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Medieval History

Study sheet

Medieval History covers the period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance. Learners will examine feudalism, the influence of the Church, the Crusades, and the cultural and political developments of Europe and Afro-Eurasia.

19 resources

Level
Type

🎓Courses(11)

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Medieval Literature: Medieval Women Writers

Explore Medieval history through the lens of women writers! This course by Prof. Cain delves into their literature and influence.

intermediate🇬🇧
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History of Western Thought, 500-1300

Explore medieval history & the evolution of Western thought from 500-1300 with Prof. McCants' MIT course. Dive into key ideas!

intermediate🇬🇧
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Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective

Explore medieval economies across cultures with Prof. McCants' MIT course. Learn about trade, agriculture, and societal structures.

intermediate🇬🇧
course👁️ 0

Magic in the Middle Ages

Magical thought has always attracted human imagination. In this course we will introduce you to the Middle Ages through a wide conception of magic. Students will have an approach to medieval culture, beliefs and practices from the perspective of History and History of Science. Popular magic, as well as learned magic (alchemy, geomancy and necromancy) will be addressed. Moreover, we will also deal with how eastern practices and texts influenced western culture. In July 2016, the course will contain a brand-new module devoted to astrology. Magic in the Middle Ages offers a captivating overview of medieval society and promotes reflection about certain stereotypes associated with this period. At the end of the course, the students: a) will have overcome the usual prejudices about the Middle Ages, b) will be able to analyze historical documentation from the Middle Ages and recognize the most common patterns of juridical documents regarding witchcraft, and c) will be capable of distinguishing between popular magic and the magic of the learned people; will have a notion of which spiritual practices were allowed in medieval Europe and which ones were related to the devil, and will be aware of the link between a cultural product and the society that produced it. This course is taught in English, although subtitles in English, Catalan and Spanish will also be provided. COURSE SYLLABUS Week 1. Introduction to medieval magic (Pau Castell). Week 2. Magic & Heresy (Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel). Week 3. From Magic to Witchcraft (Pau Castell). Week 4. Magic in Islam (Godefroid de Callataÿ and Sébastien Moureau). Week 5. Astrology & Geomancy (Theo Loinaz, Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel, Godefroid de Callataÿ and Blanca Villuendas). © Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany Magic in the Middle Ages by Gemma Pellissa Prades (coord.), Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel and Joana Palau Mumany is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

beginner🇬🇧
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Technology and the Global Economy, 1000-2000

Explore the impact of technology on the global economy from 1000-2000 in this MIT American History course with Prof. McCants.

intermediate🇬🇧
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Japan in the Age of the Samurai: History and Film

Explore Japan's samurai era through history and film with Aaron Moore. Uncover cultural anthropology insights in this engaging course.

intermediate🇬🇧
course👁️ 1

Medieval Literature: Legends of Arthur

Explore Arthurian legends and medieval literature with Prof. Bahr's MIT course. Compare key themes & narratives!

intermediate🇬🇧
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Medieval Literature: Dante, Boccaccio, Chaucer

Explore Dante, Boccaccio & Chaucer's works in this comparative literature course by Prof. Cain. Uncover medieval literary masterpieces!

intermediate🇬🇧
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The Emergence of Europe: 500-1300

Explore the political philosophy shaping Europe from 500-1300 AD with Prof. McCants' course. Uncover the era's defining ideas!

intermediate🇬🇧
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Early Music

Explore early music history with Prof. Cuthbert's MIT course. Discover the sounds and contexts of music before 1600!

intermediate🇬🇧
course👁️ 0

Medieval Art

En este curso nos sumergiremos en la fascinante historia de la Edad Media, desafiando la noción tradicional de una "Edad Oscura", recorriendo la riqueza cultural y artística que floreció en este período. Además, desentrañaremos los misterios de este importante período histórico y descubriremos cómo su legado perdura hasta nuestros días. Comenzaremos explorando cómo el cristianismo construyó el pensamiento medieval y dio forma al arte simbólico que aún resuena en nuestra sociedad actual. En la siguiente etapa de nuestro viaje, nos adentraremos en la Temprana Edad Media, explorando el arte paleocristiano y las influencias de los pueblos bárbaros en la cultura europea. Desde las pinturas en las catacumbas hasta los relieves de los sarcófagos, cada obra de arte nos cuenta una historia única sobre la convergencia de culturas y la evolución del arte en un período de transformación. Mientras tanto en Oriente, recorreremos el momento de oro del Imperio Bizantino con la imponente Santa Sofía. Pero nuestro viaje no se detiene ahí. Avanzaremos hacia la Alta Edad Media, donde el arte del Imperio Carolingio nos develará que hubo renacimientos antes del Renacimiento. Veremos también el surgimiento del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico con un arte que se presenta como un antecedente del Románico, un estilo internacional que nos cautivará con su enfoque en la peregrinación y el mundo monástico. Examinaremos la iconografía del Juicio Final y nos sumergiremos en el fascinante mundo de los manuscritos iluminados. Finalmente, indagaremos en el arte de la Baja Edad Media y la llegada del arte gótico, explorando las majestuosas catedrales y los vitrales que aún hoy nos maravillan con su belleza y esplendor. A medida que exploramos las diferencias entre el arte románico y gótico, también reflexionaremos sobre cómo estas formas de expresión artística reflejan las preocupaciones y aspiraciones de una sociedad en evolución. Este curso no solo es un viaje a través del tiempo, sino también una exploración de la belleza, la creatividad y la inspiración que el arte medieval tiene para ofrecer. El objetivo es que, al finalizar el recorrido, puedas tener una conciencia clara de las complejas relaciones entre el arte medieval y la sociedad de la época. Además, serás capaz de comprender y construir significados a partir de la iconografía, aspectos estilísticos y culturales de las obras de arte medieval.

beginner🇬🇧

📚Books(2)

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A Distant Mirror

A Distant Mirror - A book resource

intermediate🇬🇧
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Crusades

Crusades - A book resource

intermediate🇬🇧

🌐Websites(5)

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Mapping Gothic France

Interactive map of Gothic cathedrals and architecture

beginner🇬🇧
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The ORB: Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies

Free encyclopedia and primary sources for medieval history

beginner🇬🇧
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medieval.org

Medieval.org is a scholarly portal for medieval studies that curates bibliographies, reference materials, and links to primary sources, manuscripts, and other scholarly resources on medieval history and culture.

intermediate🇬🇧
website👁️ 0

fordham.edu/halsall

Fordham's Internet Medieval Sourcebook (HALSALL) is a free online collection of primary source texts for medieval history, featuring translated and original documents with introductions and notes organized by region and era.

intermediate🇬🇧
website👁️ 0

medievalists.net

Medievalists.net is a hub for medieval history, offering news, features, and scholarly articles on the Middle Ages, including archaeology, culture, and literature. It also provides book reviews, interviews, and event updates for researchers and enthusiasts.

intermediate🇬🇧

🎙️Podcasts(1)

podcast👁️ 0

Black Death

The Black Death is remembered as one of the most devastating catastrophes in human history – a pandemic that swept across continents and killed millions. But where did it come from? How did it travel so quickly through towns and countryside? And did people at the time understand just how terrifying the illness would be? In this three-part series , Emily Briffett and historian Thomas Asbridge – author of The Black Death: A Global History, published by Allen Lane – trace the origins and spread of the deadly disease.

beginner🌐

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best free resources to learn Medieval History?

Dantes has curated 19 resources for Medieval History, including 2 books, 11 courses, 5 websites, 1 podcasts. All resources are hand-picked for quality — no algorithmic filler. Browse the full list above to find the format that works best for you.

Is Medieval History hard to learn?

Medieval History is approachable at the beginner level — there are resources here specifically for those starting from scratch. As you progress, intermediate and advanced material is also available to take your skills further.

What types of Medieval History learning resources are available on Dantes?

For Medieval History, Dantes has curated 2 books, 11 courses, 5 websites, 1 podcasts. Each resource type serves a different learning style: videos and YouTube for visual learners, books for depth, courses for structured progression, and websites for quick reference.

How does Dantes select Medieval History resources?

Dantes is an algorithm-free learning directory. Resources are hand-curated based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness — not engagement metrics or paid placements. The goal is to surface the best learning material for Medieval History, whether it's a free YouTube series, a classic textbook, or an open courseware from a top university.

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