Selected books about the Dark Ages

Holy Entrepreneurs: Cistercians, Knights and Economic Exchange in Twelfth-Century Burgundy There is only one used copy of this title available. Sainted Women of the Dark Ages Wives, Concubines, and Children of Merovingian Kings** Ancestors of Charlemagne ** Genovefa, Virgin of Paris (423-502) ** Clothild, Queen of the Franks (d. 544) ** Monegund, Widow and Recluse of Tours (d. 570) ** Radegund, Queen of the Franks and Abbess of Poitiers (ca. 525-587) ** Eustadiola, Widow of Bourges (594-684) ** Caesaria II, Abbess of Saint Jean of Arles (ca. 550) ** Rusticula, Abbess of Arles (ca. 556-632) ** Glodesind, Abbess in Metz (ca. 600) ** Burgundofara, Abbess of Faremoutiers (603-645) ** Sadalberga, Abbess of Laon (ca. 605-670) ** Rictrude, Abbess of Marchiennes (ca. 614-688) ** Gertrude, Abbess of Nivelles (628-658) ** Aldegund, Abbess of Maubeuge (d. ca. 684) ** Waldetrude, Abbess of Mons (d. ca 688) ** Balthild, Queen of Neustria (d. ca. 680) ** Bertilla, Abbess of Chelles (d. ca. 700) ** Anstrude, Abbess of Laon (ca. 645, d.before 709)** Austreberta, Abbess of Pavilly (650-703) Sainted Women of the Dark Ages Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy Hutton (British history at Bristol Univ.) offers an excellent, up-to-date compendium on British pagan religions based primarily upon recent archaeological findings. ...a brilliant synthesis....a tribute to the amount of information it provides. The author discusses pagan religions in the British Isles from 30,000 B.C.,when carvings on portable objects first seem to have appeared, onwards. "Hutton continues coverage through the Roman influence and the eventual advance of Christianity, which coincided with the disappearance of the pagan religions from the British Isles. He closes with a discussion of the remaining influences and traces of the early pagan religions.".. tremendous reading for the curious mind. If he was a real person, when and where did he live? Is this provacative survey of all the known literary and historical sources, Markale draws an enlightening portrait of the shaman known as Merlin, who lived in the Lowlands of Scotland late in the sixth century, some fifty years after the reign of King Arthur. Merlin: Priest of Nature Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World An illuminated look at a dark epoch. Recent research on Gaul and western Germany from the fifth through the eighth centuries. This was an area settled "or eventually dominated by the Germanic people called the Franks." ..large and beautifully produced work... there has been no comparable publication on the Merovingian Period as an integral part of late antiquity and Geary is a gifted synthesizer. One can see a continuity between the Merovingian era and later European history. Maps, a genealogy of the Merovingians, are very helpful... Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne "Where else in English...can one learn about Carolingian furniture, medicine, dieting, birth control, astrology, drinking habits or hygiene?" The few sources of the Carolingian world expertly gathered, sifted, and interpreted." Becoming Roman: The Origins of Provincial Civilization in Gaul After the wars were over and the Romans had won, how did the conquered tribes feel about becoming "Romanized"? This book is a study of the process conventionally termed Romanization through an analysis of the experience of Roman rule over the Gallic provinces of the empire in the period 200 BC-AD 300. It examines how and why GalloRoman civilization emerged from the confrontation between the iron-age cultures of Gaul and the civilization we call classical. Land of Women Bitel analyzes the social roles, both restrictive and empowering, played by women in Ireland between about 700 and 1100. She focuses first on sex, love, marriage, and motherhood. Land of Women: Tales of Sex and Gender from Early Ireland The Lost Books of Merlyn: Druid Magic from the Age of Arthur Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8. Perfect for the little historian in your family. What was it like to wear armor? What was the food like in castles? This book explores what life was really like in medieval times. Knights and Castles: A Nonfiction Companion to the Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House Research Guide Series) The Book of Kells is the most spectacular of a group of manuscripts created in Ireland and northern Britain between the seventh and tenth centuries, a period when Irish monasticism was in the vanguard of Christian culture.... provides a scholarly analysis of these exuberant inventions, the artists, the text and the writing, and a full account of the historical background to the miraculous world of the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin Rare and Out of Print Books Click here to search for used and old books.

This narrative tells the story of how Europe evolved from the classical age of Rome to the medieval era. Without Ireland, this transition could not have taken place. ...takes us to the "island of saints and scholars," the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved the west's written treasures. ...An entirely engaging, delectable voyage into the distant past, a small treasure. How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe Charlemagne's name shines out over the historical landscape, illuminating the Dark Ages and anticipating the Renaissance. This is the only first hand account of the life of France's greatest ruler. These two Lives provide a fascinating contrast-- Einhard, who spent twenty-three years in Charlemagne's service as friend and courtier, chose to approach his Vita Caroli as a public history and in beautifully expressed language, recounts Charlemagne's personal life and his achievements in warfare, learning, art, building, and in the skilful administration of the state. Notker the Stammerer's account is a ... Two Lives of Charlemagne The Saga of the Volsungs: An unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed and vengeance, the Saga of the Volsungs is one of the great books of world literature." "Based on Viking Age poems, the saga combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. Set in the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. It has been a primary source for fantasy writers, such as William Morris and J. R. R. Tolkien, and for composer Richard Wagner. The Saga of the Volsungs ...first leads the reader through Scandinavian culture, art, religion and daily life and then to Viking expansion into Europe and the Mediterranean. The focus then shifts to the notorious North Atlantic raids. Well designed, heavily illustrated and almost encyclopedic in scope and detail, this stimulating work gives the Vikings the place they deserve in the history of the world and will repay both extensive study and casual browsing. Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga Furta Sacra: To obtain sacred relics, medieval monks plundered tombs, avaricious merchants raided churches, and relic-mongers scoured the Roman catacombs. In a revised edition of Furta Sacra, Patrick Geary considers the social and cultural context for these acts, asking how the relics were perceived and why the thefts met with the approval of medieval Christians. Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages Warriors of the Dark Ages For the first time information from various sources has been brought together in order to build up a picture of how food was grown, conserved, prepared and eaten during the period from the beginning of the 5th century to the 11th century. No specialist knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon period or language is needed, and many people will find it fascinating for the views it gives of an important aspect of Anglo-Saxon life and culture. In addition to Anglo-Saxon England the Celtic west of Britain is also covered. A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food : Processing and Consumption Aims to elucidate life as it was lived in the nunneries of northern France...the period from the eleventh to the thirteenth century. Brings to light real people and their actions. . .presented in beautiful prose entertainingly laced with vivid language. Equal In Monastic Profession: Religious Women in Medieval France The Song of Roland At the heart of the poem is the account of the warrior Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and captain of his rearguard, who valiantly leads his men into battle (~800A.D.) against a vast Muslim host and dies, defiant and triumphant, on a hill facing the enemy. The scene that recounts his death is one of the greatest in world literature. The oldest epic poem in French, The Song of Roland is a celebration of the crusading and feudal values of the twelfth century; its skillful structure and poetic intensity make it the most famous of the chansons de geste. In this investigation Rodney Castelden uses up-to-date archaeological and documentary evidence to recreate the history and society of Dark Age Britain and its kings. He revives the possibility that Tintagel was an Arthurian residence, and proposes a radical new theory - that Arthur escaped alive from his final battle. A location is even suggested for perhaps the greatest mystery, the location of Arthur's grave. King Arthur: The Truth behind the Legend