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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• 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
• Late Roman Law on Foundling Children
• Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete

Captives

• Aztec Slaves
• Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
• Cali or Theodora?
• Captive Women as Dehumanised Sexual Rewards
• Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
• The Capture and Upbringing of Radegund
• 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
• Medieval Greek Captives’ Ransom-Raising Testimonials
• 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
• A Viking Attack on Nantes
• Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture
• Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero

Captive Narratives

• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• 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
• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• 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
• Late Roman Law on Foundling Children
• The Law of Enslaving Starving Children
• Recruitment of Mamluks
• A Slave Order from a Tuscan Merchant
• 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

• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• 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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• 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
• Cantigas de Santa María
• 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
• A Viking Attack on Nantes
• Yanoáma: The Story of Helena Valero

Labor

• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• 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
• Geatfled Gives Freedom
• 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
• A Slave Order from a Tuscan Merchant
• The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
• Slavery in the Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters
• 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
• Geatfled Gives Freedom
• Initial Q from the Vidal Mayor: Two Soldiers Leading Two Slaves before a King
• Late Roman Law on Foundling Children
• 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
• Slavery in the Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters
• The Treaty of Lothar I
• Visigothic Manumission Charters

Life after Manumission

• The Capture and Upbringing of Radegund
• 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
• Geatfled Gives Freedom
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• 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
• Cantigas de Santa María
• 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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• Marco Polo’s Will
• Medieval Greek Captives’ Ransom-Raising Testimonials
• 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

• Cantigas de Santa María
• 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
• Dom Pedro de Sousa and the BaKongo People Meet Portugal
• 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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• Manumission in Genoa
• Marco Polo’s Will
• Mibiki and Slavery in Medieval Japan
• Slave Labor and Free Service in Genoa
• A Slave Order from a Tuscan Merchant
• 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?
• Cantigas de Santa María
• Captives of the Mongols (Ghazni and the Hindu Kush)
• Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
• Dom Pedro de Sousa and the BaKongo People Meet Portugal
• 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 Greek Captives’ Ransom-Raising Testimonials
• Medieval Slavery in Zuwīla: Archaeological and Textual Sources
• Miracles of Saint Opportuna
• Resisting Captivity in the Sulaiman Mountains
• Slave Raiding in Circassia
• A Viking Attack on Nantes
• Warfare in Illinois Indian Culture

Ransom

• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• Aztec Slaves
• Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
• The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
• Life of Saint Findan
• Medieval Greek Captives’ Ransom-Raising Testimonials

Religion

• Al-ʿUmari on Enslavement in the Golden Horde
• Attalus and Leo Escape from the Franks
• 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
• Cantigas de Santa María
• Captive Women as Dehumanised Sexual Rewards
• The Capture of Vardapet Vanakan by the Mongols
• Concerning Sellers of Male and Female Slaves
• Divorce Decree from Genoa
• Dom Pedro de Sousa and the BaKongo People Meet Portugal
• Eunuchs in Ethiopia
• Felix Fabri’s Wanderings in the Holy Land
• A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
• Geatfled Gives Freedom
• 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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• Life of Saint Findan
• Medieval Greek Captives’ Ransom-Raising Testimonials
• 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
• A Praise Poem for Harald Hard-Ruler
• 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

• Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
• Visigothic Manumission Charters

Self-Sale

• Aztec Slaves
• Concerning Persons and Divisions of Persons
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• Visigothic Manumission Charters

Sexual Slavery

• Canon Law concerning the Children of Free Men by Enslaved Women
• Captive Women as Dehumanised Sexual Rewards
• The Capture and Upbringing of Radegund
• 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
• A Praise Poem for Harald Hard-Ruler
• 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
• Dom Pedro de Sousa and the BaKongo People Meet Portugal
• Eunuchs in Ethiopia
• The Florentine Register of Slaves
• A Former Slave Deceives Ibn Khalīl
• Geatfled Gives Freedom
• 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
• A Praise Poem for Harald Hard-Ruler
• Recruitment of Mamluks
• A Slave Order from a Tuscan Merchant
• Slave Sale Contracts from Genoa
• A Slave Sale Contract from Venice
• Slave Sales from Crete and Cyprus
• Slavery in the Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters
• 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
• A Viking Attack on Nantes
• Visigothic Manumission Charters
• William of Malmesbury, The Life of Wulfstan

Violence

• Aztec Slaves
• Cantigas de Santa María
• 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
• Captive Women as Dehumanised Sexual Rewards
• The Capture and Upbringing of Radegund
• 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
• The Liber de Servis of Marmoutier
• 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
• A Praise Poem for Harald Hard-Ruler
• Slave Raiding in Circassia
• Slave Women and Their Children in Venetian Crete
• The Slave Women of al-Manṣūr Ḥajjī
• Slavery in the Novgorod Birch-Bark Letters
• 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