Resources by Theme
On this page, the medieval sources available on this website have been grouped thematically to assist comparison across geographical, temporal, and cultural boundaries.
Agency
- Cali or Theodora?
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- The Early Life of Baybars
- Execution of a Mamluk Slave Woman
- Felix Fabri’s Wanderings in the Holy Land
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Kunlun Slaves
- Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
Birth
- Cali or Theodora?
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- Concerning Persons and Divisions of Persons
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
Captives
- Aztec Slaves
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- Cali or Theodora?
- Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Concerning Persons and Divisions of Persons
- The Early Life of Baybars
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Indian soldiers from the province of Coritiba, bringing back captives
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- The Jingkang Incident
- Khubilai Khan Hunting
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Laxdæla Saga
- Life of Saint Findan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- Misdeeds of Catalan Corsairs
- Prisoner Taking and Human Sacrifice by the Moche of Ancient Peru
- Resisting Captivity in the Sulaiman Mountains
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
- The Sabil-Kuttab of Yusuf Agha Dar al-Saʿadat in Cairo
- The Treaty of Lothar I
- Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
- Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero
Captive Narratives
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Indian soldiers from the province of Coritiba, bringing back captives
- Life of Saint Findan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero
Children
- Acts of Child Sale in the Black Sea
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- Aztec Slaves
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- The Early Life of Baybars
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
- The Training of Mamluks
Elite Slaves
- The Baptistère de Saint Louis
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- The Early Life of Baybars
- Execution of a Mamluk Slave Woman
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Khubilai Khan Hunting
- Laborers, Servants, and “Chosen Women” in the Inca Empire
- Laxdæla Saga
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- The Sabil-Kuttab of Yusuf Agha Dar al-Saʿadat in Cairo
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
- The Training of Mamluks
- Visit of a Persian Embassy
Eunuchs
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- A Letter by a Ninth-Century Slave Trader
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- The Sabil-Kuttab of Yusuf Agha Dar al-Saʿadat in Cairo
- The Training of Mamluks
Flight
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- Felix Fabri’s Wanderings in the Holy Land
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Life of Saint Findan
- Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- The Treaty of Lothar I
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
Images
- Aztec Slaves
- The Baptistère de Saint Louis
- Indian soldiers from the province of Coritiba, bringing back captives
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- Khubilai Khan Hunting
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Laborers, Servants, and “Chosen Women” in the Inca Empire
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge: Enslaved Africans in Renaissance Venice
- Prisoner Taking and Human Sacrifice by the Moche of Ancient Peru
- The Sabil-Kuttab of Yusuf Agha Dar al-Saʿadat in Cairo
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
Kidnapping
- Bobali
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Indian soldiers from the province of Coritiba, bringing back captives
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Life of Saint Findan
- Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- Misdeeds of Catalan Corsairs
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero
Labor
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- Foreign Slaves of Guangzhou
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- Khubilai Khan Hunting
- Laborers, Servants, and “Chosen Women” in the Inca Empire
- Laxdæla Saga
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge: Enslaved Africans in Renaissance Venice
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
- The Training of Mamluks
- Vestiges of Mongol Enslavement
Law
- Acts of Child Sale in the Black Sea
- Cali or Theodora?
- Canon Law concerning Slave Marriage to Free People
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Concerning Persons and Divisions of Persons
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- Divorce Decree from Genoa
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- A Letter by a Ninth-Century Slave Trader
- Manumission in Cyprus
- Manumission in Genoa
- Marco Polo’s Will
- Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
- Misdeeds of Catalan Corsairs
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
- Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
- A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
- Slave Sales from Crete and Cyprus
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- The Treaty of Lothar I
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
Life after Manumission
- Concerning Persons and Divisions of Persons
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- Divorce Decree from Genoa
- Manumission in Genoa
- The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge: Enslaved Africans in Renaissance Venice
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
Manumission
- Cali or Theodora?
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- Manumission in Cyprus
- Manumission in Genoa
- Marco Polo’s Will
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
Medicine
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- Foreign Slaves of Guangzhou
- Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
- A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
Men
- The Baptistère de Saint Louis
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- Bobali
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- Divorce Decree from Genoa
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- A Letter by a Ninth-Century Slave Trader
- Marco Polo’s Will
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge: Enslaved Africans in Renaissance Venice
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Prisoner Taking and Human Sacrifice by the Moche of Ancient Peru
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
- Vestiges of Mongol Enslavement
- Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
Music
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
Property
- Acts of Child Sale in the Black Sea
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- Manumission in Genoa
- Marco Polo’s Will
- Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
- Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
- Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
- A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
- Slave Sales from Crete and Cyprus
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
- Vestiges of Mongol Enslavement
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
Race
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- The Baptistère de Saint Louis
- Bobali
- Cali or Theodora?
- Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- Foreign Slaves of Guangzhou
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- Khubilai Khan Hunting
- Kunlun Slaves
- The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge: Enslaved Africans in Renaissance Venice
- The Sabil-Kuttab of Yusuf Agha Dar al-Saʿadat in Cairo
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- Slave Sales from Crete and Cyprus
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
- The Training of Mamluks
- Vestiges of Mongol Enslavement
- Visit of a Persian Embassy
Raiding
- Bobali
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Life of Saint Findan
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- Resisting Captivity in the Sulaiman Mountains
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
Ransom
- Aztec Slaves
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- Life of Saint Findan
Religion
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- Cali or Theodora?
- Canon Law concerning Slave Marriage to Free People
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- Divorce Decree from Genoa
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- Felix Fabri’s Wanderings in the Holy Land
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- Hans Schiltberger’s Slave Narrative
- Ḥasan Afghān Investigates a Slave-Trading Imam
- Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Life of Saint Findan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Prisoner Taking and Human Sacrifice by the Moche of Ancient Peru
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- Resisting Captivity in the Sulaiman Mountains
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- The Training of Mamluks
- The Treaty of Lothar I
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
- William of Malmesbury, The Life of Wulfstan
Rental
Self-Sale
Sexual Slavery
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- The Jingkang Incident
- Laxdæla Saga
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- William of Malmesbury, The Life of Wulfstan
Social Death
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- The Early Life of Baybars
- Foreign Slaves of Guangzhou
- Laborers, Servants, and “Chosen Women” in the Inca Empire
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- Laxdæla Saga
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
- Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
Trade
- Acts of Child Sale in the Black Sea
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- Aztec Slaves
- Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
- Bobali
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
- Ḥasan Afghān Investigates a Slave-Trading Imam
- Kilwa: Slavery on the East African Coast
- Kunlun Slaves
- The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
- Laxdæla Saga
- A Letter by a Ninth-Century Slave Trader
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- Misdeeds of Catalan Corsairs
- Portugal and the Japanese Slave Trade
- Recruitment of Mamluks
- Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
- A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
- Slave Sales from Crete and Cyprus
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
- Tang Figurine of Kunlun Youth
- The Training of Mamluks
- The Treaty of Lothar I
- Visigothic Manumission Charters
- William of Malmesbury, The Life of Wulfstan
Violence
- Aztec Slaves
- Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
- The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
- Christian Capture of Muslim Captives and Slaves in the Thirteenth-Century Crown or Realms of Aragon
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- Eunuchs in Ethiopia
- Execution of a Mamluk Slave Woman
- Felix Fabri’s Wanderings in the Holy Land
- The Guide Book for Obtaining Divine Favors and Avoiding Divine Punishment
- The Jingkang Incident
- Life of Saint Findan
- Miracles of Saint Opportuna
- Prisoner Taking and Human Sacrifice by the Moche of Ancient Peru
- Resisting Captivity in the Sulaiman Mountains
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
- Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
Women
- Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
- Bobali
- Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
- La Cautiva Marcelina
- Childcare and Slavery in Barcelona
- Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
- A Consilium on Slavery from Genoa
- Criminal Trials of Slaves in Venice
- A Deed of Sale of Yumn, a Young Slave Woman, in Third/Ninth-Century Egypt
- Demandes de Libertat: Enslaved Mothers Suing for Freedom in Late Medieval Iberia
- Divorce Decree from Genoa
- Execution of a Mamluk Slave Woman
- The Florentine Register of Slaves
- Indian soldiers from the province of Coritiba, bringing back captives
- The Jingkang Incident
- Laborers, Servants, and “Chosen Women” in the Inca Empire
- Laxdæla Saga
- A Letter by a Ninth-Century Slave Trader
- Manumission in Cyprus
- Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
- ‘No One Sees and Every Man Does as He Sees Fit’: Slavery and Masculinity in the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt
- Slave Raiding in Circassia
- Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
- The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
- The Stories of Shāriya in the Book of Songs (Kitāb al-Aghānī)
- Vestiges of Mongol Enslavement
- William of Malmesbury, The Life of Wulfstan
- Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero