A treasure of Scottish medieval legal history - The Charter of Kelso Abbey 1159 and which includes a beautifully illustrated illuminated page with an initial depicting King David I and his grandson Malcolm IV #medievalsky
Alice Hicklin
@alicehicklin.bsky.social
Historian of medieval Europe, currently researching trouvères through their representation in documentary culture @ MUSLIVE, KCL. Wolves fan 🐺🐺🐺 embroidery enthusiast. She/they 🏳️🌈
Does anybody have experience of navigating the Norfolk Record Office catalogue? I'm trying to locate a document from the Cathedral collection, printed in a PRS vol., but coming up stumps for it now. Any help greatly appreciated!
This is just to say I have OCRed the text thet was in tne arch:ve and whicb yov were prabaldy seamhing for "breahtast" Fargme ms fheg mem debo:w5 sb ?mccf mmb 5c oc1b
New blogpost from me in which I present my IMC paper from this year for anyone who wasn't able to attend and might be interested. longhairedkingsblog.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/i...
IMC 2026 Debrief Part 1: Pre-Christian Beliefs in Early Medieval Frisia
This year I (properly) attended the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds again. By “properly attended”, I mean I presented a paper and went to other sessions like …
longhairedkingsblog.wordpress.com
Delighted to have five out of the eight articles for the Journal of Medieval History special issue on Loyalty in Medieval Europe out! 👇
Loyalty in Medieval Europe
Medieval historians frequently write about loyalty, usually in the context of lords and kings, but there has been little sustained engagement with the wider role of loyalty in society. This introdu...
tandfonline.com
Coming soon. It's now in the hands of the copy-editors and all those other professionals that make us academics look good.
When you’re a (supernatural) greyhound but a binder tried to turn you into a dachshund Dormarch (?) in National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 1 (The Black Book of Carmarthen)
Continuing with the animal theme! A new post on an unusual gift in a charter for Marmoutier, an obscure land measure, and the 'small creatures' about to become the monks' neighbours 🐇. alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/23/t...
Those Small Creatures Called Conini
This very short document records a gift made by Géraud Rufus of Talmont, who appeared before the chapter of Marmoutier to gave some land at an unidentified place known as ad Saburas to honour Saint…
alicehicklin.co.uk
I’ve (finally) made a blog to share some of the more intriguing charters I encounter 1st up: an 11th-century land sale where the price included “excellent cloth” called zafalbafal, possibly ṣūf al-baḥr, or sea silk, made from the fibres of Mediterranean shells 🐚 alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/14/c...
Made the mistake of reading the AI summary when I googled "oaths early middle ages" earlier, we're through the looking glass people
hey look I just did an intertext at this here article which everyone should read research-portal.uu.nl/en/publicati...
"Send More Socks'': On Mentality and the Preservation Context of Medieval Letters
research-portal.uu.nl
Hey #medievalsky, 40+ years ago in Cambridge University Library I stumbled across medieval engravings showing a (marital?) ordeal involving someone in a barrel and someone with a club which has haunted my memory ever since. Anyone know it?
Are you working on the histories of clerics and clerical networks across and beyond political borders? Interested in presenting your research at next year's Leeds IMC? Consider submitting an abstract to our Call for Papers! Deadline 1 Sept, details at: medreligion.wordpress.com/transnationa...
Transnational Clerical Communities
Call for Papers for sessions organised by the Ideology, Society, and Medieval Religion seminar series at the Leeds International Medieval Congress 2027 St. Brendan the Navigator. Bibliothèque de Re…
medreligion.wordpress.com
The Funds for Women Graduates Theodora Bosanquet Bursary is available to PG women studying History or English Lit to finance up to 4 weeks of basic accommodation in London in summer 2027. Email grants@ffwg.org.uk for an application form between 31 August and 31 October 2026. Details: www.ffwg.org.uk
Funds for Women Graduates – Funds for Women Graduates
ffwg.org.uk
Tax collection, as depicted in 11th-c. Byzantium (Sinai. Gr. 339, f. 73v), via Jennifer Ball, 'Uniformity and Distinction', who draws attention to the officials' white hats.
Dragi prijatelji, imam rukopis za vam! Možete li vi čitati za mene? Wrapper attributes to Stjepan Gradić, s. XVII polymath from Dubrovnik. The language is Croatian, but written with Italian spelling conventions (eg 'gn' = nj, etc.) - looks like a sermon, but can anyone make out the Croatian title?
No record of whether they were jousting or not, sadly. (www.bl.uk/stories/blog...)
Medieval killer rabbits: when bunnies strike back
Vengeful, merciless and brutally violent... yes that’s right, we’re talking about medieval bunnies.
bl.uk
Continuing with the animal theme! A new post on an unusual gift in a charter for Marmoutier, an obscure land measure, and the 'small creatures' about to become the monks' neighbours 🐇. alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/23/t...
Finished a small crochet bowl It is based on the Bronze Age ‘grape cups’ -possible incense burners - that have been found amongst BA grave goods in Wiltshire 🏺 #Crochet #FibreArt #HumanMade #BronzeAge
Continuing with the animal theme! A new post on an unusual gift in a charter for Marmoutier, an obscure land measure, and the 'small creatures' about to become the monks' neighbours 🐇. alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/23/t...
Those Small Creatures Called Conini
This very short document records a gift made by Géraud Rufus of Talmont, who appeared before the chapter of Marmoutier to gave some land at an unidentified place known as ad Saburas to honour Saint…
alicehicklin.co.uk
I’ve (finally) made a blog to share some of the more intriguing charters I encounter 1st up: an 11th-century land sale where the price included “excellent cloth” called zafalbafal, possibly ṣūf al-baḥr, or sea silk, made from the fibres of Mediterranean shells 🐚 alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/14/c...
🚨 Amazing #EarlyModern research degree opportunity: The University of Melbourne (Australia) is looking for a Ph.D Candidate who will work as part of an ARC-funded project on "The History of the Hourglass” (c. 1300-1600) ⏳ 🔗 More Info: shorturl.at/3NoNq #HistSTM
Histories of the Hourglass : Find an Expert : The University of Melbourne
<p> <span>Applications are invited for a PhD position as part of the Australian Research Council funded project The History of the Hourglass.</span> </p> <p> <span>This PhD research opportunity forms part of a project that undertakes the first history of the hourglass from its origins c.1300 through to its global circulation in the sixteenth century. The most precise time-measurement device of its era, the hourglass changed the course of history through its role in maritime travel, scientific experiments and everyday time management. It transformed time into a silent, interior flow crucial to a wide range of cultural projects: in Cairo classrooms or alchemical labs; in the cook’s kitchen or preacher’s pulpit. Alongside its critical intervention in the history of time, the project seeks to pioneer new scientific methods for analysing these fragile objects, with major benefits for their conservation in Australian and international collections.</span> </p> <p> <span>Applicants with the following background are particularly encouraged to apply:</span> </p> <ul> <li> <span>An undergraduate or master’s degree with a specialisation in medieval and/or early modern studies</span> </li> <li> <span>Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, with preference for German, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese</span> </li> <li>Awareness of current methods in the history of material and visual culture. </li> </ul> <p> <strong><span>Eligibility</span></strong> </p> <p> <span>Applicants must satisfy the minimum entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy-Arts at the University of Melbourne and demonstrate strong research ability and potential.</span> </p> <p> <span>Applicants will normally have completed a master’s degree or an Australian honours degree (or equivalent) that includes a thesis subject, with academic results equivalent to a University of Melbourne H1 standard. This generally means achieving at least 80% overall and 80% in the thesis or major research component.</span> <br> <br> <span>Applicants must review the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) entry requirements before submitting an Expression of Interest.</span> </p> <p> <a href="https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/courses/dr-philart/entry-participation-requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/courses/dr-philart/entry-participation-requirements</span> </a> </p> <p> <strong><span>How to apply</span></strong> </p> <p> <span>Expressions of Interest close <strong>Monday 21 September at 1700 (Melbourne time).