Yes, women in the middle ages were far from some kind of lump demographic! Many women had jobs, traveled, traded, etc. Of course, many were brutally oppressed, too. Europe was a very big place.
It's helpful to understand sweeping trends like how human rights has largely become a thing since the middle ages, but it's also important to keep in mind that the circumstances were very different in different areas, and at different times. Excellent point, Kim.
It certainly doesn't help that Roligans--Danish football fans--are all too happy to propagate the myth by often wearing plastic white-and-red horned helmets to games.
Irving wrote his Columbus biography while he was working as an American diplomat in Spain, so he would have been very close to the written resources about the voyage that survived. Though I'm not sure he actually knew any Spanish...
I can't say that I have a favourite. Due to my health in all honesty I often need to just relax and watch something that is completely fake or not based on true historical facts. I have been interested in movies that create awareness for things like Scottish history but mainly because my 11th great-aunt was Mary Queen of Scots. I feel as if I have a duty to learn it, yet in all honesty I am so distant that it truly doesn't matter! I don't know WHY I feel as if I have a duty to do anything really! Yet, it's there... As much as I may try, I still know little about Scottish history and will not pretend that I know alot about it. You probably now more than I do. Haha! I truly, truly wish that I knew more. Anyway, great post.
I've also read that about 5 million people alive today can trace lineage back to William the Conqueror, and many more can trace lineage to (probably) Gengis Khan. I'm not sure it matters much to me, but I can't help but feel as though it might... even though reason and logic suggest that whatever lineage descended from that far back is all but meaningless in a sea of thousands of other contributors to my DNA.
From what it says online there are 34 generations between William the Conqueror and King Charles lll. You're related to William the Conqueror because if there is infact a connection wouldn't that make us VERY VERY distant cousins? If you are related that is. A connection there would make sense seeing as how King Charles llls son is named William but I have absolutely NO idea if it's after William the Conqueror or not. Still, that would be VERY VERY cool.
Hey, if you go back far enough, we are all certainly related! Two raised to the 34th power (generations between us and William) is about 17 billion, so it's almost meaningless as far as how much of his DNA one would carry. It's almost like homeopathy in a way. I really don't know if I'm related, but that would hardly surprise me.
Do you think many myths were created to build positive behaviors?
I think myths also serve as powerful tools for transmitting cultural values, norms, and lessons across generations. They often promote virtues like honesty, bravery, and compassion while also warning against vices such as greed, deceit, and hubris. However, like everything else, some people abuse myths to spread misinformation or negatively impact society.
Some of the ones I want to go away are:
1. Humans only use 10% of their brains
2. You can catch a cold from going outside with wet hair (i do that all the time, even in winter)
3. Shaving hair makes it grow back thicker
4. Eating carrots improves your night vision
5. Bulls hate the color red
6. You swallow eight spiders a year in your sleep (i hope not even one. I do not like spiders)
I don't really think these particular myths were created in order to build positive behavior. With the flat earth thing, I can't really imagine that was anything other than an interpretation of biblical scripture that suggests the earth is flat, probably badly misinterpreted (and based on ancient non-science anyway). With the prime nocta thing, I think it was based on Scottish hatred for English rule, not really any more complicated than that. With the vikings and horned helmets, that seems to have come about for the specific reasons I outlined in the piece.
For other myths, though? Absolutely - many of them are intended to be moral lessons, like Aesop's fables or the legend of John Henry, for instance.
I'm sure we all remember the stories about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and when asked about it, saying, "I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet." in the Mason Locke Weems biography.
Every nation tends to glorify its founders, sometimes excusing the unhistorical flourishes in the name of love of country, but I maintain that, just as with loving a person, to love a country, you have to know it. Being in love with a phony image is not the same thing.
Our founders did some incredible things. They also made some incredible mistakes. Ideally, we should understand them, warts and all.
I was a history teacher as well as an English teacher (though I spent almost my whole career teaching English). The best way to study history to to study both the successes and the failures. It is also good not to expect historical figures to live up to contemporary morality. It's reasonable to note such deviations from our standards, but for purposes of factual understanding, not condemnation.
Long ago and far away in another galaxy ... uh, wait, that's for another article. Anyway, yes, I learned early on that any "historical" movie is trash and that even some "scholarly works" tend to skew things. Thus, I read and compare. In university, I read about 5 biographies of Beethoven, all taking a different slant on his sexual appetite. Even reading original diaries from a particular period, if you can get the librarian to let you actually touch them, isn't 100%, written from a singular point of view. Sort of like looking at a flat painting or photograph.
I also really like to get several takes on historical events, especially through the lens of different nations and cultures. I feel like the truth is 360 degrees, but you can only see a few degrees with any single perspective... but your perspective and understanding multiplies with each new lens/angle. It's not linear! If you want to understand something WAY better, read (or watch/listen to) at least three different sources for anything, ever.
Quite possibly even more so in the past. There's a lot of deliberate misinformation out there today, sure, but back then, it was almost ALL misinformation!
"Let's never sail south of the equator, where the seas boil away and gigantic hellish monsters await to kill anyone who dares venture there." Heh.
Another fascinating article. The horned helmets is a great one. It is the image most people think of for Vikings, but yes, it is definitely an invention from the opera world. Specifically, Wagner, and the costumes for his Norse operas... 😎
That Viking helmet thing bugs me so much. But burning ship burials are almost as bad. In mythology when Baldur dies his body is set off in a burning ship, but there’s no archaeological/historical evidence that that happened irl. There are in-ground ship burials, though. I guess a bunch of dudes backfilling a ship-sized hole is not sexy enough, for the big screen lol.
If someone wants to read one book to get a more accurate but broad view of the medieval period, is there a good recommendation? I realize this might be a futile request, given the broadness of the scope.
I worked at the Chinese Theater for a couple of summers and when Rocky III came out I would drive around hollywood in my beat up ford maverick blasting eye of the tiger gearing up for my showdown with Mr T
I know I saw Rocky IV in the theater, but I can't remember seeing II or III... but I think the Karate Kid did this for me! I am certain that Kung Fu with David Carradine was a huge reason I started martial arts, too.
Those montage scenes of the hero getting ready for the showdown - that's my myth to bust here. I have a lot to say about Kung Fu but I'll save that for another article
Wait, you mean montages don't make you great at things?!?
In all seriousness, I wrote not terribly long ago about martial arts and the 10,000 hour rule. You might get a kick out of it, no pun intended: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/10000-hours
lol yeah he's the best. I read that one! Good read. Macklemore is my cultural 10,000 hour reference. While I don't think you have to put a number on it, I believe iteration in all things makes you better. It may not make you the best but every turn of the crank will make you better.
One of my favorite misconceptions about this period is that the Roman Empire fell in 476, and that everyone in the eastern region of the empire suddenly woke up “Byzantine”. The people of the eastern Roman Empire considered themselves “Romans”, probably right up until 1453 CE.
Lee, if you haven't already read my "From Constantine to Constantine", please go check it out! We are on the same page here. If nothing else, it should be delightfully fun confirmation bias:
How about the myth that medieval women were totally oppressed? They actually ran businesses, had their own money and went on long pilgrimages.
Yes, women in the middle ages were far from some kind of lump demographic! Many women had jobs, traveled, traded, etc. Of course, many were brutally oppressed, too. Europe was a very big place.
It's helpful to understand sweeping trends like how human rights has largely become a thing since the middle ages, but it's also important to keep in mind that the circumstances were very different in different areas, and at different times. Excellent point, Kim.
You know that myth about masturbation causing blindness? Well, I’m happy to report that I see just fine, although I do need glasses.
Who said that? Where are you?
It certainly doesn't help that Roligans--Danish football fans--are all too happy to propagate the myth by often wearing plastic white-and-red horned helmets to games.
There's a pro football team in the US called the Vikings. They also didn't help much in my youth.
Irving wrote his Columbus biography while he was working as an American diplomat in Spain, so he would have been very close to the written resources about the voyage that survived. Though I'm not sure he actually knew any Spanish...
I'm sure he knew how to sell books with literary flourish!
He was one of the first American authors to make a full-time living writing, so he did.
I can't say that I have a favourite. Due to my health in all honesty I often need to just relax and watch something that is completely fake or not based on true historical facts. I have been interested in movies that create awareness for things like Scottish history but mainly because my 11th great-aunt was Mary Queen of Scots. I feel as if I have a duty to learn it, yet in all honesty I am so distant that it truly doesn't matter! I don't know WHY I feel as if I have a duty to do anything really! Yet, it's there... As much as I may try, I still know little about Scottish history and will not pretend that I know alot about it. You probably now more than I do. Haha! I truly, truly wish that I knew more. Anyway, great post.
Glad you enjoyed it, Angela!
I've also read that about 5 million people alive today can trace lineage back to William the Conqueror, and many more can trace lineage to (probably) Gengis Khan. I'm not sure it matters much to me, but I can't help but feel as though it might... even though reason and logic suggest that whatever lineage descended from that far back is all but meaningless in a sea of thousands of other contributors to my DNA.
From what it says online there are 34 generations between William the Conqueror and King Charles lll. You're related to William the Conqueror because if there is infact a connection wouldn't that make us VERY VERY distant cousins? If you are related that is. A connection there would make sense seeing as how King Charles llls son is named William but I have absolutely NO idea if it's after William the Conqueror or not. Still, that would be VERY VERY cool.
Hey, if you go back far enough, we are all certainly related! Two raised to the 34th power (generations between us and William) is about 17 billion, so it's almost meaningless as far as how much of his DNA one would carry. It's almost like homeopathy in a way. I really don't know if I'm related, but that would hardly surprise me.
Do you think many myths were created to build positive behaviors?
I think myths also serve as powerful tools for transmitting cultural values, norms, and lessons across generations. They often promote virtues like honesty, bravery, and compassion while also warning against vices such as greed, deceit, and hubris. However, like everything else, some people abuse myths to spread misinformation or negatively impact society.
Some of the ones I want to go away are:
1. Humans only use 10% of their brains
2. You can catch a cold from going outside with wet hair (i do that all the time, even in winter)
3. Shaving hair makes it grow back thicker
4. Eating carrots improves your night vision
5. Bulls hate the color red
6. You swallow eight spiders a year in your sleep (i hope not even one. I do not like spiders)
I don't really think these particular myths were created in order to build positive behavior. With the flat earth thing, I can't really imagine that was anything other than an interpretation of biblical scripture that suggests the earth is flat, probably badly misinterpreted (and based on ancient non-science anyway). With the prime nocta thing, I think it was based on Scottish hatred for English rule, not really any more complicated than that. With the vikings and horned helmets, that seems to have come about for the specific reasons I outlined in the piece.
For other myths, though? Absolutely - many of them are intended to be moral lessons, like Aesop's fables or the legend of John Henry, for instance.
My comment was not directed towards your post; I agree with your above response. I was making a general comment.
I'm sure we all remember the stories about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and when asked about it, saying, "I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet." in the Mason Locke Weems biography.
Every nation tends to glorify its founders, sometimes excusing the unhistorical flourishes in the name of love of country, but I maintain that, just as with loving a person, to love a country, you have to know it. Being in love with a phony image is not the same thing.
Our founders did some incredible things. They also made some incredible mistakes. Ideally, we should understand them, warts and all.
I was a history teacher as well as an English teacher (though I spent almost my whole career teaching English). The best way to study history to to study both the successes and the failures. It is also good not to expect historical figures to live up to contemporary morality. It's reasonable to note such deviations from our standards, but for purposes of factual understanding, not condemnation.
Great advice, Bill! How different would life be if you had pursued history instead of English?
Long ago and far away in another galaxy ... uh, wait, that's for another article. Anyway, yes, I learned early on that any "historical" movie is trash and that even some "scholarly works" tend to skew things. Thus, I read and compare. In university, I read about 5 biographies of Beethoven, all taking a different slant on his sexual appetite. Even reading original diaries from a particular period, if you can get the librarian to let you actually touch them, isn't 100%, written from a singular point of view. Sort of like looking at a flat painting or photograph.
I also really like to get several takes on historical events, especially through the lens of different nations and cultures. I feel like the truth is 360 degrees, but you can only see a few degrees with any single perspective... but your perspective and understanding multiplies with each new lens/angle. It's not linear! If you want to understand something WAY better, read (or watch/listen to) at least three different sources for anything, ever.
So true, esp. these days!
Quite possibly even more so in the past. There's a lot of deliberate misinformation out there today, sure, but back then, it was almost ALL misinformation!
"Let's never sail south of the equator, where the seas boil away and gigantic hellish monsters await to kill anyone who dares venture there." Heh.
They had a good excuse back then. But today… Heavy sigh. Well, back to my writing. Have a great day!
Another fascinating article. The horned helmets is a great one. It is the image most people think of for Vikings, but yes, it is definitely an invention from the opera world. Specifically, Wagner, and the costumes for his Norse operas... 😎
That Viking helmet thing bugs me so much. But burning ship burials are almost as bad. In mythology when Baldur dies his body is set off in a burning ship, but there’s no archaeological/historical evidence that that happened irl. There are in-ground ship burials, though. I guess a bunch of dudes backfilling a ship-sized hole is not sexy enough, for the big screen lol.
I always see it like this: why embellish and lose credibility, when the reality is already so damn interesting?
I’m always trying to get people to read the sagas, they are amazing. Bloodshed, raiding, magic, humor, they have everything🖤
If someone wants to read one book to get a more accurate but broad view of the medieval period, is there a good recommendation? I realize this might be a futile request, given the broadness of the scope.
I like Susan Wise Bauer overall, at least for an overview: https://www.amazon.com/History-Medieval-World-Conversion-Constantine/dp/0393059758/ref=asc_df_0393059758/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693611442412&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12933334635181207820&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008465&hvtargid=pla-435214944217&psc=1&mcid=da94ec8c77f83e7ea922c935c2a64e25&gad_source=1
Wonderful, thanks for the rec! It’s on the list.
Happy to help. I like that this is a place for us to learn and share ideas!
This story fits quite well with this one, authored by an undiscovered, handsome, roguish writer:
https://strawbridgeideas.substack.com/p/men-and-medievalism
I worked at the Chinese Theater for a couple of summers and when Rocky III came out I would drive around hollywood in my beat up ford maverick blasting eye of the tiger gearing up for my showdown with Mr T
I know I saw Rocky IV in the theater, but I can't remember seeing II or III... but I think the Karate Kid did this for me! I am certain that Kung Fu with David Carradine was a huge reason I started martial arts, too.
III was the best, Mr T 'I pity the fool!' was awesome and it was my go-to phrase that I once inadvertently blurted out in a physics final
https://youtu.be/DJnKm6ftPu0?si=55GDg1DTuYKteilX
Those montage scenes of the hero getting ready for the showdown - that's my myth to bust here. I have a lot to say about Kung Fu but I'll save that for another article
Wait, you mean montages don't make you great at things?!?
In all seriousness, I wrote not terribly long ago about martial arts and the 10,000 hour rule. You might get a kick out of it, no pun intended: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/10000-hours
Also: I love how Mr. T says "pain."
lol yeah he's the best. I read that one! Good read. Macklemore is my cultural 10,000 hour reference. While I don't think you have to put a number on it, I believe iteration in all things makes you better. It may not make you the best but every turn of the crank will make you better.
I mean, I write every day. I figure by the time I'm like 80, I'm gonna be very, very, very good.
once you cross that 10,000 hour mark, boom all of a sudden you are going to be A M A Z I N G
One of my favorite misconceptions about this period is that the Roman Empire fell in 476, and that everyone in the eastern region of the empire suddenly woke up “Byzantine”. The people of the eastern Roman Empire considered themselves “Romans”, probably right up until 1453 CE.
Lee, if you haven't already read my "From Constantine to Constantine", please go check it out! We are on the same page here. If nothing else, it should be delightfully fun confirmation bias:
https://goatfury.substack.com/p/from-constantine-to-constantine