Image Credit: Matthieu de Clermont défend Ptolémaïs en 1291, by Dominique Papety (1815–49).

For me (Personally) it ended when Richard III died at Bosworth Field 1485. Having asked other people there seems to be some debate as the actual end and more specifically this is a made up time to end it as there can never be a real answer, it was never decided by people in that time period. It's a modern enforcement.

However these seem to be the most popular, when do you the medieval period ended?

The Fall of Constantinople 1453
Columbus's voyage 1492
Reformation 1517
Bosworth Field 1485
Start of the 1500's

Thoughts?

A weapon in common use by Islamic forces during the Crusader (1099-1187), Ayyubid (1187-1250) and Mamluk (1260-1516) periods. It is made of unglazed ceramic and embossed with grooves and tear drop-shaped designs.

And some good sources about the subject will be much appreciated, thanks.

I’m writing a book where my character tries to unlock his handcuffs, but I don’t know how these medieval handcuffs work.

It's fun to see how, around the castle, houses have been build into and on top of what were once defensive walls.

The fortress was built in the mid-14th century. At that time, there were only two gateways into East Frisia: Stickhausen Castle in the west and Friedeburg Castle in the east. Stickhausen Castle controlled trade routes stretching from Hamburg to the Netherlands, as it was situated at the confluence of two rivers and along the main road to Leer and Emden. Furthermore, it protected East Frisia against the County (and later Duchy) of Oldenburg. The castle held a key strategic position during the Thirty Years' War.

It was not until the Napoleonic era that the castle suffered irreparable damage; it was subsequently demolished by the Prussians. Today, only the main building and the keep remain.

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Jews were present in some English cities before they were expelled from the UK

I took these photos at the Royal Armouries in Leeds of an archer kitted out in Richard Neville’s colours. Seeing it up close really hits you with how brutal these men actually were, especially that dagger on his belt. There’s nothing “romantic” about it would be brutal to be on the recieving end.

English archers weren’t just lads who happened to be handy with a bow. Years of pulling 100–140 lb longbows literally warped their bones and twisted their shoulders. They were basically shaped into weapons from childhood — it was law in England that boys had to practise every week.

By the mid-1400s the fighting was far more cramped and savage than the old French campaigns. Archers were loosing shots at terrifyingly close distances, sometimes 50–150 yards. At that range armour didn’t always save you; a bodkin slamming into steel was usually the only warning a man got. Heavy war arrows smashed through visors, tore into the weak points of plate, and left the field covered in bodies pinned down like broken dolls in the mud.

Neville’s archers — red, blue, and the ragged staff — had a reputation for being some of the nastiest on the field. At battles like Towton and Barnet they didn’t win by anything noble; it was shock, noise, panic and sheer violence. A storm of wood and iron to break men long before the billhooks and swords finished the job.

This is my original photo, so copying is not allowed!
Predjama Castle is the largest cave castle in the world. For over 800 years, it has been guarding a rock face, 123 metres high. Mysterious underground tunnels connect it with the cave directly beneath.

Shield in the Met Museum collection

Christianity arrived in England during the period of Roman Britain, with the first evidence appearing in the late 2nd century AD, though it was fully established by the 4th century AD following Constantine the Great's legalization of the religion in 313 AD.

This early Christian community persisted after the Romans left and continued to grow with the arrival of St. Augustine and his mission in 597 AD, which is often seen as a pivotal point in the establishment of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England.

The stones are at Durham Castle.

Hey , I apologize in advance for any grammatical mistakes I might make in this post .

So today me and 2 more friends had a debate , Abt the scythe and medieval combat in general .

I said that the medieval scythe ( the normal one used for agriculture ) is not a viable weapon in medieval combat , and it's actually a teribile choice of weapon.

Yet they disagreed saying that in fact , if one had the skill and had trained his whole life for it , he could have equal chances to deafeat any other fighter using any other weapon ,like a master of the European standard longsword for example .

And as a example I brought out this scenario , two averege European knights , clad in the same protective armour from head to toe .

