The legend Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw [1] originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featuring in popular culture, literature and film. According to legend, customarily set in England during the reign of King Richard I ‘the Lionheart’, Hood was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the story, he is depicted as being of noble birth, and in modern retellings he is sometimes depicted as having fought in the Crusades before returni

The Nepalese Kukri is instantly recognisable to anyone who has served alongside the men of the Brigade of Gurkhas or has a passing familiarity with bladed weapons. Its distinctive forward curving blade makes it useful as both a melee weapon and as a regular cutting tool. History Originating from the Indian subcontinent, but used throughout most of South Asia, the kukri probably developed from a domestic sickle or agricultural tool. Similar implements have existed in several

The Known Knowns Since at least the 16th century, Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, has retained a compelling hold on the British imagination and identity. In reality she is known to us only by a few paragraphs that are found in incomplete classical texts written by her adversaries. The defiant warrior queen, who led such a ferocious revolt that the Romans feared they would lose the province of Britannia, has been celebrated in literature, art and film. Even today, more than 1,9

A recent tweet described Tintagel Castle on the North coast of Cornwall as a ‘medieval fortification’, built in the 13th century, and associated with the legend of ‘King Arthur’. But to call it a ‘fortress’ is probably stretching the definition a tad too far. Looking at the construction and the materials used is more suggestive of a folly than a defensible castle. The walls are clearly built from a local stone, but the mortared slabs used are more akin to bricks than the larg

It is highly unlikely that Mediæval divorce was ever settled by combat. Yet a handful of sources do mention judicial duels fought between men and women, most famously Hans Talhoffer’s Fechtbuch ( “ Fight Book ” ) of 1467. This richly illustrated volume explains how a couple could clash, the man buried up to his waist, in a fight to the death, with God deciding who was the wronged party. Yet judicial duels and trials by ordeal were viewed with extreme scepticism in the Middle

Dispelling the myths about ancient Roman 'vomitoria'.

A beginner's guide to the history of duels and duelling.

Introduction What follows was inspired by a @HistoryFilmClub tweet shown right . Like many who responded, naming just one historical inaccuracy in a film or TV show proved far too difficult. Sadly, and contrary to the claims of directors, producers, costume designers et al., far too many historically themed media productions are beset with inaccuracies. Not wishing to be unreasonably critical, we thought there was an opportunity to highlight some of the more common errors a

“ 10 modern things the Romans had ” is a YouTube video created and hosted by Raffaello Urbani, who is otherwise known as “ Metatron ” . His channel is well worth watching if, like me, you are interested in such things as languages, video games, historic arms and armour, and medieval history. Maybe not the video games, but being Italian Metatron has a special interest in the ancient Romans, which is one of the reasons I subscribe to the channel. In this particular video it wa

Introduction What follows was inspired by a @HistoryFilmClub tweet shown right . Like many who responded, naming just one historical inaccuracy in a film or TV show proved far too difficult. Sadly, and contrary to the claims of directors, producers, costume designers et al., far too many historically themed media productions are beset with inaccuracies. Not wishing to be unreasonably critical, we thought there was an opportunity to highlight some of the more common errors a

Introduction What follows was inspired by a @HistoryFilmClub tweet shown right . Like many who responded, naming just one historical inaccuracy in a film or TV show proved far too difficult. Sadly, and contrary to the claims of directors, producers, costume designers et al., far too many historically themed media productions are beset with inaccuracies. Not wishing to be unreasonably critical, we thought there was an opportunity to highlight some of the more common errors a

One of the more enduring popular “ myths ” is the idea that the great pyramids at Giza in northern Egypt were constructed (c. 2575 - c. 2465 BC) by a vast army of maltreated slaves. How this falsehood has flourished for centuries and even transformed popular perceptions of a historical event can be laid firmly at the feet of Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 - c. 420 BC). Although considered to be the “ father of history ” , Herodotus was responsible for passing on a number

Dispelling a myth that Cheshire cheese has Roman origins.

Dispelling some myths about what "Blitzkrieg" meant and whether it was ever an official German army tactic in World War Two.

Where does the name "Beefeater" for the British King's bodyguard come from?

On television 'Trench Art' is frequently described as objects handcrafted by soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. The truth is less clear-cut. Find out why as we dispel some myths.

Asked to imagine or portray a pirate, most people undoubtedly will have a certain look in mind. But the pop culture version was created by fiction writers and movies-makers. So, what did pirates look like? Dispelling some myths about Pirates.

The widely accepted view is that Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, was ethnically an olive-skinned Macedonian Greek. Some argue, however, that the 'African' queen was a black woman. Who's right? What evidence is there to know how the enigmatic queen looked?

It's a story that's lasted over 900 years but what is the truth behind Lady Godiva's naked ride through the streets of Anglo-Saxon Coventry?

Dispelling the popular misconceptions that people were shorter and didn't live as long in the past.