Meet Dr. Hysell, the New Medieval and Renaissance History Professor

We were all sad to see Dr. Ellen Arnold, our previous medieval history professor, leave us this past semester. Despite this loss, students of medieval and renaissance history have plenty to look forward to as Dr. Hysell takes over the position this fall. A former OWU alumni, Dr. Hysell earned his BA in History here…

The Ballad of Brunhilde and Fredegund, Part One: The Royal Rumble Begins

Time often tends to obscure historical figures, reducing them to little more than names and dates, and preventing us from seeing the true nature of their character. They end up being either entirely irrelevant in the popular imagination, or end up so mythologized that scarcely a trace of the original human is left, as a…

Saint Patrick’s Day: Who are we Forgetting?

Happy Saint Paddy’s day! Across the globe, St Patrick’s day is celebrated to honor the saint who died on that day and is said to have converted all of Ireland to Christianity. The day is perhaps more popular, however, as a celebration of Irish culture and history, honoring the legacy of the people of Ireland…

Medieval Food: Less Sugar, Some Spice, But Generally Nice!

“Food is a major component of culture today, and it was no different during the Medieval period.” It would be hard to imagine a world without potatoes, tomatoes, and ample amounts of sugar and salt on the daily. At least, it would be for me. But the diet of the people of Medieval Europe was…

Capri Pappas: Medieval Studies at OWU and After

Capri Pappas, a graduate of OWU from the class of 2020, agreed to sit down with me for an interview about her time in the AMRS program, her experiences here, and what she’s been up to since graduation. At the moment she is attending one of the premier Graduate programs for Medieval studies at the…

Archaeology at Halmyris By Bridget Roddy

The following article was originally written in March of last year by Bridget Roddy, class of 2020, regarding her Theory to Practice grant and trip the Halmyris archaeology site in Romania in 2019.  Halmyris is both a Greek word meaning “salt water” and the name of the ancient Roman fort that lies about four hours…

Medieval Combat By Amanda Hays

I looked outside my window and tried to figure out what I was going to wear. It was a gray and chilly October day; not too windy, but it threatened rain, so I finally decided on a long sleeve shirt with a sweatshirt over it. Thinking that it ought to keep me warm enough, I…