Medieval History Resources List

[Magian]

I am interested in a resource list of books or websites or anything relavent
for educating myself on medieval history and the like. Anyone who knows of
university courses online or have personal knowledge of books and such to
share on this I would be most greatful for your inputs.

It is my intent to get a better idea of the history and sense of the
environment in greater detail so that I may elaborate this through my own
ideas for a campaign. Therefore I am interested in all the aspects of the
history that can apply to BR in any way the reader of this email may think
it could apply even if it is only vicariously.

So in summary a list of books, websites, college courses online links to
this subject, or any other reference you may be willing to share is most
welcome. I am sure this list may provide to be of interest to many on this
list for their personal use.

[Kalien]

I think you will find the following websites useful.

The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
http://www.the-orb.net/

Internet Medieval Sourcebook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

Medieval Demographics Made Easy
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm

[Jaleela]

For Books:

15th century:
"War and Chivalry" Malcolm Vale

The Princely Court: Medieval Courts and Culture in North-West Europe, 1270-1380 , Malcolm Vale

Richard Vaughn's "Philip the Bold", "John the Fearless", "Philip the Good", "Charles the Bold", and "Valois Burgundy". This is a series covering the Duke's of Burgundy. It will give you an idea of the rise and fall of one of the most powerful duchies in Europe of the 15th century.

Vaugh's works will give you an idea of the opulance of a medieval court.

Louis XI: The Universal Spider (king of France associated with the Dukes of Burgundy above)

Warwick the Kingmaker , Paul Murray Kendall

Power and Profit: The Merchant in Medieval Europe, Peter Spufford (excellent source if you play a medieval merchant)

Rene d'Anjou's "Book of the Love Smitten Heart".
Rene d'Anjou's "Book of the Tournament" to give details on how an "ideal" 15th century tournament is hosted.

Growing up in Medieval London

Medieval Prostitution

The Medieval Underworld

The Master of Game (book of hunting)
Gaston Phebus "Book of the Hunt"

The Boke of Keruvynge: The Book of Carving, Wynken de Worde: a good reference for how a great lord's table is set, the roles of the servants of the body, and a few other things.


14th Century:

"The Goodwife's Guide" (2009) which is a household book written by a upper middle class man in Paris in 1393. It was a guide he wrote instructing his young wife on how to run a household.


Miscellaneous:

Magic in the Middle Ages, Richard Kieckhefer

Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the 15th Century, Richard Kieckhefer

Medieval Gentlewoman: Life in a Gentry Household in the Later Middle Ages

Medieval Herbal Remedies: The Old English Herbarium and Anglo-Saxon Medicine

Medieval and Early Renaissance Medicine: An Introduction to Knowledge and Practice


Fiction: The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. A well researched historical fiction about the Wars of the Roses.

That's just a small sampling of some scholarly and general histories.

[Jaleela]

Another book that I thought was pretty decent is:

Special Operations in the Age of Chivalry, 1100 - 1500 by Yuval Noah Harari

This work details intrigue, kidnapping, and great escapes of the nobility through history and details how nobles can work against one another. Just read the chapter "Princes in the Crosshairs" and it shows plotting, planning, agitating against other nobles and the consequences. cool book.

[Jaleela]

Hi All,

Here's another source. This one gives good insight into a Royal Household. Look under the heading, Edward II and his reign. The ordinances are a good place to start.

http://edwardthesecond.com/edwardiiandhisreign/householdordinance1318.html

Jenn

[Jaleela]

Not sure if anyone is even looking at this thread, but here's another resource. This one is 14th century.

Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century: Discipline, Tactics, and Technology by Kelly DeVries

[arpig]

Barabara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror. Imminently readable history of the 14th century through the history of the Lords of Coucy

[Jaleela]

This one is for folks who might be running the Brotherhood of Khet or the Society of the Serpent under Darius Asparta. This book gives readers insight into one of the most feared societies:

THE ISMAILI ASSASSINS: A History of Medieval Murder

The book contains historic accounts of the many creative methods in which these dread assassins killed their victims and infiltrated courts.

