How To Write About Medieval Kings: An Overview
There are many biographies of medieval kings, but that does not mean all are the same.
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Narratives of Revolt and Loyalty at St. Gall: Leeds IMC Preview 2025
Rapidly approaching is this year's Leeds International Medieval Congress, one of the biggest conferences for medieval studies in the world. It is a great place to hear new research and to meet other scholars, not to mention the general social and celebratory atmosphere it tends to have. This
Uncovering a Courtier: The Funnily Named Count Isangrim
Recently Fraser McNair wrote an interesting piece on defining "the Carolingian court." Fraser rightly notes that "the word ‘court’ encompasses five concepts: the court is a location, a community, an institution, a set of activities, and an identity." I want to add to this picture somewhat
What Does It Mean To Finish A PhD? Some Reflections
No PhD is easy, I wanted to offer some thoughts on my experience, my struggle with depression, and the value of a PhD in the Internet Age.
The Short Read: The Conversation (1974) as Historian's Method
How does The Conversation (1974) reflect the methods of the historian? I discuss the similarities in this post.
Arnulf, Italian Politics, and Putting a Corpse on Trial
As usual for medievalists, we strive for topicality. Fortunately the recent papal conclave gives me an opportunity to discuss one of the wackiest events of the Early Middle Ages: the Cadaver Synod. In brief the Cadaver Synod was a trial of the deceased Pope Formosus by Pope Stephen VI, the
A Lead Seal and a Dead Man's Bones
My last post was about the 1,137th anniversary of Arnulf becoming king. This post is about the 1,225th anniversary of his death. It may sound surprising that the date of Arnulf’s death, and where he was buried, has multiple possibilities. This is a king after all, shouldn’
By Divine Grace We Were Placed in Front of Others
On the anniversary of Arnulf becoming king
How often did the king go to Mass?
Some thoughts, an incomplete investigation
Historians at Work
Let's get technical
Echoes of the Milvian Bridge in the Ninth Century
I normally send out a new post every two weeks but today (Oct. 28th) is the anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD so I wanted to be “topical,” (or at least as topical as can be when it comes to an event that happened over
The King's Failing Body II: Arnulf this time
Narratives of decline and measuring "activeness"
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All Defected From Him
Political Betrayal in Moments of Crisis
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Keeping it in the Family
What is the meaning of Arnulf's weird name?
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Finding my Ozymandias
How do historians decide what to study?
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Chance Encounters of the Arnulf Kind
Webs of Connections in the Ninth Century
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A Medieval National Convention?
Assemblies, Ritual, and Political Communication
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Reading Empire in the Archive
Visions of East Frankish Imperium in a Vienna Manuscript
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The King's Failing Body
What can a ninth century crisis of legitimacy teach us about Joe Biden's own crisis?
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Borges' Library of Babel and the Internet Age
I am away traveling this week, so I decided to write something a little different, hopefully you enjoy my writing (or rambling, take your pick). Earlier this year I read, for the first time, Jorge Luis Borges’ short story The Library of Babel and was struck by how relevant it
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Vikings and Kings and Battles, oh my
Subscribe now Later this week I will be traveling across the Atlantic to one of the biggest conferences for medieval historians in the world, the Leeds International Medieval Congress. This year I am moderating a panel as well as presenting some of my own research. For my own paper I
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Bastard, Usurper, King
"Illegitimate" sons and political destiny
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An Early Medieval Murder Mystery
or, did Arnulf have his cousin killed?
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What's the point of yet another history newsletter?
Into your hearts or into the void, either way