Medieval

Canterbury Cathedral

The unholy feud that killed Thomas Becket

William the Conqueror (1027–87), king of England from 1066 when he beat Harold II at the battle of Hastings. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

9 surprising facts about William the Conqueror and the Norman conquest

The weather was a matter of great concern to everyone during the Middle Ages, as society was dependent on agriculture and poor harvests could lead to real hardship. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Jumping beans, throwing shoes and weather forecasting: medieval ways to look ahead to the New Year

King John hunting on horseback, 14th century. The contention that his badness was a later invention simply doesn't stack up, argues Marc Morris. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Was King John really that bad? Yes!

Westminster Abbey, London

A brief history of Westminster Abbey

Cynocephali – Dog-headed men (Photo by Getty)

Basilisks, manticores and more: medieval fantastic beasts (and where to find them)

'The Last Supper', 1803. A copy of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1490s. Some think the superstition about Friday 13th being unlucky is related to the Last Supper, when 13 people were present at the meal before Jesus's crucifixion on Good Friday. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Q&A Why is Friday 13th considered unlucky?

Eleanor of Aquitaine's tomb in Fontevraud Abbey, Loire, France (Photo by Alamy)

Eleanor of Aquitaine: myth and reality

Christmas merriment in an old English manor in the 1500s. (Photo by North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy)

How to host a medieval Christmas

Alfred the Great (849–899). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Who was King Alfred the Great?

The Varangian Guard, as shown in the 12th-century Madrid Skylitzes. Around this time, the guard, which protected the Byzantine emperor, was apparently dominated by English warriors who had fled the Norman conquest. (Image by Bridgeman)

A medieval new England: the Anglo-Saxons’ eastern odyssey

A c1880 Christmas card shows a frog committing murder

Carrots, goblins and killer frogs: an unexpected history of Christmas

Eleanor of Aquitaine depicted in a 12th-century prayer book

The real Eleanor of Aquitaine: 5 myths about the medieval queen

A portrait of Isabella I of Castile. (Photo by PHAS/UIG via Getty Images)

Isabella I of Castile: Europe’s greatest queen?

Harlech Castle with Snowdonia in the background.

A brief history of Wales: the resilient nation