RTT Quarterly October-December 2024 Medieval Ages Plus the Vikings

Pic from Art in Context https://artincontext.org/famous-medieval-paintings/

The Middle Ages, also known as the medieval era, was a period in European history that lasted roughly 1,000 years, from around CE 476. to between 1400 and 1450. The period began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire (CE 476) and ended with the Renaissance. Please feel free to interpret these dates as you desire. Either fiction or non-fiction will be applicable.

Life in the Middle Ages included the feudal system, manors and moats, and the influence of the Catholic Church. Most people were involved in agriculture. Crops such as wheat, barley, and oats were staples, and farming was dependent on the seasons and weather conditions.

Medical knowledge was limited. Many treatments were based on herbal remedies and religious practices.

Education was largely reserved for the wealthy and clergy. Monasteries and cathedral schools were among the few places where learning took place. The majority of people were illiterate.

Art was often religious, with illuminated manuscripts and stained-glass windows being common. Literature included epic poems, religious texts, and chivalric romances. Troubadours and minstrels provided entertainment through music and storytelling.

The Middle Ages saw numerous conflicts, including the Viking invasions, the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and the Crusades.

The Black Death in the 14th century devasted Europe, killing a significant portion of the population.



The following books have been read by LTer's in the past:

The Borgia Brideby Jeanne Kalogridis
The Borgia Mistress by Sara Poole
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Conspiracies of Rome by Richard Blake
The Courts of Love by Jean Plaidy
Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
Eleanor the Queen by Norah Lofts
The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick
The Leopard Unleashed by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Bone Thief by V.M. Whitworth

What have you read and can recommend? What will you be reading. Do tell!

If you are so inclined, the wiki is here (it helps us know what was read by LT members in the past!) https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php?title=Reading_Through_Time_Quarterly_The...

>1 Tess_W: This is such a great introduction, thank you, Tess!

This is one of my favourite time periods and I have so much to choose from - medieval texts, nonfiction and fiction. So far my plan is to read The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell and Wie ein Lamm unter Löwen by Tilman Röhrig, which is a novel about Emperor Frederick II.

A novel I recommend is The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. And although it is quite obvious, I wish to point out that Beowulf is really worth a read, as is The Nibelungenlied, although that one is rather long!

I was reading Medieval and Early Modern History at Georgetown University many years ago but didn’t finish my thesis (“Non-Christian Antecedents to Marian Icongraphy”). I was supposed to present my 1st draft on 9/12– as in the day after 9/11 but by then my whole world had been re-calibrated and I was never able to get back on track. Anyway, I still have a deep love for this period of history and have ridiculously deep stax of books— both fiction and non-fiction— eligible for this quarter. That said, I don’t know what I’m going to tackle yet. I’m still languishing in Arthurian legends with the 12th-c. poetry of Crétian de Troyes. I might see if a theme can be developed from those readings to carry me over solidly into the High and Late periods.

>2 MissBrangwen: Thank you. Finally, a period I know something about! I do love Tracy Chevalier.........I read all of Cornwell's The Last Kingdom Series last year and loved them. Felt "lonely" after I read the last one!

>3 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Wow--a fellow history "nut!" I am also a PhD (ABD!---all but dissertation!) (Holocaust: When Does a Bystander Become a Perpetrator?) Age (would have been in 60's when I finished) and lack of ambition stalled me! This explains why we both seem to like topics that might seem odd to others!

I will probably start out with In Praise of Bees which takes place in CE 6 Ireland. I think a dual timeline might be involved as one of the larger tags is 21st century. Also will attempt, if time, Anne and Charles: Passion And Politics In Late Medieval France: The Story of Anne of Brittany's Marriage to Charles VIII (Anne of Brittany Series). I am most surprised that I don't have a NF for this time period.

ETA: I do have Penman's Welsh Trilogy, of which Here Be Dragons is book one and takes place 12-13th centuries as well as Cornwell's Archer's Tale. Hmmmmmm, conundrum! Would like to read them all, BUT involved for the next couple of years reading Zola's Les Rougon-MacQuart series.

I hope to make time for In nomine Diaboli, a fat novel about the Council of Constance in 1414. It just arrived in the mail.

>5 Tess_W: all of Penmans books in his time period are extraordinarily good. I discovered the Welsh trilogy in the college bookstore basement for used books, and knew I had to read it. It started a love affair for me with the author and with Welsh and English history from Llywellyn the Great to Edward I. Ended up visiting many of the sites listed in the books. Anyway try it out and see if you dont get sucked into another world

another author of the time period is elizabeth chadwick she wrote several books about Wm Marshall who served the English kings from Henry II to John. the greatest knight is a great place to start

>4 Tess_W: I've always found it truly interesting that over the years, we tend to have the same books in our stacks-- though our takes on them often vary considerably!

Over the past few years, largely because of this group, I've also developed deeper interests in 19th c. British Colonialism and WWI. Medieval History and Early Modern European (Renaissance) are naturally in my wheelhouse so it will be interesting to see what captures my attention next...
Gah! I still need to figure out what to read for thisquarter. I'm a bit overwhelmed and spoiled for choices! I think I might stick to Early Middle Ages for the October; High Middle for November, and Late Middle for December. But that's the thing, as soon as I make plan, I get distracted by something completely different (Ooh, look! I found book 7 in the Master & Commander series that I thought I lost!), LOL.

a couple of interesting books that are not well known the marriage of megotta and the morning gift

actually I should just take a pic of my medieval shelves , would save me some time!

I would like to read a book in the time period that is not Eurocentric. Is that ok?

>7 cindydavid4: I've read most all of Penman's except for the Welsh trilogy. I know that I will love them.

