Illustrated Medieval scene from the Romance of Lancelot

Medieval

This 1877 painting by Oscar Wergeland depicts Norwegian settlers arriving in Iceland in 872. Fleeing the unification of Norway under Harald Fairhair, these early migrants laid the foundations of a unique Norse society on the island’s volcanic shores.

Could you survive on the Vikings’ furthest frontier? Here’s the dark reality of Norse life on the edge

A drawing of a king holding a crown on his head, against a black and white image of a church

Far away from England, the mystery of Harold Godwinson's lost crown might have just been solved

This illustrated map traces the route of Venetian merchant Marco Polo along the Silk Road to China in the 13th century. His travels opened up new vistas of Asia to Europe and became one of the most influential accounts of the medieval world.

Step onto the medieval Silk Road and you'll witness its intense wonders – and its hidden horror

What if Harold died at Stamford Bridge, not Hastings?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A woman in a grey cloak holds a swaddled infant to her shoulder

Edith the Fair: the life of Harold Godwinson’s first wife

Luther Ford as Tostig Godwinson in BBC drama King and Conqueror

How Tostig Godwinson’s brotherly betrayal hastened the fall of the Anglo-Saxons

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror in BBC Norman Conquest drama King and Conqueror

How historically accurate is King and Conqueror? Here’s the real history that should have happened

This posthumous portrait of William I, known as the Conqueror, was painted c.1590–1610 and is held by the National Portrait Gallery, London. Though created centuries after his death, it reflects early modern interest in the legacy of England’s first Norman monarch. (Photo by Getty Images)

Meet the real William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy who reshaped England

Illustrations of Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror

How well did Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror know each other prior to the battle of Hastings?

A collage of four images, depicting four different kings against a blue background

1066: who was the rightful king?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Shakespeare didn't do the Norman Conquest, but the Bayeux Tapestry did, so where does that leave the BBC's King and Conqueror?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of a woman in a gold and red dress walking on a tightrope while balancing a pair of scales on her head. The scales hold an angel on one side and a devil on the other. Behind her on the tightrope, there is a cat. Below her, there is a town and a factory, with some houses submerged in water

Michael Wood on lessons on good government from medieval Siena. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A close up image of the eye of a black horse

Medieval warhorses: 5 moments horsepower changed the course of history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Europe's last pagans. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This illustration from the Codex Manesse (c.1300) shows Konrad von Altstetten, a Swiss ministerial, reclining with his beloved after a hunt. The lavish manuscript, compiled in Heidelberg, preserves the courtly poetry and romantic ideals of the German medieval nobility. (Photo by Getty Images)

Wandering womanisers? These charismatic bards took the medieval world (and its women) by storm

This scene depicts Clovis I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty, executing a soldier who defied him over the famed Vase of Soissons around AD 480. The story, preserved by Gregory of Tours, became a legendary example of royal authority and vengeance in early medieval France.

This dynasty of medieval kings had a secret weapon – and you probably have it too

This illustration from the Arnamagnæan Collection in Denmark depicts Eric the Red, the Norse explorer who founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland around AD 985.

A thousand years ago, the Vikings had a shock encounter with Native Americans that ended in disaster

This 19th-century chromolithograph depicts flagellants in Tournai in 1349, publicly scourging themselves in response to the Black Death. Known as the Brothers of the Cross, such groups believed self-punishment could help cleanse society of divine wrath.

It felt like the end of the world, but this medieval ‘apocalypse’ left a legacy no one saw coming

Slavery on the medieval Silk Road. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Normans sailing across the channel

The Bayeux Tapestry: a political football for 900 years

Exploring the medieval world with Marco Polo. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A visitor looks at the Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is finally coming home to Britain – and you can see it next year

Secrets of medieval manuscripts. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Owain Glyndŵr: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Thomas Aquinas: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A women with a shocked face next to a calendar with the date of Friday the 13th

Q&AWhy is Friday 13th unlucky?

When was the worst time to be alive? You'll be surprised at what our expert has to say. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Plague, famine and chivalry: a human history of the 14th century. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

What was life like in a medieval town? A historical A-Z. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of King John layered in front of the text of Magna Carta.

Priceless medieval artefact auctioned for just $27 is centuries-old original, experts reveal