History

The Real History of Modern Witchcraft

Although self-professed witches claim that they practice a religion that dates back to Neolithic times, their practices actually stem...

Chaste, Obedient, Modest: The Ideal Medieval Woman

Throughout the Middle Ages, women were instructed through formal books of courtesy to be subservient, humble, virginal, and obedient to...

More Medieval Manuscripts Lost to Time Than Originally Believed

Using ecological modeling, researchers now believe that far more books have been destroyed over the centuries than originally thought…...

None Shown Fairer for Beauty and Charm than Mary, The Tudor Rose

Of the four surviving children from the union between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, none shone fairer for beauty and charm than the...

Rare Prayer Roll Resurfaces

Recently, researchers reviewed a rare prayer roll from before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England (1536-1541). What they found...

The Marital Machinations of the Tudors

As a new King to a small island nation, in 1485 Henry Tudor had to make alliances, and fast. So he turned to marriage to secure the...

Henry VIII: The Nautical King

Between courting wives, splitting from the Roman Catholic Church, and divesting monasteries, Henry VIII conceived of and built the first...

Juana of Castile: Devoted Wife or Unhinged Madwoman?

Those who loved their departed spouse often carry a memento to keep them ever present. Juana of Castile went one better, however: her...

Merrymaking & Revelry: The Lavish History of Yuletide

Over the centuries, the holiday season has been celebrated with pageantry, plays, music, and feasts, following the pagan traditions of...