The Middle Ages is a periodisation of European history, encompassing the period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century to the Renaissance in the 15th century.
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What was the life expectancy in Medieval Britain?
I'm working on doing background research for one of my novels and I'm looking for roughly how old a male in the peasant class would've lived around 5th or 6th century Britain.
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What particularly watershed events led to the War of the Roses?
What were the key events that led to the War of the Roses occurring in England during the 15th century. Was there any particular event that was the tipping point?
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Who are the modern descendants of the Khazar people?
The Khazars where a people who built an empire centred North of the Caucasus Range, between the 7th and 11th centuries. They are not at all mainstream (at least in Europe), even though, defeating the ...
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81 views
How were heavier objects weighed in antiquity/middle ages?
How were heavier objects weighed in antiquity or the middle ages? Were balances simply scaled up in size with appropriately larger weights? Did people know how much an elephant or even an ox actually ...
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76 views
Who was Asselin FitzArthur?
I stumbled in wikipedia upon a lovely story about a man called Asselin FitzArthur who stopped the burial proceedings of William the Conqueror in Caen, claiming that the church stood on land that had ...
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1answer
65 views
Language in German cloisters during the High Middle Ages
I would like to know which was the spoken and literary language in German cloisters during the High Middle Ages. Is it possible to differentiate between social groups in the cloister (monks, laymen, ...
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108 views
Early medieval urban development
Does anybody know of research papers or academic resources that study the full development and growth of medieval cities? I mean, from village stage to city stage. Or maybe cities did not develop that ...
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331 views
What factors contributed to the rise of national monarchies in the high middle ages?
I'd be the first to admit that I don't exactly know much about this topic and the initial research I've done on it has simply led to greater confusion. My current understanding (which I'm pretty sure ...
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1answer
122 views
How did Magnus IV of Sweden come of age at 15?
According to the Wikipedia article Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus was declared to have come of age at 15 in 1331. This caused resistance in Norway, where a statute from 1302 made clear that kings came ...
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Who kept noble prisoners captured in battle?
During the Hundred Years War era, noblemen captured in a battle were normally held for ransom. In such a case, who got to keep the prisoner, provide him lodgings, and receive the ransom? Was it the ...
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286 views
Who should be the king/queen of England?
If you start from 1066, the last direct line legitimate monarch was Richard III.
Then you have the Tudors with a fairly weak claim, then they handed it on to the Stuarts with an even weaker claim. ...
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Eastern and Southern Europe in the medieval time period?
What were Eastern and Southern Europe like in the medieval period? Did Southern and Eastern Europe have knights and castles like Western Europe? I've never heard for example of Italian knights in the ...
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127 views
Status of merchants in feudal Europe
What was the status of merchants during the feudal age in Europe? Did they, like peasants, serve/have allegiance to certain land owning lord? If yes, do they have different status or privileges from ...
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What percentage of Jews were in “finance” (money-lenders) throughout Middle Ages?
The stereotypical image of a Jew in Middle Ages (and the portrayal of them) was of course "the money-lender". From Ivanhoe's Isaac of York, to Shakespeare's Shylock, to "Проклятый жид, почтенный ...
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5answers
369 views
Which arm was the shield held in?
I'm asking a question elsewhere and I'm sure I've heard some historical text to back this up as well as sound reasoning: you want your strongest arm to stop yourself from getting killed by using a ...
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1answer
73 views
Who besieged Karl IV at Siena?
According to Wikipedia article about the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV:
His second journey to Italy took place in 1368, when he had a meeting with Pope Urban VI at Viterbo, was besieged in his ...
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428 views
What was the reason for inflation in Britain after the Black Death?
According to the Wikipedia article Ordinance of Labourers 1349
During this outbreak [of Black Death], an estimated 30-40% of the population died. The decline in population left surviving workers ...
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Linen doublets around 1380-1410, middle and eastern Europe
Most people agree that doublets and hose were made with wool on the outside and linen on the inside.
Are there any evidence that confirm such belief? Any guild documents, findings, etc? Do we have ...
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How sophisticated was Paris in 1500 CE?
I'm helping my HS daughter find sources from which to form an opinion on the following question: "Which city was more sophisticated in 1500: Tenochtitlán or Paris?" for a research paper.
She needs at ...
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1answer
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Where can I find the text of “Ecerinis”?
This is a play from the 14th century (reportedly "the first secular tragedy written since Roman times") relating the tale of Ezzelino da Romano and written by one Albertino Mussato. Is there an online ...
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2answers
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'Sub rosa' council meetings
Wiktionary's etymology of the term sub rosa reads:
The rose's connotation for secrecy dates back to Greek mythology. Aphrodite gave a rose to her son Eros, the god of love; he, in turn, gave it to ...
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3answers
127 views
How “religious” was the average person in the Middle Ages?
During Europe in the Middle Ages, how religious was the "average Joe"?
Looking at the large scale politics of the time it seems religion was a major part of the elites' lives, with treaties with the ...
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1answer
158 views
Did the Moors and Arabs, “Muslims,” who invaded Europe, ie “Spain,” help the evolution of civilizations of Europe?
Were the Muslims viewed as barbarians similar to the Mongols, and as a people who only specialized in war? Or, were Muslims advanced enough to teach Europe scientific advancements? Did they invent any ...
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71 views
Why was the Håndfæstning forced on Erik V of Denmark?
Håndfæstning was the name for charters forced upon the Scandinavian kings by their nobility, not unlike Magna Carta in Britain. Erik V of Denmark was the first to sign such a document. What were the ...
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90 views
How was food produced in Europe/Germany prior to the industrial revolution?
I'd appreciate any pointer to books or other medias that cover the production of food prior to the industrial revolution (with the regional focus being in Europe or even more narrowly in ...
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1answer
77 views
Can the University of Bologna be considered the first university in the world?
There are usually two different opinions: the first group considers the University of Bolgona to be officially the first one, some others instead claim that there might have been other groups of ...
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Changing troops in first line during battle [closed]
I remember Caesar in De Bello Gallico mentioning Romans changing fighting/resting troops in some siege defense while Celtic attackers didn't do this and lost the battle because of it (it was somewhere ...
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Gylfaginning a redacted worldview of Norse beliefs?
Intro
Gylfaginning - a part of the Younger Edda, is one of the most important scriptural sources in defining the Norse worldview.
Background
Gylfe, a mythical king of Sweden, wondered how the ...
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122 views
What is known about the possibility of a “real King Arthur”?
I once saw a documentary that discussed a discovered possible "round table" but wondered how "pie in the sky" this possibility was as well as just how much/how little evidence is there for any ...
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1answer
161 views
Could medieval European merchants travel through the Islamic world?
I've heard that the Islamic world was closed to European merchants in the Middle Ages. Is this true? If so, when did it close and when did it open again?
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2answers
171 views
Middle east and North africa population during the high middle ages
I am looking for this information everywhere, but I can't seem to find the population of anyone else but the Europeans during the middle ages.
We know that the population of the European countries ...
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2answers
91 views
Subjects of sermons in the Middle Ages
Were they more often devoted to New Testament subjects or to Old Testament subjects?
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1answer
85 views
How did commoners in late medieval to early modern Europe learn to read?
Literacy in the early Middle Ages was very low, but as I recall, by the time of Reformation quite a lot of commoners could read. Even if they were not very good in reading and writing, by the 17th ...
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Why were Catholic priests prohibited from participating in ordeals but allowed to participate in inquisitions?
Pope Innocent III prohibited priests from participating in ordeals during the Fourth Lateran Council, but Pope Innocent IV later allowed torture in inquisitions. What is the ideological difference?
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Why are there so many depictions of pre-Christian gods built in Medieval and Renaissance Rome? [closed]
I wonder why Church officials not only allowed but also endorsed and paid for depictions of pre-Christian gods.
Examples include Pietro Bracci's Oceanus, which was funded by the Pope,
and multiple ...
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Is there a commonly-accepted book or a site that explains the history-of-everything? [closed]
I don't know if i am allowed to post such question however i want a e-book or a site where i can start to understand the civilization and how it started. i mean i know a lot of ancient historic ...
