Studying medieval literature and culture is incredibly rewarding! But it is also challenging. Whether you’re perplexed by the language or culture of medieval England, fear not! There is help out there. Here are some sites that I find helpful.
For more specific help with Old English and Middle English, please see my Language and Literature Resources page.
general
Medieval Resources Online: maintained by the Institute for Medieval Studies At the University of Leeds, this site has quite the compendium of links. It’s a great place to start online research into medieval topics!
Medievalists.net has lots to pique your interest. Their goal is to become the “central online hub for news, resources and videos on medieval topics.” Check it out and see what you think!The same folks also keep track of medieval stuff in the news – everything from restoration projects to museum exhibitions and more.
history
Britannia.com: a trustworthy site for some basic British/English history.
Britain Express: another good history resource.
British History, part 1: through 1707, on HistoryWorld.net
Medieval Money: How much money did people earn in medieval England? What did stuff cost? And how many pence are there in a shilling or a mark anyway? This helpful site can tell you!
arthurian studies
Camelot Project: A big online database of Arthurian texts, images, and more.
Arthurian Links: A nice collection of Arthurian resources online.
Arthur in novels, plays, comics, & more: This Wikipedia page gives you a good sense of how very many times, and in how very many ways, the Arthur tales have been adapted for new audiences. It’s not comprehensive (it is, after all, Wikipedia!), but you may find some cool beach reading here.
Cymraeg (aka Welsh) pronunciation guide: as you come across Welsh people and places, it’s a good idea to learn how to pronounce them. This should help!
online text archives
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook: A large collection of texts from antiquity through the Reformation.
The Labyrinth: Another large archive.
TEAMS Middle English Texts Online: Many good texts are available here in editions geared towards students.
medieval food and feasting
Medieval Cookery: Recipes, resources, and more – very user-friendly!
Gode Cookery: Historical recipes from several different eras. Lots of useful tips on preparation, foods, spices, and more.
for something more lighthearted
Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog: maintained in pseudo Middle English and occasionally very, very funny.
And yes, Chaucer Doth Tweet, too.
Of course, we can’t forget the (in)famous medieval help desk video, Introducing the Book:
