Real history

While the setting of Ars Magica is not historical Europe, Mythic Europe is heavily influenced by our real world's history and myths. Fortunately, there is no shortage of sources of information on these matters. Educating yourself and playing with history and folklore is part of the pleasure of playing Ars Magica.

General Sources

The following cover the history of large parts of Europe and are relevant to most Ars Magica sagas.

The Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic bias is just the right one for an Ars Magica game. The encyclopedia is a great introduction to the many heresies, the structure of the Church, theological issues, and so on.

Faerie Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia of the faerie folk. While most entries are brief, this is a good source for ideas for Faerie or Magical creatures.

Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts

Thanks to D. L. Ashliman and the University of Pittsburgh, a great wealth of folk tales is available at your fingerprints. Following his links will lead you to other interesting places.

The Medieval Bestiary

Illustrated online bestiary combined from two major medieval bestiaries. You'll find the source for many Beasts of Virtue as well as ideas for monsters, familiars, Animal Companions, and more.

Maps

Historical Maps of Europe

Historical maps of Europe from the University of Texas at Austin

Regional Sources

Ben Cooper's German Timeline

Timeline of events affecting the Rhine Tribunal, 1220-1231.

Offline Biblography

These sources are unfortunately not available online. However, a visit to your local library or a few purchases can bring you in touch with them.