[stew31r]

The Armour Archive is an medieval reenactor web board that mostly covers fighting but can provide lots of info on other subjects. And as one of the fore mentioned reenactors, trust me when I say that the details matter to these guys. An excellent source for militaria and related topics. armourarchive.org

Regia Angolorum is a very period specific group that also has a website that can be gleaned for info on lots of subjects. And they're bigger detail nuts than armour archive. Good source of info for use in with the Rjurik. regia.org

Legio Draconis Another great reenactor website that has lots and lots of info if you take the time to look through what they have. Good general purpose medieval and medieval militaria site. legiodraconis.com

Osprey series of books are great for military related details. They can be found on Amazon or other online book sellers.

A web search for reenactor groups can usually lead to links on the info that I imagine that you are looking for. I've been a gamer for about 17 years, and I have learned more things that I now incorporate into fantasy gaming in the five years I've been a medieval reenactor than any of the medieval history classes I took for my history minor. And the cool thing is, with the internet, you don't need to join the groups to access the info

Harald Hadrada, The Warrior's Way
the military career of Harald Hadrada from Varangian Guardsman to King of Norway. Cool details about early medieval Scandanavia that could be applied in Rjurik settings.

The Art of Medieval Hunting: The Hawk and the Hound
really awesome book written using excripts from period texts that where written by noted hunters and falconers of the middle ages and renaissance. It is expensive, but worth the money IMO. An excellent source of info on hunting, falconry, game animals, and dog breeds and their uses.

Hunting Weapons from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century
great book about hunting weapons and accoutrements, with illustrations

Art of Falconry; Being the De Arte Venandi cum Avibus of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
Considered one of the ultimate tomes on medieval falconry, written by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. This was written in the 12 or 1300s so it is as period specific as information can get on falconry and the social contexts that surrounded the sport amongst nobles in the middle ages.

Writing, Society and Culture in Early Rus, c.950-1300
Great book on early russian culture, perfect for info to go with the Vos

Viking Rus: Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe (The Northern World, V. 12) (No. 12)
Another book on the Rus, the early russians

[Jaleela]

RE: Armour Archive, you want the Historical Research board.

Bibliography (http://www.wolfeargent.com/bibliography.htm) from Historical Interpretation Group

Equestrian Bibliography (http://www.wolfeargent.com/eq-bibliography.htm)

Hurstwic (http://www.hurstwic.org/history/text/history.htm) a good resource for Rjurik

De Arte Venandi cum Avibus of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (the Art of Falconry) was written in the 13th century (around 1250) and is considered still to be one of the finest works on the topic. It is quite complete.

[medievalhistory]

On RPG games that deal with medieval times, it can greatly help your success by understanding more of the details of Medieval history.

[Jaleela]

Having a break in my grad work, I've focused on adding some spice to the legal codes of my campaign.

Books:

The Medieval Origins of the Legal Profession: Canonists, Civilians, and Courts by James A. Brundage
The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager
By Sword and Fire: Cruelty and Atrocity in Medieval Warfare by Sean McGlynn
Sanctuary and Crime in the Middle Ages, 400-1500 (Just Ideas: Transformative Ideals of Justice in Ethical and Politcal Thought) by Karl Shoemaker
Imprisonment in Medieval England by Ralph Bernard Pugh
The Humiliation of Sinners: Public Penance in Thirteenth-Cent​ury France
by Mary C. Mansfield
The Interdict in the Thirteenth Century: A Question of Collective Guilt by Peter D. Clarke
Inquisition and Medieval Society: Power, Discipline, and Resistance in Languedoc
by James Buchanan Given
A History of Medieval Heresy and Inquisition by Jennifer Kolpacoff Deane
Medieval Canon Law by James A. Brundage
The Consumption of Justice: Emotions, Publicity, and Legal Culture in Marseille, 1264-1423 by Daniel Lord Smail
Crime in Medieval Europe 1200-1550 by Trevor Dean
Captivity and Imprisonment in Medieval Europe, C. 1000-C. 1300 by Jean Dunbabin
The Medieval Prison: A Social History by Guy Geltner (focuses on Italian prisons)
Crime and Justice in Late Medieval Italy by Trevor Dean
Medieval Crime and Social Control (Medieval Cultures) by Barbara A. Hanawalt
The Criminal Trial in Later Medieval England by J.G. Bellamy
Crime, Law and Society in the Later Middle Ages by Anthony Musson, Edward Powell


