What would you be doing if you born in 1300?

[The Hammer]

What country would you wanna be in the 1300?

Italy? Spain? England? You may choose any thing not just these 3.

Africa

 

[RestlessSoul]

What country would you wanna be in the 1300?

Italy? Spain? England? You may choose any thing not just these 3.

China or Japan I think. The life expectancy in those countries was far greater than in Europe, and seems to have remained so right up until the 20th Century..

Few people in 14th Century Europe lived much beyond 40. This book is a great little piece of of social history for anyone interested in learning what life was like in England at the time (clue: it was nasty, brutal and short).

 

[MatthewA]

Your Mom.

Pssh your mom!

The 14th century is the 1300. The first century is from 1 to 100.

That is useful to know the 14th century is the 1300. 100 years equals a century.

In the 14th century, I would be dead since I am an atheist, but more accurately my mother would have died carrying my elder brother since she needed an emergency C-section a procedure that was deadly to women until modern medicine started to develop.

Very odd case to have to be in the 1300. An unfortunate case..

Thus I wouldn't even had a chance to be born and my mother would have died like about 10% of all women of the time, during childbirth. Else, my family tree is that of fisherman from Britain France. Considering I was premature and a sickly child, In the event I would still be born, I would have died before the age 6 like about 30% of all people at the time of some childhood disease or malnutrition (or a combination of both).

Okay. Do you happen to by change write books? You are very creative writer.

I would be teaching Vedic scriptures and writing commentaries on Hindu philosophy in some school or the other in the Indian subcontinent.

Good to hear from you Sayak83; glad to know you are okay; along with everyone else of course.

How interesting, would that be on a mountain or field or something out in the desert what are thoughts about this aspect too?

Probably not much because I'm a woman and the past kinda sucks especially for women.

Surely there would be some type of work, or activity to do that you might could think of you would do then? Maybe churn some butter, and tend to the cows if it is a more country appropriated scene. Would they have castles and stuff back then? Maybe so probably right?

There were few places they were allowed to be literate even if they had the means to learn, and so your life was a humdrum of tedious, backbreaking domesticity, subservience, and gossip (because it's the only way the world was disseminated to you). No thanks.

Oh my goodness you are right it seems that people would be much more tight nit together; or do I get the wrong impression about what you are saying?

Also I have pcos and would probably grow a beard without hormones and a razor. The only account of a bearded woman in the 14th century was crucified for it.

What a dang shame, that is okay though we aren't suppose to shave anyway. Freely speaking would say that hair is good to have regardless of where it is on your body. Hair will help keep you warm during the winter sometimes blocking all them frosty winds that sweep by sometimes and the hair adds more insulation to the already insulated jacket.

I'd be a naked Hindu sadhu besmeared with ashes living on biksha (alms).

And for my 2nd life in that century, the ruler of a city state living an posh and dissolute life with 100 courtesans at my beck and call.

You be a naked Hindu sadhu besmeared with ashes living on biksha, what is a Hindu sadhu besmeared? What does bishka look like?

Then in the next life become a ruler of a city state living an post and dissolute life with 100 courtesans at the beck and call.

How interesting and creative.

 

[MatthewA]

Africa

Desiring to go with you to Africa sounds exotic and dangerous!
Would you desire to go and visit because of the culture?

China or Japan I think. The life expectancy in those countries was far greater than in Europe, and seems to have remained so right up until the 20th Century..

Few people in 14th Century Europe lived much beyond 40. This book is a great little piece of of social history for anyone interested in learning what life was like in England at the time (clue: it was nasty, brutal and short).

Thank you for sharing this information about the book written by IAN MORTIMER.

Why would you desire to be in China or Japan aside from the life expectancy is it is the culture?

 

[MatthewA]

That must mean i found the right one (for me) since the hate i did have within me has disapeared

That is awesome friend.

In the 14th C you probably wouldn't have been an atheist, but even if you were it would be unlikely to have proved fatal unless you went out of your way to antagonise people about it.

What makes you say that you wouldn't been an atheist considering it is the 14th C. Very curious to know more about that.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Starving, freezing, scared of the plague, wondering what the world is coming to with the Western Schism, and overall, I do not think "enjoying life" is something I'd be doing much of given the ordeals of that century.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Surely there would be some type of work, or activity to do that you might could think of you would do then? Maybe churn some butter, and tend to the cows if it is a more country appropriated scene. Would they have castles and stuff back then? Maybe so probably right?

Reading, writing, and art are my favorite non-technological hobbies. In most of the world they didn't let women do any of those until fairly modern history. And usually only very wealthy noblewomen whose money and power could make their eccentricities forgivable to the men in power.

I've done my time as a farmhand, grew up as one, but I would chafe at the restrictions placed on me by being a woman.

Oh my goodness you are right it seems that people would be much more tight nit together; or do I get the wrong impression about what you are saying?

Just made your world a lot smaller, with fewer choices to make or passions to pursue.

