348, arriving on a ship at Weymouth in June and reaching Gillingham, some 40 miles north, by October.
Dr Mark Forrest, of the Dorset History Centre, studied Gillingham's records for that time, translating the medieval Latin written on cowhide. "The affect of the plague on the village was cataclysmic. Of the 300 tenants, about 190 died between October and March. What this does reveal is that the deaths occurred over the winter months. This is important because it had been assumed that it was bubonic plague." Bubonic plague mainly affects rats and is spread by their fleas so it flares up in summer.
Simon de Bruxelles
1 June 2007
The Times
For centuries, rats and fleas have been fingered as the culprits responsible for the Black Death, the medieval plague that killed as many as two thirds of Europe's population.
But historians studying 14th-century court records from Dorset believe they may have uncovered evidence that exonerates them. The parchment records, contained in a recently discovered archive, reveal that an estimated 50 per cent of the 2,000 people living in Gillingham died within four months of the Black Death reaching the town in October 1348.
The deaths are recorded in land transfers lodged with the manorial court which - unusually for the period -sat every three weeks, giving a clear picture of who had died and when.
The records show that 190 of the 300 tenants holding land in the town died during the winter of 1348-49, at a time when a form of bubonic plague spread by rat fleas would have been dormant.
Experts now believe that the Black Death is more likely to have been a viral infection, similar to haemorrhagic fever or Ebola, that spread from person to person.
The records came to light after they were donated to the Dorset History Centre by a firm of solicitors in whose office attic they had been stored.
The historian Susan Scott, of the University of Liverpool, said the documents backed up her theory that the outbreak was not caused by bubonic plague.
She said: "Bubonic plague relies on fleas breeding and it is too cold during winter in Britain for this to happen."
Humans to blame for Black Death
1 June 2007
The Daily Express
RATS have been cleared of spreading the Black Death that ravaged 14th century Britain. For hundreds of years they have been blamed for the outbreak of what was thought to be bubonic plague.
But a study of medieval records indicates the disease was probably a type of ebola virus – a blood disorder passed on by humans. The evidence is in the Manorial Court records of the north Dorset town of Gillingham. These cover all the minutiae of everyday legal life from 1290 until 1935.
The Black Death hit Dorset in 1348, arriving on a ship at Weymouth in June and reaching Gillingham, some 40 miles north, by October.
Dr Mark Forrest, of the Dorset History Centre, studied Gillingham's records for that time, translating the medieval Latin written on cowhide. "The affect of the plague on the village was cataclysmic. Of the 300 tenants, about 190 died between October and March. What this does reveal is that the deaths occurred over the winter months. This is important because it had been assumed that it was bubonic plague." Bubonic plague mainly affects rats and is spread by their fleas so it flares up in summer.
Abbey to undergo £3m revamp
Abbey to undergo £3m revamp
Ian Townsend
31 May 2007
The Oxford Times
THE medieval Abbey at Sutton Courtenay is to undergo a £3m restoration, it has been announced.
The 800-year-old building has always been a religious centre since it was built as part of the great Benedictine monastery of Abingdon and retains its Christian tradition as the charity "The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay".
Abingdon architects and town planners West Waddy ADP have been appointed to make a conservation management plan which will lead to the restoration programme.
West Waddy ADP partner Steve Simkins said: "We are delighted to be involved in the restoration of such an important building.
"We will be involved in preparing the proposals, engaging with English Heritage and working with the local planning authority this summer in order to gain listed building consent for the work."
Work on preparing the plan has started but work on the restoration itself cannot begin before planning consent has been given by the Vale of White Horse District Council after the preparation work has been done.
It is then expected to take about a year as the whole of the building will be worked upon in a phased restoration starting in 2008.
Part of the money will be from the Heritage Lottery Fund and some from the money raised by the charity itself.
The Abbey is run by a small resident community whose aim is to offer space for spiritual and practical work and reflection.
Once the restoration is complete the charity will carry on with its work but will have more space inside the building and will extend into the adjoining purpose-built guest house.
The Abbey has a long and interesting history.
It attracted Royal Clerks to the living including the chaplains to the Black Prince, John of Gaunt, the doctor of Henry V and the secretary of Henry VI. Another occupant was Thomas Beckington who became Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Henry VII gave the house and its income to the Dean and Chapter of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and it was then leased to local squires for the next 350 years.
In 1958 it was bought by David Astor, owner of the local manor house and publisher of the Observer newspaper.
He leased it for a peppercorn rent to the Ockendon Venture for a refugee children's home.
During that time it was visited by the Dalai Lama who received his fellow refugees in the Great Hall.
In 1980 it was bought by the New Era Centre and in the early 1990s was given its present name of The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, a charity rooted in the Christian tradition.
Ian Townsend
31 May 2007
The Oxford Times
THE medieval Abbey at Sutton Courtenay is to undergo a £3m restoration, it has been announced.
The 800-year-old building has always been a religious centre since it was built as part of the great Benedictine monastery of Abingdon and retains its Christian tradition as the charity "The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay".
Abingdon architects and town planners West Waddy ADP have been appointed to make a conservation management plan which will lead to the restoration programme.
West Waddy ADP partner Steve Simkins said: "We are delighted to be involved in the restoration of such an important building.
"We will be involved in preparing the proposals, engaging with English Heritage and working with the local planning authority this summer in order to gain listed building consent for the work."
Work on preparing the plan has started but work on the restoration itself cannot begin before planning consent has been given by the Vale of White Horse District Council after the preparation work has been done.
It is then expected to take about a year as the whole of the building will be worked upon in a phased restoration starting in 2008.
Part of the money will be from the Heritage Lottery Fund and some from the money raised by the charity itself.
The Abbey is run by a small resident community whose aim is to offer space for spiritual and practical work and reflection.
Once the restoration is complete the charity will carry on with its work but will have more space inside the building and will extend into the adjoining purpose-built guest house.
The Abbey has a long and interesting history.
It attracted Royal Clerks to the living including the chaplains to the Black Prince, John of Gaunt, the doctor of Henry V and the secretary of Henry VI. Another occupant was Thomas Beckington who became Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Henry VII gave the house and its income to the Dean and Chapter of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and it was then leased to local squires for the next 350 years.
In 1958 it was bought by David Astor, owner of the local manor house and publisher of the Observer newspaper.
He leased it for a peppercorn rent to the Ockendon Venture for a refugee children's home.
During that time it was visited by the Dalai Lama who received his fellow refugees in the Great Hall.
In 1980 it was bought by the New Era Centre and in the early 1990s was given its present name of The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, a charity rooted in the Christian tradition.
Medieval tile a rare discovery
Medieval tile a rare discovery
PHIL BECK
1 June 2007
Hobart Mercury
AN ancient English floor tile dating to medieval times has been discovered in a dusty old chest in the bowels of St David's Cathedral.
Detective work by University of Tasmania history professor Rodney Thomson -- also the cathedral organist -- puts it at circa 1300.
The tile is set in a mid-19th century picture frame, inscribed in gilt with "medieval tile from the lady chapel of Rievaulx Abbey Yorkshire".
The Cistercian Abbey of Rievaulx, founded in 1132, housed about 300 monks and was one of England's richest monasteries until Henry VIII closed it in 1538.
"Lots of tiles were souvenired, particularly by gentlemen of leisure, who were fond of picking up antiquities," Professor Thomson said.
"This one was so fascinating that I made inquiries into its origin and found it pictured in a recent book of medieval floor tiles.
"This confirmed that it belonged to the Usefleet group, which takes its name from Sir John Usefleet, a wealthy knight and owner of land near the abbey. It is thought that the workshop that produced them was located on his land."
Professor Thomson said the decoration on the tile was based on the quadrant of a circle, indicating that four tiles were needed to make the design complete.
The decoration includes the words "Ave Maria" -- all Cistercian abbeys were dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Professor Thomson said that tens of thousands of tiles from the abbey still survived, but only 66 remained of the batch to which the St David's tile belonged.
He said it would probably fetch about $500 if sold in Australia but more if sold in England.
Acting Dean Christopher Newell said it was not for sale and would be displayed once the cathedral's renovation project was complete -- as "part of our plan to make St David's a living cathedral".
PHIL BECK
1 June 2007
Hobart Mercury
AN ancient English floor tile dating to medieval times has been discovered in a dusty old chest in the bowels of St David's Cathedral.
Detective work by University of Tasmania history professor Rodney Thomson -- also the cathedral organist -- puts it at circa 1300.
The tile is set in a mid-19th century picture frame, inscribed in gilt with "medieval tile from the lady chapel of Rievaulx Abbey Yorkshire".
The Cistercian Abbey of Rievaulx, founded in 1132, housed about 300 monks and was one of England's richest monasteries until Henry VIII closed it in 1538.
"Lots of tiles were souvenired, particularly by gentlemen of leisure, who were fond of picking up antiquities," Professor Thomson said.
"This one was so fascinating that I made inquiries into its origin and found it pictured in a recent book of medieval floor tiles.
"This confirmed that it belonged to the Usefleet group, which takes its name from Sir John Usefleet, a wealthy knight and owner of land near the abbey. It is thought that the workshop that produced them was located on his land."
