What does +NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+ mean?

The British Library is looking for help trying to solve an inscription on a medieval sword... <br/><br/><div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/medievalists/what-does-ndxoxchwdrghdxorvi-mean/embed?header=false&border=false" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/medievalists/what-does-ndxoxchwdrghdxorvi-mean.js?header=false&border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/medievalists/what-does-ndxoxchwdrghdxorvi-mean" target="_blank">View the story "What does +NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+ mean?" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div><br/><br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArbWQBX-IQjaCk7LY3hMmCUVaQuA-cBCuISFWLk7FhX1zWpPoeWTvrhu7QXiU3RiolXO9JKhw0SYFtxc7TCUJYr-aBNXPItwsyQ8MK8xBT1hc37lj-_fyRvtPMu9lmKV8lTuHd4MX1iA/s1600/NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArbWQBX-IQjaCk7LY3hMmCUVaQuA-cBCuISFWLk7FhX1zWpPoeWTvrhu7QXiU3RiolXO9JKhw0SYFtxc7TCUJYr-aBNXPItwsyQ8MK8xBT1hc37lj-_fyRvtPMu9lmKV8lTuHd4MX1iA/s1600/NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI.png" /></a></div>

What does +NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI+ mean?

The British Library is looking for help trying to solve an inscription on a medieval sword... [ View the story "What does +NDXOXCHWDRGH...

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Trying to find Harold, reading the Magna Carta, and going 3D: Medieval News Roundup

This week we take a look at some stories about the search for King Harold (sigh), some interesting medieval archaeological discoveries, and the wolf curse...<br /><br /><div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/medievalists/trying-to-find-harold-finding-a-bladder-and-going/embed?header=false&border=false" width="100%" height=750 frameborder=no allowtransparency=true></iframe><script src="//storify.com/medievalists/trying-to-find-harold-finding-a-bladder-and-going.js?header=false&border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/medievalists/trying-to-find-harold-finding-a-bladder-and-going" target="_blank">View the story "Trying to find Harold, reading the Magna Carta, and going 3D: Medieval News Roundup" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlVs3Mi8uo3CC4RJQycizOUFLsflYySXpOxaTze9Zm3HYrMit1jLWEFdH1xQmfHJHiH3m4eR7MzbwNpE1Ve9iFJzz04Q1YAkIdit_iQH19etrNoael5eVPuZCcRqk3mD2NnVBbTOas9c/s1600/harold+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlVs3Mi8uo3CC4RJQycizOUFLsflYySXpOxaTze9Zm3HYrMit1jLWEFdH1xQmfHJHiH3m4eR7MzbwNpE1Ve9iFJzz04Q1YAkIdit_iQH19etrNoael5eVPuZCcRqk3mD2NnVBbTOas9c/s1600/harold+eye.jpg" /></a></div><br />

Trying to find Harold, reading the Magna Carta, and going 3D: Medieval News Roundup

This week we take a look at some stories about the search for King Harold (sigh), some interesting medieval archaeological discoveries, and ...

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The Pope Resigns, the British Library digitizing medieval manuscripts, and more Richard III

<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8369607704833313"; google_ad_host = "pub-1556223355139109"; /* 468x60, created 6/23/09 */ google_ad_slot = "3417774453"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> Beginning today, we will be changing how the Medieval News blog is presented. We hope to bring you a new post every day or two, which will cover what medieval and history news stories are out there, and some interesting things that were also found online. We hope you enjoy the links and videos!<br /><br /><h4><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/shortcuts/2013/feb/11/can-the-pope-resign" target="_blank">Can the Pope Resign?</a></h4>Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he will be resigning as the Pontiff effective February 28, 2013. Also known as Joseph Ratzinger, the 85-year old Pope has been suffering from poor health. Still, this is a very surprising announcement, with the last Pope to resign being Gregory XII in 1415. A few months ago, we posted about <b><a href="http://www.medievalists.net/2012/12/15/the-pope-who-quit/" target="_blank">The Pope who Quit</a></b>, by Jon M. Sweeney, which details the papal intrigues surrounding the resignation of Celestine V in 1294.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiPaU6lbk3gH9_4Ox0zL7oeCuTi9ckEzdHIWNbCYtaM4YIk-ojC15pyy2KzlH5O9ei91cDu_xNoRH8-l1pBp2dtVScrisaWhoSToh5B7MuY8NiHtTF-5jUCPTT_zIe1mV-Q9aCDw1DF8/s1600/c9d870d3-9f7f-4150-8d83-ee3d71f6cb08.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiPaU6lbk3gH9_4Ox0zL7oeCuTi9ckEzdHIWNbCYtaM4YIk-ojC15pyy2KzlH5O9ei91cDu_xNoRH8-l1pBp2dtVScrisaWhoSToh5B7MuY8NiHtTF-5jUCPTT_zIe1mV-Q9aCDw1DF8/s320/c9d870d3-9f7f-4150-8d83-ee3d71f6cb08.jpeg" width="227" /></a></div><h4><a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/9b655e8e-70bd-11e2-85d0-00144feab49a.html#slide0" target="_blank">Lines of beauty: British Library’s medieval manuscripts go digital</a></h4>The Financial Times has profiled the British Library's efforts at digitizing its 25,000 medieval manuscripts, and profiles six of these items. Claire Breay, head of medieval and earlier manuscripts at the British Library, explains “Anybody can enjoy them whether they are the leading academic on some aspect of that manuscript … or a schoolchild doing a project." Some beautiful images here.<br /><br /><h4><b><a href="http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/how_i_mapped_the_lost_forests_of_huntingdonshire_1_1866703" target="_blank">How I mapped the “lost” forests of Huntingdonshire </a></b></h4>Jason Peters has been examining records related to royal forests in Huntingdonshire during the Middle Ages. Using local archives and geographic computer programs, he was able to locate various royal and private forests in the county. In fact, nearly all of the county was legally considered a forest.<br /><br />Peters explains, “A Norman-Medieval forest was, in effect, a legally defined conservation area where no matter who was the landowner construction, resource exploitation, habitat degradation and hunting of game could not be undertaken without Crown approval. The Forest of County Huntingdon was an evolving, dynamic, socio-political phenomenon, not limited to woodland habitat but extending across pastures, Fenlands, arable, meadows and rivers.<br /><br />“There is 800 years of history that hasn’t been understood. People could be living somewhere that was a forest. By mapping areas that we now know were woods, we can understand the ecology of the area, which could be very important when considering any future development.” <br /><br />You can check out Jason Peters' website, <b><a href="http://posthumousplans.co.uk/" target="_blank">Posthumous Plans: Mapping Lost Landscapes</a></b>, which officially launches later this week.<br /><br /><h4><a href="http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Richard-III-Exhibition-draws-crowds-Leicester-s/story-18090312-detail/story.html" target="_blank">Richard III: Exhibition draws in the crowds at Leicester's Guildhall </a></h4> The City of Leicester is already showcasing the story of Richard III, and has a temporary exhibition about the discovery of the English King. Here is a video of how it looks: <br /><br /><object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nd2DmJaQ3p4?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nd2DmJaQ3p4?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><b><br /></b><b>Richard III Memes</b><br /><b><br /></b>Some pretty funny work being done with Richard III this week...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsWGwB6YSFofDyHIN87e_gutQGB7aq__zPvDv1ApocLQIXGPM-UFQY3n585pue5CLN_v8Vnm-DinvH1-j8kfJnv7bP0gUfcTajJKeglExvc5lMmzXQtaGU2kmRXR439y_pCVDkyvDcMk/s1600/url.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsWGwB6YSFofDyHIN87e_gutQGB7aq__zPvDv1ApocLQIXGPM-UFQY3n585pue5CLN_v8Vnm-DinvH1-j8kfJnv7bP0gUfcTajJKeglExvc5lMmzXQtaGU2kmRXR439y_pCVDkyvDcMk/s400/url.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ejjLgqzYhSwI0s_ScLt_7ORXcqyponnFlBI-rAr_m7QkhC1AWyvONJCtJBRPVOJVkZK7Fr8Qn3J0YWSwvYrHMGwXg66AygRgOnJ5u0JYs2vRgE9sN22Mxu1CMfU7t3fzEkB8j0cFpcc/s1600/811579-richard-iii-memes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ejjLgqzYhSwI0s_ScLt_7ORXcqyponnFlBI-rAr_m7QkhC1AWyvONJCtJBRPVOJVkZK7Fr8Qn3J0YWSwvYrHMGwXg66AygRgOnJ5u0JYs2vRgE9sN22Mxu1CMfU7t3fzEkB8j0cFpcc/s400/811579-richard-iii-memes.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIlEZqgUmQmKaJB4WVAe2VaaGOZQdniIsKJzDiYu6BKGfosT8zkXLr7G7W09aaCikvb0_STHIIEuCcFimn3ipULO6GQOVmpaz1LXI8ayK1c8wg75fsIKIXklI4uOX5xUlDaL8CBiR2s0/s1600/529784_10151284544973517_738197960_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIlEZqgUmQmKaJB4WVAe2VaaGOZQdniIsKJzDiYu6BKGfosT8zkXLr7G7W09aaCikvb0_STHIIEuCcFimn3ipULO6GQOVmpaz1LXI8ayK1c8wg75fsIKIXklI4uOX5xUlDaL8CBiR2s0/s400/529784_10151284544973517_738197960_n.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><br /></b><b>Top Tips for Visiting Medieval Cairo </b><br /><b><br /></b><object height="281" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QsQlmj__WU8?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QsQlmj__WU8?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" height="281" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSL7rnrZLi89oCsJW2Z1KAMafIgt0sTbsVeJK4T9ZWGm-7BkhMOz2b_efat8cIzoG8FOc2K2uPECIQD4uWoHYpGKaP-oDDICS2kAQOf5hCCF14-NQNCVVkfTJDMMCIng4dujVWAE9YVI/s1600/engage-ac_4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSL7rnrZLi89oCsJW2Z1KAMafIgt0sTbsVeJK4T9ZWGm-7BkhMOz2b_efat8cIzoG8FOc2K2uPECIQD4uWoHYpGKaP-oDDICS2kAQOf5hCCF14-NQNCVVkfTJDMMCIng4dujVWAE9YVI/s200/engage-ac_4.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Finally, I want to point you to a podcast I heard the other day: Elizabeth Eva Leach, Professor of Music at the University of Oxford, spoke as part of the <i>Engage: Social Media Talks</i> series, about <b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/blogging-and-twitter/id571879134?i=126474113&mt=2" target="_blank">Blogging and Tweeting</a></b>. Professor Leach is a medievalist who has developed a <b><a href="http://eeleach.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">very good website</a></b> about her work, and also tweets from <b><a href="https://twitter.com/eeleach" target="_blank">@eeleach</a></b>. For those interested in using social media as part of their academic career, this is well worth a listen too!

