The Medieval Age: Part 1

Contents:

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Specific Sites:

• Art, Architecture & Culture:

  • Abbeys and Cathedrals in England and Wales
  • Art History Resources on the Web: Art of the Middle Ages - early Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, early Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, and Medieval
  • Art and Architecture
  • The Book of Kells (Univ of British Columbia)
  • The Book of Kells: Images - a famous work of art and manuscript by Irish monks about 1200 years ago. It is a copy of the 4 gospels in Latin
  • The English Medieval Castle (Britannica Online) - contains three articles
  • Giotto: The Scrovegni Chapel (13th century) - chapel is divided into 5 views. "The frescoes in the Arena Chapel in Padua are among the most celebrated works in the history of art"
  • The Glory of Byzantium: a Pendant (11th Century) - an image
  • The Glory of Byzantium: Pendant and Stick (11th Century) - worn near cheek or temple, suspended from cap, headress, band or hair
  • The Glory of Byzantium: Madonna and Child - a tempera on wood painting by Berlinghiero (Italy ~1230 AD)
  • The Glory of Byzantium: Medallion of Saint George
  • Gothic Cathedrals and Churches
  • Images of Medieval Art and Architecture: England - select location on the map for viewing of images (click onto thumbnail image for enlargments)
  • The Life of Leonardo da Vinci, 1550 (Medieval Sourcebook)
  • Medieval Architecture (a student page) - includes Gothic, Romanesque,
  • Medieval Art - a great site with images (click to enlarge) of manuscripts, murals & frescos, sculpture, tapestries, and others
  • Medieval Art: Art of the Faithful - church architecture 476-1400
  • Old English Pages: Art and Artifacts - the Alfred Jewel, bowls, brooches, chalice, coins, rings, swords
  • St. David's Cathedral - select further information and view the portion of cathedral built in the 12th century
  • A Tour of Durham Cathedral and Castle (BBC Online) - built by William the Conqueror
  • The Tower of London - (image) intially built by William the Conqueror
  • Warwick Castle
  • WebMuseum: Paris - The Louvre, famous artists (including Medieval artists) and their works of art (e.g. Michelangelo, da Vinci, El Greco, Giotto de Bondone, Titian, Tintoretto)

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  The Black Death/The Plague:

  • The Black Death - [highly recommended] an excellent site with considerable information on all aspects of the plague (e.g. origins, descriptions, forms, medical measures, effects on population/economy/culture/art)
  • The Black Death: An Early Account of the Plague
  • Boccaccio: The Decameron - Introduction (Medieval Sourcebook)
  • The Bubonic Plague - the Bubonic and other forms of plague, including good pictures (e.g. flea, life cycle)
  • The Discovery Channel Online: The Black Death - complete with audio narration about the plague
  • The Florentine Chronicle: Concerning a Mortality in the City of Florence In Which So Many People Died - a chronicled account of the Black Death
  • Medieval History: The Great Mortality - the Black Plague, a three part series
  • The Pestilence Tyme: England During the Plague of 1348-1350 - [recommended]
  • Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe
  • The Plague, England, and Loughborough 1539-1640 - notes discuss both the bubonic and the pneumonic plagues
  • Scientific Causes of the Plague

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  Clothing:

  • A Beginner's Guide to Medieval Costume - good descriptions of parts of clothing e.g. baldric, cloak, cotehardies, doublets
  • A Clothing How-to For Garments of the Byzantine Empire
  • Costume for a 12th Century lady - the attire of the Virgin Mary on a carved sculpture
  • Dye Recipes from the Innusbrook Manuscript - how to make Medieval fabric dyes. English translation is on the right
  • Evolution of the Highland Kilt
  • Footwear of the Middle Ages - includes information such as types of leather, fasteners, heels, long toed shoes, adding soles, and different shoe designs
  • History of Costume Index - covers the Medieval period in which sample images can be clicked to enlarge
  • Male Clothing and Knightly Armour of 1250's - provides details and diagrams of the different articles of clothing e.g. braies, hose, chausses, cuisses, shirt, gambeson, hauberk, and final body armour
  • Medieval Clothing - a catalogue of replicas of Medieval clothing which can be purchases
  • The Middle Ages: Clothing - a brief overview
  • Misconceptions About Medieval Clothing - clothing was not dull coloured
  • Modesty to Majesty: The Development of the Codpiece (from 15th Century Life) - devloped in the Middle Ages, the codpiece became the height of fashion during Henry VIII's reign
  • A Stitch Out of Time: Style of Medieval Embroidery - 9th-12th C

  
  

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  Food:

  • Alcoholic Drinks of the Middle Ages - including wine and mead
  • A Boke of Gode Cookery - a compilation of Medieval cooking recipes, and cooking articles
  • Dining in State: A High Cuisine Guide
  • Medieval Food and Feast Image Collection
  • The Medieval Kitchen - 6 recipes
  • Medieval/Renaissance Brewing HomePage
  • Medieval/Renaissance Food HomePage - includes article recipes, how food was coloured, 14th century German Feasts

  
  

  The Inquisition:

  • Accounts and Confessions of Heresy During the Inquisition:
    • Beatrice de Planissoles - a noblewoman
    • Confession of Arnault Gelis - a drunkard
    • Confession of Baruch: Once a Jew, Then Baptized and Now Returned to Judaism
    • Confession of Grazide, Widow of Pierre Lizier of Montaillou - widow and priest's concubine
    • Historical Overivew of the Inquisition
    • The Inquisition: Introduction
    • Jacquleine den Carot of Ax - scoffer

    
    
    

  • Angelo Clareno on the Inquisitorial Torture Session (Medieval Sourcebook)
  • The Inquisition (The Catholic Encyclopedia)
  • Bernard Gui: Inquisitorial Techniques (1307-1323) (Medieval Sourcebook)

  
  

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  Literature:

  • General:
    • Liminarium: An Anthology of Medieval Literature
    • Online Medieval and Classical Library (Berkeley Digital Library) - full-text of various literature
    • Women Writers of the Middle Ages - both secular (e.g. Queen Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Christine de Pizan) as well as women of religious vocations (e.g. Margery Kempe, Hildegard Von Bingen, Julian of Norwich)

    Specific:

    • Beowulf - scroll down the page for the epic poem
    • Beowulf: The Last Moments
    • The Song of Roland - the oldest epic poem written by an unknown French author. The poem is set in Spain during the time of Charlemagne and is based on the Roncesvalles massacre of Charlemagne's rearguard

    
    
    

    Chaucer:

    • Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400) - the full-text of all the tales are listed on the Table of Contents on the left hand side of the page
    • The Legend of Good Women - by Geoffrey Chaucer

    
    
    

    Dante:

    • Chronology of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) - a timeline of main events in his life
    • Dante Alighieri (The Catholic Encyclopedia) - an extensive biography and overview
    • Digital Dante (1265-1321) - the poet

    
    
    

    Julian of Norwich: the famous Anchoress

    • The Anchoress: Julian of Norwich
    • The Godfriend's Website: Julian of Norwich WebSite
    • Julian of Norwich, 1342-1416 - selected life and works
    • Norwich: Lady Julian's Shrine
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    • Kempe, Margery:
    • • Background: Margery Kempe
      • Magery Kempe (1373-1438) - site includes biographical information, works, and other links
      • Margery Kempe - a brief history of her life

      
      
      

      Malory, Thomas:

      • Sir Thomas Malory (1405-1471) - site includes a biography of his life, his works, and other links

      
      
      

      Pizan, Christine de:

      • The Book of the City of Ladies - one of Pizan's most notable books
      • Christine de Pizan - a biography
      • Christine de Pisan - a biographical overview
      • Christina de Pizan - includes overviews of her works:
      • Christine de Pizan: Presenting Her Work to Queen Isabeau c.1400
      • City of Ladies - the cover of her manuscript

      
      
      

      Troyes, Chretien de:

      • Lancelot or The Knight of the Cart -12th Century
      • Yvain, or The Knight with the Lion - 12th Century