Professor Thomson said the decoration on the tile was based on the quadrant of a circle, indicating that four tiles were needed to make the design complete.
The decoration includes the words "Ave Maria" -- all Cistercian abbeys were dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Professor Thomson said that tens of thousands of tiles from the abbey still survived, but only 66 remained of the batch to which the St David's tile belonged.
He said it would probably fetch about $500 if sold in Australia but more if sold in England.
Acting Dean Christopher Newell said it was not for sale and would be displayed once the cathedral's renovation project was complete -- as "part of our plan to make St David's a living cathedral".
Medieval window at York Minster restored
Medieval window at Minster restored
31 May 2007
Yorkshire Post
A MEDIEVAL window unseen for a decade has been restored in time for the holy day of the saint in whose honour it was made.
Completion of work on the St William Window at York Minster will be celebrated with a series of events timed to coincide with St William's Day on Friday next week.
The window, one of the most important pieces of medieval stained glass in the world, depicts the miracles of St William of York, including what is said to be the only miracle attributed to him that took place during his lifetime.
When St William returned triumphantly to York a crowd so large gathered on Ouse Bridge that the wooden structure collapsed but no-one was hurt as St William blessed the crowd.
The window has been hidden from view for 10 years as panels have been worked upon by the skilled craftsmen and women of York Glaziers Trust, after extensive research by art historian Dr Christopher Norton of York University.
The St William Window, in the North Quire aisle of the minster, is thought to have been completed in 1414 and over the years the huge expanse of glass has been mended many times, the lead used gradually obscuring the beauty of its design. Work by York Glaziers Trust has removed many of these heavy lines to reveal the window much as it would have been when it was new in the early 15th century.
The research and new techniques will prove invaluable as the Dean and Chapter of York prepares to restore York Minster's Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval glass in the world, part of a £30m fund-raising campaign backed by the Yorkshire Post.
Dean of York Keith Jones said it was an "epoch in the art of conservation".
31 May 2007
Yorkshire Post
A MEDIEVAL window unseen for a decade has been restored in time for the holy day of the saint in whose honour it was made.
Completion of work on the St William Window at York Minster will be celebrated with a series of events timed to coincide with St William's Day on Friday next week.
The window, one of the most important pieces of medieval stained glass in the world, depicts the miracles of St William of York, including what is said to be the only miracle attributed to him that took place during his lifetime.
When St William returned triumphantly to York a crowd so large gathered on Ouse Bridge that the wooden structure collapsed but no-one was hurt as St William blessed the crowd.
The window has been hidden from view for 10 years as panels have been worked upon by the skilled craftsmen and women of York Glaziers Trust, after extensive research by art historian Dr Christopher Norton of York University.
The St William Window, in the North Quire aisle of the minster, is thought to have been completed in 1414 and over the years the huge expanse of glass has been mended many times, the lead used gradually obscuring the beauty of its design. Work by York Glaziers Trust has removed many of these heavy lines to reveal the window much as it would have been when it was new in the early 15th century.
The research and new techniques will prove invaluable as the Dean and Chapter of York prepares to restore York Minster's Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval glass in the world, part of a £30m fund-raising campaign backed by the Yorkshire Post.
Dean of York Keith Jones said it was an "epoch in the art of conservation".
Medieval marvels revealed at abbey
Medieval marvels revealed at abbey
31 May 2007
Yorkshire Post
MASONS are marvelling at a feat of medieval engineering at a Yorkshire ruin as they repair centuries of water damage.
Experts from the National Trust and English Heritage are working together at Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, to rebuild the ancient walls of the River Skell.
The river flows through the estate at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal and was one of the main reasons for the creation of the abbey by the Cistercians in 1131.
The original course of the river is thought to have gone straight through the abbey precincts and was moved by the mason monks to its present position, flowing beneath the south end of the abbey cellarium.
This would have been a great feat in the 12th century - in addition to allowing the monks to build their grand structure on the valley floor, it also enabled them to make use of the flowing river to power machinery in the monastic mill to make flour, and harness the running water to flush human waste from latrines precariously positioned over the river.
Although not a major river, the Skell's catchment has the ability to transport large quantities of water in a very short space of time, on occasion turning what is normally a gentle stream into a raging torrent which pounds on the river walls.
The twisting route taken by the Skell around the abbey precincts compounds the problem and the rushing water rips out loose masonry, carves out deep channels in the river bed and undermines sections of river wall.
Over the next two months, masons will be working to restore the worst sections, many of which have not been touched since they were built many centuries ago.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal general manager, Chris Fowler, said: "The money allocated to Fountains Abbey as part of the European Union's Converting Sacred Spaces programme has funded much needed conservation work within the abbey ruins, at the High Altar and the river walls, as well as improving interpretation of the abbey and the development of an audio tour."
