Shirley Ann Brown

Historical monuments and cultural icons are often appropriated for nationalistic purposes long after their creation – witness the Nazis’ interest in the Bayeux Tapestry, which involved the use of archaeology in the service of ideology.

Shirley Ann explores Nazi efforts to appropriate and research the historic embroidery In the early modern era, ideas about civility were central to English people’s lives. Books about manners were very popular, and schools gave an enormous amount of attention to teaching polite behaviour.

Keith delves into English ideas of what it meant to be civilised

Eleanor Parker

Medieval writers were just as interested as we are today in tales of fearsome Viking warriors. The stories about Ragnar Lothbrok are a great example of how Viking history could be transformed into legend.

Eleanor reveals how a mythical figure became entwined with history