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Category Archives: History
Cnut the Great, d. 12 November
Cnut the Great, England’s Viking king, died on Wednesday, 12 November, 1035. Cnut’s birth date was not recorded, but it was likely some time in the 990’s, so he was probably in his early to mid-forties when he died at … Read More
The Battle of Assandun
And all the nobility of the English nation was there undone! … Read More
Posted in History
Tagged Battle of Assandun, Cnut, Edmund Ironside, Frederiksborg, Hastings
2 Comments
Emma of Normandy & Bayeux
The charming town of Bayeux near the coast of Normandy is perhaps best known for its remarkable Tapestry, a very long length of embroidered linen that portrays events surrounding the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A few years ago I … Read More
The Death of Æthelred
Æthelred II, Anglo-Saxon king of England, died on 23 April, 1016. His passing was noted in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in an entry that was probably written within a decade of his death: He ended his days on St. George’s day; having held … Read More
Posted in History
Tagged Aethelred, Anglo-Saxons, Edmund Ironside, Emma of Normandy, history, Medieval
7 Comments
The Modern Medieval: Day 5
A street called Distaflane appears on my City of London map from the year 1270. Today the street sign looks like this: Distaff is an Anglo-Saxon word for a very ancient tool. It was a staff on which wool or … Read More
The Modern Medieval: Day 4
While walking from London’s Tower to St. Paul’s one evening, I started to pay close attention to the street signs that evoked London’s Anglo-Saxon past, and right away I spotted this: Anyone who walks through Cheapside today is passing through … Read More
The Modern Medieval: Day 3
Street names in London are endlessly fascinating and many of them date from Medieval times, from St. Mary Axe* to Houndsditch** to The Barbican.*** But of more interest just now is this one: You could be forgiven if that name … Read More
The Modern Medieval: Day 2
I have met residents of Shrewsbury who pronounce the city’s name like this: shrowsbry. I have met residents of Shrewsbury who pronounce the city’s name like this: shroosbry. I think this is a conspiracy to confuse and frustrate Yanks, and … Read More
The Modern Medieval: Day 1
Welcome to a week of The Modern Medieval: a series of brief posts about modern day street names in England that evoke the medieval past. (Note: there are LOTS of them, but I’ll focus on just a few because otherwise … Read More
A Tale of St. Patrick
As you may imagine, given my first name, I have a vested interest in St. Patrick’s Day. Indeed, one set of great grandparents was Irish – Bridget and Patrick Curtin. They arrived in New York in the 1860’s, most likely … Read More