Although the World Heritage Site that partly comprises Fountains Abbey and the mill are managed by the National Trust, English Heritage is responsible for maintaining the fabric through a long-standing guardianship agreement.
English Heritage regional director for planning and development, Maddy Jago, added: "We hope to be able to consolidate up to 50 metres of the riverbank, replacing eroded masonry where necessary and using many of the same skills and materials as the original medieval masons."
31 May 2007
Yorkshire Post
MASONS are marvelling at a feat of medieval engineering at a Yorkshire ruin as they repair centuries of water damage.
Experts from the National Trust and English Heritage are working together at Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, to rebuild the ancient walls of the River Skell.
The river flows through the estate at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal and was one of the main reasons for the creation of the abbey by the Cistercians in 1131.
The original course of the river is thought to have gone straight through the abbey precincts and was moved by the mason monks to its present position, flowing beneath the south end of the abbey cellarium.
This would have been a great feat in the 12th century - in addition to allowing the monks to build their grand structure on the valley floor, it also enabled them to make use of the flowing river to power machinery in the monastic mill to make flour, and harness the running water to flush human waste from latrines precariously positioned over the river.
Although not a major river, the Skell's catchment has the ability to transport large quantities of water in a very short space of time, on occasion turning what is normally a gentle stream into a raging torrent which pounds on the river walls.
The twisting route taken by the Skell around the abbey precincts compounds the problem and the rushing water rips out loose masonry, carves out deep channels in the river bed and undermines sections of river wall.
Over the next two months, masons will be working to restore the worst sections, many of which have not been touched since they were built many centuries ago.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal general manager, Chris Fowler, said: "The money allocated to Fountains Abbey as part of the European Union's Converting Sacred Spaces programme has funded much needed conservation work within the abbey ruins, at the High Altar and the river walls, as well as improving interpretation of the abbey and the development of an audio tour."
Although the World Heritage Site that partly comprises Fountains Abbey and the mill are managed by the National Trust, English Heritage is responsible for maintaining the fabric through a long-standing guardianship agreement.
English Heritage regional director for planning and development, Maddy Jago, added: "We hope to be able to consolidate up to 50 metres of the riverbank, replacing eroded masonry where necessary and using many of the same skills and materials as the original medieval masons."
Medieval Times attraction gets $7 million renovation
Medieval Times attraction gets $7 million renovation
By Mike Grogan
30 May 2007
The Ledger (MCT)
Medieval Times, among the most enduring non-theme-park attractions in the area, has undergone a $7 million renovation that has upgraded the castle -- a U.S. 192 landmark -- without altering its Olde England ambiance. "The renovations have been a long time coming," said Leigh Cordner, Medieval Times' creative director. "They make the facility much more user friendly."
Indeed, many of the changes are directed specifically toward the convenience of visitors. There are additional parking spaces and a round-about for tour buses to use.
The ticket and reservation system has been computerized, meaning guests have the convenience of electronic speed and ease on their way to seeing knights jousting and sword fighting.
Passers-by on U.S. 192 have already caught sight of a new display sign outside the castle that shows an electronic video of the excitement they can find inside.
But some of the renovations give visitors more space inside to enjoy the ambiance o f the ancient settings, while luxuriating in the kind of rooms reminiscent of a Sir Walter Scott or William Thackeray novel.
The moat that had been a mainstay at the front of the castle in the 24 years since it opened has been moved to allow a 60-foot extension to the front of the stone edifice. That lets visitors wait inside before a show instead of outside on a rainy or chilly evening. Just cross the new drawbridge over the newly placed moat and step inside.
That additional "bump" at the front of the castle has resulted in a 4,000-square-foot room that has been dubbed "King's Hall." It is not only lined with the suits of armor the attraction is famous for, but has a bar and gift shop for guests.
"It's going to be used a lot for holiday parties and corporate events," said the marketing manager, Donna Turner.
By Mike Grogan
30 May 2007
The Ledger (MCT)
Medieval Times, among the most enduring non-theme-park attractions in the area, has undergone a $7 million renovation that has upgraded the castle -- a U.S. 192 landmark -- without altering its Olde England ambiance. "The renovations have been a long time coming," said Leigh Cordner, Medieval Times' creative director. "They make the facility much more user friendly."
Indeed, many of the changes are directed specifically toward the convenience of visitors. There are additional parking spaces and a round-about for tour buses to use.
The ticket and reservation system has been computerized, meaning guests have the convenience of electronic speed and ease on their way to seeing knights jousting and sword fighting.
Passers-by on U.S. 192 have already caught sight of a new display sign outside the castle that shows an electronic video of the excitement they can find inside.
But some of the renovations give visitors more space inside to enjoy the ambiance o f the ancient settings, while luxuriating in the kind of rooms reminiscent of a Sir Walter Scott or William Thackeray novel.
The moat that had been a mainstay at the front of the castle in the 24 years since it opened has been moved to allow a 60-foot extension to the front of the stone edifice. That lets visitors wait inside before a show instead of outside on a rainy or chilly evening. Just cross the new drawbridge over the newly placed moat and step inside.
That additional "bump" at the front of the castle has resulted in a 4,000-square-foot room that has been dubbed "King's Hall." It is not only lined with the suits of armor the attraction is famous for, but has a bar and gift shop for guests.
"It's going to be used a lot for holiday parties and corporate events," said the marketing manager, Donna Turner.
Young Russians can't get enough English history
Young Russians can't get enough English history
By Adrian Blomfield in Ivanovka
4 June 2007
The Daily Telegraph
THE Yorkist army was being cut to pieces. Vladimir had just been dispatched with a vicious blow from a fearsome pike. Moments later, armour-clad Andrei fell to the ground with a metallic clunk.
Only Dmitry, his sword raised heroically over his head, seemed to be withstanding the onslaught, fending off two Lancastrian opponents with some deft thrusting and parrying.
It took a girl to stop the carnage. Just as Dmitry seemed about to succumb, Yelena's voice carried over the din: It was time for afternoon tea.
A ceasefire was declared, the dead came back to life and everyone trooped back to the camp for refreshments. Anglo-Russian relations are in worse shape than at any time since the Cold War. State media urges Russians to be vigilant, warning that British spies stalk the land, plotting to steal Russia's military secrets, recruiting agents and funding traitors in the liberal opposition.
But, just as in Soviet times when Winnie the Pooh, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes were embraced as English icons, the official suspicion has failed to dent the anglophile streak present in many Russians.
This time, however, the craze is being driven by Russian youngsters in love with English history. On summer weekends across the country, they swap their jeans for Regency breeches, their belts for Tudor codpieces and their shirts for medieval breastplates depending on the era that they have chosen to embrace.
It is serious stuff. At a recent meeting of the Hastings Club, which despite its name seeks to recreate the Wars of the Roses, not a sign of modernity was in evidence.
Their camp in the forest near the village of Ivanovka, 40 miles north of Moscow, prided itself on its authenticity. Followers drank mead from enormous clay mugs, the women prepared food according to period recipes and they all slept in cloth tents they had stitched together themselves.
The attraction for many adherents, explained Yelena Nosova, the secretary of the Alliance of Living History's medieval chapter, is partly the exoticism of Britain and western Europe's past.
"Of course we appreciate our own history but this is so much more romantic,'' she said.
"We girls aren't allowed to join in the fighting - women in the Middle Ages didn't think much about emancipation. But for me personally, I love the challenge of preparing exotic meals with primitive recipes.''
Denied the right to study foreign history in Soviet times, the subject is still novel for many Russians - which is perhaps another reason why so-called "reconstructivist'' clubs are attracting such a following.
Due in part to the power of the internet, the number of history role-players has grown from roughly 300 in 2000 to more than 10,000 today.
It is unclear what the Kremlin makes of the phenomenon, although some analysts believe suspicion is mounting.
Substantial resources have been dedicated to the creation of pro-Kremlin youth movements charged with countering the spread of western-style democracy.
In any autocratic regime, history can become a weapon of resistance, especially if it allows foreign notions to seep into the consciousness of the young.
Some of the Hastings Club youngsters have already exposed themselves to notions that pro-Kremlin commentators would find both dangerous and "unpatriotic'' - a word that is increasingly becoming common in official parlance.
"The English parliamentary system that developed after the Civil War made English society what it is now - a society of freedom and a society of democracy that is admired around the world,'' said Dmitry Loktyev, 25, the club's president.
Like other youth movements, it is possible the Kremlin could try to suborn the reconstructivists.
But with most of the history buffs avowedly liberal, resistance can be expected.
"We are completely apolitical,'' said Miss Nosova. "We totally disapprove of these political youth movements and the negative approach they have adopted.''
The Hastings Club hopes to be allowed to get on with its own thing and the Battle of Bosworth Field
By Adrian Blomfield in Ivanovka
4 June 2007
The Daily Telegraph
THE Yorkist army was being cut to pieces. Vladimir had just been dispatched with a vicious blow from a fearsome pike. Moments later, armour-clad Andrei fell to the ground with a metallic clunk.
Only Dmitry, his sword raised heroically over his head, seemed to be withstanding the onslaught, fending off two Lancastrian opponents with some deft thrusting and parrying.
