Kate Wiles
@katemond.bsky.social
Medievalist, linguist, manuscript botherer ❧ Co-Editor of History Today ☞ LOST VOICES (Penguin/Stanford, forthcoming, one day) ❧ Posting in a personal capacity ❡
Pinned
Kate Wiles
@katemond.bsky.social
· Nov 10
Hello friends old and new! On the Bad Old Place I did history, language, bad jokes, magazine stuff. Expect largely exactly the same here. I am what I am.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
My book is £9.65 on Amazon UK over the next week in a 'Black Friday Week Sale', despite Black Friday being a shopping-binge day that follows another country's national holiday
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
November 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
My book is £9.65 on Amazon UK over the next week in a 'Black Friday Week Sale', despite Black Friday being a shopping-binge day that follows another country's national holiday
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
And also a linguist who can explain how translating unknown languages actually works.
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
the new stargate series should hire me as a feminist killjoy scifi worldbuilding consultant
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
And also a linguist who can explain how translating unknown languages actually works.
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Some high school students attended my “Living standards before the Black Death” lecture at @viuniversity.bsky.social yesterday. The lecture included a bit about coins, so I had an opportunity to show off some medieval silver pennies, including this one from King John’s reign (1199–1216).
November 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Some high school students attended my “Living standards before the Black Death” lecture at @viuniversity.bsky.social yesterday. The lecture included a bit about coins, so I had an opportunity to show off some medieval silver pennies, including this one from King John’s reign (1199–1216).
In the past week I watched all three series of Blue Lights and now there is no more Blue Lights. What do I dooo??
November 13, 2025 at 10:40 AM
In the past week I watched all three series of Blue Lights and now there is no more Blue Lights. What do I dooo??
Reposted by Kate Wiles
A radio programme like the Shipping Forecast but it’s called Bin Day and it just reads out every single council in the country’s bin schedule
November 10, 2025 at 11:53 PM
A radio programme like the Shipping Forecast but it’s called Bin Day and it just reads out every single council in the country’s bin schedule
Reposted by Kate Wiles
I asked about this, and one of our excellent librarians discovered that in fact AI summaries/"Research Assistant" can be switched off at the level of the library. Something to request. support.proquest.com/s/article/Eb...
November 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I asked about this, and one of our excellent librarians discovered that in fact AI summaries/"Research Assistant" can be switched off at the level of the library. Something to request. support.proquest.com/s/article/Eb...
The Greek χλωρός (chlorós) means both 'grass-green' and 'pale, pallid'. In Tyndale's translation, therefore, Death, the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, rides 'a grene horsse'. And apparently it's now just a thing in some translations that Death has a green horse.
November 9, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The Greek χλωρός (chlorós) means both 'grass-green' and 'pale, pallid'. In Tyndale's translation, therefore, Death, the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, rides 'a grene horsse'. And apparently it's now just a thing in some translations that Death has a green horse.
Delighted to discover a trend for early modern religious figures to disguise their names by rearranging the syllables. William Tyndale became Daltin, Hugh Latimer became Merlat, and Nicholas Shaxton became Tonshax. And in his will Shaxton mentioned his son Thomas 'Dratsab' - a bastard.
November 9, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Delighted to discover a trend for early modern religious figures to disguise their names by rearranging the syllables. William Tyndale became Daltin, Hugh Latimer became Merlat, and Nicholas Shaxton became Tonshax. And in his will Shaxton mentioned his son Thomas 'Dratsab' - a bastard.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Just found out about this amazing example of #manuscript #recycling . The whole manuscript is made up from the margins of an earlier liturgical manuscript, cut out and rearranged (hence the unusual format), the (mostly) blank margins then used to copy various magical texts in the mid 16th century.
November 6, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Just found out about this amazing example of #manuscript #recycling . The whole manuscript is made up from the margins of an earlier liturgical manuscript, cut out and rearranged (hence the unusual format), the (mostly) blank margins then used to copy various magical texts in the mid 16th century.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham
In a statement the institution also says it is
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'
Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
November 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Really exciting book news out of Norway. And while the article focusses on the sealskin binding, I'm even more excited by the fact that these neumes are not square, which suggests a date well before 1200.