  
  

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  Maps:

  • Cartographic Images: Ancient and Medieval Maps
  • Maps and Images (Medieval Sourcebook) - scroll down the page to the maps section
  • Maps of Great Britain: Medieval
  • Maps of the 100 Years' War

  
  

  Monastic & Convent Life and the Church:

  • Convent (The Catholic Encyclopedia) - convent life, legislation, dowry, office, lay sister
  • Medieval Society: Those Who Pray - priests, monks, and friars
  • Monasticism (The Catholic Encyclopedia) - Eastern vs Western, growth and method, poverty/chastity/obedience, kinds of monks, monastic occupations
  • Monasicism in Great Britain - a brief descriptions of the various Orders e.g. Augustinians, Benedictines, Franciscans
  • Monks (The Catholic Encyclopedia)
  • Nuns (The Catholic Encyclopedia) - origins and history, kinds of nuns, proper nuns, orders, congregations and societies
  • The Rule of St. Benedict, c.530 (Medieval Sourcebook) - includes the types of monks, their manner of living, the Abbot, concerning silence/obedience/council/humility and much more

  
  

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  Music:

  • The Bodhran - an Irish framedrum
  • The Crumhorn Home Page - an early music instrument
  • Early Music - lots of links but slow to download
  • Early Music: MIDI Files - good audio examples of Medieval Music to listen to. DO NOT DOWNLOAD at school! Instead, select the option: "Open this file from its current location" and listen to it at a library station
  • Early Music Pages and Instruments
  • European Carols: Medieval, Renaissance, and Traditional good audio examples of Medieval Music to listen to. DO NOT DOWNLOAD at school! Instead, select the option: "Open this file from its current location" and listen to it at a library station
  • A Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Musical Instruments the crumhorn, gamba, pipe and tabor, bagpipe, lute, viol, etc.
  • The Hurdy Gurdy Site - a stringed Medieval instrument in which one hand uses a 'wheel' to rub against the strings and the other hand plays a tune on the keys in the keybox. It sounds like a cross between a wind instrument and a fiddle
  • The Instruments of Celtic Music - includes flute, mandolin, harp, dulcimar, citterns, bodhran, pennywhistle, etc.
  • The Internet Renaissance Band: Medieval Music - good audio examples of Medieval Music to listen to. DO NOT DOWNLOAD at school! Instead, select the option: "Open this file from its current location" and listen to it at a library station
  • Lutes
  • The Lute (Edinburgh Univ) - a picture of this stringed instrument
  • Medieval Music - includes Cantus (Gregorian Chants), Early Music FAQ, music of the 14th century, troubadors & instruments
  • Medieval Music Period - a brief overview
  • Music of the 14th Century
  • Pipe and Tabor - Medieval musical instruments
  • The Recorder Homepage - an insturment of the Middle Ages
  • The Saxon Lyre: History, Construction, and Playing Techniques
  • Viola da Gamba - forerunner to the cello

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  Printing Press:

  • Books and Universities: Medieval and Rennaissance Book Production - Printed Books - describes the pressures leading to this invention, includes diagrams of the print type and of the printing press
  • The Chop or Printer's Mark
  • The Gutenberg Bible, 1455 - history of the book
  • History of Print Timetable - from the ancient Summerians to the present
  • History of Printing
  • Johannes Gutenberg (The Catholic Encyclopedia) - a good biography of the inventor of the printing press
  • Johannes Gutenberg, 1398-1468 (US Ink)
  • Jones Telecommunications & Multimedia Encyclopedia: History of Printing
  • Manuscripts, Books, and Maps: The Printing Press and a Changing World - the development of print technology
  • http://user.online.be/gvlaeminck/links-er.htm">Manuscripts Links - includes an apprentice's handbook for illuminating medieval manuscripts
  • Printing: An Industry Born - includes a timeline of the printing press
  • William Caxton - the first English printer. He brought the printing press to England and printing the first book in English
  • William Caxton, 1476 - has examples of Caxton's early type

  
  

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