tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post4385334518080972019..comments2023-10-12T02:21:40.102-07:00Comments on English Historical Fiction Authors: Life in a Medieval VillageDebra Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-62001722093436060622012-03-12T13:39:31.968-07:002012-03-12T13:39:31.968-07:00Fascinating stuff, Katharine!! We tend to think o...Fascinating stuff, Katharine!! We tend to think of those old times as so rudimentary but their systems were really quite stragetically planned. They didn't know they were living in the 'olden days' I guess! Thanks for the wonderful post.Tracy Broganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13945932207317412582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-91380918993995461942012-03-12T08:54:25.678-07:002012-03-12T08:54:25.678-07:00Thank you for sharing this informative and compreh...Thank you for sharing this informative and comprehensive article. <br />This way of life was also true on "my" side of the North Sea in The Netherlands, or "Frisia" as it was called back then, even before it became "Holland". One important additional aspect for them was manufacturing, especially the watertight woolen cloths they produced at home and traded all over Europe. The wool generally was bought in England, even as early as pre-Carolingan times, when my ancestors rowed over to England and back before the introduction of sails. The Romans even knew how to appreciate their Frisian "rain"-capes.<br /><br />But the primary remark I would like add is what I learned from one of my old teachers, that in contrast to our view and experience of time, which is lineair - we set goals and work to achieve them and advance in life, career and fortune - the middle-ager experienced time as circular. They lived the rythm of crops and seasons and hence from beginning to end of the circle and then the next year all over again without any significant changes. This alternative expirience of time accounts for so many differing views and aspects of medieval life to the one we know, that for us (it took me many years to realise this to the full) it is difficult to understand the apparent lack of urgency and initiative of our ancestors to change their ways of life and respond to what in our eyes would have been problems.<br />Only the occurence of famine, disease, war or political upheaval would disturb village-life, and not even that at all places. For the rest of the time all had its purpose and place in time and that was reassuring.Hugo Teerds.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-28879456104131741412012-03-11T19:55:02.889-07:002012-03-11T19:55:02.889-07:00Great information. Very informative. Gives us a go...Great information. Very informative. Gives us a good picture of what it was like in the UK in those days, and how a lot of what we do today was set up. Thank you for your great research.Elizabeth Gayle Fellowsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-43433947475960584222012-03-11T08:27:05.181-07:002012-03-11T08:27:05.181-07:00There was actually considerable possibility for ad...There was actually considerable possibility for advancement -- all those younger brothers going to the cities, becoming apprentices then merchants or craftsmen on their own. Thomas Becket came from a merchant family which almost certainly at one time had been settled on the land. He rose to be Chancellor of England, Archbishop of Canterbury and a saint. The Church, particularly, provided a good deal of social mobility for those who were highly capable. Entry into the nobility may have been far less likely than in later centuries when kings granted titles to commoners who had served them well, but there was a growing middle class in the 13th century and capital was flowing from the highly taxed aristocracy to the cities as property seized for taxes had to be converted to pay for mercenaries or the luxuries enjoyed by the king and his friends.Katherine Ashehttp://www.simon-de-montfort.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-28688324749203729892012-03-11T06:34:26.841-07:002012-03-11T06:34:26.841-07:00A fine article. I learned so much! Thank you, Kath...A fine article. I learned so much! Thank you, Katherine.Barbara Kylehttp://www.barbarakyle.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-80628050380907404732012-03-11T00:12:47.675-08:002012-03-11T00:12:47.675-08:00Fascinating! A very hard life, but very regulated...Fascinating! A very hard life, but very regulated too. There did not seem any wiggle room for advancement so that is impressive of that Grosseteste making Bishop.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing!Sophia Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909417504496472472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-72938293208382739952012-03-11T00:11:57.318-08:002012-03-11T00:11:57.318-08:00That was very interesting and informative. I find ...That was very interesting and informative. I find this kind of life quite charming in its simplicity and I'll be definitely learning more about it. Thank you for sharing!Phoebe's Sistershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548739602100284299noreply@blogger.com