Fan of Tolkien?

We all know and love the famous J.R.R. Tolkien who wrote some of the best stories mankind has ever known. Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, The Hobbit...

Well, if you didn't know already, Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon language. He would handle medieval manuscripts a lot for research, and well, his job. He had an interest in them. And if you've ever seen a picture (or one in person) of a medieval manuscript, you'll understand when I say they're beautiful. The artwork sprinkles the pages, making the paper come alive. It must have inspired Tolkien too, because if you compare the drawings of the dragons from his maps in The Hobbit, and other places he's drawn his dragon sketches, with the dragons from medieval manuscripts, you'll see just how similar they are.

Take a look!




Medieval Manuscript:

 Tolkien's work:

Pretty similar, huh? So next time you pick up a copy of The Hobbit, remember what those drawings were inspired by. Or, the next time you hear someone say "history is stupid," remind them that it's not so stupid after all and that it inspired an author to write a book which then turned into their favourite movie.

Medieval Vampire Graves Found!

We all know the legend of Dracula. We've all heard of vampires. They're well-known tales that people know all over the world. Well, the citizens of medieval Europe also knew of the spooky creatures. They believed the stories to be true. In the Middle Ages, people believed that vampires could rise from the grave and plague the living. Over the years, an increasing number of buriels have been discovered featuring brutally treated corpses that match the "vampire folklore." Here are some of them:

1. Prostejov, Slovakia
The body found in Prostejov was discovered in a crypt in a church. The corpse had been buried in a coffin with iron bars on it, which was one of the methods to keep a vampire buried. They believed that vampires could not tolerate the touch of iron. Also, stones had been places on the victim's legs, and the torso was severed from the legs. The scientists believe this body to be from the 1500s.

2. Celakovice, Czech Republic
This "vampire" was found in Celakovice in the 1990s. Along with 14 others, as well. Archaeologists believe this to be the first "vampire cemetery." All of the bodies had metal spikes driven through their bodies or heavy stones placed upon them. The graveyard dates back to the 11th or 12th century. Most of the victims they found were both men and women, and were young adults. It appears as if the victims all died around the same time, as if from some sort of sickness, but it's unknown why the villagers thought that these specific people were at risk of becoming vampires.

3. Venice, Italy
Yes, Italy had its own vampire burials too. The skeleton of a woman who died during the plague in the 16th century was found with a brick placed in her mouth. This way she could not chew her way out of her grave like they used to believe that vampires would do.

4. Southwell, UK
This find was especially old. It dated back to the years 550-700. They had metal spikes jammed through heart, shoulders, and ankles. These skeletons were actually found in 1959, but the archaeological report had gotten lost over time, and was finally re-revealed in 2010.

5. Kilteasheen, Ireland
The bodies of two men laying side by side were found in Ireland with bricks shoved in their mouths. One of them was a middle aged man, and one was a young man, about in his 20s. It is argued whether these are vampire graves or not, since it was dated back to the 8th century, which predates vampire legends in Western Europe, but nevertheless, the name has stuck with the skeletons.

Medieval Times

"Surrender to an age of bravery and honor and witness epic battles of steel and steed during our ALL-NEW SHOW. From ringside seats, discover a feast of the eyes and appetite with more action, more fun & more excitement than ever before.
As you thrill to a rousing live jousting tournament, marvel at awe-inspiring horsemanship and falconry, Medieval Times serves a four-course meal fit for royalty.
Hang on to your helmet. The show is about to begin."

http://www.medievaltimes.com/

Gilt by Katherine Longshore

In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head. 

(From https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12952710-gilt?from_search=true )

Medieval Assassin's Poison Ring Discovered!

Bulgarian archaeologists have made an amazing discovery! They have found a ring that could be used for poisoning people in the 14th century. It was discovered at Cape Kaliakra near the town of Kavarna. The people who found this poison ring believe that it's the first ever to be discovered in that region. The ring is made of bronze, and has a small cavity that could be filled with poison. They could then easily put the poison in someone's food or drink. The ring was always worn on the right hand intentionally because then they could capture the poison with their finger. Poison jewellery dates back to Ancient Roman times, and were use of them survived all the way up to the 17th century.
At first, the rings were used to commit suicide if the wearer believed that they would be dying a painful, or slow death. Later, though, people started using the rings as weapons. The discoverers of the piece of jewellery think that this ring may have been used during a fight between a medieval ruler (Dobrotitsa) and his son (Ivanko Terter). This assassins ring sure is fascinating, but aren't you glad they're not used today?

Crime in the Middle Ages

The law was extremely harsh in England in the Middle Ages. Those in charge of the law did believe that the people could only learn how to behave if they were afraid of what would happen if they went against the law. Even the “smallest” crimes had severe punishments. The higher-classed people feared the poor because there were a lot more poor people than there were rich people. Any revolt could hurt the nobles. The Peasants Revolt of 1381 proved that much.