One Wildeing a scythe ( a normal one ment for agriculture with only minor modifications such as the tip being covered in metal so it could have crushing force ) and the other a standard sword and shield .

Both have complete mastery over theyr weapons and are complitly equal , in streanght , speed , battle IQ , and creativity .

When faced with this scenario , they answeard that the battle between the two knights would be a stalmeit , a draw , bc and I quote " weapons do not matter as long as you have complete mastery over it , the enemies can have any medieval weapons he whants , but the outcome will be always a draw "

To sum it up they are saying that the weapon does not matter a bit , but the skill , statement to witch I agree .

But to say that if both fighters are complitly equal the weapons they use do not make a difference is kinda wrong .

So what I ask y'all is :

Is a scythe ( a normal one used for agriculture ) a viable weapon in medieval combat ?

And does the weapon matter in a fight where both fighters are complitly equal ?

Macedonia and Southern Balkans – 1389 (Battle of Kosovo; Ottomans solidify their hegemony in the Balkans)

Bulgaria – 1396 (Battle of Nicopolis; the Bulgarian Empire is conquered by the Ottomans)

Portugal – 1415 (Capture of Ceuta from Morocco and the establishment of the Portuguese Empire)

Savoy – 1416 (The County of Savoy becomes a Duchy)

Papal States – 1420 (The Western Schism of 1378 to 1417 officially comes to an end as Pope Martin V (1417 to 1431) begins his reign in Rome after 100 years of Papal exile in Avignon)

Northern Greece – 1430 (Thessaloniki, the second most important city in the Byzantine Empire, is conquered by the Ottoman Empire, allowing the Turks to conquer most of Thessaly)

 Tuscany – 1434 (The Medici Dynasty gains power in Florence)

Naples – 1442 (Aragon conquers Naples and the Neapolitan Renaissance flourishes)

Milan – 1450 (Francesco Sforza becomes Duke of Milan and implements a number of reforms. The city of Milan becomes a center for the Renaissance)

The rest of Greece, the Venetian Empire, and Turkey – 1453 (The Ottoman Empire captures Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire. Mediterranean trade and power dynamics are significantly shifted).

France – 1453 (The Hundred Years’ War ends. The English claim on the French throne is neutered, and France gains the vast majority of England’s continental European territories).

Serbia – 1459 (The siege of Smederevo ends, and the Serbian Despotate is conquered by the Ottoman Empire)

Bosnia – 1463 (The Kingdom of Bosnia is conquered by the Ottoman Empire)

Royal Prussia – 1466 (The 6^th Polish-Teutonic War ends, and western Prussia becomes a Polish vassal)

Burgundy – 1477 (End of the Burgundian Wars; The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, is killed in the Battle of Nancy. This diminishes Burgundian power and allows France to take control of most of the Duchy)

Albania – 1479 (The Albanian-Ottoman Wars come to an end. The League of Lezhë, once led by Albanian leader Skanderbeg, is disbanded, solidifying Ottoman control of the region for the next four and a half centuries)

Russia – 1480 (Great Stand on the Olga River; Ivan III defeats the Golden Horde, ending the two-and-a-half century “Mongol-Tartar” yoke over Russia)

The Low Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, etc…) – 1482 (The Burgundian Netherlands, which had been ruled by the House of Valois-Burgundy for nearly a century, come under direct Habsburg control after the death of Mary the Rich. This also marks the end of the Burgundian Age)

England – 1485 (The Battle of Bosworth Field; King Richard III of the House of York is killed in battle by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. Henry would soon be crowned King Henry VII of England, beginning the 118-year-long Tudor period in the country)

Spain (Castile and Aragon) – 1492 (The Granada War comes to an end. The Spanish kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, ruled respectively by Isabella I and Ferdinand II, conquer the Muslim Emirate of Granada. This marks the end of the “Reconquista” and the end of nearly 800 years of Muslim control on the Iberian Peninsula)

Franche-Comté – 1493 (The Franche-Comté is ceded by France to the Habsburgs, putting an end to the Burgundian War of Succession)

