The Daily Stormer wants International Women’s Day replaced by “White Sharia Day”

@ EJ

You’re a law nerd;

Guilty as charged!

is the year-and-a-day rule found in the Corpus Iuris Civilis

Now you’ve set me off on a quest. Especially with the bit about fairy tales. Wonder where else it may crop up.

The evolution and influences of legal systems is an underrated but, I think, fascinating exercise. It often gives clues as to migration patterns, historical and political upheaval, trading routes etc.

Over here for example the use of “by-laws” is a pretty good indication of Viking occupation. ‘By’ being the Norse word for settlement and therefore such laws only applying within a particular area.

In Northern Europe, where the rivers run north into the Atlantic and people drink beer and cider, serfs were over 90% of the population and there were very few slaves. In Southern Europe, where the rivers run south into the mediterranean and people drink wine, serfs were a smaller but still dominant share of the population, and large-scale slavery was more common.

Just want to say, your geography is goddamn poetry.

@Orion:
Nice to see you again.

That was fascinating, and just the right length from my perspective. As a dungeons and dragons guy I will definitely be using this for some adventure seeds.

Thanks very much. I’m not a D&D guy, but I have… thoughts… on how to apply medievalism to it. Hit me up sometime if you want to chat history and worldbuilding.

@Arctic Ape:

I’m also interested in medieval class history, but haven’t been able to find an easy-to-understand overview, particularly on how medieval European classes evolved from earlier Roman, Celtic, Slavic and Germanic class systems.

My favourite broad-strokes, easy-to-understand text is A History Of Western Society. I have it in the two-volume third edition, but I understand that it’s currently on its ten billionth edition or something. The book is really good at showing how society evolved and exploring the stresses which led to that evolution.

For example, you mention that, aside from full slavery, serfdom was standard for common people in Western Europe since early medieval times. Does this go back to ancient Celtic/Germanic societies, or was it more like a post-Roman innovation?

I am not a historian, but it is my understanding that the earliest roots of serfdom date from the late Roman empire. As Roman society was crumbling, slavery became nonviable and agricultural workers began to be tied to their land. The Roman name for such unfree labourers was coloni. However, I believe that I am right in saying that medieval-style serfdom really took off during the Carolingian era.

The two might be intertwined: the Carolingians were huge Roman fanboys, and tried to do things in a Roman way (or what they thought was a Roman way) as much as they could.

Allegedly the significance of the added day is to ensure that a full year is passed, there being technically 365.25 days.

Pretty much, yep.

Period plus a day is an old condition – even referenced in the epic of Gilgamesh.

Thinking about it, seven years is another period that crops up constantly for some reason.

@Tree Person,

Mayuri is a wise angel in very adorable human form. I will not tolerate any aspersions cast on her intelligence ???
(jk, obviously! – about being angry, that is. Not about Mayuri as legend).

It’s true, though, that there’s a tendency to see cheery cute people as not-very-smart. I’m not claiming that I’m cute (by any stretch), but I’m small, generally cheery in professional contexts, and apparently I have a “sweet little voice.” So I tend to be perceived as friendly and not very formidable, intellectually speaking.

I know, we’ve talked about this stuff a million times here on WHTM! Back to reading the awesome history posts on this thread 🙂

@Kivutar:
Awww, thanks very much!

@Dalillama:
@Shadowplay:
Huh, that’s interesting. Thank you both for clarifying. As ever, I learn a lot from you.

@KatieKitten420:
No problem! I don’t claim to know everything, or even much, but for a few things (medievalism, stellar physics, astrophysics, cosmology) I can happy ramble for hours.

@Dali

Sympathies. Moving ain’t pleasant, even when you want to move.

We’re still unpacking stuff – and we last moved 16 years ago. 😛

@(formerly) DepressedCNS

Thanks! I might actually have followed a link on an earlier post at this site to that study in the first place. Can’t remember now.

@EJ (The Other One)

I too enjoyed the exposition.

In the Iberian Peninsula (not yet Spain and Portugal), large numbers of agricultural workers who had been enslaved under the Roman system, and presumably continued on under Visigothic rule, converted to Islam in the 8th century after the Muslim invasion from North Africa because Muslims were not allowed to own other Muslims–convert to instant freedom. Plus, the Muslims brought lots of agricultural innovations that transformed agricultural life on the peninsula. It was a really interesting region during the medieval period.

More bad news (for the NRA, not me) from Daily Beastie

Was looking at that thread – it’s amusing. Not as sad as the holiday threads on Free Republic, but definitely funny.

@WWTH:
Heee! That thread is amazing! Thanks for that.

That said, manifestos are pretty common for political parties in the UK. Here’s the Labour manifesto, for example.

EJ (The Other One):

My favourite broad-strokes, easy-to-understand text is A History Of Western Society. I have it in the two-volume third edition, but I understand that it’s currently on its ten billionth edition or something. The book is really good at showing how society evolved and exploring the stresses which led to that evolution.

Thanks for the tip. Sounds good stuff.

I am not a historian, but it is my understanding that the earliest roots of serfdom date from the late Roman empire. As Roman society was crumbling, slavery became nonviable and agricultural workers began to be tied to their land. The Roman name for such unfree labourers was coloni. However, I believe that I am right in saying that medieval-style serfdom really took off during the Carolingian era.

The two might be intertwined: the Carolingians were huge Roman fanboys, and tried to do things in a Roman way (or what they thought was a Roman way) as much as they could.

Thanks. I recall reading something about the coloni, and I did have this vague idea that serfdom was introduced to most of Northern Europe by people spreading Carolingian heritage (Normans, Germans).

AFAIK in Scandinavia and Baltic countries serfdom was only established around 12th-13h century, or not at all in Sweden/Finland. In earlier times, there was a modest slave population but most common folk were free, either tenants or small farmers. In Sweden slavery was at least nominally illegal since 14th century.

@Mish

I’m small, generally cheery in professional contexts, and apparently I have a “sweet little voice.” So I tend to be perceived as friendly and not very formidable, intellectually speaking.

Uh-huh.

I’m smiley and friendly and sometimes am underestimated because of that. And then when it becomes clear that I’m kinda smart, some people get a little scared. Occasionally, I get the vibe that they think I’m some kind of witch. Really.