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Below is an archived copy of The Knightly Newsletter. Known outdated links have been removed, but the text remains. Please keep in mind that the information contained herein is several years old and may no longer apply; some links may lead to features that are no longer active.

This Week's Feature

What Made Charles So Great?

In the conclusion of this two-part feature, discover more about Charlemagne and the legacy he left Europe.

In the News

Halvdan's Tomb Endangered by Subsidence

30 miles northwest of Oslo lies a manmade hillock that may be the burial mound of the ninth-century king, Halvdan the Black. The tomb could be endangered by subsidence that Archaeologist Inger Liv Goytil Lund has tracked over the last five years. There is a great deal of curiosity over the true contents of the mound, which core samples have shown to include leather, feathers, and crafted wood. A significant burial ship may rest under the mound of clay and earth outside Hole, Norway.

However, Norwegian archaeologists are divided over whether or not to excavate. Financial considerations combine with a reticence to expose the truth about the tomb, an in-depth examination of which could all too easily disrupt what has been accepted as the foundations of Norwegian history for more than a thousand years.

For more about the historical implications and the archaeological possibilities, see Walter Gibbs' thorough article at New York Times on the Web .

Viking Voyage 1000 Successful

Hodding W. Carter's brave crew has successfully completed their journey from Greenland to Newfoundland, recreating Leif Eriksson's voyage of 997 AD. Take a look back at their exciting trek in the photo journal at their website, sponsored by Lands' End.

From One of Our Readers

Now that our newsletter and site update have been extended from weekly to biweekly, it has been suggested that we call it "Fort-Knightly."

I'm still groaning over that one, Gary! And I felt compelled to inflict it on our loyal readers

Medieval Minutia

Both singing and dancing were popular pastimes in the middle ages. Though dancing was frowned on by the Church, village and countryside dances were common, and were usually led by one woman who marked the time with a small bell. Revelers often sang ballads en masse in alehouses, market squares, or castle halls.

Source: Life in Medieval Times by Marjorie Rowling

You can find out more about pastimes of the middle ages by visiting our page of net links on Daily Life.

You can purchase Life in Medieval Times and other good books about medieval history at our online bookstore (brought to you in association with Amazon.com).

Site Update

New links have been added to the following net link categories:

Archaeology

The Llys at Rhosyr, Anglesey

Rhosyr

 

Armor & Weaponry

The Forge

Authentic Antique Swords

European Sword Research Trip

Historical-Fencing Terminology

Hype... As Ancient An Art As Sword Making

Setting the Record Straight...

There Is No Best Sword

 

Art

Guardians of the Sacred World (also added to Book History and Asia)

Sculptures from a Sacred Realm (also added to India)

The Splendours of Imperial China (also added to Asia)

Treasures of the Chinese Scholar (also added to Asia)

 

Byzantine Studies

ByzNet: Byzantine Studies on the Net (return)

Catholic Encyclopedia: THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

The Forgotten Empire (From your Guide)

Procopius of Caesarea: The Secret History

Selective Byzantine Timeline (From your Guide; also added to Timelines)

 

Castles

A Castle Photo Essay

Castles: Seen by the Light of a Thousand Candles

Ghosts in the Castle!

 

The Historical King Arthur

Arturius - A Quest for Camelot

 

Living History

The Historical Armed Combat Association

Saint Sebastians Renaissance Guild

 

Medieval Europe

Hungarian Maps and Shields (also added to Maps)

Hungary - A Brief History

The Multiethnic Character of the Hungarian Kingdom ...

Reformation Literature and the National Consciousness...

Transylvania A Short History

The Weight of the Past

 

Medieval Italy

The House of Grimaldi

 

Military History

Medieval Welsh Warriors and Warfare (also added to Britain)

A thousand years of the Hungarian art of war

Hundred Years' War Timeline (also added to Timelines)

Maps of the 100 Years' War (also added to Maps)

 

The Mongols

Mongol History

 

Science & Technology

The Stirrup Controversy

 

Timelines, Choronologies, and Dynastic Tables

A Chronology of Transylvanian History

New in the Bookstore

Stop by our bookstore to have a look at Humanists and Reformers: A History of the Renaissance and Reformation by Bard Thompson.

On the Board

The danger to Halvdan's tomb raises some serious questions. Should excavation of such an important national treasure take place? Share your thoughts on this issue; come to our bulletin board and respond to the post "Norwegian Burial Mound."

Medieval History Quizlet

There's a new quizlet waiting for you. Do you know the answer?

 

Quote of the Knight The mind is a dangerous weapon, even to the possessor, if he knows not discreetly how to use it. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

 

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Knightly Newsletter. Please feel free to email me with any comments, suggestions, questions or ideas. And thank you for visiting the Medieval History site!

Melissa Snell
Your Medieval History Guide at the Mining Co.

The Knightly Newsletter is copyrighted © 1998 by Melissa Snell and The Mining Co. All graphics used on this page were created by your guide.

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Check out issue I.10 of the Knightly Newsletter.
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