These are just a few I have read this year.
The Time Traveler's guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe Michael Pye
The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066 Marc Morris
Anything by Dan Jones
Crown & Scepter: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II Tracy Borman
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Turning Points in Ancient History) Eric H. Cline
I have been fortunate enough in my career to have visited many places in Europe and always take time to stop, catch a breath and appreciate the footsteps of those before me.
Thomas Asbridge and his crusade series is great.

Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travelers in the Far North is simply amazing. The first written accounts of Muslims encountering the Norse people.

>13 Joligula: I second the Pye book. I'm about halfway through and hope to finish it for this challenge.

>10 cindydavid4: of course!

Had another book in mind about the travels of Ibn Barrurah but after looking at the reviews Im not sure I want to tackle it

travels of a tangerine is another series about his journey which I enjoyed,. Id read two of the books but would like to read the rest of the series

I'm thinking of rereading Frans G. Bengtssons Viking saga masterpiece Röde Orm (The Long Ships) in english. Written in two parts in 1941 and 1945 it is really a unity and is published nowadays as such. About a youth, Orm (means snake in english but was a common name in viking sweden) that is kidnapped onto a raiding ship and follows his adventures in both the west and the east. Bengtsson does a great job of bringing life to the his characters and the viking world around the year 1000 , just a decade or so before danish vikings becomes kings of England. If you like a good story you'll probably like it. But it is very much fiction even he runs across some historical characters during his travels, like Harald Bluetooth (the danish king that was father to Swein Forkbeard that became king of England) is one.
I'm also at the moment reading The Plantagenets by Dan Jones. It starts with the disaster of the white ship where the crown prince William, Henry I,s only son dies in a boat accident 1120. It leads to the civil war between Matilda and Stephen after his death and reading about it reads like a thriller in spite of it being a thoroughly researched book. I'm in the middle of it right now but highly recommended.

>19 kurben: I was given a book about the Long Ship incident, written by Charles Spencer. The previous owner told me it was good, but I'm not sure about said author's status as an author or historian! (Lady Di's brother) Your post has brought this to mind and I think I will go retrieve it from the shelf and maybe give it a go.

>20 Tess_W: I read that. The White Ship. It was a pretty good read. Sad but well put together. The Dan Jones Fictional series was pretty good as well. He has another release coming out next week Henry V

>21 Joligula: Did not know that Dan Jones wrote fiction too. I have read some of his history, which i very much like, like The Plantagenets and The Hollow crown but this is news for me. Where to start? I love good historical fiction.

>22 kurben: Essex Dogs and The Wolves of Winter I am hoping he adds to the series. I am a Jones obsessive. I preorder his books nearly a year before they come out.
One of my favorite Historical series is by Susan Wise Bauer Her World History Series is nothing short of mind blowing. She starts at the tiniest hut on a river in the Middle East and runs full force into the Renaissance. And she leaves no stone unturned. She includes the foggy shores of ancient Japan being invaded to the fist pumping (GOD WILLS IT) moments that lit the fires of the First Crusade.

>23 Joligula: Her History of the World Series…

LOL, I had to read that twice! ⚾️

>24 Tanya-dogearedcopy: LOL. I see that.

>23 Joligula: Thanks! Have ordered them. Will be interesting to compare with his history.

A Morbid Taste of Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael 1; by Ellis Peters) - I originally listened to this in the early days of Audible and the transfer from the original tape recordings to digital were poor. I think a couple years later I read it in print but I never went beyond the first-in-series. I finished my re-read last night and it t turns out that I remembered absolutely nothing from my previous listening/reading all those years ago-- so it was all new to me! The year is 1137, and Shrewsbury Abbey is on the lookout for relics to add prestige to their name. In neighboring Wales, there is the long-neglected grave of Saint Winifred which seems like a perfect match for their needs. The Prince agrees; the Bishop agrees... but the local village where the remains are buried aren't too happy about it. The voice of opposition is soon found dead and, despite it being a small village, there are quite a few suspects! Brother Cadfael, who came to the church after a life of military service and several affairs of the heart, is content to tend to his gardens; But his secular experience and cleverness come to the fore as he becomes the catalyst to solving this cozy whodunit. I thought it was fun, evocative of time and place, and the plot played fair, i.e., the reader had a chance at figuring it out-- though admittedly I did not! I gave it a solid four-star rating (up from a unmemorable three star from years past) and have downloaded the next title in the series, One Corpse Too Many.

>27 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I started watching the series when it came out, not realizing they were from books. when I did I ate up those books and went on to read much more by Peters/Edith Pargeter. Im not a mystery reader, but I had gotten interested in the time period and really enjoyed them. should do a reread some time

Have you readwhen christ and his saints slept?Excllent book in the time period of Caedfael about the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda for the crown

another recommendation: joan lady of wales power and politics of king johns daughter. well researched looking

Looking on my shelves I found memoirs of a medieval woman the life and times of margery kempe. not sure if I read it but if I did Ive forgotten about it.

The one Ill choose I planned to read for the non fiction biography next month, so that will work heretoo pure wit the revolutionary life of Margaret Cavendish I readan article in the New Yorker when the book came out and it sounded fascinating doesnt fit here, shes from the 17 th century

>29 cindydavid4: Yes, I read When Christ and His Saints Slept Eleanor of Aquitaine #1; by Sharon Kay Penman) many years ago in hardback. My sister had a copy with a gold foil cover and red ribbon bookmark sewn in. I borrowed it for literally years— reading it and then keeping it on my own bookshelf until I moved and finally gave it back! It’s been decades since I’ve read SKP.
Hmmm, now my reading for this quarter is coming into focus: I’ll be reading 12th-century literature & accounts as well as historical fiction set in that time period:

12th c. The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes - CURRENTLY READING - 12th Century compilation and aesthetics/style
1120 - The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream (by Charles Spencer) (edited by David Staines) - CURRENTLY READING - Pre-Henry II but important background reading

1135 - When Christ and His Saints Slept (Eleanor of Aquitaine #1 ; by Sharon Kay Penman) - WILL RE-READ
1137 - A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #1; by Ellis Peters) - READ
1138 - One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #2; by Ellis Peters) - READ
1138 - Monk’s Hood (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #3; by Ellis Peters) - WISHLIST
👉 More in this series if I can!

