The Medieval World

Far from being a time of darkness, the Middle Ages was an essential period in the grand narrative of Western history. But what was it like to actually live in those extraordinary times?Far from being a time of darkness, the Middle Ages was an essential period in the grand narrative of Western history. But what was it like to actually live in those extraordinary times? Now you can find out.

These 36 lectures provide a different perspective on the society and culture of the Middle Ages - one that entrenches you in the daily human experience of living during this underappreciated era. Drawing on history, literature, the arts, technology, and science, these lectures will deepen the way you understand not only the Middle Ages but everything that came afterward: From the Renaissance, to the Enlightenment, to your own world.

Filled with amazing insights, this series brings you closer than ever before to life as it was lived and felt. You'll meet the likes of William Caxton, England's first printer who not only printed and distributed a variety of works but also often had to translate them himself; learn about Hugh of Payns and the role of his Knights Templar - organized for the protection of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem - in the creation of the first modern bank; see how communities dealt with marriage in a time when the church had not yet drawn this institution into its orbit; and much more. Rich with information and period detail (including revealing examples of medieval literature from the English, French, Norse, Icelandic, and Italian worlds), these lectures will dramatically increase your understanding of how lives in the Middle Ages were really lived.

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CH1. The Medieval World
CH2. The Legacy of the Roman World
CH3. The Christianization of Europe
CH4. After the Roman Empire-Hybrid Cultures
CH5. Early Monasticism
CH6. From Merovingian Gaul to Carolingian France
CH7. Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance
CH8. Byzantium, Islam, and the West
CH9. The Viking Invasions
CH10. Alfred the Great
CH11. The Rearrangement of the Medieval World
CH12. The Norman Conquest and the Bayeux Tapestry
CH13. King Arthur-The Power of the Legend
CH14. The Three Orders of Medieval Society
CH15. Pilgrimage and Sainthood
CH16. Knighthood and Heraldry
CH17. The Gothic Cathedral
CH18. Piety, Politics, and Persecution
CH19. The Persistence of an Ideal
CH20. Late Medieval Religious Institutions
CH21. The Magna Carta
CH22. Daily Life in a Noble Household
CH23. Daily Life in a Medieval Village
CH24. Medieval City Life
CH25. Food and Drink
CH26. Music and Entertainment
CH27. Dress and Fashion
CH28. Medieval Medicine
CH29. The Black Death and its Effects
CH30. Childhood in the Middle Ages
CH31. Marriage and the Family
CH32. Art and Artisans
CH33. Science and Technology
CH34. Weapons and Warfare
CH35. Revolts, Uprisings, and Wars
CH36. Toward the Early Modern Period