What a dang shame, that is okay though we aren't suppose to shave anyway. Freely speaking would say that hair is good to have regardless of where it is on your body. Hair will help keep you warm during the winter sometimes blocking all them frosty winds that sweep by sometimes and the hair adds more insulation to the already insulated jacket.

Someday maybe the world will be ready for bearded ladies, but I'm not holding my breath. Lol.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Desiring to go with you to Africa sounds exotic and dangerous!
Would you desire to go and visit because of the culture?



Thank you for sharing this information about the book written by IAN MORTIMER.

Why would you desire to be in China or Japan aside from the life expectancy is it is the culture?

Both Chines and Japanese poetry and art fascinate me, yes. But although I can conjur an idealised image of me as an itinerant Taoist or Zen poet, wandering the countryside in search of enlightenment, the reality would have been very different. Unless you were a member of the most privileged classes, life anywhere in the world in 1300 would have been back breakingly hard.
Better to live in this century I think.

 

[MatthewA]

Starving, freezing, scared of the plague, wondering what the world is coming to with the Western Schism, and overall, I do not think "enjoying life" is something I'd be doing much of given the ordeals of that century.

Shadow Wolf; do you know what was going on in Western Schism that was going on in 1300? What is the Western Schism? What types of ordeals were going on in it?

It is nice to see you, and others here and hope all are doing well, and it is good to know you are alive.

 

[Augustus]

Probably not much because I'm a woman and the past kinda sucks especially for women. There were few places they were allowed to be literate even if they had the means to learn, and so your life was a humdrum of tedious, backbreaking domesticity, subservience, and gossip (because it's the only way the world was disseminated to you). No thanks.

Women were certainly allowed to be literate in the Medieval Era if they had the means to learn.

Religious institutions helped spread literacy, for example, you needed to be literate to be a nun, and nuns in turn taught lay-people in basic schools and as private tutors to the wealthy.

Women could even be scholars of note in this era: Héloïse - Wikipedia

Women also participated in business and politics and even ruled countries.

Obviously it wasn't exactly egalitarian, but it's not quite the horror story often assumed.

Few people in 14th Century Europe lived much beyond 40.

Plenty of people lived past 40. Assuming you survived childhood, most people did.

The short life expectancy is mostly the result of high childhood mortality.

The medieval era gets a far worse rep than it deserves.

 

[Augustus]

What makes you say that you wouldn't been an atheist considering it is the 14th C. Very curious to know more about that.

Balance of probabilities.

It was pretty rare back then, and people are mostly products of the societies they were born into.

We often like to think we would have been 'special' and would have held to good, progressive modern values had we been born back then, but anyone who is pretty average today would have been pretty average back then too.

The only difference is what is average in that particular society.

It's quite ironic as people are often critical of the 'ignorance' of the past without realising that the only reason we are able to see them as 'ignorant' is that we are standing on their shoulders of the knowledge and progress that they helped to create.

 

[ChristineM]

I'd be dead, the average lifespan waa around 30 to 35 years. And would have had a typically bad life for women then

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Haha.

Ha!!

Given that I'm a white guy in Australia, I'd be planting or waving about a flag bearing St George's cross, claiming the country for my Liege, Edward I.

The First Nations people watching on would assume I was completely crazy, of course.
Oh, and I'd probably give thanks to God. Weird to think about for me...!!!

I'd name myself Governer, natch.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I'd be dead, the average lifespan waa around 30 to 35 years. And would have had a typically bad life for women then

Awww, I just named myself Governer of a whole damn continent. You should come over. Little sun, fresh air...you'll live to 36 at least.

I'll even pass a law granting women the right to...hmmmm...I'll think of something.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Women were certainly allowed to be literate in the Medieval Era if they had the means to learn.

Religious institutions helped spread literacy, for example, you needed to be literate to be a nun, and nuns in turn taught lay-people in basic schools and as private tutors to the wealthy.

Women could even be scholars of note in this era: Héloïse - Wikipedia

Women also participated in business and politics and even ruled countries.

Obviously it wasn't exactly egalitarian, but it's not quite the horror story often assumed.

Medieval era is a big era. Towards the latter end literacy improved significantly, but even in the 14th century it was considered a dereliction of duty for women to be educated and literate, and it was still quite frowned upon. Being a noblewoman in a powerful position bought leniency for their eccentricities but respected literate women were rare. Respected women rulers were also rare and most only served as regency for male heirs.

The medieval period was also, obviously, global, and places like Japan had more women writers earlier than, say, France or England. But even then it was mostly aristocracy based, and written language mostly reserved for those who held government positions.

Rose colored spectacles for ye olden times is simply a better game for men to play than women. Let alone women with disability or LGBT (Though that last one is more flexible outside medieval Abrahamic dominated countries.)

 

[sayak83]

Pssh your mom!



That is useful to know the 14th century is the 1300. 100 years equals a century.



Very odd case to have to be in the 1300. An unfortunate case..




Okay. Do you happen to by change write books? You are very creative writer.