MAYBE: This continues the Eleanor of Aquitaine series; but falls outside the reign of Henry II (which I’m using as a sort of general guide for this quarter):
1156-1171 Time and Chance (Eleanor of Aquitaine #1 ; by Sharon Kay Penman) - PULLED FROM THE STAX
1172 - Devil’s Brood (Eleanor of Aquitaine #1 ; by Sharon Kay Penman) - PULLED FROM THE STAX

I have the texts from Julian of Norwich and Margery Kemp but honestly I don’t know if I’m in the mood for them this year. I picked them up when I was reading Shakespeare’s Histories a few years ago, King John in particular; but got mired in the mystic language. But I’ll pull them jic I have more time for King John, the Magna Carta and, Robin Hood over the holidays 🙂

>30 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Here we go again, "twinning!" I have read the Penman's, all 4-5 star reads for me. I've got the White Ship: The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream by Charles Spencer (See >20 Tess_W:), I have Brother Cadfael's first book on my shelf, but don't know when I will get to it.

Now, please enlighten me about Norwich & Kemp.......never heard of them!

>30 Tanya-dogearedcopy: LOL! I’m in the midst of pulling things off of my shelves at the moment and re-ordering them by time period and year: Organizing by General Medieval works, Early, High, and Late… This started when I decided to pull Julian and Margery Kempe and realized things had sort of just got tucked away on the shelves wherever they might fit but in total disregard to order 😅

Julian of Norwich and Margery of Kempe were 12th-century mystics who had visions confirmed by the Church. They also wrote of their visions, faith, and life; And later their works were collated and translated into more modern vernacular. These are religious works and the language can seem rather abstract, almost too much so. You really have to be in the right mindset to sit down with them. I do know that there are some people who use the texts in a devotional way.

When I was in college,I worked as a lighting designer for a one-woman show, “Julian of Norwich” (by J. Janda)— which is how I became aware of Julian in particular.

Ooh, I just found The Lais of Marie de France (late twelfth century)! I’ll put her in the stack with Julian and Margery 😂

>31 Tess_W: I read Spencers white ship which I found very good. time and chance and devils brood does cover Henry II rule I cant remember who recently wrote a novel about The Lais of Marie de France and cant remember now but it was really good

>32 Tanya-dogearedcopy: time and chance and devils brood does cover Henry II rule I cant remember who recently wrote a novel about The Lais of Marie de France and cant remember now but it was really good

oh I do love talking about this time period! btw I will be starting pure wit for RTT Nov biography. read an article about the book and knew I had to get it. another one for your shelf!

I have finished The Plantagenets by Dan Jones. Excellent book. Highly recommended history of Englands history from the tragedy of the White Ship in 1120 and ends when Richard II loses his throne to his nephew Henry IV in 1399 when he usurps the throne. Henry was the duke of Lancaster and it is now that the nobility starts to split in a lancastrian and a yorkist group. I remember reading Jones The Hollow Throne about that period up until the battle of Bosworth in 1485 that is the follow up to this one. I doubt i reread that one though. But since it was mentioned i think i have some Ellis Peters tucked away somewhere that i havent read. might try to find one of them next.

Another Pargeter story that might be of interest The Marriage of Meggotta Henry III agrees that two young people can marry. then he changes his mind . based on a true story

Finally The Morning Gifttakes place in the 12th century.

The main character, Matilda, is Norman but married to a Saxon at the ripe old age of 14. Her new husband is enamored of her, and gives her a 'morning gift' the day after their marriage: an island in the fens of England, to "escape to" in time of need.The story follows Matilda through her handling as a prize by those in power,

Found The Leper of St Giles by Ellis Peters in my shelf. Not read before. I remember picking it up at a second hand book store on a sale long ago but somehow never come around to reading it. It is the fifth in the Brother Cadfael series and takes place in the fall of 1139, Empress Matilda has recently landed in england and the tensions are rising beteen her and her cousin King Stephen. The set up is good and i feel that a murder is soon to happen. So far i like it. And thankfully its not overlong (as most crimenovels nowadays are IMO) at a little more than 200 pages.

>29 cindydavid4: The one Ill choose I planned to read for the non fiction biography next month,

Ah, a reminder to set up the November Challenge (I'm hosting!) ;-)

>32 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I have memiors of a medieval woman the life and times of Margery Kempe by Louise Collis. I remember reading this several years ago. remember that i liked it but cant remember why. you may find it an interesting read

I have finished the Leper of S:t Giles which was an enjoyable whodunit set in 1139. Made me want to read more of Ellis Peters. Now i'm reading The Popes by John Julus Norwich. If you exclude the first two chapters (on S:t Peter and the mostly not very powerful bishops of Rome that followed him. That of course started to change when Constantine made Christianity the Roman empires state religion but as also moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople. Rome, as a city, was not an important city. The cities in Asia Minor and North Africa were where the important bishops sat (Alexandria, Smyrna, Antiochia and Constantinople). It changed when the western Roman Empire fell in 476 and after a bit confussion really strong bishops (Popes) started to emerge in the 6,th century. Since the political power was practically absent the Popes stepped in to fill the powergap. Perhaps Gregory the Great is the best example but there were others. Norwich writes well and makes it clear that the dual role of politician and theologian (leader of a church) is not an easy balance act. The book goes on until Benedict i see but when it was written Francis had not been elected. Since many of the popes did work in the middleages i will count this one even if it starts before and goes on until Benedict XVI.

ive always been fascinated by early Christianity, thinks looks up my ally. Ive read Norwich before and like his style So this is a BB

Oh the leper of st giles is part of the Cadfael series. you must read the rest of them! there is a tv series of the same.

leper of st giles

>40 cindydavid4: I ordered an omnibus with the three first books in the Cadfael series from amazon. A used copy. Did not cost much so i thought why not.

