The Catalan newspaper Ara called him Comte Cara de Cubell d'Escombraries, so they're being more precise that it's specifically a rubbish bin, rather than any other sort of storage container.

I would like to know the story of the nun who coined the Spanish phrase: 'Para lo que me queda en el convento, me cago dentro'.

Playlist of talks from the Jewish Square Mile's recent event at the Barbican about medieval Jewish history, including @medievaljews.bsky.social, Natasha Jenman, Emma Cavell, Paul Dryburgh, and me. #medievalsky youtube.com/playlist?lis...

The cooling system was installed by the village AC technician, Thermodynamix 😊

Call for papers for the Warhammer Conference, a free hybrid conference in Germany, 26-27 Sept., deadline 29 June. I presented at the inaugural conference on crusading in 40k (GW follows the Pluralist School, don't @ me). Fun event with a good mix of fields. warhammer-conference.com/call-for-pap...

Call for papers for an online conference on medievalism, 9-10 October: medievalisms.org/conferences/ #medievalsky

Interesting to read this paper showing how the medieval English Jews are still relevant in legal debates today. Though, Julie Mells' work argues that Jews weren't exempt from the Common Law, nor were they royal villeins, that was a later invention.

I'll be speaking this Friday at the Tewkesbury History Festival about the Hospitallers in the Wars of the Roses and the Battle of Tewkesbury. #medievalsky

El cuarto de baño del Papa en Madrid VS El cuarto de baño del Papa en Barcelona.

Listening to a @theresthistory.bsky.social episode where the presenters suggest that Belgium and (checks notes) Italy are “made up countries” as opposed to England and (checks notes again) the United States. So it’s time for this:

Two weeks until I'm speaking at the Tewkesbury History Festival about the Knights Hospitaller, their role in war and politics in Britain, and what one of them was doing at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471: www.tewkesburyhistoryfestival.co.uk/rory-maclellan #medievalsky

Now also available in the US! Find out how the Hospitallers shaped medieval Britain, and why you should never lend them your pet bird. #medievalsky

A happy horse in the Liber ordinationum of the medieval City of London, next to some regulations for riding. The London Archives, COL/CS/01/005.

A recent book on Muslim Europe repeats this claim that Jews invited or helped plan the invasion of Spain in 711, despite it long-since being discounted by historians (also weirdly puts 'invasion' in scare quotes). Disappointing to hear this stuff promoted uncritically.

Is this what radicalised Gareth Roberts?

Pleased to contribute to this episode, talking about Montfort's treatment of England's Jews.

"That Thucydides, what a guy. So great, my favourite Marvel villain."

M’learned colleague @rorymaclellan.bsky.social explaining the medieval Church…

Roberto Quirós Rosado article, "Hospitaller Revenues, Bourbon Regalism: The Financial Administration of the Grand Priory of Castile and León under an American Parvenu" is out! Read it here in Early Access: doi.org/10.1111/1468...

On 19th June I'll be speaking at the inaugural Tewkesbury History Festival, talking about the Knights Hospitaller and their part in war and politics in medieval Britain. Tickets are available to book now: www.tewkesburyhistoryfestival.co.uk

A brief history of the Order of St Lazarus

Me agreeing to a new project knowing full well it’s gonna add stress 🇲🇽

They want a small state. Small enough to fit in a curator's office.

A very exciting day coming up at the Barbican!

"Aboard a high-speed train, a Nun who lost her faith must perform her first Exorcism on a possessed passenger hellbent on crashing the runaway train."

On 10 May I'll be one of the speakers at this event at the Barbican, talking about the persecution of London's medieval Jews and their defence of the Tower of London from siege in 1267: www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/202... #medievalsky

A man drops his trousers beneath the text of Magna Carta #medievalsky

This 'Templar' group is the creation of Jim Dowson (co-founder of Britain First), who cosplays as a priest in a mock-medieval chapel in Ireland. Other members include Nick Griffin (ex-BNP leader, roadkill enthusiast, and nemesis of Marmite).

It’s profoundly ignorant to suggest that the Pope should be fighting crime on behalf of the Catholic Church. Anyone who was remotely familiar with Roman Catholicism would know that that’s what Daredevil is for

Amazing treasures of medieval legal history to distract one briefly from current news and marking - the Catslechta ˙ (or Cat-sections) - an old Irish legal text on cats (the Senchas Már) which even sets out various categories of cats based on various characteristics or talents. #medievalsky

If we did get a new antipope out of this, it still wouldn't be as stupid as the Western Schism, which divided Europe for four decades and started, in part, because the newly-elected Pope wanted his cardinals to cut down their food bills to just one course at each meal

BREAKING: Following the American threat of an “Avignon Papacy,” Robert Kennedy has begun a Diet of Worms

Found a copy of my book on the Hospitallers at the American Book Center in Amsterdam. Now signed!

This poor lion looks like a toddler that's just been denied an ice cream. St Bavo's church, Haarlem.

Excited to preview an upcoming article where multi-spectral imaging of a manuscript almost destroyed by fire 300 years ago has uncovered the first medieval description of the Wild Haggis: wp.ufpel.edu.br/poiema/wild-... #medievalsky

Inspired by a discussion of Tolkien and making medieval fantasy more “realistic,” Liz Bourke (@hawkwinglb.bsky.social) tackles the question of what Aragorn's tax policy would look like—and why such a thing wouldn't really be possible in a place like Middle-earth. reactormag.com/aragorns-tax...

If Project Hail Mary followed the academic job market: "So when did you viva? And you left academia? Not in industry? Any REFable publications? Sorry, we'll get someone else."

Someone drew a little bird in a hat in this 16th century Welsh manuscript of regulations for bards. British Library, Add MS 19711.

From the country that had a 15th century law that begins "Regarding the burning of heretics". And the first judicial execution by burning in England for religious reasons was of a Jewish man in the thirteenth century.

Looking forward to listening to this. I've been surprised to find that a lot of Valencians don't see El Cid as that important a part of their story, as he has this great reputation in the Anglosphere, but instead focus on Jaume I of Aragon as their real founding figure.

You can almost hear the crotchety voice of this retired WWI general in his volunteer form to help with evacuating London in 1939. "Previous experience: ??? - see books of reference Available now for voluntary social work if required? I don't know what social work means"

Does anyone know of any outlets that publish short satirical/parody writing about history? #skystorians

Surprised to see an association in 1792 against Levellers. Had this become a go-to insult of supporters of the French Revolution? It feels like medieval churchmen referring to contemporary heresies with the names of Roman-era sects that had died out centuries earlier #skystorians

Public talk: “In the Shadow of the Tower - The Jews of Medieval London,” by Dr. Rory MacLellan. Thursday, May 21, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, at the London Archives. #jewishstudies mjsnow.hypotheses.org/20711

Tickets going fast for my talk at The London Archives on the Jews of medieval London and their role in the 1267 siege of the Tower. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lunchtime-...