Books
Facsimile of the Voynich Manuscript Now Available to Citizen Cryptographers
Yale University released a book that recreates through photographs the enigmatic medieval Voynich Manuscript in its full form.
Medieval
Books
The Mystery of the Three Hares Motif
An enigmatic trio of rabbits running in a circle appears on centuries of art, from medieval churches in England to Buddhist caves in China.
Art
The Hidden History of Recycling in Medieval Art
It's easy to forget that a historic artifact preserved in a museum is not a static object.
Art
The Bawdy History of Medieval Playing Cards
Playing cards arrived in Europe from Asia sometime in the 14th century, and by 1367 they had their first citywide ban in Bern, Switzerland.
Books
Witch Marks, Curses, and Magic in the Neglected History of Medieval Graffiti
The ornamentation of medieval churches is often associated with the elite, but carved right into the structure of the building are less visible traces of the lower and middle class: graffiti.
Art
The Meaning of the Ring, from Memento Mori to Marriage
Rings are one of the most personal and oldest human adornments, evolving in complexity with metalwork techniques and the gemstone trade.
Art
A Bestiary for the Magnificently Wrong Monsters of Medieval Times
Beyond the borders of maps, where the limits of exploration fell to imagination, medieval artists and authors created monsters.
In Brief
Holy Hell: Critic Alleges Major Restoration of Chartres Cathedral Is "Fake"
An intensive restoration of France's Chartres Cathedral that replicates the interior's original colors and patterns has earned a polemical rebuke from the critic Martin Filler, who charged that the method makes "authentic artifacts look fake."
In Brief
Finally, an App for Transcribing Medieval Manuscripts
A new app allows medievalists, aspiring medievalists, or medievally-minded scriveners to try their hand at transcribing 26 manuscripts on their smartphones.