Beowulf: Reviving an Ancient Tradition by Matthew Pheneger

This school year has seen an increase of AMRS events on campus. The latest of these, a student led recitation of the Old English epic Beowulf, took place on a fittingly dreary March day and attracted a sizable crowd of professors, majors, minors, and the casually interested. This event marks the revival of the campus tradition…

Beowulf and Archaeology: Text and Material Culture by Joseph Acero

Beowulf is one of the earliest examples of English literature, and because of that evidence on its background can be hard to uncover. However, Professor Gale Owen-Crocker found a significant amount of information on the Anglo-Saxon culture surrounding Beowulf through the fashion and ornaments they made. Director of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, Professor…

The Living and the Dead: Images of Death By Carrie Kubicki

When you think of the dead, what do you think of? Is it the image of lost souls sunken and decaying in the ground with little mementos of their lives? Perhaps it’s an image of an ancient pharaoh wrapped up and mummified, left to crumble in a sarcophagus surrounded by items for his next life?…

Why Study Early Modern Literature? by Shaun Russell

It is tempting to begin by writing “It all started in my Grade 12 literature class with Mr. Ames. . .” because there is a certainly some truth to that sentiment. As is likely the case for most of us, my first significant encounters with Shakespeare came in high school, whether it was acting in…

A Close Look at the Ancient Javelin by Colin McGarry

Despite its ubiquity in ancient warfare, the javelin remains a poorly understood weapon, largely due to its constant linking with the spear. Despite the visual similarities, the javelin is more than just a spear in flight; rather, it’s a separate specialized weapon. The largest difference between the thrown, or cast, javelin and the held spear…

A Look into Historic Preservation in Ohio by Joseph Acero

As a Medieval Studies major and History minor, I am aware of how enjoyable and intriguing the various subjects of history truly are. Learning about the events that shape our world is like reading a great epic myth; it’s exciting and full of surprises. However, I know that learning how to use your major or…

Holiday Traditions in The Middle Ages by Christopher Shanley

Christmas in the Middle Ages was celebrated slightly differently than it is today. Perhaps the most notable difference is the sheer size of the Christmas feast. In 1213, King John of England held a feast that included 1,000 chickens, 10,000 salted eels, 100 pounds of almonds and nearly 6,000 bottles worth of wine. Even peasants…

The Lady and the Unicorn by Matthew Pheneger

Nestled in the 5th Arrondissement of Paris, France and constructed on what remains of a Roman thermal bath house, one will find the MusĂ©e de Cluny—or the National Museum of the Middle Ages—a less frequented but still impressive museum. Among its extensive collection of medieval and ancient pieces is a collection of tapestries known as…

Religion in Medieval Ireland: A Talk by John Soderberg by Matthew Pheneger

The AMRS Department was pleased to welcome Denison University Professor of Sociology/Anthropology John Soderberg at the end of February. Though his work covers a range of disciplines, his presentation centered on religion in Early Medieval Ireland from an archaeological point of view. The big question his research focuses on—in Soderberg’s own words—is, “What does it…

Medieval Castles in a Modern Context by Kyle Rabung

When the average person looks for medieval cas- tles, they are left with two options: to look at ruins, or to look at a castles that survived into modernity. Yet, these both often inspire similar reactions. We, as moderns, look at castles and see huge defensive structures and envisionmassive movie-like sieges that must have dominated…