The Pope Resigns, the British Library digitizing medieval manuscripts, and more Richard III

Beginning today, we will be changing how the Medieval News blog is presented. We hope to bring you a new post every day or two, which will ...

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Medieval Arabic manuscripts, East India Company papers, to go online

<br />The British Library and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development have unveiled an ambitious partnership to transform people’s understanding of the history of the Middle East, and the region’s relationship with Britain and the rest of the world.<br /><br />The £8.7 million project was announced this morning at the British Library’s flagship building in St Pancras, London. Its plans will digitise more than 500,000 pages from the archives of the East India Company and India Office, in addition to 25,000 pages of medieval Arabic manuscripts – all of which will be made freely available online for the first time.<br /><br />The digitisation will take place over the next three years at the British Library, in close cooperation with the new Qatar National Library, and much information will be available in both Arabic and English. Once live, the site will also offer users the opportunity to add their own Gulf-related stories and memories, enabling them to contribute to the online resource, whether by sharing images of mementoes and old photographs, or by recounting the stories their grandparents once told them. In this way, historical items from living memory will be added to the archive of items dating back several centuries.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.medievalists.net/2012/07/19/medieval-arabic-manuscripts-east-india-company-papers-to-go-online/" target="_blank">Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net</a></b><br />

Medieval Arabic manuscripts, East India Company papers, to go online

The British Library and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development have unveiled an ambitious partnership to transfor...

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British Library purchases the St Cuthbert Gospel for £9 million

<br />The British Library has announced that it has successfully acquired the St Cuthbert Gospel, a miraculously well-preserved 7th century manuscript that is the oldest European book to survive fully intact and therefore one of the world’s most important books.<br /><br />The £9 million purchase price for the Gospel has been secured following the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in the British Library’s history.<br /><br />The single largest contribution to the campaign was a £4.5 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) together with major gifts from the Art Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Foyle Foundation. In addition, the campaign received a number of significant donations from charitable trusts, foundations and major individual donors, along with gifts from members of the public.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.medievalists.net/2012/04/18/british-library-purchases-the-st-cuthbert-gospel-for-9-million/" target="_blank">Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net</a></b><br />

British Library purchases the St Cuthbert Gospel for £9 million

The British Library has announced that it has successfully acquired the St Cuthbert Gospel, a miraculously well-preserved 7th century manusc...

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