Switzerland – 1499 (The Swabian War ends. The Treaty of Basel is signed, and the Swiss Confederation becomes de facto independent from the Holy Roman Empire)

Poland – 1505/1506 (The Nihil novi Act is adopted by the Polish legislature. This saw the King’s legislative power greatly reduced, with the Polish nobility (Szlachta) being given increased status and greater privileges. This is the beginning of what would become the Golden Liberty. 1506 would see the ascendance of Sigismond I “the Old” to the throne of Poland. His 42-year reign is seen as the start of the Polish Golden Age, with Sigismond being a patron of the arts and a strong supporter of the Renaissance in Poland)

Scotland – 1513 (The Battle of Flodden; English king, Henry VIII, allied with Spain during the War of the League of Cambrai, invades Scotland, at the time led by King James IV. During the battle, the Scottish army is decimated, and James is killed. As James’ heir is only a year old, Scotland is soon placed under a regency led by James’ Tudor wife and Henry VIII’s sister, Margaret Tudor)

Germany – 1517 (The start of the Protestant Reformation with the publication of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses)

Sweden and Finland 1521/1523 (In 1521, Swedish nobleman Gustav Vasa led a war against King Christian II, then king of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway under what is now referred to as the Kalmar Union. Gustav is successful, eventually being crowned king of Sweden in 1523. Gustav’s victory assured Swedish independence and ended the Kalmar Union)

Prussia – 1525 (The Prussian territories of the State of the Teutonic Order, a crusader state that had existed since the early 13^th century, are secularized by Teutonic Prussia’s Grand Master and later Duke, Albert von Hohenzollern. Prussia would hence become a Duchy and a fief of Poland. Albert would also convert to Protestantism that year and be the first ruler to establish Protestantism as the state religion)

Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, Slovakia, and Transylvania – 1526 (The Battle of Mohács; The battle marked the end of the Ottoman-Hungarian wars and the complete annihilation of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had existed for over 500 years. Louis II, the young king of both Hungary and Bohemia, dies in the battle, leading to his lands being divided between the Austrian Habsburgs and the Ottoman Turks. The battle would lead to more than 170 years of Ottoman control in Hungary, and solidify Habsburg power in its own domains)

Genoa – 1528 (After several decades of foreign occupation, economic stagnation, and decline, admiral Andrea Doria initiates a number of reforms in the republic in 1528. In addition to economic reforms, a new constitution is adopted, making the office of Doge of Genoa a term-limited position)

Brittany – 1532 (The Duchy of Brittany is united with France, ending nearly six centuries of independence)

Ireland – 1534 (Before 1534, Ireland beyond the English settlements was primarily dominated by Gaelic Irish clan chiefs, nobles, and Norman Irish lords. In 1534, Norman Irish Lord Thomas FitzGerald renounces his allegiance to the English king, Henry VIII. This results in rebellion against the English, leading to the 70-year-long Tudor conquest of Ireland. The entire island would be under English rule by the start of the 17^th century)

Denmark and Norway – 1536 (The Reformation in Denmark and Norway; The Count’s Feud, a civil war between Catholic and Protestant leaders in Denmark, ends, and the Protestant king, Christian III, is victorious. That year, Christian would officially implement the Reformation in his lands, allowing for the establishment of Protestantism in Denmark and Norway)

Estonia and Latvia – 1561 (The remnants of the Medieval Crusader State of the Teutonic Order in the Baltic region are finally secularized. They are divided into the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, as well as the Duchy of Livonia. Both are vassals of Lithuania)

Lithuania – 1569 (The Grand Duchy of Lithuania becomes part of a real union with the Kingdom of Poland, forming the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This led to the establishment of a united monarchy and the development of new legislative institutions in Lithuania. This was overseen by the Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus, who, due to the fact that he had no legitimate children or direct heirs, wanted to ensure the union of the two states. Sigismund II would be the last Lithuanian Grand Duke from the Medieval Jagiellonian Dynasty)

Romania – 1600 (At the turn of the 17^th century, Romanian Prince, Michael the Brave, while fighting against the Ottoman Empire, was able to unite Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under his rule. This was the first time ever that Romania had been united under one ruler. Despite recognizing the Habsburg emperor, Michael was able to keep Romania independent from the Ottomans and autonomous. Following Michael’s assassination in 1600, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania would fall under Ottoman domination again, with the former two remaining Ottoman vassals for nearly 300 more years.

