No Miscellany Today

Sorry about not having a Miscellany as promised this morning. I had serious computer problems, but I think I've got them more-or-less ironed out. Hopefully tomorrow.

RIP: Virginia Brown

According to Ruff Notes, Virginia Brown, paleographer and fellow emerita of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, passed away over the weekend.

Tomistica.net has more details.

Various Updates

Since it's too late for a Morning Medieval Miscellany, and I've got hundreds of posts sitting on my reader, here are a few updates:

• Archaeology in Europe has over twenty new posts.
• The Heroic Age has twenty-two.
• News for Medievalists has about a half-dozen.
• In the Middle has seven.
• Food History has five new recipes.
• Medieval Bookworm has about a half-dozen reviews.

There. That gets me to under 50 to read tomorrow morning. I've barely skimmed the above, but they're reliable sources, so even though I can't vouch for the posts themselves, I suspect you'll be happy with what you find.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

Here in the U.S., we've got a three day weekend -- so here are some things to enjoy as we prepare to combine explosives, alcohol, and patriotism:

• Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages has updates on the SciFi (SyFy) Channel's offerings, those on Chiller, and an update on BBC's Merlin in America.
• A Stitch in Time talks steel needles.
• Steven Till has links to images of castles.
• Per Omnia Saecula has an article about a school being built over a medieval Jewish cemetery. Sounds like a possible horror movie premise.
• News for Medievalists discusses the latest issue of English Historical Review.
• Henchminion asks about semi-feral animals in medieval cities.
• Got Medieval argues that Stonehenge is a proper medieval subject.
• A Corner of Tenth Century Europe considers Vikings and the Normans.
• Archaeology in Europe has about a half-dozen new articles.
• Firefly Studios has the Medieval Fact of the Week.

Finally, does anyone know what's going on at Medieval Music? At first I just thought the site had an ESL issue, but when I look at the links, they seem to have no bearing whatsoever on the subject matter. Something seems not right there.

Sword Polish

I met a young woman tonight who collects fantasy swords, and was interested in knowing what would be a good sword polish. I assured her that in this august community of Wordhoarders there were enough experts on swords that we ought to get some really good answers.

So, folks, what's a good sword polish?

Let's Go Shopping for Medieval Clothes!

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate shopping for clothing. I find even virtual shopping for medieval clothing to be a drag.

I've got a $20 gift certificate to Historic Enterprises, and I'm looking to buy something. I'm willing to go as high as $60 total for the right thing -- but I just can't choose! I can't even narrow it down to a few items; I'm all over the place.

I already own the generic Viking outfit (back when I got it, they didn't differentiate between Anglo-Saxon and Viking), and I have a hat to protect my bald pate. Wherever possible, I wear linen rather than wool, because it's a billion degrees in Alabama all the time. Also, I prefer early medieval and northern Europe, but I might mix periods/regions if the overall effect isn't ridiculous.

So, let's go shopping. What should I buy?

Morning Medieval Miscellany

Welcome to July! Also to kick off this month:

• Archaeology in Europe has an update.
• In the Middle discusses Jewish/Christian/Queer, which was apparently published by a typesetter without a space bar but with a working backslash key, and has the cover design for postmedieval, which is apparently published by a typesetter without a shift key. I kind of like this cover color better.
• News for Medievalists has a story about the remains of a medieval castle found in a tunnel excavation in Basque. If I'm reading the image right, was the castle basically inside that tunnel? Kind of cool.
• Here's a George RR Martin fansite called A Podcast of Ice and Fire. h/t Steven Till. At my insistence, Wordhoarder Nick of Nowhere has begun reading Game of Thrones, and apparently doesn't like it, so that's one less fan for Martin.
• Medieval Bookworm has a review of Robin McKinley's Beauty.
• The Brussels Journal has "A History of Western Music, Part I."
• Here's a blog I've seen, but has somehow not popped up on my Blogroll or RSS feed: Medieval Music.