The law in England improved because Henry II sent out judges from London to deal with cases throughout England. Each person who’d been accused of a crime had to go through something called an ordeal. There were three of them:

-Ordeal by fire:

The person who had been accused would hold a hot iron bar and would walk three paces. After, their hand was all bandaged up and was to be left alone for exactly three days. If the wound was healing after three days, you were considered innocent. If not, you were “proven” guilty.

-Ordeal by water:

The person would be tied up and thrown into a body of water, like a lake or something. If that person would float you were guilty. If you sank, you were innocent. Sometimes they would tie a rope around the person’s waist so if you were innocent, you could be pulled out if you started to sink.

-Ordeal by combat:

This ordeal was mostly used by nobles that had been accused of a crime. They would fight with the person who accused them of whatever crime they were accused of. Whoever won the fight was the right one. Whoever lost usually died at the end of the fight.

In the year of 1215, the Pope said that priests in England couldn’t help out with ordeals. Ordeals were then replaced by trials by juries. The people didn’t like this because they felt like their neighbours could use a trial to get revenge on them if they had a grudge against them. After the year of 1275, a new law was introduced. It was that people were allowed to be tortured if they said they would not to go to trial that had a jury.

If you were found guilty of the crime you were accused of, you would be facing severe punishment. Thieves would have had their hands cut off for punishment. Women who murdered were strangled, then burnt. People who hunted illegally in royal areas had their ears cut clean off, and treason was punishable by being hung and other forms of execution. There weren’t many prisons because they cost money and local communities would not pay for them to be maintained. It was always cheaper to execute a guilty person for their crimes. It was also cheaper to just mutilate them, and then let them go.

Most towns had place to hang people just outside of them. When people were hung, their bodies were left to rot over the weeks and served as a warning to others to not commit crime. 

By Kerigan Geerts

Music of the Medieval Era

Music was important to the people of the Medieval era, especially in the royal courts. This was the time of the knights. It was important for a knight to be able to fight, play a musical instrument, and to dance. Minstrels and Troubadours also played musical instruments. Of course, not everyone had to know how to play an instrument if they wanted to make music. They could always use their voice if they wanted to! Hymns and secular songs were especially popular because of the spread of Christianity. The first church organ dates back to the 8th century! Many of the Medieval instruments influenced the type of instruments we use today. So, if you play an instrument, remember that it was probably fathered by a medieval instrument!

They had different types of instruments that fell under different categories and fit into different families, just like ours do today! They included:

• Wind Musical Instruments
• Stringed Musical Instruments
• Percussion Musical Instruments

String instruments were played by using a bow or they could be plucked.

• The Harp - The harp was used mostly by the troubadours and minstrels.
• The Fiddle - The fiddle was the most popular street instrument because it was so portable. It was could be played with either a bow, or could be plucked.
• The Rebec - The rebec had a pear shaped body and looked like an early violin.
• The Psaltery - The psaltery looked like a mix between a harp and guitar.
• The Dulcimer - The dulcimer was played by hitting the strings with a small hammer, kind of like a piano does today on its inside!
• The Hurdy-gurdy - Being introduced in the 1100’s, the bow was replaced by strings that were attached to a wheel, which was then cranked by a handle.
• The Viol - The viol was played with a bow and usually sat between the legs or was held on the lap.

Wind instruments which were blown into.

• The Flute - The flute was similar to modern-day flutes.
• The Trumpet - The trumpet was a long instrument and it was made out of metal. It was often in four parts, and often associated with fanfares and pageants.
• The Pipe - The pipe was a very basic instrument. It only had three melody holes.
• The Shawn - The shawn was a reed instrument that had vent holes.
• Recorder - The recorder was another a super basic instrument with melody holes, and is still around today, often used in elementary Music Class.
• The Bagpipe - The Bagpipe was an ancient instrument and was used by the poor. It was usually made of goat or sheep skin, and a reed pipe.
• The Crumhorn - The crumhorm (Curved Horn) was introduced in the 15th century as a double reed instrument.
• The Gemshorn - The gemshorn, made out of an ox horn, was played like a flute-like instrument.
• The Lizard - The lizard was an S-shaped horn.

Percussion instruments were made up of different kinds of drums and bells, much like they are today, of course.

• The Drum - Drums were made of hollow tree trunks, clay, or metal. They were covered by skins of water animals.
• The Cymbal - Cymbals were round, thin, metal plates.
• The Triangle - The triangle was introduced in the 1300’s.
• The Tambourine - The tambourine was usually only used by women.

As you can see, there were many different types of instruments, and music was a huge part of Medieval life.

By Kerigan Geerts