History glossary
penance
acts of repentance performed after confession or wrongdoing.
- Category
- Religious practice
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
Penance is repentance expressed through prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, public humiliation, or other acts assigned after sin or wrongdoing. Henry IV's penance at Canossa was both a religious act and a political spectacle.
Stories using this term
The Norman Conquest of England
From Viking settlers to conquerors, the Normans reshaped England, Italy, and the medieval Mediterranean.
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
The Rise of Christianity
From Jesus in Roman Judea to medieval Europe, Christianity grew from a persecuted movement into an imperial and civilisational force.
The Crusades
From Pope Urban II's call at Clermont to the fall of Acre, the Crusades reshaped the medieval world through religious war, cross-cultural encounter, and lasting consequences for Europe and the Middle East.
The Plantagenets
From Henry II’s cross-Channel inheritance to Bosworth, the Plantagenets shaped England through royal justice, conquest, rebellion and a struggle over who could control the crown.