It took a girl to stop the carnage. Just as Dmitry seemed about to succumb, Yelena's voice carried over the din: It was time for afternoon tea.
A ceasefire was declared, the dead came back to life and everyone trooped back to the camp for refreshments. Anglo-Russian relations are in worse shape than at any time since the Cold War. State media urges Russians to be vigilant, warning that British spies stalk the land, plotting to steal Russia's military secrets, recruiting agents and funding traitors in the liberal opposition.
But, just as in Soviet times when Winnie the Pooh, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes were embraced as English icons, the official suspicion has failed to dent the anglophile streak present in many Russians.
This time, however, the craze is being driven by Russian youngsters in love with English history. On summer weekends across the country, they swap their jeans for Regency breeches, their belts for Tudor codpieces and their shirts for medieval breastplates depending on the era that they have chosen to embrace.
It is serious stuff. At a recent meeting of the Hastings Club, which despite its name seeks to recreate the Wars of the Roses, not a sign of modernity was in evidence.
Their camp in the forest near the village of Ivanovka, 40 miles north of Moscow, prided itself on its authenticity. Followers drank mead from enormous clay mugs, the women prepared food according to period recipes and they all slept in cloth tents they had stitched together themselves.
The attraction for many adherents, explained Yelena Nosova, the secretary of the Alliance of Living History's medieval chapter, is partly the exoticism of Britain and western Europe's past.
"Of course we appreciate our own history but this is so much more romantic,'' she said.
"We girls aren't allowed to join in the fighting - women in the Middle Ages didn't think much about emancipation. But for me personally, I love the challenge of preparing exotic meals with primitive recipes.''
Denied the right to study foreign history in Soviet times, the subject is still novel for many Russians - which is perhaps another reason why so-called "reconstructivist'' clubs are attracting such a following.
Due in part to the power of the internet, the number of history role-players has grown from roughly 300 in 2000 to more than 10,000 today.
It is unclear what the Kremlin makes of the phenomenon, although some analysts believe suspicion is mounting.
Substantial resources have been dedicated to the creation of pro-Kremlin youth movements charged with countering the spread of western-style democracy.
In any autocratic regime, history can become a weapon of resistance, especially if it allows foreign notions to seep into the consciousness of the young.
Some of the Hastings Club youngsters have already exposed themselves to notions that pro-Kremlin commentators would find both dangerous and "unpatriotic'' - a word that is increasingly becoming common in official parlance.
"The English parliamentary system that developed after the Civil War made English society what it is now - a society of freedom and a society of democracy that is admired around the world,'' said Dmitry Loktyev, 25, the club's president.
Like other youth movements, it is possible the Kremlin could try to suborn the reconstructivists.
But with most of the history buffs avowedly liberal, resistance can be expected.
"We are completely apolitical,'' said Miss Nosova. "We totally disapprove of these political youth movements and the negative approach they have adopted.''
The Hastings Club hopes to be allowed to get on with its own thing and the Battle of Bosworth Field
CHO'S VIOLENT CRUSADE RIPPED FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
CHO'S VIOLENT CRUSADE RIPPED FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
Matthew Gabriele
2 June 2007
Roanoke Times & World News
As a medieval historian, one rarely feels that his expertise can shed some light on a current debate. But I teach at Virginia Tech.
Now that the semester is over and there is time to reflect, I have been struck by how "medieval" the events of this past April seem -- both Seung-Hui Cho's violence and our collective revulsion to it.
In the snippets of Cho's "manifesto" that have been released to the public, there is rhetoric of (likely imagined) persecution of the innocent, violent defense of the helpless, and Cho's perception of himself as a martyr by appropriating explicitly Christian imagery -- Jesus himself, the cross, and even the torments the saints endured for their faith (burning like St. Polycarp, suffocating like St. Cecilia and beheading like St. Denis, etc.).
Even Cho's oft-repeated statement that "Jesus loves crucifying me" reinforces the idea of martyrdom, suggesting, as countless biographies of the saints have, that God triumphs through the martyr's sacrifice.
Taken alone, these statements might be interesting from a purely academic standpoint. Unfortunately, we all know what followed Cho's statements.
So, it's this combination of language and action that's most "medieval," since the essential elements of Cho's manifesto mirror Pope Urban II's speech at Clermont (in modern France) in 1095 that launched the First Crusade.
From what we can reconstruct of that speech, Urban first railed against the sins of his listeners. But then, when the hellfires beckoned, Urban offered them a way out -- a path to heaven.