November 4, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Really exciting book news out of Norway. And while the article focusses on the sealskin binding, I'm even more excited by the fact that these neumes are not square, which suggests a date well before 1200.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
October 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
Reposted by Kate Wiles
The November issue of History Today is in all good newsagents from today!
Featuring #medieval Mongols, slavery in #AncientRome, #Elizabethan theatre, #SecondWorldWar air quality, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
Featuring #medieval Mongols, slavery in #AncientRome, #Elizabethan theatre, #SecondWorldWar air quality, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
October 23, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The November issue of History Today is in all good newsagents from today!
Featuring #medieval Mongols, slavery in #AncientRome, #Elizabethan theatre, #SecondWorldWar air quality, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
Featuring #medieval Mongols, slavery in #AncientRome, #Elizabethan theatre, #SecondWorldWar air quality, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Dr Clare Gerada has been appointed a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and is now a baroness — I’ve put together a short thread about her involvement in #MECFS.
twitter-thread.com/t/1981309222...
twitter-thread.com/t/1981309222...
🧵Dr Clare Gerada has been appointed a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and is now a Baroness. She is married to psychiatrist Sir Simon Wessely, the main architect of the now-discredited psycholog...
🧵Dr Clare Gerada has been appointed a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and is now a Baroness. She is married to psychiatrist Sir Simon Wessely, the main architect of the now-discredited psycholog...
twitter-thread.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Dr Clare Gerada has been appointed a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and is now a baroness — I’ve put together a short thread about her involvement in #MECFS.
twitter-thread.com/t/1981309222...
twitter-thread.com/t/1981309222...
Reposted by Kate Wiles
absolute workhorse of a reaction image from over 100 years ago
October 20, 2025 at 7:36 AM
absolute workhorse of a reaction image from over 100 years ago
In the past two days I've read about a 15th-century affair (the witness gave evidence of the bed frame creaking), a cache of letters smuggled in the false bottom of a basket of food, 'de greatest fooker in Augsbourgh' (1607), and the names Wolfgang Musculus, Tuntybaldus Breton and Tangy Breton.
October 17, 2025 at 4:55 PM
In the past two days I've read about a 15th-century affair (the witness gave evidence of the bed frame creaking), a cache of letters smuggled in the false bottom of a basket of food, 'de greatest fooker in Augsbourgh' (1607), and the names Wolfgang Musculus, Tuntybaldus Breton and Tangy Breton.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Mind-numbing how many layers of history there can be to a single manuscript page: Syriac upper text (10th c.), Armenian undertext (pre-10th c.), Arabic material used for binding (11-12th c.?), Coptic foliation in the margin (date?), modern foliation at the bottom. Image: Leiden UL Or. 14236, link ⬇️
October 16, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Mind-numbing how many layers of history there can be to a single manuscript page: Syriac upper text (10th c.), Armenian undertext (pre-10th c.), Arabic material used for binding (11-12th c.?), Coptic foliation in the margin (date?), modern foliation at the bottom. Image: Leiden UL Or. 14236, link ⬇️
Reposted by Kate Wiles
'View from Senate House Library' (2014) by Melissa Scott-Miller
chrisbeetles.com/artwork/44604/view-from-senate-house-library
chrisbeetles.com/artwork/44604/view-from-senate-house-library
October 15, 2025 at 7:11 AM
'View from Senate House Library' (2014) by Melissa Scott-Miller
chrisbeetles.com/artwork/44604/view-from-senate-house-library
chrisbeetles.com/artwork/44604/view-from-senate-house-library
Someone really should write a book about the long history of people coming over here and not having an a-level in English
October 14, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Someone really should write a book about the long history of people coming over here and not having an a-level in English
Suddenly learning languages is a desirable skill
October 14, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Suddenly learning languages is a desirable skill
jfc
October 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
jfc
Reposted by Kate Wiles
My essay collection focused on ancient literature and translation will be available for pre-order in the UK in October.
October 10, 2025 at 9:28 PM
My essay collection focused on ancient literature and translation will be available for pre-order in the UK in October.