I’m hoping to reread Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, subject of my dissertation many long years ago. My Middle English is rusty, so will be a slow go at first. I’ll be starting it next week.

I got back from a week away late Sunday night (much needed decompression time after an intense work project) and am starting to catch up a little bit here and there, everywhere! I did finish off The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream (by Charles Spencer) and have mixed feelings about it. It's clearly well researched with endnotes and a bibliography as proofs and; I learned quite a bit. One thing that was really impressed upon me was the Viking lineage of William the Conquerer. I knew that the Norman conquest had brought blond hair and blue eyes to England; but I hadn't connected the dots to the Northmen! But for all that was shared, I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a very shallow narrative of the events. I understand that there is limited source material to work with and yet, I was still hoping for something more scholarly. Perhaps it was the Everyman language employed or; maybe narrative non-fiction isn't the author's forte. Or more likely, I was too burnt out from work to process it all correctly. Regardless. I've given it a middling rating of three stars for now; but marked it as a future re-read and have expanded my bucket list to include a trip to Reading :-)

The wiki is now available! https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php?title=Reading_Through_Time_Quarterly_The...

I snuck in Monk's Hood (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #3; by Ellis Peters)while waiting for my copy of Henry I (by C. Warren Hollister) to arrive! It's December 1138 and the weather is turning cold. The anarchy of the civil war engendered by Stephen & Matiilda's competing claims for the throne has moved away from Shrewsbury, and the Abbey is preparing for Christmas while Brother Cadfael himself is busy making stores of medicines to combat winter ailments. One of his remedies is a liniment oil used to sooth way the pain of aching joints, but can be lethal if ingested. Unfortunately, it looks like someone has eaten a partridge dosed with the toxic oil and there is no shortage of suspects & motives. Though richly drawn, the character list is limited and it's fairly easy to spot the red herrings, but the motive was not. And again, the author has shown that not everything is black & white, there are shades of grey as well as the silvery green of the Welsh landscape. ;-)

I finished listening to Lady Macbeth by Susan Fraser King. She aims to tell the story of the "real" Lady Macbeth, not the one we know from Shakespeare. I thought it was very good, and the narrator is excellent.

Currently reading Queen by Right which covers the time period from 1423 to 1461, if that isn't too late for this topic.

I still hope to get to The Summer Queen about Eleanor of Aquitaine. I've had it on my TBR for years. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a favorite subject of mine.

Oh Elizabeth Chadwick is one of my fav HF authors. Havent kept up with her for a while, but did read that series and its very well done

Saint Peter's Fair (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #4; by Ellis Peters) - Argh! I was stuck in a motel room on Friday night and I had only brought one book with me, a musical critic's take on Patti Smith's seminal album Horses. I realized pretty quickly that I was in no mood/too tired for the author's bloviated style and hubris. I tabled that one for another time and quickly downloaded the next Brother Cadfael mystery onto my iPhone-- so yes, tiny screen but I managed!
It's the Summer after the year of the siege by King Stephen's forces at Shrewsbury. The town's walls are damaged but the onslaught of vendors and merchants promises to bring in quite a bit of money into the town. The charter for the fair though, dictates that the monies be collected by the Abbey, not the townspeople who need to rebuild. Tempers flare and then a murder is committed. Brother Cadfael, witness to the original argument is soon tasked by the new Abbot to keep an eye on things.
So far, the series is 4/4 for being murder mysteries and it's not difficult to figure out who committed the crime; but the motive is always hidden from the reader until the last pages. Nonetheless, these are interesting, well researched, and with evocative imagery, especially of the countryside and the abbey gardens. I could practically feel the warmth of the sun while sitting at Cadfael's herbiage, and hear the bees drone :-)

>48 Tanya-dogearedcopy: You're almost to one of my favorites: #6!

oh I have to reread these!

I completed The Blood of the Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell. It was a historical fiction/thriller set in 12th century England. Of course, the protagonist is the good swashbuckling knight who has to save his king as well as his own family. Interesting backstory of Rosamund Clifford, one of Henry II's lovers while he had his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, imprisoned. Great read--held my attention 100%. Book 2/3 in a series. 374 pages 4.5*

I have found a book about Vikings: Bracelet of Bones where young Solveig goes to Constantinople with a group of traders to rejoin her father. I found it a bit uneven, but not a complete failure.

I finished listened to Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter (written and narrated by Ian Mortimer) - This is a book that defends against the argument that the Middle Ages were a stagnant period of time. Mortimer compares and contrasts the years 1000 and the year 1600 to show how significant social changes spurred great achievements that we still benefit from today. I might quibble that the Middle Ages ended by the end of the fifteenth century, and that by putting some of the events from the Renaissance into the Medieval Ages time span, his argument is somewhat undermined; but he still stands corrected in that the Dark Ages weren't as dark as you might think!

I've had a lot on my mind this past weekend so I wasn't able to give the book the full attention it deserves but I still got a lot from it and hope to return to it for a deeper reading. I listened to the audio and while the author is very sincere and clearly well-educated, I found his sibilance distracting, and his passionate defense a bit crackpot in tone at times-- so I've put the print edition on my wishlist for next time.

I completed The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream by Charles Spencer. While Charles Spencer is clearly knowledgeable about this time period/incident, I felt there was no delivery of any engaging material, especially about the titular subject. I felt like I was reading a bad history text, with lists and lists of people; irrelevant because their character was never developed or linked to the story in any meaningful way. This would better be described as a biography of Henry I or a broad sweeping history of England from the Norman Conquest through the Anarchy. I would guess that 75% of the book is about the lineage of Henry I. 352 pages 3 stars RTT: Medieval Ages

Anyone read Dan Jones newest book Henry V? I thought it was ok. Kind of drawn out compared to his other works. But still good.

>55 Joligula: I have it on my TBR list. Might wait for a pocket edition though, i'll see.

Have ordered all of the Cadfael omnibus, waiting for them to come in, I actually watched the series on PBS but never got around to the books, so this should be fun!

I have finished La parure byzantine which is set in 1070 in Rostov. So we have Russian princes of Scandinavian descent who are very proud of their ancestors and still in contact with the various Viking kingdoms. It's a mystery, competently written, and since the author holds a degree in history from a Moscow university I assume that she has got her facts right. Although this is set at the court of Prince Vladimir, on the eve of his marriage to the daughter of Anglo-Saxon king Harold, I was often reminded of the Cadfael books.

>58 MissWatson: Oh, wow! That looks pretty good but my French is atrocious! Still, I'm WL-ing it as I'm thinking my French won't get better by not reading it-- so it's just a matter of dedicating time to it :-)

I knew I couldn’t go wrong if Middle Ages was in the title of the book so I chose to read Stories of Women in the Middle Ages. Information on sixteen women who lived between the 12th and 15th centuries was included. Many of them were from the same region, Bergamo. It was interesting and also included a chapter on Joan of Arc, filling in some of her story that I hadn’t known before.

>59 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I have always found mysteries a good starting-point for getting to grips with a foreign language, because there is usually much dialogue. This book is mostly dialogue, too, and because it's historical, there's no modern slang to look up.

I have found another historical mystery on my shelves set in the times of Charlemagne: Saxnot stirbt nie. Monk Lupus and nobleman Odo are sent as king's justices to newly-conquered Saxony, and their very first case involves them in a murder. I liked the way there's no forensics or material clues for solving the murder, it's just the two men patiently talking to evrybody and unravelling their motives, their lies and their ambitions.

When do one consider medieval to end in england? Is it with Richard III,s death at Bosworth and the start of Tudory times ? Or even earlier when Henry IV usurped the throne from Richard II and started the long quarrel that was the wars of the roses?

>63 kurben: The end date of the Medieval Era in England is somewhat arbitrary even among academics but many consider Henry VII’s defeat of Richard III at Bosworth Field a convenient marker.
Some others may peg it later to the establishment of the Church of England under Henry VIII or, earlier to the invention of the printing press. And still others to the collapse of the feudal system after the 14th century Black Death.

Recently I read the book, Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter by the English Medievalist, Ian Mortimer who set the end date of the Medieval Era at 1600! To be fair, I think he did this to counter Yuval Noah Harari’s statement in an introduction to another book (by YNH) to the effect that a peasant waking up in the year 1000 would see little changed if he were to wake up in the year 1600.

The beginnings and endings of eras are rarely (if ever?) clean cut and in the case of the Renaissance may be heralded by a special interest.

With a doctorate in medieval English literature and much coursework in medieval history and medieval philosophy/theology, I’m blessed with titles, read, partially read, and completely unread, on my shelves that fit this period. I picked a really short one and read it in one day to have at least two books read in December (poor reason, but great book!): Reason and Revelation in the Middle Ages by Etienne Gilson. (Sadly, re #42, this won’t be the quarter for Troilus and Criseyde, my ME being even rustier than expected!)

>65 dianelouise100: Much respect to you to be able to read ME at all!

My first exposure to ME writing was a copy of the Magna Carta on display at the National Archives (Washington, DC). I couldn’t read it but I was fascinated by it nonetheless.

Years later, I would write a paper on the 14th century vowel shift and return to the Magna Carta as one of the examples (pre vowel shift). I labored for weeks deciphering it and then trying to project what it might have sounded like! Granted, my paper was more about sound than decoding, but it all came together mid-15th century (printing press).

There is a Naxos recording of Richard Armitage’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, narrated by Bill Wallis— both in translation and the original. At first the original sounds like a foreign language, but after a bit, your brain starts figuring it out! I think it’s because the translation comes first and provides touchstone words when you listen to the original. I honestly couldn’t verify the authenticity, but I love that there are people in the world who can!

After all this time, I doubt I could read the “chicken scratch” anymore— but if I could find my old paper, I could bore you silly on Franco-Latin-Dutch-Briton influences in the English language 😅

>64 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thanks! I have read Mortimer before. Not Medieval Horizons but his book on Edward III, The Perfect King and also a book called Medieval Intrigue which was interesting if a bit speculative (one of the things he suggests in the book is that Edward II was not murdered but lived on in exile in Italy).

One of the reasons i asked was that i was unsure if to count Matthew Lewis biography Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me among the books i have read for this quarter. In sweden we usually use Gustav Eriksson Vasas (Gustav I) coronation day in 1523 as the convenient marker. But here, too, that is debated among academics.

>67 kurben: I see no reasonable argument against counting Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me for this prompt :-)

>66 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I’ve never been able to read the northern dialect used by the Gawain poet (shame on me!), but I’d love to hear the sound. Especially while looking at a translation. I’m guessing that hearing it pronounced correctly could help with understanding. I have to look for this recording. I’ve looked often for readings of Chaucer in ME, but with no luck. Maybe something of the Canterbury Tales will be available one day—Chaucer’s dialect is beautiful read aloud. My undergrad survey course in English Literature was taught by the Chaucer professor. She read lots of the Tales to us, and hooked me on Chaucer and his world.