Go to Jerusalem. Reclaim the land where Jesus was crucified and where he would return in triumph. This land rightfully belongs to us, Urban continued, so emulate the suffering of Christ and "take up [your] cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
Defend your fellow Christians who suffer under (an imagined) oppression by God's enemies. Become a "soldier of Christ" and destroy "the enemy." God would reward you with martyrdom if you died. Jesus. The cross. Suffering. Martyrdom. Defense of the innocent. Violence.
Cries of "God wills it!" rang through the crowd. More than 100,000 people, many of whom had never left their village, decided to walk the 4,000 miles to Jerusalem. Again, we all know what came next.
It's important to note that neither of the events of 1095 or 2007 "just happened." There are explanations, even if they're not comfortable ones.
Urban's message met a receptive audience because long-held ideas and traditions in the West came together just so. So too with Cho.
He created a mental world, which only rarely touched reality, drawn from our culture's obsession with violence and guns as well as a radical Christianity, likely generated by his upbringing and continued interest in the religion, witnessed by the number of courses on religious topics that he took here at Tech.
This particular Christianity isn't unlike that unleashed during the First Crusade, even if such language of violence can still be found at places in our own, modern society.
Cho's mental world divided everything between good and evil and called for the oppressed to rise and take vengeance. Cho's mental illness made him cross a line and act upon these ideas. Unfortunately, it did not generate the ideas themselves, though.
But just as Cho was, in a way, an heir to the ideas of the First Crusade, so too are the rest of us for, in addition to violence and intolerance, the First Crusade was also about peace -- true, lasting peace.
As conceived in 1095, the violent reconquest of Jerusalem would hasten the arrival of God's kingdom on Earth, an earthly paradise in which all would share.
Later in the Middle Ages, the influential thought of Joachim of Fiore changed this tradition, stripping away the violence that preceded this kingdom, saying that all would peacefully -- peacefully -- come together.
And just as Urban's vision has endured, so too has Joachim's. The world, without hesitation, now condemns actions like Cho's. Violence is not normative anymore.
If nothing else, the Middle Ages show us how the intellectual path we're on isn't the only one available. In 1095, 100,000 people thought that violence could bring peace. In 2007, Cho believed the same and the world cried out in horror.
Cho took one path from 1095 and the vast majority took the other. In and of itself, and in the middle of all this sadness, this is a reason to look forward with hope.
Matthew Gabriele
Gabriele is a professor of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Virginia Tech and a specialist on the Crusades. His Web page is www.idst.vt.edu/medren/ .
Matthew Gabriele
2 June 2007
Roanoke Times & World News
As a medieval historian, one rarely feels that his expertise can shed some light on a current debate. But I teach at Virginia Tech.
Now that the semester is over and there is time to reflect, I have been struck by how "medieval" the events of this past April seem -- both Seung-Hui Cho's violence and our collective revulsion to it.
In the snippets of Cho's "manifesto" that have been released to the public, there is rhetoric of (likely imagined) persecution of the innocent, violent defense of the helpless, and Cho's perception of himself as a martyr by appropriating explicitly Christian imagery -- Jesus himself, the cross, and even the torments the saints endured for their faith (burning like St. Polycarp, suffocating like St. Cecilia and beheading like St. Denis, etc.).
Even Cho's oft-repeated statement that "Jesus loves crucifying me" reinforces the idea of martyrdom, suggesting, as countless biographies of the saints have, that God triumphs through the martyr's sacrifice.
Taken alone, these statements might be interesting from a purely academic standpoint. Unfortunately, we all know what followed Cho's statements.
So, it's this combination of language and action that's most "medieval," since the essential elements of Cho's manifesto mirror Pope Urban II's speech at Clermont (in modern France) in 1095 that launched the First Crusade.
From what we can reconstruct of that speech, Urban first railed against the sins of his listeners. But then, when the hellfires beckoned, Urban offered them a way out -- a path to heaven.
Go to Jerusalem. Reclaim the land where Jesus was crucified and where he would return in triumph. This land rightfully belongs to us, Urban continued, so emulate the suffering of Christ and "take up [your] cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
Defend your fellow Christians who suffer under (an imagined) oppression by God's enemies. Become a "soldier of Christ" and destroy "the enemy." God would reward you with martyrdom if you died. Jesus. The cross. Suffering. Martyrdom. Defense of the innocent. Violence.
Cries of "God wills it!" rang through the crowd. More than 100,000 people, many of whom had never left their village, decided to walk the 4,000 miles to Jerusalem. Again, we all know what came next.
It's important to note that neither of the events of 1095 or 2007 "just happened." There are explanations, even if they're not comfortable ones.
Urban's message met a receptive audience because long-held ideas and traditions in the West came together just so. So too with Cho.
