The ‘Golden Age of Historiography’: Records and Writers in the Reign of Henry II

Abstract

The study of the reign of King Henry II of England (1154‐1189) has been vibrant since the 19th century. As sources for his reign have been discovered, edited and printed, a host of scholars have attempted to assess his impact upon medieval diplomacy, law, politics, and warfare. The array of narrative texts, record documents, and financial records, however, is dizzying in both number and size and can be confusing for non‐specialists. Sorting through the sources by type, as well as situating them within a historiographical context, is a necessary first step towards a fuller understanding of the modern scholarship.

Fantastic Flails and Where to Find Them: The Body of Evidence for the Existence of Flails in the Early and High Medieval Eras in Western, Central, and Southern Europe

“…The combination of archaeological finds and other evidence places flails as extant technology within the period and region of interest, though I believe many of the various items previously identified as "weights" need to be reassessed in comparison with the Eastern European typologies of kisten heads. Threshing flails were definitely utilised as improvised weapons by the lower classes when called upon, even in spite of period laws such as the various "assizes of arms" and similar requiring the lower classes to possess actual weaponry and defensive tools such as spears and shields respectively (Hegg 2021;Hosler 2014). The evolution of threshing flails into the weaponised derivatives of the 14th century and onwards is well characterised and not in doubt.…”

Fantastic Flails and Where to Find Them: the Body of Evidence for the Existence of Flails in the Early and High Medieval Eras in Western, Central, and Southern Europe

“…Threshing flails were definitely utilised as improvised weapons by the lower classes when called upon, even in spite of period laws such as the various "assizes of arms" and similar requiring the lower classes to possess actual weaponry and defensive tools such as spears and shields respectively. (Hegg, 2021;Hosler, 2014) The evolution of threshing flails into the weaponised derivatives of the 14 th Century and onwards is well-characterised and not in doubt.…”