>66 Tanya-dogearedcopy: that sounds fascinating! always been interested in language development and its changes think the conclusion that these four languages had on English is a give. (what did your prof think of the paper?)

>69 dianelouise100: There definitely are some ME readings of Chaucer out there, because I have a few on CD somewhere around the house. One of them, I think, is the Knight's Tale, and the Prologue may be another. And I may even have an LP somewhere of the Troilus.

OK, try this on eBay. I set it to search for music on the drop-down list next to the search box, because there isn't any category for CDs. Most of these offerings in fact are LPs.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_n...

a morbid taste for bones

I watched this series starring Derek Jacobi, whose voice I continued to hear as I was reading! But it was so long ago, that this mystery was still a mystery for me. So i begin the serie

With no relics in the reliquary of Shrewsbury Abbey, its prior sets his eyes on the Welsh village of Gwytherin, hoping to acquire a local saint's relics. The prior puts together an expedition to Gwytherin which includes Brother Cadfael, who is to act as the group's interpreter. Naturally, the people of Gwytherin are not pleased with the prior's plans. However, when the most adamant opponent in the village to moving Saint Winifred's remains is found dead, Cadfael becomes suspicious.

It's a historical mystery set in 12th century Wales with interesting characters and a deeper philosophical message (Brother Cadfael in particular, is an intelligent and empathetic man who also happens to be rather adept at solving mysteries. He solves the mystery using humor, and bit of ventriloquy
on the side.

There were some historical issues that bothered me a bit. I loved the women in the story, but some of their behavior and language that definintly had a modern bend But I still liked this book, and will rate it 4.5

>71 CurrerBell: Thank you so much! I’ve gone back to my search and found 3 excellent recordings that include the GP and several of the tales. At sale prices on Audible! They are narrated by Richard Bebb.

>73 dianelouise100: And I found my own LP of the Troilus! Here are a couple for sale on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_n...

Unfortunately, my house is such a mess right now that I can't get to my LP turntable without moving way too much stuff that's more than I can handle with my current broken-hip recovery. So I won't be able to do a relisten (after half-a-century) of the LP reading of the Troilus for this quarter's medieval read. And I happen personally (OK, I'm a little weird) to think the Troilus is Chaucer's greatest work, at least in part because it's part of such a tradition of Troilus stories: The Story of Troilus, as told by Benoit de Sainte-Maure, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Henryson, and of course don't forget Shakespeare's version.

If I'd done what I should have done over half-a-century ago, I wouldn't have gone to law school but would have written my dissertation on Henryson. I find his use of astrological symbolism fascinating in his Chaucerian adaptation. Seamus Heaney did a translation (I'm pretty sure it was facing-page "dual language") of Henryson, The Testament of Cresseid and Seven Fables. I don't know why you'd bother to translate Henryson, though, because his Middle Scots (a lowlands dialect of ME) is actually easier than Chaucer, being roughly a century later; if you can read the northern dialect of the servant Joseph in Wuthering Heights, Henryson isn't that hard if you read him out loud and have a glossing of obsolete vocabulary.

ETA: Glad you found Audible recordings that you like. For anyone else out there looking for Chaucer in ME, one thing to beware of is Librivox, which (I think) is amateur DIY audiobook recordings. They may be quite satisfactory for regular readings, but what I listened to briefly (while doing my search for my >71 CurrerBell: post) didn't at all impress me as far as ME reading.

>72 cindydavid4: I recently read A Morbid Taste for Bones which I found in a second hand book store in Regina. Your review reminded me of the story which was an interesting one.

Im now reading one corpse too manywhich has more of the history of the conflict much more up and center, which will be interesting.

>74 CurrerBell: Since I wrote my dissertation on Troilus and Criseyde, I happen to agree with your excellent taste! I’m heading for ebay right now (you’ve made it so easy for me) and we do have our turntable handy. I found some “modern middle English” recordings on Audible which I thought strange, why not just get a good modern translation if you don’t want to try the original? Btw, anyone who’s a member of the Naxos Listening Library can borrow all 3 of the Chaucer recordings I bought.

I’ll be looking for Henryson’s Testament, too, thanks for bringing him up. Something I meant to read, and I’m sure I can still locate a copy.

>77 dianelouise100: Henryson's Testament: very misogynistic (Cresseid becomes a whore and contracts leprosy, i.e., a venereal disease), but a very interesting transition to Shakespeare, whose play has a lot more in common with Henryson than with Chaucer.

ETA: And if you can get hold of The Story of Troilus, as told by Benoit de Sainte-Maure, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Henryson (it's a paperback, pub. 1964), you'll have yourself a convenient four-in-one that will also include Benoit and Boccaccio in translation. (Benoit's apparently seminal contribution to the legend was only a small portion of his Roman de Troie, and that's all that is contained in this volume. I'm pretty sure but not positive that this edition includes the complete prose translation of Filostrato.) This four-in-one also has, as I recall, a convenient glossary for Chaucer and Henryson – not sure whether it's marginal, footnoted, or endnoted, and I'm not up to searching for my copy right now.

Finished and posted to the Wikipedia Dorsey Armstrong's Great Courses video Great Minds of the Medieval World 5*****. Rating it thus notwithstanding her omission of any mention of Troilus and Criseyde during her discussion of Chaucer (>74 CurrerBell: >77 dianelouise100: heh-heh).

Frankly, though, some of her choices are a bit quirky: I tend to think of Petrarch as more Renaissance than Medieval, and I definitely consider Lorenzo de Medici to be strictly Renaissance. Part of the issue here may be that Armstrong doesn't sufficiently emphasize (though she does vaguely mention it) that the Renaissance came to Italy earlier than to the rest of Europe – especially so in the case of England, where I personally date the Renaissance to the commencement of the Tudor dynasty in 1485. Hence her inclusion of Italian Renaissance figures who are contemporary with a more Medieval period elsewhere in Europe, especially England.

