Weird and wonderful

St David painting in stained glass window, Ceredigion, UK. Exact date unknown. (Photo by David Angel/Alamy Stock Photo)

16 things you (probably) didn’t know about St David’s Day traditions

A decoy rubber tank such as those used by the Allies during WW2.

Second World War

Masters of disguise: the story of the Allies’ WW2 ‘Ghost Army’

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A history of Valentine’s Day celebrations – from fertility festivals to the first cards

A portrait of the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340-1400), who modern literary scholars credit for turning Valentine into the patron of love. Chaucer was a major influencer in his day – after him, everyone began calling their beloved “Valentine” and writing love poems on 14 February, says Lisa Bitel. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Who was Saint Valentine? A history of the figure’s origins

Forgery was the dirty little secret of the Middle Ages. Levi Roach explains who counterfeited medieval manuscripts and why. (Image by Getty Images)

Medieval forgeries

A depiction of Robin Hood, the heroic archer in English folklore who supposedly robbed the rich and gave to the poor. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Robin Hood: 7 myths about about the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest

origins of the werewolf legend in stories from ancient Greece and Rome. (Image by Getty Images)

General ancient history

Werewolves of the ancient world

Mary, Queen of Scots

9 of the worst monarchs in history

Edward Brooke-Hitching discusses some of history’s strangest literary curiosities. (Image by Getty Images)

Bizarre books and macabre manuscripts

Elizabeth I preferred thoughtful new year gifts suited to her own tastes such as cloth, personal jewellery and trinkets. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Sobriety, royal presents and Victorian-era musings on failure: an unexpected history of New Year

HistoryExtra Christmas quiz 2020

Our 2020 Christmas quiz

A Victorian Christmas card

HistoryExtra’s Christmas history quiz 2020

Workers repair Fleet sewer in 1854. London’s creaking sewer network sparked anxieties over what lay beneath the sprawling capital. (Photo by Guildhall Library & Art Gallery/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Living in fear: the dangers of Victorian London

Telling spooky tales at Christmastime is a very old tradition. Francis Young explains the origins of this custom and what it tells us. (Image by Getty Images)

Christmas ghost stories

Did Cromwell ban mince pies? And why does Santa wear red? George Goodwin responds to listener questions and internet search queries on festive history. (Image by Getty Images)

The history of Christmas: everything you wanted to know