He created a mental world, which only rarely touched reality, drawn from our culture's obsession with violence and guns as well as a radical Christianity, likely generated by his upbringing and continued interest in the religion, witnessed by the number of courses on religious topics that he took here at Tech.
This particular Christianity isn't unlike that unleashed during the First Crusade, even if such language of violence can still be found at places in our own, modern society.
Cho's mental world divided everything between good and evil and called for the oppressed to rise and take vengeance. Cho's mental illness made him cross a line and act upon these ideas. Unfortunately, it did not generate the ideas themselves, though.
But just as Cho was, in a way, an heir to the ideas of the First Crusade, so too are the rest of us for, in addition to violence and intolerance, the First Crusade was also about peace -- true, lasting peace.
As conceived in 1095, the violent reconquest of Jerusalem would hasten the arrival of God's kingdom on Earth, an earthly paradise in which all would share.
Later in the Middle Ages, the influential thought of Joachim of Fiore changed this tradition, stripping away the violence that preceded this kingdom, saying that all would peacefully -- peacefully -- come together.
And just as Urban's vision has endured, so too has Joachim's. The world, without hesitation, now condemns actions like Cho's. Violence is not normative anymore.
If nothing else, the Middle Ages show us how the intellectual path we're on isn't the only one available. In 1095, 100,000 people thought that violence could bring peace. In 2007, Cho believed the same and the world cried out in horror.
Cho took one path from 1095 and the vast majority took the other. In and of itself, and in the middle of all this sadness, this is a reason to look forward with hope.
Matthew Gabriele
Gabriele is a professor of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Virginia Tech and a specialist on the Crusades. His Web page is www.idst.vt.edu/medren/ .
Review of The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in 14th Century Italy
Intrigue and rivalry in the italy of old
BARBARA BLACK
2 June 2007
Montreal Gazette
The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in 14th Century Italy
By Frances Stonor Saunders
McClelland & Stewart, 366 pages, $24.99
In this book, the tumultuous world of late medieval Europe is brought alive. Other historians might make the era boring and confusing, but this British arts journalist makes its political sophistication exciting.
In the late Middle Ages, there was no such thing as a single Italian state. The cities of Florence, Padua, Sienna, Milan, Genoa and Naples were rich and powerful, and each was independent.
The pope was so unpopular he lived with his large entourage in the south of France. He wanted to subdue the Italian cities, by force if necessary, and he had a popular mystic on his side, Catherine of Sienna.
Eventually there were two competing popes, fighting each other and attacking the Italian cities.
Into this stew of rivalry and intrigue rode a professional soldier from England called John Hawkwood. He was one of thousands of mercenaries who roved Europe killing for hire, and one of the most successful. A tough guy who didn't marry until he was 57 and fought until he was 70, Hawkwood was for many years the scourge of Florence, killing and plundering, or extorting a high price for not doing so. However, by the time he died in 1394, he had been adopted as a Florentine citizen.
How could a society that had feared an amoral foreigner come to revere him?
Our cozy image of romantic chivalry may be quite wrongheaded. Hawkwood was a knight, but he was also a robber. Knights were brave, but they were killers. This author shows that Florence and the Italians appreciated Hawkwood's contribution to their social stability. It set the stage for the glorious flowering of art and learning called the Renaissance.
BARBARA BLACK
2 June 2007
Montreal Gazette
The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in 14th Century Italy
By Frances Stonor Saunders
McClelland & Stewart, 366 pages, $24.99
In this book, the tumultuous world of late medieval Europe is brought alive. Other historians might make the era boring and confusing, but this British arts journalist makes its political sophistication exciting.
In the late Middle Ages, there was no such thing as a single Italian state. The cities of Florence, Padua, Sienna, Milan, Genoa and Naples were rich and powerful, and each was independent.
The pope was so unpopular he lived with his large entourage in the south of France. He wanted to subdue the Italian cities, by force if necessary, and he had a popular mystic on his side, Catherine of Sienna.
Eventually there were two competing popes, fighting each other and attacking the Italian cities.
Into this stew of rivalry and intrigue rode a professional soldier from England called John Hawkwood. He was one of thousands of mercenaries who roved Europe killing for hire, and one of the most successful. A tough guy who didn't marry until he was 57 and fought until he was 70, Hawkwood was for many years the scourge of Florence, killing and plundering, or extorting a high price for not doing so. However, by the time he died in 1394, he had been adopted as a Florentine citizen.
How could a society that had feared an amoral foreigner come to revere him?
Our cozy image of romantic chivalry may be quite wrongheaded. Hawkwood was a knight, but he was also a robber. Knights were brave, but they were killers. This author shows that Florence and the Italians appreciated Hawkwood's contribution to their social stability. It set the stage for the glorious flowering of art and learning called the Renaissance.
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