Richard and Saladin’s Swords March 28, 2016
Author: Beach Combing | in : Medieval
One of the pleasures of writing a history blog is revisiting certainties, some picked up in infancy, and exposing them for the callow lies that they are. Many moons ago when Beach was learning to read he had a ladybird book on Richard the Lionheart. In those revered pages there was an image of a […]
European Kings: the Most Dangerous Job in the World? February 15, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Medieval
Last week’s silly post on royal tennis deaths and flashbacks from Game of Thrones got Beach thinking. We all die, but if you were a European monarch what were the chances that someone would kill you? The weekends are short so Beach limited himself to England. From 1000-1700 there were 43 monarchs: obviously there is some […]
Hostage Taking in Ancient and Medieval Times September 20, 2012
Author: Beach Combing | in : Ancient, Medieval
When we think of hostages today we tend to think of men with pistols using some poor innocent as a human shield. But in the ancient and medieval world hostage-taking was formalised. Conquered territories would give up children of notables who would be conveyed to an enemy capital or castle and who would then be […]
