Extremely useful tools for Medieval research at your fingertips
The Big Three
These three sites have large databases and are invaluable in helping you nail down the look of a particular period thanks to their easy to use search functions.
Museum Collections and Analysis
Are you looking for extant finds and informational analysis of armor and soft kits alike? Here’s a number of great jumping off points.
- An Analysis of 1300 Effigies Dated Between 1300 and 1450
- The British Library
- The Morgan Library and Museum– Various Medieval manuscripts including the famous MS M. 638, the Maciejowski Bible.
- Larsdatter-A medieval object search engine.
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme– Database of archaeological finds in England and Wales (Search criteria can be tricky at first).
- The Wallace Collection-Searchable arms and armor collection.
- The National Library of France-Searchable high-resolution medieval manuscripts.
- Bodleian Library at Oxford– Searchable database of Medieval manuscripts.
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna-One of the finest armor collections in the world and one of my favorite museums to visit.
YouTube Channels
- Knyght Errant-A must see resource for re-enactors, especially 14th century but his research tips are great for any medieval time period.
- Tod’s Workshop-A great channel for medieval weapons research.
- Scholagladiatoria-Great overviews of topics ranging from historical fencing to armor with a dash of how those subjects are applied in modern tv and cinema.
- Royal Armouries-They cover a lot of time periods but have a number of videos regarding their extensive armor collection. Their How A Man Shall Be Armed series is fantastic.
- Greenleaf Workshop-An armorer in the UK that documents his construction methods.
Historical Blogs and Forums
- La Cotte Simple-A wonderful blog by Tasha Kelly. You’ll find tutorials, articles, and wealth of knowledge regarding Medieval clothing.
- Clothing the Past– The go-to resource for 14th-century soft kits and arming wear. Multiple breakdowns and tutorials by Sarai Tindall Sogliano.
- The Armour Archive-Another good forum discussing arms and armor. It is SCA centric in most regards but is a good source of knowledge nonetheless.
- myArmoury.com-A good forum with valuable insights on a range of topics regarding historical arms and armor.
- The Medieval Tailor-14th Century English and French Women’s Clothing
- Rosalie’s Medieval Woman-Clothing and Everyday Life of the Medieval Woman
- De Re Militari-The Society for Medieval Military History-Journals and primary sources regarding Medieval Military History.