Reflections on Celts

I dropped by the McManus to check out what was on and caught the Reflections on Celts exhibit which combined a few of their own treasures with borrowed items from the British Museum and the National Museums of Scotland. You can see my pictures here (along with the other two exhibits on) and read more…

Mindful Hands Exhibition

While in Venice I went to an exhibit at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the isla San Giorgio Maggiore called ‘Mindful Hands’ which offered up a real feast of medieval manuscripts. If that’s not your thing you may yawn, but those who enjoy these beauties may swoon over the album here. A beautiful day, a…

Revisiting Anglo-Saxon Magic: #FolkloreThursday

The days are just packed! So forgive me if I offer a little repeat: my first two posts for Witches & Pagans as ‘History Witch’ dealt with Anglo-Saxon traditions of magic and healing. Just the thing for the #FolkloreThursday madness. Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Magic, Part 1 Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Magic, Part 2 Check out all…

Lammas

From Leechdom, Wortcunning and Starcraft of Early England, a compendium of wonderful folk knowledge of early Anglo-Saxon England, a charm using bread [hláf] hallowed on August 1st [hláfmæsse-dæg] the traditional grain harvest day: Summer’s last hurrah this month: in sunny Dundee the flowers still bloom: But the rowan berries have come too, and they spell…

Happy Saint Olaf Day

The viking saint, as liable to kill you as bless you; he wrought the miracle of the dice. One of my dissertation chapters (the longest one) was about him. Oh, those wacky medieval saints! [from The Broken Dice, and Other Tales of Mathematical Chance by Ivar Ekeland]

Back from Leeds

I am back and will be catching up with more London posts, but in the meantime you can see a bunch of photos from Leeds here. Thanks to Another Damned Medievalist for making me be more social than I was inclined to be without prodding; great to finally meet Dorothy Kim (yes, living an hour…

Leeds: #IMC2016

I am off to Leeds today for the International Medieval Congress (not to be confused with its American cousin, the International Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo). I’ll be giving a paper ‘Chaucer & the Art of the Grift’ as well as taking part in a roundtable on using Twitter as an academic. Doubtless much to share…

Sounding Out! Podcast #54: The Sound of Magic

Hey, that’s me over at Sound Studies: this is a briefer version of the paper I gave at the Digital Britain conference at Harvard.

Sounding Out Medieval

Have you ever wondered what the Middle Ages sounded like? I am obsessing over the idea lately, especially as it applies to magic. How wonderful then to be part of a series that has begun at Sounding Out, the Sound Studies blog. Thanks to the editors Dorothy Kim and Christopher Roman for putting together this…

#WhanThatAprille16: Riddle 20

Jumping into spring: it’s the time when folk long to go on pilgrimages and in addition to seeking the blissful holy martyr, medievalists like to share their love of language with the world. Thanks to Chaucer Doth Tweet, the event this year is called #WhanThatAprille16 so check out the hashtag for more audio delights. Here’s…