The Inspiratorium » middle ages

The Future of The Canterbury Tales

David Morton — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:28:46 +0000

I like this cheeky interpretation of the first few lines of Chaucer’s General Prologue. In all its geeky futuristic imagery and mispronunciation of the Middle English, it’s completely charming in its simplicity and brings an easy smile. And it is ultimately a tribute to Chaucer’s lines and remarkable that they still speak to people 600 [...] Related posts:

When the sweet showers of April …

Those Were The Days: Finding ourselves in the Middle Ages

David Morton — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:50:57 +0000

As is so often the case, a recent New Yorker cartoon took a medieval story to heart and added a 21st century twist to great comic effect. In this case, Rapunzel* has let down her hair, as the fairy tale goes, but she has inadvertently foiled the prince’s attempt to climb her prison tower using [...] Related posts:

Food in the Middle Ages: Eight Things You Probably Didn’t Know

David Morton — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:35:19 +0000

Food is one of my favourite topics, and if I weren’t obsessing here about the Middle Ages, I’d probably be blogging about my food obsessions. Food is not really a concern in my novel (at least not at the moment), but I’ve done a little bit of reading on the topic as research. Not a [...] Related posts:

New Middle Ages Movie Pick: The Reckoning

David Morton — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:49:34 +0000

My two posts on the Top Ten Films of the Middle Ages List (part one and part two), along with a recent addition to the list, continue to be three of the most viewed pages on this blog. Visitors wander in directly from Google, having searched for movies relating to the Middle Ages. And the [...] Related posts:

When the sweet showers of April …

David Morton — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:30:09 +0000

Whan that Aprill with its shoures sote The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote, And bathed every veyne is swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge [...] Related posts:

Inspiring Places: Historyfish.net

David Morton — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:00:22 +0000

“Literature is a toil and a snare, a curse that bites deep.” Or so said D.H. Lawrence. Which gives me some comfort, because I seem to be doing all I can to avoid my writing, this morning. I’ve spent the last couple of hours brewing a Shitake Beef Stew that will be consumed tonight. I’ve [...] Related posts:

Inspiring Places: Barry Unsworth’s Morality Play

David Morton — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:35:03 +0000

Finally, a respite from the rain and the cold. The sun shines today in Vancouver, and it looks like spring, though the cherry blossoms are nowhere to be seen. The blossoms in my front yard are trying, but they are reluctant to invest themselves in this uneven weather. They look like little popcorn kernels ready [...] Related posts:

New Pick for the Top Ten Medieval Movies List

David Morton — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:00:20 +0000

It was inevitable, I suppose. Top Ten Lists, by their very nature, must needs be revised every now and then, and herewith I expand my Top Ten All-Time Movies set in the Middle Ages. I’ve just watched an inspiring movie about the Middle Ages that literally bridges that era with the current one. It was [...] Related posts:

The Middle Ages Still Rule!

David Morton — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:23:30 +0000

Back in January, I wrote a blog post about the medieval era in general and the fact that it suffers as a time overshadowed by the Renaissance, a period of flowering humanism and artistic and cultural progress. I have nothing against the Renaissance, folks, but I am regularly surprised and delighted that the Middle Ages [...] Related posts:

Top Ten Films About the Middle Ages (Part Two)

David Morton — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:27 +0000

In yesterday’s post, I introduced the first five of my all-time top ten list of movies about the Middle Ages. To recap, here are the first five: The Name Of The Rose Braveheart Becket Seventh Seal Monthy Python and the Holy Grail Here is the rest of my all-time top ten movies about the Middle [...] Related posts: