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"The current paper surveys and analyzes the ecological and economic crisis of 1093- 1096, as the prelude to the First Crusade, chiefly in its "popular" form. The pestilence of 1093-1094, drought and famine of 1095 have increased the religious zeal and social violence of the popular masses in regions of Germany, the Low Countries and France. This combination has turned into the (failed) crusade. The collective behaviour of the crusading rustics reflects their economic distress, religious zeal and violent mood, at the same time."

This study argues that in addition to protecting the kingdom of Jerusalem against perceived enemies from without, these strongholds are evidence of the military orders' involvement in policing nomads roaming within and traversing through the kingdom.

The actions of a Norman knight, Bohemond, and a Frankish crusader, Raymond of Toulouse, exemplify this fact. The comparison of these two, as well as the rest of the crusade leaders, demonstrate that the Norman crusaders were driven by a complex and sometimes conflicting mix of pious and secular motivations, no different from their Frankish counterparts.

"Links to cartographic web sites"

"Week 11 - Life in the Middle Ages"

"Week 11 - Life in the Middle Ages"

The Medieval Era

"Romainmôtier : le monastère dévoilé"

A Swiss-led team of scientists has used tree rings to detail 2,500 years of European summers, identifying the link between climate and major historical changes.

The Domesday Book is the result of a survey carried out in England and parts of Wales in 1086. The book is one of the first and therefore oldest public records in England and therefore serves as a great resource for geographers, genealogists and historians. The Open Domesday Book is the first free online copy of the Domesday Book. It also includes a great Google Maps interface that allows users to search for locations and quickly find references in the Domesday Book to the location and places nearby. If you search for a location you can view on a Google Map the places mentioned in the Book in that area. If you click through on any of the referenced locations you can view an image of the original text and a breakdown of the data recorded in the Domesday Book.

"Through the Eyes of a Crusader: An Intensive Study Into the Personal Involvement of Two Men in the Fourth Crusade"

Another famous collection, now known as Le Viandier de Taillevent, was originally compiled at the beginning of the 14th century; later it was attributed to the head chef of the Valois court, Guillaume Tirel, also known as Taillevent, who had a long and distinguished career as a professional chef. Tirel had the status of a squire and the coat of arms on his tomb, at St Germain en Laye outside Paris, incorporates a row of three cooking pots. The collection has the distinction of being the first printed cookery book; this occurred in the 1480s and the book went through several subsequent editions. The contents were modified considerably with the passage of time; the first printed version contains an additional group of contemporary recipes that have been described as the 15th century French 'nouvelle cuisine'! - you can see an online version at:

This book is intended as a manual of 'good housekeepimg', presented as advice given by an elderly householder for his young wife. The recipes form a substantial section of the text. The manuscript includes descriptions of the food presented for a range of different occasions. The advice is quite particular; for example, the need to discard and replace the water used to soak pulses before cooking! An online translation

This page brings together all the recipes on this site redacted (updated) from the 1390 Medieval Manuscript The Forme of Cury (The [Proper] Method of Cookery). All recipes are given both in their original Middle English form, as updated English versions and as a modern redaction that and cook today could follow so that you, too, can prepare classic Georgian fare at home. Below I also provide a brief history of the manuscript. I am making my way through the entire recipe collection and as soon as they are added to my site they will be available here. (For the recipe list scroll down.) Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/the-forme-of-cury.php Copyright © celtnet

The manuscript dates to the last years of the 14th century, and was compiled for the court of King Richard II; a printed version was first published in the 18th century.

"The Angevin Empire may have come about by a mixture of luck and calculation, but skill and respect for local custom were required for Henry II to preserve it intact."

"The idea that Medieval people drank beer or wine to avoid drinking bad water is so established that even some very serious scholars see no reason to document or defend it; they simply repeat it as a settled truth. In fact, if no one ever documents the idea, it is for a very simple reason: it's not true."

From the Getty Museum. Making parchment and illuminating manuscripts.

" By the later Middle Ages there was great interest in anatomy and how the body worked. Medieval people made illustrations to explain medical and anatomical issues of human body. Here is a list of medieval images of the whole or parts of the body, which offer a fascinating, unique and strange views from the Middle Ages."