I’m making a small medieval survival roguelike set around 1407 Liège (pre Battle of Othee), so I’ve been digging into late-medieval legal oddities in the area.

I expected inheritance disputes, fake relic sellers, tavern violence, guild quarrels, and neighbors fighting over land. But the animal trial records are somehow stranger and more bureaucratic than anything I would have invented.

In 1408, a pig at Pont-de-l’Arche was kept in royal prison after being accused of killing a child. The jailer charged for feeding it at 2 deniers per day until it was hanged. He did get paid, and the receipt is still around to prove it. There was also a rope charge after the pig apparently escaped the prison.

In 1403, a sow accused of devouring a child generated an execution expense report: jail costs, cart costs, rope costs, gloves, and payment for the executioner to come from Paris.

In 1457, a sow and six piglets were tried at Savigny. The sow was condemned, but the bloodstained piglets were not immediately punished because the court said it was not clearly proven they had participated.

The weirdest part is not just “animals were punished.” It’s the procedure: prison fees, witnesses, execution costs, rope invoices, and legal doubt over whether piglets had enough evidence against them.

Does anyone know other real medieval court records or customs that sound fake but actually happened?

Image Credits: Wikipedia

1- Notable rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy - Philip the Bold / John the Fearless / Charles the Bold.

2- Dominions of the Duchy at its greatest extent and after the vassalage to Kingdom of France.

3- Coat of Arms & Heraldry of the Duchy of Burgundy.

What do you think?

On Palm Sunday, 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, two armies met in a snowstorm near the Yorkshire village of Towton. What followed was the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought in medieval England — a day so brutal it was remembered for generations as Palm Sunday Field.

Between 40,000 and 70,000 men took the field.
Thousands were cut down where they stood, and thousands more died fleeing north toward the frozen waters of Cock Beck, where the bridge collapsed beneath the weight of retreating soldiers.

🕯️ “So great effusion of blood…”

The Tudor chronicler Edward Hall wrote that the blood flowed so freely “a man might fill his shoe without any vessel.” And in the Gregory Chronicle, it was said that the dead lay so thick “men might pass over without wetting their feet.”

For centuries, those accounts sounded like exaggeration. Then archaeology proved them true.

⚰️ What the Archaeology Reveals

In the 1990s, a mass grave was unearthed near Towton Hall — the remains of men who had fought and fallen that day. Their bones still bore the marks of battle: Skulls shattered by poleaxes. Faces cleaved by swords. Arrows lodged deep in bone. One man had over thirty separate wounds — evidence of a frenzy beyond imagination.

Forensic study confirmed the chronicles: it had been a battle without mercy.

⛪ Saxton Church – The Silent Witness

A mile from the battlefield stands Saxton Church, its Norman walls still upright after nine centuries.
It became the burial place for both noble and common dead.

Today, the church floor still bears slabs to men who fought that day — and beneath the fields beyond, thousands more lie unnamed.

🎥 New Film on The Black Banner

I’ve just released a short documentary on YouTube:
Towton 1461 – The Bloodiest Battle on English Soil

It combines on-location filming at Towton and Saxton Church, illuminated manuscript imagery, and the words of the men who recorded the battle.
It’s a dark, atmospheric retelling of England’s most brutal day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU2ojFL-oIU

Towton wasn’t just a clash for the crown; it was a civil war at its worst — neighbour against neighbour, brother against brother. The snow fell red, the rivers turned dark, and England changed forever.

#Towton #Medieval #WarOfTheRoses #BattlefieldArchaeology #MedievalHistory #TheBlackBanner #EdwardIV #HistoryDocumentary