Tag: Medieval Europe
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Reactions to Suicide in Medieval Europe
People who lived in medieval Europe were, by and large, part of a Christian population. Whilst the strength of religious beliefs, and the Church’s control over individuals’ lives, did vary from person to person and region to region, generally people were aware of and wary of Church laws. As the medieval period progressed, the Church…
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The Anarchy: England’s Medieval Civil War
The English Civil War occurred in the seventeenth century, and was fought between supporters of the King and those who wanted him punished. However, centuries before this, in the twelfth century, another civil war waged across the country between two competing claimants to the throne. This period, known as The Anarchy, lasted for nearly twenty…
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Royal People: Jacqueline of Hainault, pawn or political player?
I recently received a request for some Dutch history, and I am always happy to oblige. In all honesty, I know fairly little about Dutch history on its own, with most of what I do know being how the country was used by the French, English, and Spanish for their own gains. One person who…
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Royal People: Emperor Charlemagne, King of the Franks
It has been said that if you are of vaguely European descent, you are almost certainly related to Charlemagne. In fact, due to maths calculations, you are probably related to pretty much anyone alive in ninth century Europe who left descendants. As this week’s blog post was delayed because I took a trip to Germany,…
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Fairy Tales or Medieval Reality? Historical origins of fantasy stories
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who did not grow up hearing fairy tales, especially after Disney popularised many of them for the big screen. Many of us are aware that the stories we see from Disney, with happy endings and mild scare-factor, often originated from far more dark and violent stories compiled…
Just History Posts 