HeyJaredMedieval Realms
My thoughts on medieval history, plus book reviews, Q&As and extracts from my historical fiction and nonfiction.
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- Sep 29, 2026
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Englishman saves nasty Norman (opens the original)
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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records an Anglo-Saxon coming to the rescue of William the Conqueror:‘...and there King William was wounded, and the horse on which he sat was killed, and he that brought him another horse, namely, Tookie Wiggodson [sic], was killed with a dart, and his son William also wounded, and many other men slain...’“Tookie Wiggodson” was an English thegn: Toki, son of Wigod.This episode occurred in 1079, when William was campaigning in Normandy. As in Maine six years earlier, he
The sun on high (opens the original)
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Hopping to the East…September 1259 witnessed the battle of Pelagonia, in which the forces of Nicaea defeated the army of Epiros and its Latin (Frankish) allies. At stake was the domination of ‘Romania’ or the Byzantine Empire.The commander or Sebastakrator of the Nicene army, John Palaiologos, had been given some very specific advice by his brother, Emperor Michael VIII. Advance cautiously, only fight if you must, and don’t let the knights of Morea charge at you. John had no intention of being t
He was no hero? (opens the original)
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I have yet to see the new Hugh Jackman movie, the Death of Robin Hood - yeah I know, slack of me - but the premise is interesting. Essentially, Robin is portrayed as a monster who kills children, and the tagline is He Was No Hero. Apparently, the writers were inspired by the last stanza of the 15th century ballad, The Geste of Robyn Hode. This runs as follows, in Middle English:‘And there they betrayed good Robyn Hode,Through theyr false playe.Cryst have mercy on his soule,That dyed on the rode!
Principalis Latro (opens the original)
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A snippet from my work in progress on medieval outlaws and Robin Hood. I argue that the ballad character of ‘Robyn Hode’, as he appears in the 15th century, was a composite based on fiction and a number of real-life individuals. The earliest chroniclers to identify RH as a historical figure place him in the late 13th century. One, Walter Bower, described the outlaw as a member of the Disinherited in England. These were surviving Montfortian rebels who continued to defy Henry III after the battle
A parody of a prince? (opens the original)
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Had a marvellous weekend at the Battle of Evesham festival, which has grown to epic proportions in recent years - if this goes on, they will be able to re-enact the battle with actual troop numbers.My talk on the Welsh during the period of Evesham went down very well, which I am very grateful for. One of the fascinating elements is the behaviour of Dafydd, Prince Llywelyn’s talented, volatile and unpredictable brother - to quote Gwyn A Williams, Dafydd was ‘almost a parody’ of the eternally diss
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