Gemma Hollman

@gemmahauthor

Historian, author, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Runs the Just History Posts blog. Specialises in late medieval women and the English court. Find my links:

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Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jul 8

Punishment for perceived werewolves was brutal. In 1589, a German man, Peter Stumpp/Stubbe, confessed to using a belt given to him by the devil to transform into a wolf and murder numerous people. He had a torturous execution, and his head was placed above the figure of a wolf and both were burnt.

A woodcutting of Peter's story. In the top left is a werewolf walking the woods and killing a man. In the foreground, Peter is tortured and beheaded. Behind that is a wooden pole with his head on top, and a figure of a wolf below. In the background are rows of soldiers and citizens watching several people being burnt at the stake.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jul 8

This idea was picked up by the Norse. In the 13th-century Icelandic Saga of the Volsungs, two men, Sigmund and Sinfjotli, put on wolf pelts and found themselves turned into wolves, cursed to roam the countryside killing people. Eventually they managed to turn back into men, and they burnt the pelts.

An ancient vase with an image of a man crawling on all fours, with a wolf pelt draped over his back and head.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jul 8

Greek legend also tells of Zeus visiting Lycaon, King of Arcadia, who wanted to test Zeus' omniscience by serving Zeus the roasted flesh of his own son. Zeus furiously turned Lycaon into a wolf and revived his son from the dead. Stories are found elsewhere of men turning into wolves by wearing pelts

An illustration showing a shocked Zeus seated at a table where parts of a baby are shown on a plate. A man flees the scene, his head transformed into a beast.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jul 8

With all the hype around the upcoming Werwulf film, I thought it'd be fun to do a short thread about the history of werewolf legends in Europe! NB there will be some gruesome woodcuts.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jun 17

Another month, another newsletter! Now that we're halfway through the year, I thought I'd take a look forward to the next 6 months of the blog - and particularly to Just History Posts' 10 year anniversary in October! justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/a-look-for...

A red bricked building with white windows. Overlaid is the text "A Look Forward: Just History Posts's Substack" with a URL.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jun 8

Sorry I've been quiet, big fun things happening in my personal life, including a trip to Florence! So have a picture of David, which is absolutely worth the hype and was stunning to see in person, you must go if you ever get the chance!!

The statue "David" by Michelangelo, seen in this angle looking off to the right of frame.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· May 18

And of course, I had to take a moment to go and see the spot where Richard III was discovered

A glass-covered hole in the ground, with an outline skeleton showing the location where Richard III's body was found.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· May 7

🌟 Cover Reveal! 🌟 I'm so excited to share my next book, Richard II: King, Culture and the Court of Venus! This book explores not just Richard, but the role of women and household knights, the influence of Richard’s family, and how the Hundred Years’ War impacted religion and foreign policy.

A stained red background with white decorative swirls and leaves on top. A white stag's head and antlers frame a portrait of Richard II. The title reads "Richard II: King, Culture and the Court of Venus" by Gemma Hollman.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Apr 21

Had such a lovely time last night at Cheddington History Society talking about Women in the Middle Ages. Such a friendly, warm group and some really great discussions!

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Apr 14

I'm finally back from my book writing hovel, so thought I'd kick things of with a newsletter. I chat about my recent visit to the Ramses II exhibition in London, and the fantastic artefacts that lie within: justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/the-newsle... #newsletter #history

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Feb 17

Book post is always the best post 🌟 The Queen and the Mistress comes out in paperback next week, and they are looking beautiful!! If you want a story of female power and passion at the medieval court, make sure to check it out: www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Mistre... #medieval #WomensHistory #books

A pile of books sit within an opened package. One of the books is held to camera: The Queen and the Mistress by Gemma Hollman. On the cover is a medieval manuscript drawing of two lovers reclining under rose vines.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Feb 6

A great day of talks on medieval queens! At lunch I gave a talk at Shoe Lane library in the City of London on my second book, The Queen and the Mistress, then this evening on to the @royalhistsoc.org talk on Queens and the Making of Europe by the fantastic Charles West! Feeling inspired.

A projector screen in a library with a slide show entitled "The Queen and the Mistress"

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jan 13

With book deadline rapidly approaching my head is full of everything Richard II, so have a pic of one of my favourite medieval artefacts, the Crown of Princess Blanche - thought to have originally been owned by Anne of Bohemia, Richard's first wife. It is the oldest surviving royal crown of England.

A golden crown heavily embellished with pearls and precious stones.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Jan 5

This amazing review of The Queen and the Mistress by @thehistorybits.bsky.social came up on my social media memories today and I just had to share it again! One of my favourite reviews from anyone 🥹 If you want to see what Sharon loved so much, try it yourself! www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Mistre...

The review reads: As a non-fiction author, I also read a lot of non-fiction, and cannot write a Best Books of 2023 without including my favourite non-fiction book of the last few years.

So much detail! The Queen and the Mistress is illuminating. A truly remarkable dual biography of the two very different women who held Edward III's affections; his queen, Philippa of Hainault and his mistress, Alice Perrers. Gemma Hollman delves deep into the lives of both to paint vivid portraits of these amazing women.

The beauty of this book is not just in the incredible story but in the depths of research and attention to detail that shines a light into the darkest corners of the lives of these two fascinating women: the consummate queen and the savvy businesswoman.

Gemma Hollman challenges much of the misinformation and misconceptions which have surrounded both women for centuries; she draws the veil from across their lives and provides us with a new and refreshing interpretation of these remarkable women.

A triumph of historical research and interpretation. A must-read for fans of the medieval period and the fourteenth century in particular. It really is a fantastic book. I have truly loved reading it.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Dec 25

Merry Christmas for those who celebrate! Hope you've had lovely days with lots of food and warmth. One of my favourites - a fresco depicting January at Castello Buonconsiglio, Trento, Italy, c. 1405-1410 #medieval

A colourful medieval fresco showing a castle in the background and nobles in gowns in the foreground having a snowball fight

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Dec 19

After extensive experimentation, on the 15th January 1885, Bentley took his equipment out in the midst of a snowstorm. Finally, all his hard work paid off. He had successfully taken a photograph. Bentley later said, “it was the greatest moment of my life”

Five snowflakes of different shape and patterns displayed in a line with a black background.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Dec 19

Every winter, I love to share the story of Wilson Bentley, the first person to ever take a photograph of a snowflake ❄️🧵 #history #snow

A white man with a moustache, wearing a coat and hat, stands outside a wooden building in the snow with a 19th-century camera

Twelve photographs of snowflakes. They are on individual black squares, and they are a vast variety of shapes and patterns.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Dec 13

It's my final newsletter of the year! We take a look at the lost treasure of King John, and I also look at the spate of high-profile heritage heists this year and why our historic collections are at such risk from thieves: justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/merry-chri... #history #newsletter

A manuscript image of King John, crowned, riding a white horse, with hunting dogs at his feet. Overlaid is the text "Merry Christmas from Just History Posts. Just History Posts's Substack. Justhistoryposts.substack.com"

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Nov 28

My latest newsletter is up, and this month I share my thoughts about how historians compile history, and whether it's possible to ever reach an object truth about what happened in the past. Make sure to take a read for free: justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/compiling-... #history #newsletter

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Nov 21

Highly enjoyed tonight's @royalhistsoc.org anniversary lecture Visible | Invisible: Voices of Women in Early Modern Ireland by Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, but really struck by this early slide in the presentation. Silences are everywhere in historical data and writing #Skystorians

A slide which reads:
Challenges of the archive: silences
'Silences enter the process of historical production at four crucial moments: the moment of fact creation (the making of sources); the moment of fact assembly (the making of archives); the moment of fact retrieval (the making of narratives); and the moment of retrospective significance (the making of history)'
Michel-Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past (Boston: Beacon Press, 1995)

