Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus

This volume opens by dismantling the old myth that the Middle Ages were a stagnant, dark gap between classical antiquity and the modern world. It argues that medieval scholars were eager seekers of knowledge, organized in thriving communities of teachers and students who compiled vast encyclopaedias for public instruction. The introduction sets the stage for a fresh appreciation of a period once dismissed as intellectually barren.

The book itself is a translation of Bartholomew Anglicus’s “Properties of Things,” an early 13th‑century handbook that surveys natural phenomena, everyday crafts, and moral advice in plain, conversational English. Its chapters read like a knowledgeable friend explaining the reasons clouds move, how iron is forged, or why certain herbs heal, all without the pretension of modern jargon. Listeners will hear the medieval mind’s blend of observation and wonder, gaining insight into a world where science and storytelling walked hand in hand. By the end of the first act, the work invites us to imagine the bustling curiosity that animated medieval towns and monasteries.