JK Rowling Quote

"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." -JK Rowling, book 6?
This is the quote I was talking about today while we were talking about ghosts and what they symbolize.

The Escaped Convict

Along with the others was a Handyman
He could fix anything be it a fridge or a fan
And would work quickly, didn't stay to long
Had many jobs, for his hands were strong
Was a scruffy man, appearance unkempt
Always alert, for he barely slept
Never made eye contact, always looking down
He could not smile, constantly wearing a frown
And upon his cheek, he bore a scar
A token he'd won from a fight in a bar
His expression, demeanor, all was mean
Eyes, cold and hurt from bad things he'd seen
The man had a secret he could never share,
For the consequences he could not bare.
The Handyman had recently left county jail
And his leaving was not due to parole or bail
No one knew the man had actually made an escape
After 4 years inside for a crime worse than rape
Accused and convicted of killing three
Yet there was no one as innocent as he
Was locked away from a crime he didn't do,
So he felt it was time to bid the jail an adieu
He had been on his own for half of a year
And yet every day was still filled with fear
That someone might look at him and see
He resembled that wanted man from TV.
Soon he realized he had to find a new place,
Where no one would ever recognize his face
So to Foxwoods he went with a goal in mind:
To leave his troubles and past life behind.

Con Artist

There was a Con Artist, odd as ever.
He was as genuine as he was clever.
A middle aged man, maybe thirty-nine.
With bulging eyes and receeding hairline.
He was missing a few teeth here and there.
Most likely from his lack of healthcare.
Around his neck he wore a stethoscope,
As today he was a doctor and horoscope
Reader tomorrow. His tee shirt was white,
Just as plain as him, and not very bright.
He wore a pair of tattered old jeans,
Ripped from that one time when he was in his teens.
His Reeboks were old, and quite worn out.
All in all, he was not very stout.
This man was hopelessly lost in this age.
His childhood was lived as if in the stone age.
He had longed for open land and a meadow,
But was stuck in a small and cramped ghetto.
His guardian’s influence was not good,
And he was given no money for school should
He decide to do something with his life.
Although he knew his life was not grand,
He knew of those people that could barely stand.
Be it from lack of food or other thing,
Some were as skinny as a puppet string.
And it pained his heart to see such folk,
That he would give and give until he was broke.
Then he would drink, even if it meant stealing,
And begin his con, much like the Duke and King.
If casinos were a place to lose your money,
He would make it happen on his spree.
This man’s character may be hard to conjure,
He is kind, though his effect made me unsure.

Doctor

A doctor there was, degree and all,
His complexion was clean and structure tall.
He was a talented man that is sure,
His soul could heal any one with the right cure.
A tainted white coat lay over his shoulders,
With glasses so thick they look like boulders.
The hair on his face is kept trimmed neat,
His eyes are like no other can beat.
The tone of his skin was a pale white,
And his face lacked the bright inner light.
There was one thing missing from this charming man,
It must be on his limbs, the lack of tan.
From his fingers there was on thing missing,
And his lips had longed from some kissing.
His wife and family left him years ago,
The divorce gave his ego a real blow.
His house for twelve now only serves one,
And it’s used for show of the prizes he’s won.
He works so hard, all day and night,
Any woman that would stay would have such fright.
His only dream was a job and family,
The thought of being alone has left him so grimly.
A charming man whom anyone would adore,
He never allows himself to be a bore.
All he wants is to find him self a lady,
So he no longer has to act so shady.
Someone who he can share all his talent,
A woman strong, willing, and gallant.
He hopes his journey will bring him good,
For it’s his last chance to be understood.

Female Actor

There was a female actor, and as a child,
She was constantly seen as very wild.
This trait of hers has never left her;
It trapped her, and threw away the key in a blur.
It all began when she was a teenager
She thought she knew her life’s major.
So she moved to the famous West Coast
To pursue a life wanted by most.
Now she finds herself telling you all,
About her life, and how it continues to fall.
She’s made it big here in Hollywood
She acts in movies, like she thought she would.
The fame has had its ups and downs
By far, the downs come by the tons.
She is at the top of the acting ladder,
Her wealth grows, yet she grows sadder.
She dresses herself the most fashionable,
Skirts and jewelry accompany her travel.
Nobody knows, or believes, however
That her clothes are cheap, expensive never.
Why spend her earnings on selfish things
When she can help charities spread their wings.
When people see her in the tabloids,
The things they see are factoids.
She is portrayed as a selfish, rich, stupid woman,
But these lies have been inaccurately woven.
When will the public see her as she is, really?
She wants the truth to come out of the alley.
The Sunday tabloids say she partied all night,
Really, she prayed to be seen in a new truthful light.

An Indian Gal

Sorry, I had to change my character in the last minute.

There was an Indian, gal of sixteen years
She likes to laugh and chat with her peers
She came from India about five years ago
She loved to cheer, “Go Team Go”
She goes to the casinos with her friends,
To have some fun on the week-ends.
Her parents didn’t let her go on dates
Even though they are just her mates.
She always dreamed of a profession,
That would never give her a concussion.
Her past made it very clear
That she should be a computer engineer.
She often wore an Indian dress to parties
And she loved to eat the Paani Poories
Traveling was her favorite thing
She traveled around the world singing.
She would rather read a book in her free time
Than watch a person act like a mime
She often talked on the phone
Her friends told her that no one could be her clone
Her shoes were beautiful, high and new
She wore accessories, but very few
She had long black hair, with pretty curls
And topped the outfit off with some pearls.
Clearly you could tell that she is a high school student
Had the wisdom of genius, and became the class president
This time she went to the casino with a reason.
She saw a guy and immediately turned crimson
The guy was tall, handsome and just as old as her
Every girl fell for him. And yes, he’s a soccer player.

P.S.- This character is NOT me! :-D

The Goth Girl

This girl was dressed in black from head to toe
Not your average teen, it’s important to know
Seemed to be dark, and had many thoughts
Inside her, though, there was a battle she fought
She had a daily struggle between good and bad
Trying not to let others see she was too happy, or too sad
Black she had on was just for others to see
That persona was not really who she wanted to be
At first she was on the trip as something to do
But underneath she needed to go, find what was true
She’d been lost for quite some time now
But wanted to find her place before her final bow
Dark make-up worn could no longer hide her scars
So she would make this journey, no matter how far
She did not travel with much to her name
No family, friends, important possessions came
Mentally, she carried more with her though
Along her life she had met many friends and foes
This trip might leave all of that in the past
She wanted to run away, now and fast
This was her chance, once and for all
Though she feared the faster she ran, the harder she’d fall
The clothes, make-up and how she acted
Were not really her, just feelings compacted
Society had not pegged her the right way
And now, she wanted to finally have her say
She would still wear her clothes, and do what she pleased
Just with a different mind set; not afraid to be teased
This girl would try hard to get where she wanted to go.
If she would in the end was what she did not know.

The Ballerina

Ballerina

A ballerina there was, the purest of them all,
Her hair was a golden brown; slender and tall,
Any man would fall in love with her beauty and grace,
Her skin was as white as lace.
When her fancy footwork was put to the test, her component would always end up a mess.
This ballerina had a sister with not such a generous face,
She wanted to compete in a sisterly race.
To Foxwoods they went, though I rather not vent,
But tell this fair maidens story instead.
It’s interesting I promise, it won’t put you to bed
Money was rare and neither of them liked to share,
The elegant woman spent it without a care.
Always prancing on the stage without a doubt,
Until something, greater caught her attention, causing a drought.
She heard of machines that would give her wealth,
But sitting on those plump cushions all day was not good for her health,
One evening, unlike any other,
With great excitement, she speed dialed her sister, her brother, and her mother.
And upon jumping for joy off of the cushioned seat,
For the first time in her life did not land on her pointy feet,
Instead, she took quite a fall,
Without delay in that one moment ended all.
She could not even recall what had happened,
Off she went, her leg looked awfully flattened.
The ballerina was quite horrified by what she saw,
She yelped, “This should be against the law!”
To the courthouse she went, demanding for a settlement.
She asked for 5 hundred grand, which the judge could stand,
In without a penny, out with a whole life of security.
This ballerina was no longer poor,
She had more then she ever had before.

Janitor (rich i might add)

So i guess we post ours here...

There was a janitor on his way
To Foxwoods on this very day.
Jeans, shirt and jacket he comfortably wore;
Though in actuality he appeared quite sore.
The stories that he told to the group
Consisted of mush, slush, slosh, and goop.
As repulsive as they were to everyone
Some believed them to be quite silly and fun.
This occupation, though humorous it seemed
Was no laughing matter, the man deemed;
‘A bore and at times tedious’,
The man’s tone was aggressively serious.
And when asked of subjects of little concern
A wise philosophical comment flew in return.
I sincerely thought in all of my knowledge
That janitors need not go to college.
His voice was groggy and raspy so to speak
And his shiny bald head was smooth and sleek
So I strongly assumed that the man was old,
For his physical features were depressing and cold.
He traveled not with companion or wife,
Seemingly the only women in his life
Were paid as was well expected;
And a janitor’s income should be inspected
For no ordinary man has in his hold
A sports car bearing a paint job so bold.
Foxwoods then is a perfect destination for this
Creature of melancholic wealthiness.
In life people go and people come,
Though the latter isn’t always true for some.

The Engineer

There was an Engineer that came

Of some he was considered a shame

He was a brilliant man in math

For so he chose his path

He derived sin(x+y) when he was three

So an engineer he was destined to be

He got a degree at MIT

He was what was called the bourgeoisie

Not rich, not poor, but middle class

His high school class he did surpass

In knowledge, but not in skills

Of wooing women of Beverly Hills

And so he married, and she too

Was inept in matters few.

He was a chap who had a plan

He was a revolutionary man

He planned to make a wind generator

That could make electricity more

Than other systems proposed

A tethered kite which was posed

Three miles in the air

Of such matters he took great care

And so he had a vision to set

A record for the books, I bet

To be first to harvest electricity

From such heights, O how witty

He was coming along in typical attire

Button shirt, tie and eyes like fire,

He was intrigued by moving parts

And hoped to win at playing Hearts

The tale of the "Aging man who detests his wife and is bitter"

Hello. My name is Connor. I lack inspiration. I cannot rhyme. Here is my poem.

All are base are belong to us.

The Aging man who detests his wife and is bitter

The wise man, who escaped his wretched home
No hair protruded from beyond his dome
Nor thin waistline, the town citizens said
Nor gifted vision; not youthful – not dead
He wore black dress pants with a button down shirt
He had little clothing, color, as lively as dirt
Fifty-Two years had he walked this earth
And twelve years prior, the beast known for girth
Snagged this man from within his youthful pride
Took him to her lair, where surely, he cried
On that day she ended his free flowing life
And forced him to take her as his new wife
Once a year he traveled to the afar
Mohegan Sun, where doors remain ajar
Much relief he had, of this he was sure
To leave the clutches of a wife not pure
Whose teeth shone green like withered eel
And skin; cold, clammy, and rigid like steel
Her hair was matted; the gums of a whale
And the hairs on her back formed a great tail
Perhaps the only worse; then her appearance
Her ice cold tongue and her heart of a wench
But for one day a year, he left his home
And took pilgrimage to the Mohegan’s dome
His heart was set on the glory of kin
Of friendship, of foodship, of ale and gin
And yet something more, he would not reveal
A plan, a pact, a great secret to steal
For twelve days the aging-grumbling-Saxon
Took cover in numbers, his saving bastion

The Musician

This is Matt Sokol as always.

I guess we were supposed to post our character poems here, even though nobody seems to have.. So, here's mine.

Matt Sokol

The Musician

A musician had also come along,
though in public he rarely played a song.
He practiced for hours each day in his home
but never outside was his talent shown.
He never went out, except for the night
for he was quite blind, and did not need light.
And said he enjoyed the peaceful calm state
of the outdoors at night, then so sedate.
This is not to say that he had no friends,
but in large crowds he would rarely attend.
He dressed in all black, so he would not clash
as he could not see if colors would match.
The clothes that he wore, however, were nice
all of high quality, despite the price.
Along with the clothes, he had bought a cane
to find a clear path in unknown terrain.
His source of money for these was unknown
he had no job, but never needed loans.
His left hand held the cane, but in the right
was his guitar case, never leaving sight.
I remind you, in public, he never
played, so why carry the case forever?
To Foxwoods he went not for social plight
but to play the slots, which he did with delight.
Though other games he was unable to play,
The sound as coins fell made the slots okay.
He had come before, this was not the first
pilgrimage he had made to quench his thirst
for low-stakes wages that gave him a thrill.
He always lost money but returned still.

Cleric

In the Medieval Times the Clerics where the scholars. They would join the clergy that was in the church. The Clerics were very smart and held high in society due to the fact that they were educated since many couldn't afford education back in those times. Many commoners did join the clergy as an act of "service". They were able to go to nobles and different homes and be hired to help them out. Their job is like that of a school teacher in the sense that they were the smarter ones and had to educated the public. Oxford University was said to have been founded in the end of the 11th century. Many of the Clerics were educated at Oxford and then would graduate and go off to the world and try to get hired by nobles or any higher order out there. Clerics are suppose to help others before themselves in a way due to their job status. Unfortunately in the book our "Cleric" seems to be on the relaxed side of clergy and isn't giving off the image of a cleric.


http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Medieval.htm
http://www.free-essays-free-essays.com/dbase/3c/esv117.shtml
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Cleric

Friars, The Traveling Monk

Does anyone actually know what a friar truly is? I mean, I'm sure most people who read this have heard of them. I mean, come on who hasn't seen Robin Hood with Friar Tuck? Well, if you've never heard of them, or heard of them but don't know what exactly they do or are, this is the article for you.

During the Medieval Time Period, the Catholic Church was extremely popular in England. I'm sure you've all heard of Feudalism, which is what took place at this time. In Feudalism, you have a bunch of classes from different people. These classes range from serfs to kings. However, if you were extremely religious you could somehow break the social class system and enter the religious class system, which is exactly what friars did. A friar was part of the Mendicant Orders, which are orders that relied heavily on begging. Friars would travel across the land almost as a traveling priest. Friars would live among the poor, in hopes to gain money to help the poor. This is exactly what the friar in our story appears to do, but he is very corrupt, however, more on that in class.

Bibliography

http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/MWH/11062_1.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06280b.htm

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=friar

http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robbeg/robbeg2.html#ft

Women in the Middle Ages

In the middle ages women were treated as if they were completely inferior to men. this was taught to them by the church, it said they should take orders from their fathers and brothers. Some of the women were employed especially the wives of craftsmen, but only a fair few got high ebough to make a difference and be heard amongst the town. The women could work various jobs that included shopkeepers, spinners, or bakers. If the ladies were married or not they were still expected to work, and often they would have to combine many jobs so they could get a decent pay.

It was legal for a young boy to get married at the age of 14 and a young girl at the age of 12 with their parents consent. A betrothal often took place as little as 7 years of age. If you of high noble status then it could be from when you were babies…marriage was only legal when it was completed. Single women and the married wore opposite hairstyles, extremely different from today. Single women wore their loose and married women were supposed to keep their hair covered at all times for modesty. The jobs that married vs. non was different also, single women often spun for a living using handheld spindles and were known as spinsters.

Often, unmarried women entered the convent to serve a Christian life and earn a well mannered and responsible education. If a women owned land they were considered a powerful figure in society as well as the male land owners, which made them equal to a man. Women also had the rights to make wills and sign a document with a unique seal onl for her. These rights all went away after the woman was married because she had to forfeit all of these things to her husband. Then if he died she would get one third of his land in order to support herself.

As a young girl you would be sent away from your home to live with another noble family and learned manners, etiquette, and how to curtsy. As well as how to acquaint yourself with other noble families, be taught how to dance, ride a horse, and archery.

Here's a normal day for a peasant girl: Breakfast-bread and water, Dressing siblings, Feeding animals, Spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidery, and carding wool, Dinner-bread, water, and fried goose eggs, Working in the fields of wheat Praying at the church with my sisters, Delivering goods to the castle, Supper-fried fish, fried goose eggs, bread and water, Preparing for bed.

"Noble Women in the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. Ads by Google. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/noble-women-in-the-middle-ages.htm.
"Women of the Middle Ages." Middle Ages. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/Brisas/sunda/ma/1kimberly.htm.
"Women in the Middle Ages." Camelot International: Britain's Heritage and History. 2001. Knight International Bulgarian Property Specialist. 13 Nov. 2007 http://www.camelotintl.com/village/women.html.

Knights and the Code of Chivalry

The word Knight stems from the old English chnit, which meant boy servant. In the feudal system of the middle ages knights were third in the hierarchy of classes. Only Kings and Lords were superior to the knight. The process to knighthood begins when a vassal, a person who works on the lord’s land, sends his son to live as a page on the Lord’s manor at approximately seven years of age. The page became the personal assistant of the lord’s wife. In turn he received training in generosity, courtesy, and all general manners. When the boy was 14 years old he began to accompany his lord in all of his duty officially becoming a squire. Seeing as the Lord was already trained in all of the Knightly skills he was the best of all teachers. The Lord taught his apprentice the skills and arts of war. The page learned how to fight on horseback and to use a sword. More importantly the knight-to-be learned the powerful concepts that would guide his life as a knight. Normally, between the ages of 18 and 21 years old the squire was allowed to be knighted. Now every ceremony was different and the oath that knights took was always unique however they did follow a similar template. This oath had one main objective, to ensure that the knight would uphold the code of Chivalry.
Chivalry is just about any positive characteristic (not physical) about a person. Honor, honesty, generosity, courtesy, valor, and so forth; all of these fit into chivalry. However one can only be considered chivalrous if they personify the majority of these qualities. One who is honest but incredibly selfish is not chivalrous. Chivalry is really just a code of conduct they are the guidelines by which a knight lived. Chivalry guides a knight in all circumstances, in both war and love. The knight from the prologue of The Canterbury Tales is the archetype for a knight.



Bibliography

• Velde, François. "Knighthood and Chivalry." Heraldica. 01 June 2002. 13 Nov 2007 .

• "Chivalry." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 13 Nov. 2007. .

The Summoner and Saints/Holy Relics

In Medieval England, a summoner was one who summoned, or found people who were accused of violations to the Church law, and brought them to ecclesiastical court (which is court of religion) for crimes ranging from witchcraft to illicit intercourse. Summoners are usually lower class. For more on the ecclesiastical court, you can read Sravya's posting.


The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.

The Summoner and Saints/ Holy Relics

In Medieval England, a summoner was one who summoned, or found people who were accused of violations to the Church law, and brought them to ecclesiastical court (which is court of religion) for crimes ranging from witchcraft to illicit intercourse. Summoners are usually lower class. For more about the ecclesiatical court- you can read Syrav


The biblical definition of a saint was one who is sanctified. Early on, the Christians were all considered saints, but overtime the term developed into a title of those who had a certain level of holiness. When saints died, sometimes their bones or possessions were deemed as ‘‘relics” and kept because they held religious significance. These relics are honored and respected, just as saints were when they were alive. Relics are severely important in such cultures as Buddhism, and some forms of Christianity and Hinduism.

Monasteries

A monastery is a religious home usually for monks, nuns or a religious community, and is dedicated to prayer. The word monastery means "to live alone". The monks or nuns living there can explore faith or nature together, but usually there is little to no interactions between the members. Many times the monks or nuns living in the monastery will perform community service in the area they live.
The Layout of a monastery is obscure; it is faced looking inward for seclusion. Usually having a courtyard in the center with Mediterranean architecture. Other structures in a monastery would be a cloister or a chapel for visitors because they are not allowed to use the one where monks and nuns pray.
Monasteries are made to be self contained. The monks or nuns living there grow everything they need to live there lives in the monastery garden. They may also raise animals for food and fiber.
Traditional monasteries are named in honor of a patron or a scared mystery. Many medieval monasteries are in Great Britain, and some are even open to visitors. Some visitors can even stay in the monastery for a long period of time to work or pray. This people could also be postulants who want to join the monastery who then must commit faith by a series of vows.

Michelle

Medieval Clothing

http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/1adele.htm

Medieval Clothing
Royalty, such as kings and queens, had enough money to afford clothing that was very expensive. This clothing included crowns and brightly colored silks.

Manor lords wore felt hats with stirrups and brown jackets on a daily basis.

Peasants’ wore straw hates and linen shirts, both that they made themselves. They also wore leather flasks and pewter badges or good luck charms. Peasants’ also wore hoses, which are pants.

A holy order is the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy. Friars wore cloaks with hoods. Their clothing had rope belt with wooden beads on it. This was for counting prayers.

The clothes that shoemakers and their spouses wore were woolen coats with fur-trimmed sleeves. Inside the coat was a woolen doublet. Shoemakers often wore borealis hats.

Depending on how wealthy you were, the clothing varied in the medieval times. Most clothing was rough and scratchy, but if you were a wealthier person, it could be smooth and finely sewn.

If you were the child of a peasant, you would wear anything you could get. If you were royalty, however, it would be silk robes and damask gowns.

Pilgrimages

During the middle Ages, many people were endorsed by the church to make pilgrimages to holy places known as shrines. People traveled to these shrines to pray and be in hopes that their sins will be forgiven so they could have a chance at descending into heaven. It is also known that others visited shrines eager to be cured of incurable illnesses. When enduring these journeys, pilgrimages were known to be very dangerous in the middle ages. Pilgrims usually went in groups in order to protect one another. Case in point, Well-off citizens would pay certain people to go on the pilgrimages for them. In 1352 a merchant who lived in London paid a man a great deal of money to travel to Mount Sinai.
In the year, 1174 King Henry ll underwent a pilgrimage to the Canterbury Cathedral to ask for forgiveness from Becket, a man he took part in murdering. He also asked for penance from the monks of Canterbury to curse him. King Louis Vll of France also went to visit the Canterbury Cathedral to visit Beckets tomb praying to the saint’s aid in trying to cure his son, Phillip who was deathly ill. After praying to the saint’s aid, Phillip was cured and nursed back to good health. The Pope and the Catholic Church in Rome were appalled when they heard that Henry had shattered Beckets shrine. In 1538, the Pope announced to his citizens that Henry Vll had been shunned from the Catholic Church.
In general, pilgrimages were long journeys that had a spiritual and moral significance. It can also be known as a journey to travel to a shrine of a person’s belief in God.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORpilgrimage.htm
http://www.loyno.edu/~letchie/becket/tour/default.htm

Medieval Medicine

Medieval Medicine was practiced during the times of King Arthur and Sir Gawain. It was an imprecise science that yielded dubious results. The most common forms of treatment were based on the four humors of the body. A healthy person had a good balance of the four humors. When a person became ill it was believed to be caused by an imbalance of one of their humors. The four humors were black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile. The four humors were very significant. They were symbolic of the seasons, the elements, and certain personality characteristics.
If a person was suffering from a cold it was believed that they had too much phlegm, which is characterized as being cold and wet. So, the remedy was to put a person to bed and have them drink wine. By doing so the doctor’s thought they could decrease the amount of phlegm or increase the yellow bile- which is the opposite of phlegm because it is hot and dry. If a person suffered from a hot, dry disease such as a fever then they had too much yellow bile so doctor would prescribe cold baths to try and increase the phlegm. Black Bile is cold and dry. It is the opposite of blood, which is hot and moist. Most of the best treatments were believed to be natural functions such as sneezing, sweating, crying, urinating, and defecating. Another common treatment was bloodletting. By keeping the four humors balanced, a doctor believed he could cure any disease.
The four humors were also very symbolic. They represented the four seasons. Black Bile was Autumn. Blood was Spring. Phlegm was Winter, and yellow bile was Summer. Like the four humors, it was essential that the four seasons also stayed balanced. Too long a winter or too hot a summer could ruin the crops and cause a famine. The four humors were also connected to the four elements. Black Bile was considered to be Earth. Blood was Air. Phlegm was Water, and yellow bile was Fire. The balance of the elements is crucial for the existence of life on this planet. Since the four humors are associated with such important parts of life, it shows the importance of them in the medieval times.
Lastly, the four humors were symbolic of certain personality traits. A person who was melancholic or forlorn was said to have too much black bile. Some one who was sanguine or cheerful and optimistic was said to have an excess of blood. An individual who was phlegmatic or impassive was said to have too much phlegm in their system. A person that was choleric or easily irritated was said to have too much yellow bile.
In conclusion, medieval doctors used inexact methods to treat and cure diseases in the Middle Ages. Many people believed that these methods were effective at curing diseases and as a result were willing to spend their money to be diagnosed and cured. Doctors were by no means poor. If a doctor was legitimately good, as is the one in The Canterbury Tales, they had no trouble making a living equal to that of a skilled laborer. Medieval Medicine is no longer used today and is considered to be

Heraldry

Hello all, this is Connor's paper on the terribly riviting topic of Heraldry...

In a very blunt, straightforward statement, Heraldry is simply the study, creating, and use of something known as the “Coat of Arms”. First brought into culture and existence about 700 years ago (during the 1300’s, the age of feudalism, the bubonic plague and the era of the knight), Heraldry has remained to this day an important part of life, though not put to as much use as it was many years ago.
The phrase “Coat of Arms” refers to physical object – literally, a “Coat of Arms”. Almost all the time, this was a design upon a shield (both ceremonial and real) that could be divided up into many sections, or kept as one big image. Each image is (mostly) unique to a family. This means family in a last name sense – such as the Briton family, or the Jackson family. That being said, the Coat of Arms would be passed down from one head of the household to the next, so that a family’s coat of arms is usually inherited from many generations past, sometimes being hundreds of years old.
One of the important uses of the Coat of Arms was for identification. As previously stated, each family had its’ own unique Coat of Arms which served as identification, but where this became truly important was on the battlefield. Soldiers could use fighting styles, formations, flags, and uniforms to tell friend from foe, but when you have hundreds of knights dressed up in full suits of armor, the only way to distinguish who was who was through the Coat of Arms, which was usually borne on the shield of the soldier (though not always, it was not uncommon to have it seen on the breastplate as well).
This is why Heraldry is so important. With a deep knowledge of it, an individual can learn a lot about a Coat of Arms, as those who are knowledgeable in Heraldry are able to tell many things about an individual, such as traits, family history, family values, and cultural values. Although this is no longer a vital skill as it once was in the middle ages, it remains important to this day, in many societies.

http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/

and

http://www.heraldica.org/here.htm#common%20questions


those should work. And this is not late, it's 11:58 on monday night.
Great Success!

Corruption in The Medieval Church

This is Matt Sokol, my account's forcing me into using the wrong internet moniker right now for some reason.


The Medieval Church was, to a large degree, a corrupt and greedy institution. By declaring itself to be the voice of the lord, it took advantage of the faith of its people to scam them from money, goods, and even religious well-being – using concepts of redemption and holiness as selling points for various scams. In addition, popular literature of the time depicted nuns and monks to be rich and gluttonous, despite their vows of poverty. Men in high positions of the Church would even use their power to siphon some of its wealth to their friends and allies. With such people in top positions of the clergy, it's no surprise that the corruption would be as far-reaching and long-lasting as it was.
In the 1500s, there was little fear of eternal damnation by sinners – they could simply buy the redemption they needed! Corrupt priests would absolve criminals of their sins, often at a steep price. This, when combined with the strong fear of hell by many peasants of the era, lead to a constant stream of worried men who were more than willing to pay for their passage into heaven. Clergy members would also go so far as to selling bits of animal bone and other false items as having been from or once owned by Christ. This allowed them to make even more money off of the uneducated worshipers that were members of their churches.
Meanwhile, this money was not going towards appropriate religious causes. As many accounts from people of the time attest to, it was being siphoned directly into the hands of the clergy. The Canterbury Tales, a collection of short stories in poetic form by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a prime example of a work of literature that shed a negative light on the clergy. In its introduction, it describes a nun as an overweight and wasteful woman, feeding her dog with better food than the average peasant would ever eat. This is especially hypocritical and corrupt when contrasted with the vows that nuns of that era took – pledging to live without excess, in a state of poverty. Rather than living up to this humble standard, the money that the church took in would afford to pay for their overpriced lifestyles. Such lives proved to be common across the entire spectrum of clergy members, from the simple nun to the Pope himself.
Another issue of corruption in the medieval church was that higher-ups in the clergy would use their power to favor their friends and relatives. New offices would be created, and absorb large amounts of taxpayer money, with the sole purpose of providing a job for an individual with connections inside the clergy. An example of similar corruption was pope Nicholas III, who aided his sons and nephews by attempting to create states which they could then take control of. This was an extreme example – the creation of an entire state for the purpose of getting a son into power was not a common action by other popes.
The corruption of the medieval church, while morally repulsive, is not too surprising. It was an institution with incredible power, being able to scare the common citizens by defining sins and the horrible punishments that would follow – but then being able to sell the solution to these problems. It was able to declare all competing institutions as heathenous and evil, and thereby maintain what amounted to a monopoly on their 'market' of religion. With little to no checks and balances to prevent greed from taking advantage of such a powerful system, it was only a matter of time before human nature took its course and people began to use it for their own benefit. What's more, once such actions had started, they would become normal and spread like a sort of virus, as it became less and less taboo amongst the clergy to take part in this corruption. With all of these factors working together, the corrupt medieval church was a mistake bound to happen, and one that would take many centuries of work to begin to change.

http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hichurch.html
http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/625.html
http://www.cfpeople.org/Books/Pope/POPEp186.htm

The Crusades

The Crusades followed many years of siege and domination or territories. The events were a like a bottle slowly filling up with gas and just waiting to explode. Before the First Crusade, William the conqueror untied England, less than 30 years ago. French was in the process of dividing its’ land into different properties for their sons. Pope Urban II was taking control. He had recently expanded ‘The Truce of God’ where fighting was banned from Sunday to Wednesday. Italy was being invaded to no end, and the Normans had just begun settling. Europe was one big uncontrolled mess.
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech after a church service in France. He subtly asked the men from Western Europe (the Franks) travel east and helps their fellow Christian brothers (the Byzantines) against the vicious attacks from the Muslim Turks. The Muslims had ruled Jerusalem since 638 AD, so he also tried to encourage his men to liberate Jerusalem from the domination of the Muslims. He was surprised when his men took him seriously, because this was the start to the event now referred to as the Crusades.
No on can really tell when the Crusades ended. Since the term is defined as a series of Holy Wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics, there is still some recent evidence that they never ended. Most people believe it lasted until 1700 when the threat from Muslim men slowly vanished. But then others seem to think it ended when the last crusade tax was officially abolished in the Roman Catholic religion. This is still a topic that historians are interested in researching to figure out the truth.


http://www.medievalcrusades.com
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html#General

Medieval Music

Medieval Music is very different from the music that we know and are used to listening to today. To begin, according to some scholars, medieval and other early genres of music can be divided into two main categories, sacred and secular. Sacred medieval music refers to any music that basically turns the bible into song, or or is influenced by god. Secular medieval music on the other hand was basically the "hip" music as it was used for its entertainment values for things like dancing. These two types of medieval music put a big separation on society though. For example, sacred musicians or composers were trained while the secular composers were usually not. In other words, sacred music was for the rich and secular was for the poor. To make a connection back to the present, you can compare sacred music to classical music, and secular to the popular genres like hip-pop, rap, country etc.
When most of us think of medieval music today we think of "criers" or people who would sing on the street corner or in the town square. They were known as a low part of society. There is some truth in that but it wasn't the only way music was played. A lot of the music originated from poetry so you could go to a play to hear it or an opera or even a drama. Furthermore, the main way that the music got around was through entertainment. Therefore, referring back to what I said before, most of the music was secular, the most popular music, as is today. so there is a trend to how we listen to music and know what's popular or not.
One of the most known ways of music that originated from the medieval music is chant, and this started with the birth of Christianity. Many of us hear or even sing this on Sundays at church. There is no harmony in this type of song, just completely melodic. Every word has its own note, as you can see in a church song. Either that or the word is broken down, and each syllable has its own note.
Polyphony is music with two or more independant lines. This is a label under the medieval music category. It originated around the 8th or 9th century. It appears in a form called parallel oraganum, or a chant with almost strictly parallel progression. This type of music is sung in two different octaves usually in harmony.
Since i was very confused about that last subject, I will end on the subject of medieval instruments. You can compare most of the instrument to string instruments today like the violin and guitar. Most of the actual strings were made from the intestines of sheep. A few of the string instruments were called, the Citole, the Harp, the Hurdy-Gurdy, the Psaltery, the Fiddle, and many more. To see pictures and read more about these instruments, visit http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm . For any other questions, feel free to ask in class.

http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/medieval/polyphony.html
www.stanford.edu/~jrdx/medieval.html
http://www.trouvere.co.uk/String%20instruments.htm

Urban Living (medieval towns and guilds)

Towns and urban life in the medieval times were very different than that of today. Towns that evolved after the Black Death were mainly dominated by guilds, which were groups of people motivated by the same tasks. These guilds can be generally broken down into a few main groups, that being the merchant, craft, and non-occupational guilds.
A townsman’s status in medieval times was determined by money and goods, as opposed to the size of the land owned by the individual. Townspeople were mostly free within the walls of medieval cities once a charter was granted to them; however the society was not a democracy. The town was self-governed by an evolving class of people in Europe, the Bourgeoisie, whom made up some guild leaders. As burghers (people with a lot of money) became more popular, serfdom declined, therefore poor serfs could enter a town and become a freeman. Towns also arose from the large amount of trading during those times. These areas were generally, with the help of rivers and trade routes, concentrated places people could go to trade and exchange goods. Rural people could travel inside the walls to purchase many items, and proceed to travel back to their fields to do work.
Guilds assisted in a person’s status in a town, and way of life. They were basically self-governing groups of people with the same economic or religious goals whom would gather on various occasions and help each other out. They would protect their members, and the higher members of the guild were generally members of the civic government. Therefore disputes among guilds could be worked out in peaceful guild courts.The main buildings that made up a medieval town were Guild Halls and churches. Guild halls were places that were used for protection of the townspeople. Smaller houses were cramped, and because of the growing population at the time, caused some sanitation problems as well as fire hazards. These cities were great places for trade, and not so much for living quarters.

http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/richardson.guilds
http://history-world.org/midtowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/MedTowns.htm
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbetcher/373/guilds.htm

Medieval Food and Drink!!

Medieval Food and Drink

During the medieval time period, there was a vast difference in the food a very wealthy person ate and the food a peasant ate. The wheat that they both grew had a big role in the types of food each group ate; the rich for example grew wheat, which made white bread. The poor could only afford to grow barley or rye, which turned into a brown bread. This kind of bread wasn’t as appetizing, especially during a farmer’s bad harvest where they would have to add acorns, beans, or peas into the bread.

Most all of the people in the middle ages relied on pigs as a major source of red meat. This was because the pigs were able to find their own food during the summer and winter seasons. Pigs were not as high maintenance as other animals such as cows that would need to be milked and feed. As for their protein, the rich were the only ones who were allowed to eat salmon and trout. If a lower class person were caught eating any kind of fish, they would be harshly punished. Another popular dish was Pottage. This was a soup stew made from oats, vegetables, and beans or peas. The things that went into Pottage varied depending what types of things the peasant grew.

The three most popular drinks were, water milk and ale. The middle and lower class people often drank the water and milk and the higher-class group drank the ale. They water was incredibly risky to drink because it came straight from the river and often wasn’t very clean. The milk only lasted for a short amount of time. However, the ale was hard to make and it took many days. It was made from barley, and you needed permission from your master in order to sell it.

The people usually ate breakfast between six and seven and usually consisted of bread, ale or wine. Dinner would be eaten at around eleven until about two. Dinner was the biggest meal of the day and usually had three courses, not all that was served to the kings would be eaten and if he wasn’t looking the servants could possibly get to eat the rest of it. As for a peasant, they would eat their dinner in the fields where he was working. Lastly was supper at six or seven and was similar to dinner. The higher up people would eat off silverware, and the others ate from wooded bowls.

LINKS:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/food_and_drink_in_medieval_engla.htm

http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-food-drink.htm

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm

The Canterbury Cathedral’s history dates all the way back to 597 AD, this was when St Augustine established his seat in Canterbury. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great as a missionary from Rome. During the tenth century, the cathedral became a monastery for Benedictine monks until it was ended by King Henry VIII in 1540. The building was rebuilt and enlarged by the Saxons and by 1070 the Normans had completely rebuilt it. The wars throughout the years have caused the cathedral a fair amount of damage so the repairs have been made as necessary.
Another important part of the cathedral is the library. The library contains about 30,000 books and pamphlets that were printed before the 1900's. It also has a growing collection of about 20,000 books from after that time period. Alot of the books contain valuble information on church history, medicine, natural science, older theology, travel and the anti-slavery movement. The library is open to anyone interested in using their collection for study as well.
But the most famous event which took place in the cathedral, was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. What people may not know is that the characters portrayed in Chacucer’s Canterbury Tales were actually representatives of the hundreds of people who flocked to the cathedral for worshiping, healing and repenting at the shrine of Becket. The shrine to Thomas Becket was destroyed in 1538 by orders of King Henry VIII. Now, all there is in that place is a single candle and the imprinted pink stone where so many pilgrims have kneeled.
The story of Becket’s death is somewhat of an unfortunate one for him. It happens that he had been in a small fight with the king, and four knights overheard the king venting his rage and took his words a bit too seriously when he shouted, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?!” So with those words being heard, the knights went off and found Becket. When he was found worshiping and refused to absolve the bishops he kindly stated that in the name of Christ he would embrace death. And with that, three blows were struck and he was killed.
So that is the story of the history of the Canterbury Cathedral. The church is still active today and has great singers that perform, they gladly welcome visitors.

http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/index.aspx

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/canterbury-cathedral.htm

King Arthur

King Arthur was a well known historical and mythical figure from the Middle Ages. Many people have heard stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but there are still arguments concerning how much of King Arthur is real, and how much is just a legend.

Historically, King Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon. Throughout his life he was a military leader and a High-King of Britain. The name Arthur is thought to have come from a Celtic originating name, artos viros, meaning “bear man.” He was a part of many Celtic stories, which could be why there are many myths and legends about King Arthur.

The Legendary King Arthur’s life is often described with the “sword in the stone” legend. It begins with Arthur’s father, Uther, dying. After Uther’s death, there was no king ruling all of England. So, a sword was placed in a stone, and word went out that whoever took the sword out would be king. Arthur was the one who successfully pulled the sword from the stone, so he rightfully became the King. It is also said that King Arthur’s last battle was on Salisbury Plain, where he was wounded and carried away. His grave was supposedly discovered at Glastonbury in the reign of Henry the II, during the time of 1154-1189. Some people believe that King Arthur never died, because he was actually a God.

Although there are still debates on whether King Arthur was a historical figure, or only a myth, one thing is certain. King Arthur was a figure who has influenced literature, art, music, and society since the Middle Ages.

http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/legendary.asp
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/arthur/historical.asp
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kaking.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kamyth.html

Courtly Love

Love as we think of it today is almost completely different than the love displayed by personages of the Medieval Era. I say almost because there was still homosexual and brotherly love, but romantic love as displayed today did not exist in the same form in Medieval Times.

Romantic love was deemed as "excessive meditation of the beauty of the opposite sex, " which can still happen today. But the underlying theme of a love relationship was, hard to believe, suffering.

At some point in a relationship, a jealousy must take place. This jealousy causes the jealous party to increase their love for their significant other because they wish for a relationship that is not being satisfied due to, perhaps, a third wheel in the relationship.

Typical procedure of courtly love also dictates that the girl play "hard to get." If a lover was easily won over, the love would not last because the difficulty of the task of obtaining that love was not hard. A more difficult task yields a more lasting prize.

Also, a romantic relationship entailed that the end of all actions ended with a thought of one's significant other. So if it wasn't enough to have to suffer for the relationship that they aren't happy with, one's mind was continually fettered with thoughts of love, distracting them from everyday routines.

Secrecy was also necessary in a successful relationship. When no one knows about a relationship, like Romeo and Juliet, both parties have common ground to share. And up until the death of both Romeo and Juliet, their love for each other did not dim.

Crazy as it seems, adulterous and premarital immoral relationships were sought after because they were a secretive relationship. Neither men nor women walked around the town declaring that they were adulterers, because the the women would be cruelly punished, and the man would be mutilated or killed in front of the woman. In other words, there was a serious danger in immoral relationships, and so people sought after it because of the fun involved with that danger.

It is also said that sexual appetite belonged to the woman. Man had lust, but the woman initiated such conduct. This was because the men were too chivalrous and respected the women enough to let them decide when such conduct was wanted.

Incidentally, marriage and love were almost never related. Marriages were arranged, and generally the two parties involved did not meet until they were betrothed. For this reason, suffering was common because the married couple did not always get along or love each other.

Which leads to one of the unhappy couple being jealous of the love life which they missed out on, having difficulty getting their true love to love them, thinking about them all the day long, keeping their love a secret, and then entering into an adulterous relationship because it is dangerous. So the cycle continues until the men are mutilated or killed, and the women are either sent away from their home, or made to walk around the town with their head shaved . Generally, the woman brought shame and dishonor on her house, and generally the husband could kill the male lover for the woman to see and the law would not care.

So be grateful things have changed, guys.

"Fornication and Adultery"

"Love, Marriage, Romance & Women"

"Medieval Love"

Medieval Plays and Drama

Plays and drama during the Medieval time greatly reflected people's personal experiences and stories of their own lives. Due to the broad sharing of the story teller's life this only reflected the limited knowledge of the people in their villages. These performances were produced by the common people living in England, involved in the Christian Church. Along with religious views, more subtle political, economical aspects were often woven in to the plays.
There were three defined types or cycles of plays that were created. Among the three was 'mystery' plays which were mainly centered around Christ and various aspects and theories relating to the topic. 'Miracle' plays were performences which included lives of saints, often historical and legendary. And lastly, 'Mortality' plays which often included the common man's struggle through life and hopes of salvation. Though some performences branched off from these three main catigories due to personal experiences and preferences, the majority of Middle Aged drama were centered around these three religious aspects.
Due to the involvement of members from the Christian church the plays were chiefly focused on Christian views. Religion was a main focus due to the extreme involvement citizens had in the Christian community. Often the plays were held in churches alongside large stained glass windows which portrayed religious figures and scenes to the, primarily, illiterate crowd. Often large religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter were reasons to conduct larger productions.
Often the more educated members of society and community leaders would make use of plays to advise the illiterate with a better understanding of key concepts in the Christian church. The speaker would dramatically perform the important aspects of certain significant concepts. Not only would the crowd gain better understanding of the concept but they would also acquire more appreciation for their surroundings.
A very well known celebration that included large Middle Age plays was the ‘Corpus Christi Pageant’ (Latin for the Body of Christ). This was a feast held in celebration of the body of Christ which included outdoor theatrical performances in the city of York, England. Numerous religious plays were presented that came together to signify the story of Christian salvation. This gathering of costumes, music, and choir of voices was often held on a Thursday in late spring, nearly two months after Easter. This celebration of the real presences of Christ was a yearly happening and included large decorative wagons from which the plays were performed.

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/resources/PSim/yorkintro.html#feast

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/medievaldrama.htm

Inquisition and the Ecclesiastical courts.

Inquisition is an official investigation, especially one of the political or religious natures. Inquisition can also be considered as a severe interrogation often violating the rights or privacy of an individual. Ecclesiastical courts are tribunals set up by religious authorities to deal with disputes among clerics or laymen. In the early periods in history, the ecclesiastical courts often had a degree of temporal jurisdiction and in the Middle Ages the courts of the Roman Catholic Church competed with the activist courts in power. Ecclesiastical courts had jurisdiction over issues like marriage, separation, wills and legitimacy. The courts also claimed authority over clergy accused of most types of crimes. The church courts had jurisdiction over all disputes concerning discipline or administration of the church property claimed by the clergy or ecclesiastical corporate bodies, taxes, questions touching on oaths, vows and heresy. The special ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition was employed, and lay rulers were obliged under pain of exclusion from the Christian community, to pass the most severe sentences. In England today the ecclesiastical courts exercise jurisdiction in civil cases concerning church buildings and in criminal cases in which clergymen are accused of ecclesiastical crimes.

Medieval Arms and Armor

Warriors from the early Middle Ages of Europe wore equipment derived from the late Romans. A short-sleeved mail shirt was worn over their body made of interlocking iron rings. Underneath the metal armor the knight would wear a padded garment known as an "aketon" or "gambeson". Late in the Middle Ages plate armor began to appear because of the more powerful weapons being used. However, the use of gunpowder was becoming effective and even the plate armor was ineffective. The most commonly worn helmet was called a Spangenhelm. Shields were round or oval and usually made of wood covered in leather. The shields were painted with symbols to distinguish friends from enemies. Around the rim were metallic mountings and in the center was a hole for the hand grip. The weapons they carried were most likely a spear, sword, ax, or bow and arrow. In the height of the middle-ages horses may have been used. At the end of the 12th century a new helmet type was used. It was flat on top with side plates that allowed the face of the warrior to be hidden.

Helmet (Spangenhelm) http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_42.50.1.htm


Two Shield Bosses http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/ho/06/eust/ho_1984.184.1,2.htm

Arms & Armor http://tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=AA

Feudalism

In Medieval times, the specific government that England ran by was Feudalism. After the invasion and conquest of William the First, Feudalism was introduced in 900AD (1). The controller of this system of government was the King. Basically, he ruled over all the land with the help of this advisors.
The system was very effective and simple. The King would grant land to the Barons, who would grant land to the Knights, who would grant land to the Serfs. In return, the Serfs would provide the Knights with food and any services when demanded. The Knights would provide the Barons with protection and the Barons would provide money and knights to the King. Everyone got something out of the system(1).
Feudalism ended because family ties and the social atmosphere changed. Protective and territorial concerns became more important than family and also, inheritance importance became less important as well. Feudalism slowly ended by the 14th century in England(2). Feudalism is not active now in modern day England.






(1) http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm
(2)http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/feudalism.html

Monastic Orders

Monastic orders are a group of people living under a religious rule. The basic building block of it is seclusion and withdrawal from society for the people who choose to be a part. It is literally the act or “dwelling alone”, when the word is Monasticism is broken down in the Greek language. Monks take a religious vow, and the ultimate goal is to be above the rest of society. It is a lifetime commitment to spiritual work, and are actually present in multiple religions. In the time of Chaucer’s novel, The Canterbury Tales, there were many monastic orders in Britain. They include: Augustinians, Benedictines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Cistercians, Cluniacs, Dominicans, Franciscans, Gilbertines, Premonstratensians, and Tironensians. Between 1536 and 1541, Henry VII closed all British monasteries. Eventually, during the Victorian times, they were re-opened in Britain, along with convents.
The more recognized monastic order is Benedictines, as it is the oldest British monastic order and had more monasteries than any other kind in all of Europe. The biggest communities in this order were Abbeys (rules by Abbots), and Priories (rules by priors). There are also monks and nuns, who may also be known as monastics. Monks in this monastic order worked with education, books, copying old manuscripts, and starting new schools and universities around where they lived and worked. Monks here were also known for wearing black. An example of a current Benedictine monastery is the Downside Abbey.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10459a.htm
http://www.request.org.uk/main/history/middle/monastery02.htm
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MONASTICORDER

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer, also known as the father of English Literature, was a medieval poet, who wrote one of the most famous of English texts, The Canterbury Tales. Born around the year 1342 to a wine merchant and a heiress, he was well educated, although it is unknown if he received any higher education. As well as knowing several languages, he was also educated in astronomy, medicine, physics, and alchemy. He later became a servant to the Countess of Ulster in 1357, where he traveled to France. He was captured in France while fighting. King Edward III paid 16 million pounds toward Chaucer’s ransom, and after a year or two, Chaucer entered royal service to the king. It is thought that it was in France where Chaucer found his passion for writing. It is during this time that he wrote the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. What makes Chaucer’s style so unique is that it is much different from previous English texts, such as those of the Anglo-Saxon period. Chaucer’s work is much more detail oriented, and it is more subtle in the messages that it gets across to its audience.

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03642b.htm

Bubonic Plague

The Bubonic Plague also known as The Black Death, hit Europeans strongly during the mid-ages. The plague was a disease that was thought to originate in China. After two Italian merchants came back from China, and docked in Sicily it was said that was the start of the terrible disease. After one year the disease spread as far as England.
The Plague attacks the blood stream, after direct contact with someone who has the plague or after being bit by fleas that have the disease. There was no cure for the plague and after five consecutive years of death one third of Europe died from the Bubonic Plague.
Since the plague did kill about one third of Europeans, it affected the economy heavily, and the way people lived. People living in Europe at the time did one of two things. They either abandon their families, homes, cities, or ran off to cities that were not infected, or many people sheltered themselves in their houses with uninfected family. It was not uncommon for mothers to abandon their sons, and fathers to abandon their daughters. Social order in the cities was lost. Like many might think ministers, nuns, and enforcers of the law all were sick also, causing every man to fend for themselves. Social order in the cities within Europe was lost. There were no longer any servants that would care for the sick who were rich, and there was no communication between neighbors, and family. After millions were dead the Catholic churches no longer had any more space in the cemeteries. The deceased were bared in large ditches that were covered with dirt. If you had died from the plague you may be buried with up to three hundred other men, women, and children.
Many might say that the plague caused generations to be lost, and a culture that would never be the same.

By: Tiana Farina


http://www.insecta-inspecta.com/fleas/bdeath/
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/renaissance/Globe/BlackDeath.html

Medieval Visual Art

Medieval society was a theocentric society, and as a result, symbolic representations of religious figures can be found throughout the time period's art work. The first period of Medieval art is called the Byzantine. In this period, mosaics were a very prominent art form, and could be found built into the walls of the churches. However, other art forms were present, and the Medieval artists created a new painting technique, involving egg yolk and a wooden support. This style of art lacked three-dimentional qualities, but was very symbolic. This artwork includes gold backgrounds, representing a heavenly atmosphere, halos to represent religious stature, and sometimes Roman political figures such as Emperors to represent a unification of church and state (debatably the opposite of today's society). Also, the way in which Christ was represented on the cross was symbolic. He had been represented on the cross with his eyes open, showing his victory over death, but this later changed, and he was drawn with his eyes closed. It is possible that this was done to show an empathetic view of Christ.

For many centuries, people of the medieval ages lacked the knowledge of architectual styles that the Romans had had. This knowledge was rediscovered, however, during a period of time in which religious pilgrammages gained popularity, and thus more churches needed to be built to satisfy the new amounts of worshipers. The technique that was rediscovered was called vaulting, in which mortar was used to hold stones together. This is called the Romanesque style, and this style, along with the Gothic style, were the common forms of architecture of the Middle Ages. The difference between designs was that the Romanesque style had one tower, and was not as decorative as the ornate Gothic Style. One very prominent aspect of Gothic architecture is the use of gargoyles. Originating from the french word "gargouille," meaning throat or pipe, gargoyles served symbolic as well as functional purposes. They were found on the roofs of buildings done in the Gothic style as guardians of the building, and serves as gutters, guiding water away from the sides of buildings. "Gargoyles" that did not serve as gutters were referred to as chimera.

http://www.eyeconart.net/history/medieval.htm

http://www.gargoylegothica.com/

Dragons

Dragons and dragon related deaths were a huge problem in the middle ages. Dragons frequently went around burninating cottages and peasants. They mostly came in the niiiiight. One of the most notorious dragons of these period was Trogdor(1).

(1) "Trogdor." The Homestar Runner Wiki . 22 October 2007. . Goleman Networks.. 7 Nov 2007 .

Terpsichore (Medieval Dances/Music)

For any/all of you who like classical music, this is a link to a four movement piece entitled Terpsichore. Terpsichore (one of the nine muses of Greek Mythology, she was of music) is actually a collection of many medieval dances and songs (there have been hundreds written down and recorded, Terpsichore just samples some) shaped into a four-movement 24 minute (around there piece).

It's an absolutely fantastic piece of music, and the SWHS Wind Ensemble is playing it at this winter concert coming up.

Anyway, check it out if.

http://www.manhattanbeachmusic.com/html/terpsichore2.html

-Connor

Fair

Ok so im a little late with this post but I thought i should do it anyways. I actually really enjoyed the fair. Going into it I thought it was going to be alot different and more structured, I guess would be the word to use. I was sortof freaked out when we first got there and everyone was dressed up and trying to get us to go see different shows but after a few minutes i really thought the whole thing was hysterical. All of the people were so outgoing and did such a good job staying in character. They did a really good job of keeping you involved in the fair...my friends and I were asked numerous times to participate in things and it was really funny to interact with those people. A guy who was supposed to be from Ireland asked us to watch him dual a guy from England in throwing daggers. While we were watching them, other people from the fair came to support them and started conversing with us. That was sortof weird to try to talk to them but the two guys who were throwing the daggers were really funny.So all in all, I had a really good time at the fair and I'm glad we went.

I wasn't able to attend the Renaissance Fair, because I was in Italy for the third week of school. I had so... many absences that I decided to stay at school. Instead I am going to talk about the artwork above which is in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. This is a photograph of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangleo. Michelangelo was asked by a king to paint the whole ceiling, and it was at the end of his career. He had to paint with his neck looking up for eight hours a day. When Michelangelo painted the ceiling he used depth and perception which was knew to that time period. He did such a great job of that, that when your in the chapel it looks as if they are tiles. Michelangelo painted each angle nude, which was normal to that time period. After he had died a number of Michelangelo's students were asked to paint over the nude parts of the angels. If anyone has the opprutunity to visit Rome, they have so much art, music, and culture. Rome was an increadable educational experience as well as a fun time.

Renaissance Fair!

Before attending the renaissance fair I was a little skeptical on what to think about it. At first, I didn’t know what to think because all of the people made it kind of overwhelming for me. After about an hour, I got more comfortable and started to really enjoy it! I loved how the people dressed up in costume and played the part of their character. I was surprised as to how nice the people were. I also liked the shows, at one point, one of the comedians literally dragged me to the front and had some stranger put his arm around me. Overall, I really enjoyed this field trip and feel that it tied in with what we are learning very nicely and has made me eager to learn more about the history and so forth of the renaissance time period.

The fair

I actually thought the fair was pretty cool and worth it. I really had no idea what to expect when we went since i'd never been to one. One of my favorite things was the turkey leg. I'm sure everyone that tried them would agree that they were good tasting and well worth the six dollars. I found the stop sign guy to be really funny. Right when we walked in he started giving people tickets for not stopping at it too. Also, the guy that had the business cards that was saying, "Damn you friends with this go to hell card, go to hell, go to hell.....," was really funny. Another cool part was the shows. The sword swallower was really neat along with the guy in the big tent making all the crude jokes. He even flipped me off. Another cool part was that all of the people, including the kids were in character. They were pretty convincing too. Overall, I had a great time and it really exceeded my expectations. I think it was really time well spent.

For the most part I enjoyed the fair. Although I thought it was a little awkward at first with everyone dressed up in costume and doing various activities soon after walking around and exploring the area for a while I became more comfortable.

I watched a few of the preformences which I found fairly interesting. One had been a comedy show of two men dancing and singing while adding jokes about the audience. Although it was a little early in the morning for their dry jokes it was entertaining to see them dance around stage and interact with the audience. Then I had watched a silent show under a large tent near the food section which a few of you have mentioned. This show I thought was very enjoyable. It had been a mime that called upon people from the audience to take part in his performance along with a few more 'adult' centered jokes. There was a drummer in the background to tye the show together. I thought this was the best of the performances I saw all day.

All together I thought the fair was better than I assumed and I had a good time.

Dave's Day At The Droll Fair

Hey whatsup?

Like my alliteration in the title? Ha, anyway I found the fair to be really funny. It was full of jokes, weird jokes, especially sexual ones but I won't go into that, at least not now. Sense the word droll HA. All kidding aside, I found the sword swallower to be mad cool. He called me up to the stage and I got to make sure it was real. I also wonder how he did the thing with the knives and the cups. There had to have been a button or a light on the knife, there is no way he would have been able to risk his hand. I hope we have a class discussion on the fair where we can all go into more detail on stuff.


see you in class

My day at the Renaissance Faire

The Renaissance Faire was so much fun than what I had expected.. It was very strange to see all those people dress up like the people in the Renaissance period.. It kind of scared me when I saw a person dressed up as a cat and act like a cat. We went to play where these 2 men would sing and make the audience sing 'The DUMB song". It was very funny. Then, we started walking around the faire. There were people shooting tiny Marshmallows at us. Cool jewelry and dresses, were sold at the faire, which were very expensive. There were places where you can sword fight. I also saw people selling dragons(tiny lizards) at the faire. The food at the faire was really good. There was also a guy under a tent, near the food area, where he would make fun of people, the jokes were very inappropriate. There was also this pirate comedy show which was also pretty funny to watch. We also saw a jousting competition, where there were 2 contestants who would try to catch rings on their poles, which didn't really make sense.My friends and I actually had lots of fun at the faire, and it wasn't like any other faire that I have ever been to!!

Rennaissance Farie

Well, I guesss its my turn to weite about my evperiences at the faire. I was surprised wheni first got there that there would be so many people there, I thought that it would be a little place where stands and a stage was to tell everyone about what it was like back then. The whole time I thought that we were going to get facts and information drilled in to our heads that whole time at the faire, but that didn't happen at all and I was a little thankful about that. My favorite part of the whole day was the Pirate show at the end, it was wxtremely entertaining and funny. The "brothers" that put on the show were always fighting and making jokes but also telling us in formation about pirate life and some of the things that they did back then. The faire was an awesome experience and it was better than I thought that it would be.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

This is my (Matt Sokol, since my username's stuck on Wlokos right now) renaissance fair post.

Good: Those turkey legs were incredible. Totally worth the $6. They were also fun because they fit the theme of the faire. The only downside is that any future thanksgiving turkeys will pale in comparison. And, yes, I know that it's a bit odd that I'm choosing the food over anything else at the faire - there was tons of good stuff, such as the silent comedy, the music shop I found, and a million other things.

Bad: Bees! If there hadn't been three or four bees flying around me trying to get at the various foods and drinks I consumed throughout the day, it would've been a lot more enjoyable. I actually had to throw out an apple cider thing before I finished it because the bees were all over it and I wasn't in any mood to be stung.

Ugly: Me not getting to see Anthony Josie and Sam Tracy walking around the park in their robot costumes before they decided to get rid of them. 'Twas a sad moment when I saw that they'd lost the outfits.

Overall, the faire was an awesome experience. I was definitely not expecting anything half as large or as authentic feeling as what I ended up seeing. I definitely think I'll return there next year, because it's certainly worth a return trip.

At first, I was very skeptical of the faire which seems to be common. Especially that annoying lady in the parking lot was sending bad vibes. For the first like five minuets i was walking around in complete shock wondering if these people are doing/wearing what I am seeing. Then I watched the show of the sword swallower, this was pretty amazing. When I see this kind of stuff on t.v. i think ohh yeah right its a set up. But it was the real deal, I want to find his website and see it go down threw x-rays. Then I also watched when he would smash the cups hoping there wasn't a sward under each one. This one did not seem as real to me, there had to be some way he would no which one contained the sword. The other thing with this, is did they really do this as an activity back then? I spent the rest of my time at the faire waiting for people to come out of the tarot card reader. Some of the things he said were really scary because they were so true. I couldn't believe that he said some of the things he said, i didn't have time to get mine read but, I basically had a really good time at the faire I just wish we had stayed longer.

My ___________ at the Fair.

The Connecticut Renaissance Fair was a rather new experience for me. I've been to the King Richards Renaissance Fair up in Massachusetts three times before this, but the CT one was an entirely new experience for me.
Unfortuntely, because I had been to the Mass fair before, I had a couple of expectations of this fair that I couldn't avoid. Some were entirely met, while others were not. Let's start with the "not's"
I guess I was looking for a genuine medieval experience, one which would contain (but not be limited to) authentic acting, settings, food, and speech. The other fair that I am accostomed to going to is built on a permanant Renaissance fair ground, so that the settings of it are very much real feeling. I'm well aware that the CT Fair could only do so much, having it be set at a fairground and call, but it none the less left me longing for the Mass Fair.
That being said, the rest of the fair was fantastic. It takes alot of nerve and talent to be able to work at on of these fairs and really appear to be authentic, or simply ammusing, and a majority of the individuals whom I came across has both of those attributes. The two executioners (I don't remember their names) put on a very humerous show, and I"m sure that many of you would agree with me. Other highlights would be getting to hurl sharp objects into a wall, an encounter with a Grendle-esque figure and a Green Dragon trying to sell me ice cream. What caught my eye the most, however, would have to be the costumes of the people. Obviously there are some that are rather sad looking, but that was all made up for when you see someone walking around in full chain mail. While talking with many of these people, I managed to learn that it takes around 4 months to construct a full suit of chain mail (for those of us who have lives to attend to). I guess I better get started.
And then of course, there was the turkey leg. The wonderful, delicious, glorious turkey leg. By far the highlight of my day, and I managed to completely eat everything (I really mean everything) except the bone. At the moment of completion, I felt like a true king.

fair.

I really liked the fair. everybody that i talked to also enjoyed it... i think we all thought it was going to be just another boring field trip but in the end it turned out to be one of the most fun ones i have been on. I really liked how all of the people working there were in character. It must be so neat to do that and play a different lifestyle. The only show i watched was the sword swallower. i was amazed that someone could actually do that.. usually you see that type of stuff on tv and you think it's fake but nothing about this show could have been fake. I don't really know what exactly it had to do with the fair itself except for the sword part. Maybe it was something they used to do in their free time. I didn't try any of the food there which i wish i did. I really liked how the people at each stand talked to you and tried to make you feel welcome. It was funny to see how into it people got. also it was cool to see little kids dressed up in costume beacuse i wouldn't think a lot of children would be interested in that type of stuff. Overall the fair was a great time. Like a lot of people i wish we could have stayed longer.

The One Where I Got A Ticket...

The faire was surprisingly fun! I, like everyone else, wasn't so sure how it would go and wasn't expecting too much out of it. Luckily, it turned out to be a fun day that had a lot of culture and interesting things to teach and show me. My favorite experience was the "police officer" who got on peoples backs about the silliest things. For one, I got a ticket for not stopping at his stop sign... which was really small and on the ground. It was totally ridiculous and outrageous and thats what made it so fun. thats what made the whole entire faire fun! It was weird, and not what I was used to... it was a culture shock, but once I left "modern time" at the door and just had fun, the field trip was definately worth it and a good experience.

The fair

The most interesting part of the fair for me was the sword swallower. I thought it was amazing that someone could do such a thing. The part about it that also caught my attention was that he has two spots in the Guiness Book of World Records. He also has his own page in ripley's believe it or not, and was only one of 50 of the sword swallowers left still performing. It's insane how someone can risk their voice or serious injury like that just to entertain people. The food was also very good. The chili on the hot dog I had was great, and the cheese sticks were too. On top of that it's nice to wash it down with a cold birch beer. Overall it was a very fun(ny) day and was something I wont soon forget.

fairrr

I think that my favorite part of the fair was getting to see and trying on all the clothes. I thought it was nice to be able to try on things that people actually wore back during the renassance. And i thought it was so cool that everyone there made alot of the mail that they were wearing as aurmor. I even saw outfits, which i tried on, and juggling balss, which i attemped to learn, all maid out of mail which the people that it belong to said they made it. And i agree, the turkey leg deffinatly made the fair, although it was soo much meat. I wish we had stayed longer!!

Turkey Leg

My favorite part of the faire was when i bought a turkey leg. It's not that i thought it was amazing, but i felt like my faire experience was complete as i was eating it. Also, the sword swollower was pretty cool. I was wondering if people during the rennaisance actually swollowed swords or if this was just to captivate a modern audience.

Fair!!!

Overall, i thought the fair was a lot of fun. But when I first got there that was not the case. When I first walked in I was in shock by how into the fair these people were. The strange man in black really scared me and I was suprised in how "serious" they took it. As I walked around, I started to like it more. All the shops on the road were really cool to check out and see what they had to offer. A bunch of us went to a show where headsman were doing comedy and it was quite entertaining. We then went over to a show where a guy was putting a sword down his throat!!! That was wicked awesome and really freaky. The baked potatoes were really good too. OH! and we also went to a show where two guys were showing you the step by step in how to sword fight like in the movies. That was the funniest show i have ever been to! It was more for the older crowd but it was probably the highlight of my day besides the sword swallowing. I wish we could have stayed to see the hypnotise show. That would have really amazed me but I'm happy that I still got to see a lot.

Laughs at The Renaissance Faire

On the whole the fair was a great experience. Although I think that too many people took it for an excuse to wear a corset or an ill fitting kilt. However, without a doubt the best part of the day for me was Zoltan the Adequate. Zoltan was a simple man and he knew his priciples. Zoltan the Adequate was a comedian and a flame spitter and even an animal balloonist. He could probably do anything and it would still be funny. I was sitting with Mike Lenkiet and Dylan Rinker on top of a picnic bench eating lunch. I had gotten a Gyro from the Middle eastern booth. It was actually authentic and had a perfect savory grilled taste. The smell was interesting it was a mix of grilled beef and mini doughnut that another person was eating but still an appealing scent. In the distance you could here a band playing, it had a rather hard drum line that resounded throughout the whole fair. Before my eyes was the amusing Zoltan. He had great jokes even if they all had a sexual punchline it really just made it better. He was making two dog shaped balloons and one popped Zoltan told us that this was not the first time his latex had broken. He had an infinite supply of cutting saves that could take attention away from any mistake he made. There wasn't any real physical feeling but as far as emotion goes I was feeling a hysterical laughter in me at all times and I was never sure if i should let it out because his jokes were so crude but most times I couldn't help it.

FAMINE!

So, we all get to the Faire, and after basically getting threatened by that scary lady in a corset, we are feeling less than enthusiastic about the day. From the road, the Faire looked really small and honestly I don't think anyone was thinking that it was going to me a memorable day. But after getting through the gates and looking around, we all realized, or at least the people I was with realized that this was probably the coolest wierd faire we've been to. The first thing that I realized when I walked into the faire was that there was a smelly, green skinned nut dressed in black trying to scare people. And I was scared. I tried to pretend that he wasn't trying to scare me, and that he didn't scare me at all, but girls aren't really good at hiding their fear. So when this nutcase came up behind me while I was waiting in a line to buy doughnuts with my friend (those were the bese non-authentic renaissance doughnuts i've ever had), I may have freaked out. But he wouldn't go away! That's when I tried a new defense tactic: I talked to him. It turns out, this guy's name was Famine. He had a brother, but his brother wasn't at the faire, and I forget what he said about his mother because by this time, Rachel and I were in hysterical laughter. We got our doughnuts finally, and as soon as Rachel started eating, Famine was basically having a siezure... he was dying because the FAMILE was dying! I finally realized the point of him, and it was realllly geeky- he was a metaphor for the pain, suffering, starvation, and disease during that time! He came up unexpectedly to everyone, and you may not have liked him or wanted him around, but he wouldn't leave until you had overcome him.

Renaissance Faire

Let's see, where to start.... there was food, games, shows, costumes... I think my favorite part of the fair was definitely all of the shows that you could watch. The first one Iwent to was really funny, because it was just these two headsmen singing and dancing and telling jokes. Then, the second one was this silent comedian guy underneath the food tent. He was funny because he would pull people from the audience and bring them onstage and stuff, so it was funny to watch that. Plus, the food was amazing. Finally, the third show I went to was supposed to be jousting (I think), so I was expecting actual fighting, with some kind of weapon. But it ended up that it was just men on horses trying to catch rings on sticks, so that was kind of disappointing. Overall, I definitely really liked the field trip to the fair- there was a lot to do, and it was really fun.

Fair

When I first was told we were going to the fair, I wasn't that excited. But it turns out that it was actually a lot of fun. The second we walked in, it felt like we entered a different world, I felt really under dressed. The people there were so authentic with clothing an attitude, it was really funny.

I also enjoyed how the actors were giving out tickets. People recieved them for some of the most random and stupidest things. Lack of fashsion sense, not able to yeild at a stop sign, and of course the best one, personal display of affection towards a pickle. Who would have guessed that you can't take pictures with statues!

The other thing I really enjoyed was the shopping. Most of the jewelry there you could never find anywhere else, it was mostly hand made, and it was really pretty. I ended up buying some becuase I loved it so much.

I would love to get the chance to go back next year, and I was bummed we couldn't stay longer.