Good to hear from you Sayak83; glad to know you are okay; along with everyone else of course.

How interesting, would that be on a mountain or field or something out in the desert what are thoughts about this aspect too?



Surely there would be some type of work, or activity to do that you might could think of you would do then? Maybe churn some butter, and tend to the cows if it is a more country appropriated scene. Would they have castles and stuff back then? Maybe so probably right?

Oh my goodness you are right it seems that people would be much more tight nit together; or do I get the wrong impression about what you are saying?



What a dang shame, that is okay though we aren't suppose to shave anyway. Freely speaking would say that hair is good to have regardless of where it is on your body. Hair will help keep you warm during the winter sometimes blocking all them frosty winds that sweep by sometimes and the hair adds more insulation to the already insulated jacket.



You be a naked Hindu sadhu besmeared with ashes living on biksha, what is a Hindu sadhu besmeared? What does bishka look like?

Then in the next life become a ruler of a city state living an post and dissolute life with 100 courtesans at the beck and call.

How interesting and creative.

There were small scale university towns throughout India during the classical and medieval India where students used to go and study. They were not remote but were close to important cities and religious centers. Here is a good description (note pdf file)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAZegQIFBAC&usg=AOvVaw0MYuXC3Vm7cp3zB8c5J9GQ
I am assuming here that most things about me remains the same, i. e I have a scholarly inclination still at that time.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Probably not much because I'm a woman and the past kinda sucks especially for women. There were few places they were allowed to be literate even if they had the means to learn, and so your life was a humdrum of tedious, backbreaking domesticity, subservience, and gossip (because it's the only way the world was disseminated to you). No thanks.

Also I have pcos and would probably grow a beard without hormones and a razor. The only account of a bearded woman in the 14th century was crucified for it.

Come over to my continent. I'm just working out some sort of law to pass for the fairer members of our species.
I know how emotional you 1300's gals get if we don't pay any mind to you.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Balance of probabilities.

It was pretty rare back then, and people are mostly products of the societies they were born into.

We often like to think we would have been 'special' and would have held to good, progressive modern values had we been born back then, but anyone who is pretty average today would have been pretty average back then too.

The only difference is what is average in that particular society.

It's quite ironic as people are often critical of the 'ignorance' of the past without realising that the only reason we are able to see them as 'ignorant' is that we are standing on their shoulders of the knowledge and progress that they helped to create.

We have no idea how rare atheism was because that would require them to be vocal enough about it to be recorded, accurately and regularly enough to form something like an estimation. I find it hard to believe crisis of faith, including the 'there are no gods in heaven' sort, were any rarer then than they are now because the reasons they come about has a lot of timeless reason.

There are certainly concepts of the modern era that nobody would have had back then but I find 'product of the era' discussions too often fall victim to 'history from the victors.' Or sometimes even outright misunderstanding of evidenced conflict of opinion: e.g. women's vote and abolition of slavery existing in the discourse during the founding father's lives. Or thinking that Lovecraft's views were a product of the time when even his contemporaries thought he was an ***.

 

[Augustus]

Medieval era is a big era. Towards the latter end literacy improved significantly, but even in the 14th century it was considered a dereliction of duty for women to be educated and literate, and it was still quite frowned upon.

Who frowned upon it?

The medieval period was also, obviously, global, and places like Japan had more women writers earlier than, say, France or England. But even then it was mostly aristocracy based, and written language mostly reserved for those who held government positions.

Is this really true? What is it based on?

My guess would be there were more in Europe as nuns were educated as well as the upper classes.

I'm not particularly well informed on female literacy in 14th C Japan though.

Rose colored spectacles for ye olden times is simply a better game for men to play than women.

It's not rose coloured specs to point out that much of what we think of the medieval era is really 'brown coloured specs' based on outdated myths and misunderstanding of statistics such as life expectancy.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Who frowned upon it?

"In the Middle Ages men were more likely to be literate than women. The main reason for this was that women were usually denied an education. Even in wealthy families, it was often considered wrong to spend time and money on teaching daughters to read and write. It has been estimated that "in the later Middle Ages out of the total population 10 per cent of men and I per cent of women were literate." Most men were very hostile to the idea of women becoming literate."
The Growth of Female Literacy in the Middle Ages (Classroom Activity)

My guess would be there were more in Europe as nuns were educated as well as the upper classes.

Nuns and upper class weren't mutually exclusive. A lot of overlap there.

The beginnings of novels happened a lot earlier in Japan (with the first novel written in the 1100's--by a woman no less-- Tale of Genji). Up until the printing press, novel circulation as a hobby among a broader spectrum of women became normalized earlier. Writing was also part of Shinto spirituality and Shinto had a lot of women priests.

It's not rose coloured specs to point out that much of what we think of the medieval era is really 'brown coloured specs' based on outdated myths and misunderstanding

There are certainly a lot of outdated myths and misunderstandings that made things seem worse, but there's also a lot of romanticization which made it seem better, too.