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Nov 1

The absolutely stunning Tiddy House in Exeter, Devon, England, possibly built in the late 16th century. A 4-storey brick and timber-framed house with slate tile roof, it is wonderfully wonky and was lovingly restored to glory by Bill Lovell, who bought the severely disrepaired building in the 1960s

A four-storey house with a brick bottom floor and timber framed upper 2 floors, with a tiled first floor. There are two columns of windows up all the floors, and an old wooden door in the middle. Three heraldic symbols are seen on the first floor.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Oct 28

The urn and gold oak wreath of Alexander IV, made in Greece c310 BC. Alexander IV was the son of Alexander the Great, king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. Born after his father had died, a series of regents ruled whilst he grew up but he was assassinated when he came of age at 14 🧵 #history

A silver urn with small handles, with a leafy wreath made of gold sitting on the rim of the lid.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Oct 27

Newsletter out now! This month I had to focus on the 9 year celebration of Just History Posts. It's so interesting to look at how far the blog has come this year in comparison to last year. Make sure to take a read for free now! justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/9-years-of... #history #blogs

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Oct 20

Items frozen in time hit me differently. This is a tub of Ancient Roman cosmetic cream, made around 150AD, found in London during excavations in 2003. It was found in a Roman temple alongside other ritual items as an offering to the gods in the boundary ditch 🧵 #history

A round metal tub and lid which has a white concoction inside. Scrape marks from fingers can be seen.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Oct 15

On Wednesdays, we wear pink 💅 This is the beautiful Chesme Church, Saint Petersburg, Russia, build in the 1770s at the instigation of Catherine the Great. It was intended to serve as a memorial to the Russian victory over the Turks at the Battle of Chesme #history

A pink and white striped round church with turrets stands in a snowy landscape

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Oct 2

It's fashion, dahhling ✨ This 4th century mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily, shows female athletes, some of whom are wearing outfits similar to our modern-day bikinis. The women are shown competing in a variety of sports, including weight-lifting, discus, running & ball games #history

A mosaic of three women, two in bikini-like clothing, and the one on the left in a yellow robe

A view of the entire mosaic. Two lines of women are one on top of the other, with athletes in bikini-like clothing playing a variety of sports. Surrounding walls can be seen with faded paintings.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Sep 29

In this month's newsletter I'm having a chat about the Archives and Records Association Conference, Pontefract Castle, Victorian electric fashion, heritage vandalism, jewellery auctions and Nazi-stolen paintings. Phew! Have a read: justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/electricit... #history #newsletters

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Sep 18

Hi bluesky! Sorry I've been a little quiet, I've been recovering from two conferences in two weeks 😮‍💨 great fun, learnt so much, but it's knackering! I want to connect with more history accounts on here - so please, who are your favourite #skystorians, podcasts, blogs? Please tag them below!

A medieval manuscript drawing of Christine de Pisan, who sits in a chair on the left wearing a blue dress and white headdress, with a book on a table in front of her. She is lecturing to a group of four men who stand to the right of the picture.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Aug 30

Women in the Middle Ages is currently 25% off on both the UK&US Amazon shops! If you want to find out how artwork and artefacts can help us piece together the lives of women in Europe from 1000-1500, then this is for you www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Middle-Ages-Illuminating-Peasants/dp/0789214962 #history

A book, "Women in the Middle Ages: Illuminating the world of peasants, nuns, and queens" by Gemma Hollman, rests on a blue cushion. The cover has medieval illustrations of women on.

Gemma Hollman@gemmahauthor· Aug 26

August's newsletter is now live! I chat in depth about my recent visit to Sutton Hoo, we revisit the latest blog post about jewellery through history, and I regale you with just how much history is going on in my life at the moment! justhistoryposts.substack.com/p/a-summer-o... #Skystorians