Movies:
Luther (2003)
Joseph Fiennes as Martin Luther
This was a nicely put together film about Martin Luther and had a really nice flavor for the 16th century. Does a nice depiction of how a monk can agitate or become a popular hero, or start a potential holy war, though Luther himself was not a proponent of Holy War, even at a time when the Ottoman Turks were threatening Germany with invasion, he viewed them as the scourge of God to punish the people.

The Advocate (1993/2003)
Colin Firth
Interesting case of a lawyer in 15th century Paris defending a pig. (Yes, animals could be tried for crimes.) this movie was less about the trying of the pig, though it does open with a fellow and his "she ass" on the gallows for "misconduct". There are a few different crimes happening from heresy to murder to a lovely twist at the end that the "witch" predicts. It's a bit earthy and there's no real "action" to speak of, but it does give a flavor of a small medieval village.

[Sorontar]

The Advocate (1993/2003)
Colin Firth
Interesting case of a lawyer in 15th century Paris defending a pig. (Yes, animals could be tried for crimes.)
And I think witchcraft.

For Cerilia I guess the claim would be that your pig has the Blood of Azrai and it tried to harm my innocent daughter and infect her!

Sorontar

[Jaleela]

In defense of the white boar that put an end to the former King of Rohrmarch. ;-)

The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals by E.P. Evans

[sperigny101]

For those that are fluent in French, "Les Rois Maudits" from Maurice Druon, either the TV miniseries from the 70's or the book.

Also, you can subscribe to your local SCA chapter and you will then have WAY too much information for what you can process.

The Book of the Courtier, by Baldassare Castiglione. You get an insider's view of the life of a Courtier and what one has to do to become good at it. A bit late for BR, but you get the mindset. Written between 1508 and 1528.

[AndrewTall]

Personally I quite liked the TV series 'Brother Cadfael' I am no scholar to know how accurate it was but it had a very interesting feel to it and gave me several campaign ideas.

[Birthright-L]

At 02:05 PM 9/5/2011, AndrewTall wrote:

>Personally I quite liked the TV series `Brother Cadfael` I am no
>scholar to know how accurate it was but it had a very interesting
>feel to it and gave me several campaign ideas.

That show had the occasional good adventure ideas for a BR campaign too....

Gary

[Thelandrin]

The Cadfael novels are excellent. Just reading them is frequently an education in mediaeval law and culture!

[Jaleela]

I had forgotten about Brother Cadfael series, it's been awhile since I've looked at them. They always struck me as giving the proper look and feel, and the history was pretty decent. They're very good for adventure seeds.

Sharon Kay Penman has a number of Medieval mysteries as well that are pretty decent.

[Jaleela]

For a personal research project, I've been focused recently on Medicinals, Magic, Alchemy, and Astrology. Some titles of interest:

Unlocked Books: Manuscripts of Learned Magic in the Medieval Libraries of Central Europe (Magic in History) by Benedek Láng


According to popular lore, magicians of the Middle Ages were trained in the art of magic in "magician schools" located in various metropolitan areas, such as Naples, Athens, and Toledo. It was common knowledge that magic was learned and that cities had schools designed to teach the dark arts. The Spanish city of Toledo, for example, was so renowned for its magic training schools that "the art of Toledo" was synonymous with "the art of magic".

Magic in Medieval Manuscripts by Sophie Page is a quick introduction to the subject with some interesting color images and descriptions, many of which I haven't seen before.

Astrology in Medieval Manuscripts by Sophie Page. Another quick introduction to a subject. Informative, yet short.

The Middle English `Boke of Stones' by George R. Keiser. Basically a treatise of a working paper on the virtues and magical qualities of stones.