Quid Plura says that General Hospital has a storyline about courtly love. Seriously. It cracks me up when Maxine apparently thinks courtly love is some new sexual position. I've embedded the video below.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

Some things for you:

• Archaeology in Europe has an update with lots of new posts.
• A Corner of Tenth Century Europe has a post on Pictland.
• The Heroic Age has a collection of medieval news links.
• Medieval Material Culture Blog talks about a medieval shoe.
• Podictionary has the medieval origins of the word channel.
• About.com has a new General Knowledge Quiz. I rocked the first quiz, but did rather poorly on this one.
• This came across Twitter: An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo-Saxon England. It's from 2008, but this is the first I heard of it.

Title Check

A bleg for feedback -- I'm submitting a paper to an academic panel at Dragon*Con. It needs to be academic in content, but popular in tone. Since most people who aren't already committed to sitting through the paper will only encounter the title, in this case the title is vitally important. It has to say, "Hey, world, this is going to be interesting, not boring! But don't worry, it won't just be a bunch of fluff, either!"

Here's the title I'm working with: Pre-Post-Humanism: The Medieval Roots of Hybrid Humans in Science Fiction and Fantasy

What do you thing? Too hoity-toity?

Reactions to "Michael Jackson and Saint Guinefort"

Here are a few reactions to my First Things piece, "Michael Jackson and Saint Guinefort," both positive and negative.

• Saint Superman
• Catholic Sensibility
• Shrine of Holy Whapping

Everyone seems to be assuming I'm Catholic for some reason. Sorry to disappoint; I'm a Restoration Movement Christian currently attending a Presbyterian church.

Also, weirdly, the Washington Post lists my piece in the "Trench Warfare" section of their political browser. I can't quite figure it out, since the piece is not political (except in the broadest sense that man is a "political animal"), and if it's any kind of trench warfare, it's from the Right Flank of the Church, directed right back at the Right Flank of the Church.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

For your Tuesday morning:

• Medieval Research with Joyce discusses researching illumination for her historical romance.
• Medieval Cookery has posted manuscript images of the Forme of Cury.
• Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages has two CfPs: Why Arthur and SGGK in Popular Culture.
• Anglo-Saxon Aloud is now going to start doing prose.
• A Stitch in Time discusses selling things at (modern) medieval markets.
• Steven Till has several new posts, including one on Hedingham Castle, the lancet (in windows), a discussion of fantasy artist Michael Komarck, an article on a knight's skeleton, and a review of Warrior of God.
• Senchus discusses the possible meanings of a Pictish symbol.
• The Swain talks about his impressions of Hrolf Kraki and makes some medieval connections with Captain Cook.
• Quid Plura commemorates the Battle of Kosovo.
• Podictionary discusses the medieval origins of the words Boston and tennis.
• Per Omnia Saecula reviews The Last Legion.
• News for Medievalists has about a half-dozen new articles, including one on friend of the Wordhoard Stuart Lee. I once had a student listen to Lee's podcasts and say, "You say the same things he does," to which I replied, "No, he says the same things I do!" Seriously, though, do they think Old English is a different language from school to school? Of course we said the same things!
• Muhlberger has a link to images from the Foteviken Open Air Viking Museum, and claims the medieval people would find El Cid the best movie ever.
• Modern Medieval has a link to a medievalist Bizarro comic.
• Medievalism discusses two new books: Renaissance Medievalisms and The Gargoyles of Notre Dame: Medievalism and the Monsters of Modernity.
• Medieval Material Culture Blog links to an armor exhibit in D.C.
• Lingwe announces the Hobbitonian Anthology of Articles about J.R.R. Tolkien and his Legendarium.
• You can win free swag over at In the Middle, read about Anglo-Saxon apartheid, or read about Mark Sanford as Lancelot.
• Stephanie Trigg has images of Bruno's medieval costume.
• The Heroic Age has an update with nine new posts.
• Got Medieval has medievalist portraits of Michael Jackson, and video game review of Joust, Inferno, and Magna Carta II.
• A Corner of Tenth Century Europe has posts on the Spanish March of Aizo, a charter workshop at Oxford, and wizards in Asturias.
• If you don't want to go to Oxford to read charters, Another Damned Medievalist breaks it down for you.
• A Chaucer bobblehead!
• Since the last Miscellany, Archaeology in Europe has had over two dozen new posts. That's what I get for waiting so long to do another MMM.
• About.com defines the Anglo-Saxons.
• Carmen's Chatter discusses the influence of AElfric on the Rule of St. Benedict.

Michael Jackson & Saint Guinefort

I've got a piece on Michael Jackson and Saint Guinefort over at First Things.

Update Your Blogrolls!

Here are a couple of medieval blogs I'd never seen: Medieval Research with Joyce, and Medieval Bookworm.

Chivalry Today Appreciation Package

I got my Chivalry Today appreciation package yesterday! Here's what you might have missed out on:

Lots of goodies especially for kids. My son is going to love that Swords book.

Arthurian Scholarship

I received this e-mail today:

Please forward this message to any students interested in Arthurian literature and a scholarship opportunity. Mark Adderley has informed us that the scholarship below, which has been on our website for a while, has been withdrawn by his publisher 'owing to lack of interest'. He advises that we should lobby the publisher to help him understand that this was a mistake.If you are interested in writing the essay or have someone in mind who might be, please reply to this message no later than 4 July so that I can lobby on your behalf.
Regards
Leonie Viljoen

Here are the scholarship details:

Any student currently enrolled in college and studying for a liberal arts degree, or in high school and planning to study for a liberal arts degree,is eligible. Deadline for submissions: July 31, 2009.

Westbank Publishing announces the new Matter of Britain Scholarship. The award of $500-$2500 will be made in August for an essay of 1500-2000 words in length, comparing the way Merlin is presented in Mark Adderley's new novel The Hawk and the Wolf with the presentation of the same character inany of the following books:

• Barron, T. A., The Lost Years of Merlin (Philomel, 1996)
• Stewart, Mary, The Crystal Cave (Eos, 1971)
• White, T. H., The Sword in the Stone (G. P. Putnam's, 1938)
• Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, trans. Michael A. Faletra (Broadview, 2008)
• Geoffrey of Monmouth, The Life of Merlin (in Faletra's translation of the History)
• The Myrddin poems (The Romance of Merlin, ed. Peter Goodrich, Routledge, 1991)

I suspect the "lack of interest" is better described as a "lack of advertising," since I've already got a handful of students who want to apply for this. The e-mail provided the url http://www.markadderley.net/scholarship/, but the page was already gone when I checked it.

RIP Karl Heinz Göller

I had no idea Karl Heinz Göller had died. I looked for more information, but found none. Do any Wordhoarders know anything?

The date of his birth surprises me. The last time I saw him he must have been 80 already, and I'd have guessed his age closer to 60. Back then, he was hale-looking indeed, and a very gracious person.

Medievalism announces sessions being organized in his honor at the 2010 Congress.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

Today in the world of medievalism:

• Everyone's been linking to the Index of Medieval Youth and Education over at A Commonplace Book.
• About.com has links about the Met exhibit "Pen and Parchment," and a little quote from "The Cuckoo Song."
• The Medieval Garden Enclosed also has a post on midsomer.
• Getting Medieval discusses Richard II.
• Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages has a review of Merlin: Knowledge and Power through the Ages, and the CfP for 21st Century Medievalisms.
• Much to my excitement, Steven Till has the cover of Bernard Cornwell's new book in the Saxon series (though apparently I've got to wait another half year), and the Medieval Timeline for June 24th.
• Ninalog also mentions Henry VIII being crowned on the 24th. I really should have had a small Miscellany yesterday.
• Quid Plura has a bunch of links to stuff I missed last time.
• Purring Prophecy discusses amphibologies.
• New Donstre Social Club has a construction job by Lady Fame herself.
• Muhlberger's Early History muses on women in the English Peasants' Revolt, the French Revolution, and the streets of Tehran.
• A Corner of Tenth-Century Europe also talks about women in the Peasant's Revolt.
• Medievalism has two CfPs for the K'zoo Congress.
• There will be a Domenico Beccafumi exhibit at the Louvre from June to September. h/t Medieval Material Culture Blog.
• Medieval Geek's Guide has a comic about the Great Vowel Shift, a comic about Richard III, has some images of the Swedish Vallhund (a medieval breed of cattle-herding dog), and Richard II's cookbook.
• Magistra et Mater continues a discussion of the late Anglo-Saxon state.
• Gearwor has Beowulf, fitt 11.
• Lingwe finds an error in the Tolkien entry for Who's Who in Literature, 1925.
• JJ Cohen posts part of his keynote on The Jew of Unbelief / The Jewish Neighbor.
• The Heroic Age has Medieval News of the Week.
• Henchminion sends us to an article about a plague of compulsive dancing. Boogie Fever, no doubt.
• Hammered Out Bits has a video on cold forming reversal curves.
• Archaeology in Europe has ten new posts.
• News for Medievalists has an announcement that Mikulcice will not become a world heritage site, has a post on the Dunadd Carvings, and has the video interview with Steven Walton embedded below. I've linked to his Medieval Technology and American History website before, but here it is again.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

On this morning:

• Bede was the Einstein of his time, and other stories at Archaeology in Europe.
• Will McLean has some 14th-century English lessons.
• In the Middle has an announcement about participants (so far) in the seminars on September 17th and November 13th.
• Medieval Material Culture Blog sends us to “The Blue and the Gold of Limoges: Enamels of the 12th-14th Centuries.”
• Steven Till discusses the Sawley Map on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Gearwor has Beowulf, fitt 10.
• Medieval Cookery has some comments on the digitizing of the "Forme of Cury" manuscript.
• Melissa Snell has posted some links to 14th-century maps.

Sorry for the lack of original posting of late -- I've been lending my limited brain power to my monograph.

Morning Medieval Miscellany

Morning is almost over, so in some time zones this will be an Early Afternoon Medieval Miscellany -- though I suppose all the Wordhoarders in Europe, Africa (which has only a few), Asia and Down Under have always had to take the word "morning" with a grain of salt.

• Archaeology in Europe has 17(!) new posts since the last Miscellany.
• News for Medievalists has three als0.
• Chaucer applies Boethius in Iran.
• The Heroic Age has various new CfPs and other announcements.
• Heroic Dreams talks about Hidden Legend mead.
• Magistra et Mater takes to task our modern ideologies about medieval women.
• Moyen Age has a midsummer quote from The Land Book of Troy. I've never read TLBoT, and given that it's 500+ pages online, I never will unless I get a paper copy.
• The Medieval History Term of the Week is banneret.
• A Stitch in Time reports on the Lamboy-Fest in Hanau.
• Studies of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages tells us that Primeval is on TV, and will have a medieval knight.
• Food History discusses food in Narnia.
• Someone over at Yahoo Answers posted this question: "Who divided medieval english literature into canonical and non-canonical classifications?" Anyone want to go over there and give it a shot? I'm not sure how to answer that.

In non-medieval news, one of my students has posted a picture of my bidet. Yes, it's genuine.

Authors Needed at Chivalry Today

Chivalry Today has asked me to note:

Chivalry Today is looking for a few good authors! The Chivalry Today Podcast is currently putting together its interview schedule for Season 4, which will begin in September 2009. If you've published, or are working on a book, paper or journal article that is in any way related to knights, Arthurian legend or the practice and ideals of chivalry in any period of history, host and producer Scott Farrell would love to hear from you and consider having you as an interview guest on the show. It's a great way to reach over 5,000 potential readers throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, all of whom have a demonstrated interest in the topic of chivalry.Please feel free to contact show producer Scott Farrell for more information, or send a press release or review copy to the Chivalry Today studio. You can find our contact information and mailing address on our website at www.ChivalryToday.com