And I wonder if she couldn't have devoted an entire episode apiece to Dante and to Chaucer, rather than have combined them in a single half-hour. If someone was to have been omitted, how about Malory? (Though I respect her bias in favor of Malory, considering that one of her most important scholarly endeavors is Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur: A New Modern English Translation Based on the Winchester Manuscript and she's the editor of the journal Arthuriana).

>78 CurrerBell: I did order a used copy of this collection after looking at it on the Open Books app; again, thanks so much for the reference.

Reading one corpse too many and really liking it. Again Peters does such a good job with her characters and this story gives more background history of the civil war in that day through Cadfaels solving the mystery. I am wondering, going forward, if Cadfael continues to be a protector of the young women in his work. not finished yet, hope it continues to be good

>81 cindydavid4: My husband always buys me books, at my request, for Christmas. I think I will ask for a few in this series!

Read one corpse too many and really liked it Just love Cadfael, and in this story he connects with Beringer, another favorite character. I liked how well the historical background melds with the story. In this book, after the Kind hangs 94 men, Cadfael finds one who was killed by a knife. His skills help solve the crime, which ends in a rather gruesome trial by combat.
love the conversations and the care he gives to one young monk in training. and es he does seem to make it his business to protect young woman, and youn men too.

This series takes place during the English civil war 1388 between King Stephen and Empress Maud The story starts with th White Ship, the boat carrying many of the young people during Henry the first reign sank, taking down the heir to the thrown, Henry decided that his daughter would be heir, but when he died his nephew took the throne . Known as "the anarchy" or "when Christ and his saints slept"this conflict went on for 20 years with the reign of henry II

I listened to the audiobook of Chaucer’s “General Prologue” and “Physician’s Tale” from The Canterbury Tales, narrated in Middle English by Richard Bebb. Bebb’s Middle English was very fine; I read in the notes from Audible that he was coached by Derek Brewer, a medieval scholar known for his reading of Middle English. This AB follows the Middle English readings with a modern English reading of both sections. The GP provides wonderful realistic portraits of 14th century English men and women from all classes, all pilgrims on the road to Canterbury. “The Physician’s Tale” was the right length to fill the space left, I guess. It retells the story of virtuous 14-year old Virginia and her knightly father Virginius who beheads her in order to save her honor. An “old legend” that Chaucer attributes to Livy. Modern reaction: “puh-leeese!” To me, this is the worst of the “saint’s” tales, with the possible exception of “The Prioress’s Tale.”

I very much enjoyed listening to the ME, and look forward to the other two audiobooks, which will include “The Knight’s Tale,” “The Pardoner’s Tale,” “The Franklin’s Tale,” and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.”

I read The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell and liked it very much.

...and I also read Die Minnesinger in Bildern der Manessischen Handschrift from Insel-Bücherei. The Middle Ages are one of my favorite time periods, and like others here I did Medieval Studies at university and have so many books to choose from. However, I don't have that much time to read right now, mainly because my husband broke his food two weeks ago. So I chose a very short book to read another book for this challenge!

It is a collection of pictures from the Codex Manesse. Apart from two examples - one as an epigraph and one as a conclusion - the book does not contain any poetry, but reproductions of 24 of the 140 pictures of minnesingers included in the codex. The pictures are ornate and very interesting to look at. Most of them include heraldic symbols and show the poets in action, representing something they were famous for or that features heavily in their songs: Jousting, hunting, singing for a lady etc.
There is an afterword which gives more information about the pictures and the poets as well as the history of the Codex Manesse.

I knew nothing about this; interesting picture of life at that time.

I completed The Last White Rose by Alison Weir. This book focused on Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV (Elizabeth Woodville), niece of Richard III, sister to the princes in the tower, wife of Henry VII, and mother or Henry VIII. Elizabeth walked a very fine line as with the princes missing, rightfully she would be the heir to the English crown; but there had been no women on the throne yet who had ruled in their own right. She was the unifying force behind the blending of the Houses of York and Tudor. 545 pages

P.S. I do realize this was really near the very end of the Medieval Period, which some say ended with the Battle of Bosworth field. (1485) This book took place right before this and ended in 1503.

>87 MissBrangwen: That book looks amazing! I have a little background in the French tradition of the Troubadours and am currently working my way through The Complete Romances of Crétien de Troyes (transcribed in the 12th century; translated & edited by David Staines) but no illustrations.

Like you, I have a surfeit of choices for this prompt-- and alas, I, too have not been able to tackle even a fraction of what I would normally have been able to read. Fortunately, no one has broken any bones! In my case the stress level from my job has gone through the roof. Stress fractures my concentration and I find myself reading the same paragraphs/pages over again or rewinding to re-listen to a section. In a couple weeks, I'll be off for the Holidays and I'm hoping to be able to reset and catch up a little before the Renaissance!

Have read The Essex Dogs by Dan Jones. Very good historical fiction about a company of 10 men in the vanguard of the big invading english army in 1346. It follows the little company from the landing on the beach up to the big battle of Crecy. As he usually writes history books he follows the way the army went and gives interesting glimpses of the big and mighty lords that they come across now and then. Not a very flattering portrayal of the Young Black Prince. Also the lords Warwick and Northampton. I have the follow uo Wolves In Winter and might move on to that.

