Medieval Lives (2004– )
10/10
I learned about fleabane
15 February 2024
Peasant's revolt 1381 is also called Wat Tyler's Rebellion turns out to be more complex than first thought. An excellent view of medieval lives presented by Terry Jones is not a bunch of sound bites and redundant information from obscure experts. They get right down to the bone. The 1349 Black Death plague is also spotted.

Then there is the monk. We learn the truth about monkhood. Most of the monks look like Terry Jones. We see that prayers became a commodity. We learn about bare bottom piety. There is a competition to have the best relics. There was the 1327 rebellion against a monastery; it was a preliminary to 1381.

Now consider the Damsel. It also looks like Terry Jones. The archetype of the passive female. Nicola de la Haye pushing 70; she was aided by William Marshal. We get the real story with the use of puppets to keep this PG13. We have stories of women abducting men. We follow women's fashion. 1429 Joan of Arc story is told; her real crime was that she wore men's clothing.

Would you believe the Minstrel? In 1066 At the Battle of Hastings, Taillefer recited the Chanson de Roland to the Norman troops while juggling with his sword. They tell of troubadours that tell stories in the vernacular. He mentions Geoffrey Chaucer who mysteriously disappears; dispatching is suspected.

A knight to remember. William Marshal returns as the subject in an interesting story of his life and how he became a knight. We see them train horses to kick shields. We learn about the order of the garter founded in 1348.

Shall we consider the philosopher? A medieval scientist and possibly doctor. We get a look at a field where they grew all the herbs needed for medicine. We get pictures of experiments with newer medicines. We even found anesthetics. We find Washington Irving is responsible for making us think that they thought the world is flat. Nobody ever thought the world is flat. We also get to see an astronomical clock. All to display our ignorance of our own past.

Stand and deliver. Not midwives but the outlaw. Terry asks "Did outlaws never wear trousers?" We learn about "The Folvilles" (John De Folville 1312 - 1363 and his sons.) Among other gangs. 1150 trial by jury, but not as we know it. We get to see unique ways of execution and/or mutilation. We learn that outlaws are part of the heart of what makes England.

Midlevel kings divided into the good, the bad, and the ugly. We cover three Richards. We get a spot of Richard the third form Shakespeare. He tells of the King of England that on one has ever heard of.
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