http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/middle-ages Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:43:20 -0400 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:43:20 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1815/racialized-discourse-and-economies-of-female-saracen-bodies-in-the-sultan-of-babylon By Claire Crow - The politics of trade relations between Europe and the East emerge in uncanny fashions in the fifteenth-century Middle English (ME) Charlemagne romance The Sowdone of Babylone (The Sowdone). While no diplomatic transactions between Saracens and Europeans take place, peculiar, hyper-exoticized goods at times do fall into the possession of Charlemagne's men, such as Saracen princess Floripas' magic girdle that nourishes the Twelve Peers in captivity or Ferumbras' healing balm that Oliver throws into the river mid-battle.[1] What Geraldine Heng refers to as the "mercantile imaginary" in the Middle... Mon, 12 Oct 2020 07:47 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1815/racialized-discourse-and-economies-of-female-saracen-bodies-in-the-sultan-of-babylon http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/694/the-islamic-middle-ages-a-fractured-polity-and-the-flourishing-of-a-cultural-and-scientific-renaissance By Anam Qudrat - Ibn Khaldun highlighted that societies in their natural state exist in the rural countryside, where the struggle of daily life binds kinsmen together (Abdullah, 2012a). Defining this strong familial bond as “asabiyya,” he stated that eventually this bond of zealous loyalty to one’s brethren becomes the driving force behind conquest (Abdullah, 2012a). However, after conquest, as time passes and individuals delve in their material gains and elitist dispositions, the once impeachable bond of asabiyya begins to disintegrate. At this stage, fragmentation of the state is inevitable... Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/694/the-islamic-middle-ages-a-fractured-polity-and-the-flourishing-of-a-cultural-and-scientific-renaissance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/539/nigromancy-in-the-later-middle-ages By Lisa A. Bergstrom - The struggle of the early modern church against witchcraft is rightly famous. However, before they were hunting woman flying on broomsticks to nocturnal orgies, church authorities were most concerned about a very different sort of magic: nigromancy. Nigromancy, meaning black magic or black divination, was a highly intricate form of ritual magic, whose educated adherents summoned demons with magic circles drawn in blood and long Latin recitations replete with words such as conjuro, adjuro, and exorcizo (I conjure, I adjure, and I exorcise).[i] Church authorities condemned nigromancy as dangerous... Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:40 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/539/nigromancy-in-the-later-middle-ages http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade By Katherine Blakeney - The French historian Jean de Joinville was born into a noble and influential family in Champagne in 1224.[1] He took the cross in 1248 to join the first crusade of Louis IX. His decision to go on crusade was at least in part influenced by the long and illustrious history of crusading in his family. His grandfather Geoffroy died at the siege of Acre in 1189, his uncles Geoffroy and Robert had both participated in the Fourth crusade, and his father Simon, had fought in the Albigensian crusade and alongside John de Brienne (titular king of Jerusalem) at the siege of Damietta. His uncle Geoffroy had... Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:21 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/93/perceptions-of-knighthood-comparing-the-character-of-the-knight-in-geoffrey-chaucers-canterbury-tales-to-the-knight-in-ingmar-bergmans-the-seventh-seal By Katherine Blakeney - Chaucer’s description of “the Knight” in his “General Prologue” may be seen as a multi-layered narration. First he gives a very precise and historically relevant account of his campaigns. Based on what Chaucer knows about the knight’s deeds he gives his own evaluation of his character. Chaucer calls him a “reputable man”, “trustworthy” and “courteous”, loyal to his king, and honored for his abilities. From this description we get an image of a respectable person who “cherished the profession of arms” and acted... Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:18 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/93/perceptions-of-knighthood-comparing-the-character-of-the-knight-in-geoffrey-chaucers-canterbury-tales-to-the-knight-in-ingmar-bergmans-the-seventh-seal