Early Middle Ages
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Viking Attack on Lindisfarne, 793AD
In 793AD, the Island of Lindisfarne, in Northumberland, northern England, was violently raided by Vikings who arrived in a surprise attack from the North Sea. more...
1066 & Rather More – A Walk Through History
An account of a modern-day walk from York to Hastings, in the footsteps of the exhausted soldiers of King Harold's army who raced south to meet the enemy in 1066. more...
L'Anse Aux Meadows, Viking Site in Newfoundland
L'Anse Aux Meadows, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, is an important site, which many experts believe proves Vikings settled in Canada around 1,000 years ago. more...
Cuthbert and Lindisfarne Island
Cuthbert was a monk and bishop who lived during some of the most important and exciting times in the history of medieval Christianity. more...
Bede and the Monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow
Bede wrote more than 60 books but despite his immense scholarship, he rarely left the monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow, where he was brought up and spent most of his life. more...
Most Viking families lived in a one-roomed longhouse, with the whole family sleeping, eating and working in one place. more...
The Venerable Bede, Father of English History
The Venerable Bede was a Northumbrian monk who wrote a wide-ranging study of medieval England, a book which is still valued as a historical document. more...
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Life and Work in Medieval Monasteries
By: Diane Evans
Some of the most important work carried on during the Dark Ages was done by humble monks copying ancient manuscripts in cold, dark monasteries. more...
The Foundation of Hertford 912-913AD
By: David Pilling
A description of the early years of Hertford and Hertfordshire, and the wars between Saxons and Danes that led to Hertford's foundation. more...
Church And State In The Early Middle Ages
The Papacy and the Empire both attempted to lead Christendom in the Middle Ages, to varying degrees of success. They existed in competition throughout the period. more...
Monasticism in Early Christianity
By:
Michael Streich
Monasticism began in the 3rd and 4th Centuries as a response to laxity within a uniform church, prompting men and women to seek new avenues of faith and worship. more...
Cluny and the 10th Century Reform Movement
By:
Michael Streich
The dissolution of Charlemagne's empire and the death of Pope Nicholas the Great contributed to growing anarchy and corruption, addressed in 910 by the Cluniac reforms. more...
Charlemagne's Empire as a Renaissance
By:
Michael Streich
The success of Charlemagne can be viewed through his educational, commercial, military, and bureaucratic reforms as well as his strong support of Christian institutions. more...
El Cid - his real name was Rodrigo Diaz - was born in Vivar, in the old Christian Kingdom of Castile, c. 1040/1043. more...
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