More news, random facts, etc.

Here's a review of a new book on the royal impostor "Jean I," by Tommaso di Carpegna Falconieri. The reviewer is somewhat skeptical at the tone/success of the book, as am I from the description, but it sounds like it is tailor-made for an excellent micro-study, something along the lines of The Return of Martin Guerre.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/10/17/bofal117.xml

Well, here's an article from a clearly left-wing online publication, interviewing James Carroll on the documentary just released, based on his book Constantine's Sword. I've seen this book around, but never read it. I guess it should go on the list. While I appreciate his concerns, some of which he voices in this interview with passion and eloquence, I think he has much to review/learn regarding Christianity during Late Antiquity, not to mention the crusades. The Knights Templar, after all, didn't lead the Rhineland Massacres in 1096, for the simple reason that they didn't exist yet...

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/130

But then again, I haven't read the book, so I'll withhold further judgment until then.


On a more light-hearted note, here's a brief history of "biscuits" from "the UK's oldest student newspaper." It mentions Richard the Lionheart, ergo the mention here...
http://www.studentnewspaper.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166:thats-the-way-the-cookie-crumbled&catid=35:features&Itemid=55

The Royal Academy in London is running what looks to be an exciting exhibit on the Byzantine Empire (should open this Saturday--I don't know how long it runs).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/10/18/babyzantium118.xml


The Knights Templar in Yorkshire, by Diane Holloway and Trish Colton; looks like an interesting book, taking as its basis the ever-popular Templar myths and "treasure" and doing some down-to-earth, painstaking research into early fourteenth-century Yorkshire society.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/The-stuff-of-legend.4582115.jp

[As I've said to my students on more than one occasion, "Go ahead and dig for the 'templar treasure.' If you find any, I want a cut. Good luck--there is no Templar treasure!" At which one chap grinned and said, "No smoke without fire, man, no smoke without fire!" Heh...]

Anyone interested in viewing some Robin Hood sillyness?
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_stage_theat/2008/10/theater-revie-1.html

Oh, the humanity...

A few random photos

I've also figured that a few photos from my travels would not come amiss. Just make sure you give the proper attribution to the pics.

First, here's a photo of the Hildegard abbey at Eibingen, on the east bank of the Rhine. A very beautiful spot, and a very wonderful place. Lots of vineyards, peaceful. The original abbey was apparently on the other side of the river, and is now built over. The small Hildegard museum has a model of the conjectured layout. This picture comes from my first trip in '05, but I try to visit this place whenever I am back in country.

Many people write off this castle as a tourist trap, but aside from some over-priced icecream, I have to disagree with them. Haute Koenigsbourg is one heck of an impressive fortress (though that didn't prevent the Swedes from obliterating it around 1635). Our art library actually has the 1908 folio volume produced by the German chap who restored it. Bodo Ebhardt was his name, and, as was rather common in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, he was somewhat creative with his restorations. It is a very fine museum, however, and the view over the Rhine basin and across the Vosges is wonderful. My little brother had told me that he would stay in the car if this was another hiking slog (since we had just climed the mountain to Ortenbourg, across the valley). No worries, the road led straight to it...

Round up of random medieval headlines...

Edward III has been in the news over the last couple days...

Excavations at Hampton Court:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3216583/Hampton-Court-medieval-hall-was-burned-down-after-Edward-III-knees-up.html

And another take on the foundations:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1078477/Archaeologists-discover-earliest-foundations-Hampton-Court-Palace-800-years-ago.html

And here is a short article which appeared in the Times on October 2, by Sir Anthony Clarke, the Master of the Rolls:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4860276.ece. He makes several interesting points, and the article in general is suggestive of several ways in which medieval history still has relevance to current life and affairs...

Is anyone familiar with this author?
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4961567.ece
The Times seems to think she's very talented, but I've developed a skeptical outlook on "medieval" novels. Bernard Cornwell is sort of an exception to that skepticism...Just don't get me started on Umberto Eco's Baudolino--that book has more to do with the way Eco wishes the MA were, rather than the way sie eigentlich gewesen waren.

Germany in the news...

One of my minor fields is modern Germany (as you can imagine, rather a large minor field); thus, I often scan the news for Germany-related articles. This stellar example of German sensitivity came up this morning...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122410947451238107.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Cardiff Center for the Crusades, call for papers

I figured that I should probably post this, although many of you have probably received the call for papers by now. This is the updated call, with a deadline for proposal submissions.

[Apologies for the condensed format--I copied and pasted the Word document. If you want the actual form, see the SSCLE's website, under "conferences."]
____________________________________________________
Cardiff Centre for the Crusades

The Military Orders: Politics and Power
3-6 September 2009

The fifth conference will be held in Cardiff University from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 6th September 2009. It will follow a similar pattern to the previous meetings held at St John’s Gate, with three plenary sessions, and parallel sessions for communications.

If you wish to offer a communication of 20 minutes at this conference, please complete the table below.

Name

Address

Email

Proposed title of paper

Abstract of paper (50-100 words)

Audio/visual equipment required (e.g. Powerpoint, Overhead Projector)


Please return this form before 3 March 2009 to the conference administrator, Mrs Claire Rees:
By email: reescl@cardiff.ac.uk
or at: Cardiff School of History & Archaeology, Cardiff University, Humanities Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, Wales, UK.

Back again...

So...September went by with only one post. Call that "submerged with work and student papers as soon as I got off the plane" syndrome. I'm still submerged with the same, but what the heck. Honestly, I've had some heavy semesters, as we all have, but this one is definitely a Category 5. Never had anything like it. Perhaps teaching four courses will do that to you. Not a lot of students, on the whole, but being responsible for everything in four classes will take its toll. Good experience, I guess. The key, I'm learning, is to get at least one thing done every day; don't try to do too much, and concentrate rather than spread your efforts.

That being said, I'm about to break that rule for the next fifteen hours or so. Heh heh...And don't ask me what I'm doing up at 3:00 a.m., because I'll probably throw things at you. Just kidding. Well, maybe not.

Oh, and one last note...My profile is no longer accurate, since I've stopped karate completely (various reasons), and actually put my fencing gear in the basement yesterday. Medieval longsword is on hold as well, until the work is under control. Good times. I admire and wonder at people who can maintain several activities in addition to their work! I am not one of these...

Can I go back to my Dr. Pepper and papers now, pleeease??

Medieval news...

Turns out that today's high roads are as dangerous as the medieval ones. Who would've guessed?

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Safety-measures-leave-road-travel.4596448.jp

It's also interesting to see the Sword Brothers order get some attention, when you least expect it:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/21556/

Here's a letter to the Times of London by some poor sap who needs some kind of shakabuku treatment (you have to have seen Grosse Pointe Blank to get this reference) and a good book by Warren Hollister or R. W. Southern...Apparently, medievals "[found] evidence an embarrassment and [saw] little value in human rights." Amazing. But then again, just google "dark ages" and see what you get. We're in an uphill battle, people.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article4943986.ece

And here's one of those nice stories of discovery. Keeps up your hopes of being the lucky one to find a hitherto lost manuscript, or perhaps a whole trove of manuscripts!

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED12%20Oct%202008%2020%3A37%3A15%3A400