Questions tagged [middle-ages]
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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Could a Sergeant become a Knight Templar?
I know being noble was one of the requirements (not the only) to be a Knight Templar, and the commoners would end up being Sergeants or a lower range, but, could a non-noble be promoted to Knight ...
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How did Vlad III Dracula’s brutality coexist with his political comebacks in Wallachia? What internal and external factors enabled his restorations?
Vlad III of Wallachia (r. 1448, 1456–62, 1476) is infamous for his use of impalement and terror, yet he returned to power three times — even after being imprisoned by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary....
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Is there an Itinerary of the itinerant court of the Catholic monarchs?
I'm trying to find a list of the places that the court of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon resided during their reign.
Has anybody already compiled and published such a list?
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How fair were non-state allocations of common rights?
I need to compare allocation of rights deriving from formal governance to allocation of rights through informal/community based decision making.
I'm seeking a specific reference, (see below), but if ...
MCW♦
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What is the precise meaning and origin of ‘vises’ as an architectural term?
I came across it in the book Eifelheim. Given the rest of the book, it might be a very obscure term. Apparently wind could rush through them:
wind rushed through the vises and passageways under the ...
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How "Roman" were the various Medieval Roman successor states?
In the medieval era (and after 800 CE) there was the HRE and the ERE. How much of a Roman Empire successor were these states, really?
My understanding has been that the HRE were a bunch of Germanics ...
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How were Henry II's courts and grand juries structured and administered?
Questions about the structure of Henry II’s court and the evolution of grand juries:
Where did Henry draw his itinerant “circuit court justices” from? Did they preside over the grand juries in their ...
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What was Charlemagne's pound? (489.6g, 408g, 411.36g, 459.35g, 483.33g, 367.2g, 435g, something else?)
John Munro (c. 2001, all bold font mine) states:
He [Charlemagne] created a new pound weight that was virtually 1.5 times heavier than the Roman pound: according to Fournial, it weighed 489.6 grams (...
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Why turn brass strips into rolls?
In a manuscript, Mendel I = Amb. 317.2°, from The Virtual Historical Collection of Nuremberg City Library, I found several images of brass strips being beaten into rolls, but no explanation as for why ...
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What was the size of Continental European horses during the High Middle Ages?
I'm investigating the size of horses in Continental Europe during the High Middle Ages (roughly 1000-1200 CE). I'm especially interested in France, Spain, and Italy.
I've come across a valuable study, ...
user37816
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How were complex structures built before Newtonian physics?
I am baffled that, prior to the discovery of Newton's laws of physics (beginning with Principia in 1687), people were able to build complex cathedrals and castles. Unlike other simple structures like ...
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With what arguments did Lanfranc propose the integration of medicine with surgery; what were the counterarguments?
Guido Lanfranchi (Lanfranc of Milan) is noted for defending the integration of medicine and surgery. What were the primary arguments he put forth to propose this integration; additionally, besides ...
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Were most people in pre-industrial societies in chronic pain?
My understanding is that, prior to the industrial revolution (and, indeed, for a fair while after), most people in Europe did not have a nutritionally balanced diet (if they were not calorifically ...
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Were there (licensed) female medicine practitioners in the Middle Ages?
I'm reading A History of Medicine by Lois N. Magner (2nd edition). On page 154 there is a line saying:
For example, in some parts of France, women could practice medicine or surgery if they passed an ...
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Are there any instances of Christians fasting on pagan holidays besides the Kalends?
I'm interested if early Christians fasted on pagan festivals because I've read some primary sources that instruct Christians to fast on the New Year's aka the Kalends of January but I couldn't find ...