Alchemical Symbols: Tables Of Alchemical Symbols And Gematria With A Glossary Of Latin Terms by Philip Wheeler

A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery by Lyndy Abraham

Medicine and Society In Later Medieval England by Carole Rawcliffe. Though if you have easy access to healers and clerics...not as necessary in a magical campaign.

Different topic of potential nterest:
Art of Falconry; Being the De Arte Venandi cum Avibus of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen by Frederick Second of Hohenstaufen, et al.
Very nice study by an early Renaissance man on the care, training, and use of birds of prey. Based on observation of nature rather than using any of what many modern folks consider "superstitious" aspects. One I found particularly interesting was the right and wrong way to mount your horse with a falcon on your glove.

[Magian]

Thanks again!

[Jaleela]

You're welcome. I find it useful for fleshing out NPCs that might appear in the court of a great lord or even as one of the resident "specialists" that PCs may have to deal with from time to time.

[arpig2]

I have found this site endlessly useful and fascinating: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/sbook.asp

[Jaleela]

Pirates are a threat to merchantile ventures. to find out exactly how ruthless pirates can be, from the taking of goods to the taking and leading the entire population of a town away in chains... I give you:

Empires of the Sea (http://www.amazon.com/Empires-Sea-Battle-Lepanto-Contest/dp/0812977645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358706227&sr=8-1&keywords=Empires+of+the+Sea) by Roger Crowley.

It is about the struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottaman Empire in the Mediterranean 1480 - 1570. While late Medieval, it covers some of the deals that western powers made with pirates like Barbarosa. Very nasty stuff. Might work well for anyone using the captain, Sari bint Bédize, of the Black Arrow in Cities of the Sun (Ariya, pg. 14).

[Magian]

First, thanks for this one.

Second, while I was adding it to my amazon wishlist like many of the other books you've posted I noticed 2 other titles by him. The book City of Fortune gave me an "ah ha" moment. Venetian = Maesetian.

[Jaleela]

You're welcome. It's a quick read.

Interesting about the Masetian/Venetian possible connection. They seem to be depicted as the great leaders in global navigation and travel, when the rest of Aduria was still slapping puddles with sticks. *grin*

In my campaign, we've introduced a historical figure named Aurelius Saria, the younger brother of the Emperor Maltos Saria. Aurelius, also called the Navigator, set out on behalf of his brother to locate new lands and peoples. The ship he sailed on is akin to the supership the Syracusia (http://www.modelboats.co.uk/sites/2/images/member_albums/1557/album%20l%20mex2010%20009.jpg)(a model of the concept can be found on the Model Boats (http://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article/model-engineer-exhibition-2010/8320)page). A character in the game has recently come across the scrolls of his travels.

[huehar]

Hi, I am surfing on the net quite a lot to get medieval sources, ideas and datas. Here are few:
about archery http://dankoboldt.com/medieval-versus-modern-archery/
about horse-transports https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ysrcq/how_did_horses_survive_the_transatlantic_crossing/
medieval price list http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/120D/Money.html
medieval professions http://arcana.wikidot.com/list-of-medieval-european-professions
about bridges https://www.britannica.com/technology/bridge-engineering/The-Middle-Ages
medieval hospitals https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/the-hospital-experience-in-medieval-england/


Hope you can use it.

[Arius Vistoon]

Hi, I am surfing on the net quite a lot to get medieval sources, ideas and datas. Here are few:
about archery http://dankoboldt.com/medieval-versus-modern-archery/
about horse-transports https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ysrcq/how_did_horses_survive_the_transatlantic_crossing/
medieval price list http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/120D/Money.html
medieval professions http://arcana.wikidot.com/list-of-medieval-european-professions
about bridges https://www.britannica.com/technology/bridge-engineering/The-Middle-Ages
medieval hospitals https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/the-hospital-experience-in-medieval-england/


Hope you can use it.

:o:p thanks very interesting

[huehar]

Another useful stuff:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/#currency-result (it converts medieval prices to current and what could you buy for it in the medieval)

Hope you can use it.