Tag Archives: Medieval

Mini medieval ‘grete pyes’, by Dr Ruth J. Salter

Posted on December 19, 2022 by readinghistory

Back in November, during the drinks reception ahead of our annual Stenton Lecture, I got chatting to our social media maven, Chessie Baldwin. Talk turned to History’s blog and what we’d be doing as our Christmas series this year … … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas 2022 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween: Our Childhood Traditions

Posted on October 31, 2022 by readinghistory

It’s the spookiest day of the year! We asked some students and staff to share their favourite Halloween traditions. But first, some Halloween history… ‘The name Halloween itself is simply a contraction of All Hallows Eve.  This derives from the … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sagas, the Solstice and the Supernatural, by Anne Lawrence-Mathers

Posted on December 21, 2021 by readinghistory

As a medievalist it is always satisfying to point out that many traditions can be traced back to the medieval period – and this applies also to the custom of setting and telling tales of ghosts and monsters at the … Continue reading →

Posted in A Very Ghostly Christmas (2021) | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Very Ghostly Christmas: St Nicholas, the Slaughtered Students and the Murdered Merchant, by Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers

Posted on December 6, 2021 by readinghistory

On the feast day of St Nicholas of Myra, we find out if the ‘Wondeworker’ Saint is a modern day Santa Claus or an early version of Sweeny Todd in these stories of ghostly apparitions, murder, and magic. Will there … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How did a fear of climate lead to a climate of fear in which demonic witchcraft loomed large? Professor Helen Parish explores the connections between weather, witchcraft, faith, fears, and the human imagination…

Posted on July 26, 2021 by readinghistory

In the first blog in this summer series, my colleague Ruth Salter invited us to hang up our umbrellas and celebrate the role played by St Swithin in our summer weather. While Ruth encouraged us to turn our eyes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Summer Blog Series 2021 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment