Dr Jacob H. Deacon ⚔️

En Garde! Fencing in Late Medieval and Early Modern England From apprentices in the street to princes at court, fencing was widespread in late medieval and early modern England. This course explores the fascinating careers and martial arts of those who…

Starting next week: En Garde! Fencing in Late Medieval and Early Modern England medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/fenc... #HistoricalEuropeanMartialArts

In a monarchy is justice against a royal possible? | Dr Eleanor Janega Get more from Dr Eleanor Janega on Patreon

For Patrons I wrote about the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whether it is possible for royals to actually face justice, and what they theoretically face it for.
www.patreon.com/posts/in-mon...

This was a brilliant conference last year. Hoping that this year's iteration will be even more successful.

Starting next week! Sharpen your swords, and bring your notepads.

British Museum to keep pendant linked to Henry VIII after campaign The museum says it has reached a fundraising goal so it can permanently display the artefact.

Great news. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Outside the Level 2 Reading Room in @bodleian.ox.ac.uk there is a wellbeing display. Here are some it's little zines that genuinely made me smile.

I heard the guy teaching this knows his stuff.

They commission an artist but yes. Glad you recognise the scene!

Medieval World 20 During the Middle Ages, the court of a great lord was a place filled with lavish feasts, grand tournaments, and other ostentatious displays of wealth and power.

Issues available from www.karwansaraypublishers.com/products/med...

I have two short articles in the new issue of Medieval World magazine. The first, about a type of medieval tournament called pas d'armes, and the second about the commemoration of tournaments at the court of Emperor Maximilian. I'm pleased to say that the first was chosen as this month's centrefold.

Happy #IMC2026 acceptance day. I'll be sharing details of the two strands of Arms, Armour, and the Arts of Combat (that's right, twenty-four papers!) very soon.

Poster for a talk. Title: Thursday 27 November 2025 5.30 pm: Going Deeper with the Royal Armouries, Parkinson 1.08 (in-person and online). Text says: Museum staff will showcase some of the museum’s medieval ties: from early Islamic arms and armour, through Victorian medievalism in fakes and architecture and the oldest surviving European fight book I.33, to swords as talismans and sources of information. Speakers: Natasha Bennett, curator of the Asian & African collections; Stuart Ivinson, the librarian and specialist in historical martial arts both as a practitioner and as a teacher and researcher; Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis, curator of European Edged Weapons (and former Leeds student); Mark Bennett, the Royal Armouries' research manager who works on fortifications. Image is a detail of piece of metal armour showing an edge, two rivets, marks of usage, and a tiny symbol that looks like a rose

This Thursday. In person or hybrid. To sign up for online attendance click forms.office.com/e/L834SBHzKX. #medievalsky #medievalwarfare #museums #materialculture

Brilliant first day at the conference. Some excellent papers, good discussion about research, and a really enjoyable keynote.

Really looking forward to this!

Call for Papers for the 10th Late Medieval France and Burgundy Seminar: Durham University, 12-13 December 2025 Image: Jardin d'amour à la cour de Philippe le bon, duc de Bourgogne, Musée de Versailles Tradition and Innovation For the tenth meeting of the Late Medieval France and Burgundy Seminar (Durham, 2025), we invite proposals for 20-minute papers on the theme of Tradition and Innovation. We would welcome any explorations of this theme based on original research on France and/or Burgundy between c.1250 and c.1500, or which reflect on developments in modern scholarship relating to these territories, in any field, including history, art, literature, languages and music. Papers might examine (but are not limited to considering):  Major shifts in politics, society, culture, literature, art or music within the Franco-Burgundian lands during the late Middle Ages.  The durability of established practices and structures in these regions.  Old and new approaches in historiography looking back at late medieval France/ Burgundy – including new approaches to ‘English Frances’ and ‘Lordship and the Decentralised State’.  Continuity and change in textual analysis and other scholarship relating to late medieval France/Burgundy. We would particularly welcome submissions from postgraduates and early career researchers, as well as scholars at any stage in their research. The deadline for paper proposals (of around 100 words) is 31 October. Please send proposals/queries to Professor Graeme Small (g.p.small@durham.ac.uk) and Dr Andrew Green (admgreen7@gmail.com).

A reminder that there's about a week left to pitch your paper for this year's interdisciplinary Late Medieval France and Burgundy Seminar, the loveliest event of its kind, at Durham in mid-December! There's a great (and non-exclusive) theme, and it's lots of fun for ECRs and senior scholars alike!

23 September and I've been Wham'd. Only the good Wham young.

Melvyn Bragg decides to step down from presenting In Our Time After 26 years on the programme, the legendary presenter bids farewell to the series

A huge moment -- Melvyn Bragg steps down from In Our Time after over a quarter of a century. What a programme and what a legacy! Just a model for how to make great, clever, engaging radio, and a twenty-seven-year experiment that proves there's a huge global audience for smart, scholarly programming.

Seeing a lot of critical responses from medievalists about this BBC 1066 thing. As an early modernist, just to say that I'm happy to confirm that medieval people were indeed covered in dirt all the time and did all sound like they were in the Wurzels.

Woodcut from SJC A.2.7, depicting a knight riding a horse

Spending this morning doing a pre-digitization check for SJC A.2.7, St John's College Library's copy of Caxton's "Game and Play of the Chess". The whole book will be available on Digital Bodleian soon!

Looking forward to seeing you in Leeds next year!

Call for papers! This year's sessions on Arms, Armour, and the Arts of Combat at the @imc-leeds.bsky.social demonstrated some excellent research and produced much brilliant discussion. Please do circulate to any interested parties. #imc2025 #imc2026

Job Opportunity at Royal Holloway University of London: Postdoctoral Research Associate (16th-18th century focus) - Inclusive Histories Full-time, Fixed Term (12 months)Applications are invited for the post of Postdoctoral Research Associate in the School of Humanities.Inclusive Histories is a collaborative research and schools engage...

FYA early
modernists: jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Congrats, great progress.

The 2019 edition of Freydal is a pleasure to work with. Partially because it's so heavy that just taking it off the shelf counts as a workout.

This is the name of my alter-ego should I go out for breakfast on the weekend.

Call for papers! This year's sessions on Arms, Armour, and the Arts of Combat at the @imc-leeds.bsky.social demonstrated some excellent research and produced much brilliant discussion. Please do circulate to any interested parties. #imc2025 #imc2026

Excellent news, congratulations.

Sign the Petition Stop Mass Redundancies at Lancaster University – Hold Senior Management Accountable

Goodbye to the history department at Lancaster University, where the @socialhistsoc.bsky.social was founded 49 years ago. From tomorrow we are
part of a School of Global Affairs. Next year, who knows what will be - please sign our petition against mass redundancies chng.it/PZfTFDjNcr

Come along tomorrow night to learn more about swordplay in medieval and early modern England!

A charter with two seals and featuring the autograph signatures of Henry VIII, Thomas Wolsey and John Daunce.

In June 1513, Henry VIII launched an invasion of France, attempting to reclaim lost English lands.

Today's blogpost by @rorymaclellan.bsky.social looks at three documents which shine a light on the preparations for this campaign and the supply of armour for Henry's troops.

t.co/rYaeYw6Jbq