I just finished a Cadfeld mystery Monks Hood and it was soooo good! the characters were believable the plot was complex with just right,amount of tension, the dialogue while not medival, contained no anachronism
and the story explained the history smoothly This is the third Ive read, and so far its my fav (Im sure I saw in on the PBS series but remember nothing about it, so I had many surprises to look forward to. Now onto the second ominvbus that includes Saint Peters Fair , Leper of Saint Giles and the Virgin in the Ice

>90 Tanya-dogearedcopy: "Stress fractures my concentration and I find myself reading the same paragraphs/pages over again or rewinding to re-listen to a section." That's my problem, too, and I am simply to tired to read most of the time.
"In a couple weeks, I'll be off for the Holidays and I'm hoping to be able to reset and catch up a little before the Renaissance!" Yes, I'm hoping for that as well! We just need to hang in there a little more!

Hoping that the readers blocks dissappear quickly and you are on a rolll!

well the hits keep coming. Saint Peters Fair is a marvel; "About as gently soothing as a book involving multiple murders can be. You know exactly what you're getting with a Cadfael book—a little twelfth-century monastic sleuthing, smart women, impetuous young men with their heart in the right place, etc—and St. Peter's Fair delivers." the book actually is a bit slow at the beginning till it hits a slow burn (pun intended) the climax was indeed a page turner, while I was o the edge of my seat. masterful writing

I have finally finished my read for this quarter: Crusaders : the epic history of the wars for the holy lands by Dan Jones. The book provides a very in depth telling of the Crusades by following the stories of the various crusaders. There was so much information in the book that it was not a quick read, but I learned a lot that I did not know about the Crusades. It's a very good book, with helpful maps and a long list of the various crusaders, in case you have trouble keeping them all straight.

I have read A Morbid Taste For Bones and One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters to add to my read for this quarter. Very cozy medieval mysteries with a sympathetic sleuth in brother Cadfael. Very read worthy.

just finished the virgin in the ice the sixth book in the series. This is a rather complex one, dealing with guilt and judgement, and the Medival bandits that made the time bleak for the people. this is perhaps the most violent of the books so far, including torture and rape. I wonder in real life if there were actually sheriffs t bring people to justice and how much the abbeys were involved in helping them.

wanting to know more about Ellis, I found this "brother cadfael: an appreciation"

https://crimereads.com/brother-cadfael-an-appreciation/#:~:text=The%20research%2....

I’ve finished Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages, by R. W. Southern. This book is Volume 2 of the Penguin History of the Church series, from my collection of books of medieval history from graduate school. Published in 1970, this book still provides a lucid survey of the interrelationship of developments in the Church and social and political developments from about 700 through 1500. This was one of the books that I hadn’t read by one of my favorite medieval historians, Richard Southern.

I’m hoping to finish Alison Weir’s Queens of the Conquest before year’s end.

The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes (translated from the Medival French & edited by David Staines) - In the 12th century, a poet by the name of Chrétien de Troyes transcribed some Arthurian romances, preserving a record of an oral tradition. The dedication to Christianity, the stone castles, the hand mirrors and, described armor are all tells from a later period than the 4th-6th century hypothetical timeframe for King Arthur— which shows how the romances were dynamic, evolving works. Ironically, writing them down would set them in place to serve as inspiration for the more famous Arthurian legends in the centuries to come even as they, the originals would fade into relative obscurity.

We meet King Arthur, his queen Guinevere, Gawain, Perceval, Kaye, Lancelot and others as they go on quests, uphold the ideals of chivalry, and lead the most Christian’s of lives; But also commit adultery, trash talk each other and, spoil for fights/jousts on sight!

There are five stories:
• “Erec and Enide” (King Arthur is mentioned but not a part of the story; similar to “Tristan and Isuelt”
• “Cliges” (You can call it true love, but it’s still adultery and fraud. This is something of a parable that explains why women were kept on lockdown forever afterwards)
• “The Knight of the Cart” (Chivalry as demonstrated by Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot)
• “The Knight with the Lion” (Sir Yvain and chivalry… but also Sir Kay is pretty much the $h!ttiest guy at King Arthur’s court. Why does everybody put up with him?)
• “The Story of the Grail” (Sir Perceval is a rube and Sir Kaye is still a snarky SOB; The idea of the Grail is not fully developed and, the story isn’t really finished— so my least favorite story of the collection)
• “William of England” (Disappointingly not about William the Conquerer. Also, no King Arthur at all. But still an interesting look at the workings of High Middle Ages society)

This collection works for both the King Arthur and Medieval History prompts

Not sure what I was presupposing when I began reading The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Thornton. It’s billed as the lives of the women of Genghis Kahn. I was hoping to get totally immersed in the life of Genghis via his wives. I certainly did become involved in the lives of his wives, but feel cheated out of the more historical nature of Genghis himself. I felt that in this book Thornton focuses on the relationships of the women to the detriment of the historical (fiction), and since the women’s relationships are all fancy, I feel that ultimately, the book was lacking. It also felt overly long. 492 pages 3 stars

Just finished the devils novice and aside from a wonderful scene of a medival wedding, Im still loving this series, havent found a bad apple so far, tho that may happen when I get closer to the end. Peters has a way of writing each story that while the basic pieces are there, you never see repetition, or much of any boring sections. Well see how long that lasts

just saw this in a review "The great thing about the Cadfael series is that most historical mysteries just take place in a historical setting. The mysteries in Cadfael are often as was the case in this book actually driven by history."

so true

Harold Harefoot by Mark Craster-Chambers A very short biography about a little known king. Harold I was a son of King Cnute and stepson of Queen Emma, Cnute's second wife. Emma did much to destroy Harold's reputation, but as to the truth, little is known except he reigned from 1037-1040. His body was disinterred and beheaded, chopped up, and thrown in the sewers in London, so the story goes. A local farmer found the body and buried it in St. Clements Dane Church in London, again, as the story goes. I bought this book for a nickel at a garage sale. There were multiple grammatical errors. 70 pages 3.5 stars (info only)