</strong></span> </p> <p> <span>To apply, click the <strong><em>‘Submit Expressions of Interest’</em></strong> button at the top or bottom of this advertisement.</span> </p> <p> <span>Upload the following three documents as part of your Expression of Interest:</span> </p> <ol> <li> <span><strong>Academic transcripts</strong> for all completed or in-progress tertiary study</span> </li> <li> <strong>A one-page project description</strong> outlining a proposed research project examining the history of the hourglass between 1300 and 1600CE </li> <li> <strong>A current resume.</strong> Applicants are encouraged to use the Faculty’s resume template [<a href="https://go.unimelb.edu.au/otz2">https://go.unimelb.edu.au/otz2</a>]. Before uploding, please append to the end of the resume <strong>a 500-word statement</strong> describing your intellectual interests in the history of temporalities and material culture. </li> </ol> <p> <em>Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and invited to interview. </em><br> <br> <span>Applicants who are successful at the Expression of Interest stage will be invited to submit a formal application for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy- Arts. An invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee admission or the award of a scholarship.</span> </p> <p> <span>For further information about the application process, please visit the Faculty of Arts Graduate Research applications webpage.</span> </p> <p> <a href="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/study/graduate-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/study/graduate-research</span> </a> </p>
findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au
A TO world map, showing the three parts of the world, very unusually glossed in Arabic, probably from al-Andalus (now in Madrid) bnedigital.bne.es/bd/es/viewer...
Happy to see this article out in the wild. Open Access for those interested but without any institutional login. academic.oup.com/histres/adva...
The treatment of defeated opponents in England, 1455–71*
Abstract. This article considers the treatment of defeated opponents between the First Battle of St Albans (1455) and the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471). It d
academic.oup.com
I did this years ago on Twitter, but, here's a list of tools/utilities that every medievalist show know about and have bookmarked: #medievalsky
It's my favourite time of the semester again: Today I visited the University Library w. my Lampert of Hersfeld class to look at two original charters from the 11th c. issued by the archbishop of Mainz (1043) and the abbot of St. Maximin in Trier (c. 1047), respectively. Charterrific!
Just some shameless self-promotion 😅 www.sscle.org/post/sscle-a...
SSCLE Awards Best First Book Prize 2026
The SSCLE has awarded the Ronnie Ellenblum Best First Book Prize to Ann Zimo, for her book In Plain Sight: Muslims in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024).
sscle.org
Twice a year, Hawai'i experiences a strange moment where the sun appears to be exactly overhead & anything that is completely vertical casts no shadow. Let's learn about Lāhainā Noon, subsolar points & 'Kau ka lā i ka lolo', meaning "the sun rests on the brains."
Celtic chieftain’s bird helmet! An astounding military helmet from some 2,200 years ago! The bird’s wings are hinged so that they flapped when the wearer moved! From Ciumești, Satu Mare County, Romania 📷 by me #Archaeology
This weekend sees the public celebration marking the completion of major parts of the Crystal Palace Park regeneration. Including the restoration of the 30 Grade I dinosaur statues dating from the 1850s.
Side note there is still a community of monks on the island of Saint-Honorat, and some of the 11th-century monastery survives! The monks run boat trips from Cannes to the island. You can also find ball ovens dotted around that they used to heat up cannon balls - something for everyone to enjoy
I’ve (finally) made a blog to share some of the more intriguing charters I encounter 1st up: an 11th-century land sale where the price included “excellent cloth” called zafalbafal, possibly ṣūf al-baḥr, or sea silk, made from the fibres of Mediterranean shells 🐚 alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/14/c...
I’ve (finally) made a blog to share some of the more intriguing charters I encounter 1st up: an 11th-century land sale where the price included “excellent cloth” called zafalbafal, possibly ṣūf al-baḥr, or sea silk, made from the fibres of Mediterranean shells 🐚 alicehicklin.co.uk/2026/07/14/c...
Three Hundred Solidi and a Cloth from the Sea
An early eleventh-century charter from Provence records a land sale paid for with money and a mysterious cloth called zafalbafal: possibly the ‘wool of the sea’.
alicehicklin.co.uk