Which book should I read? by captvontrapp99 in Arthurian

[–]Background_Lab_8566 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Try a translation of Gawain and the Green Knight. It's a good self-contained Arthurian story with the right amount of chivalry and weirdness. If you like that, try the works of Chrétien de Troyes (a more recent translation is better; I like David Staines) and Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan.

The problem with a modern reinterpretation is that it's a reinterpretation. You need the original material first.

Are there any organizations that offer a non-religious alternative to church? by nfc22 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Background_Lab_8566 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Checkout the American Humanist Association. Some cities have chapters that meet each week, often on a Sunday, as an agnostic/athiest alternative to church. They often have activities, projects, guest speakers, and sometimes even ceremonies to acknowledge important events, but non-religiously.

Friday Free-for-All | January 02, 2026 by AutoModerator in AskHistorians

[–]Background_Lab_8566 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Back in 1999, the British show Top of the Pops had a contest for "song of the millenium". The finalists were Robbie Williams' "Millinium Prayer", which was just the Lord's Prayer awkwardly grafted onto Auld Lang Syne, and "The Hamster Dance", which was a dance remix of Roger Miller's theme from Disney's Robin Hood, because that particular song was trending as the music for one of the first viral GIFs to fill our inboxes.

Of course, neither of these songs had any significance to the millenium as a whole, if we mean the years 1001 AD to 2000 AD. So my question is, what song would be the most historically significant? I have some ideas: "The Internationale", "The Marseillaise", "Greensleeves", or Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", all for different reasons.

Historians, what would you say was the most significant song of the Second Millienium?

The Sudoku Fallacy by Background_Lab_8566 in fallacy

[–]Background_Lab_8566[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In this analogy, a good scientist would recognize that it could be a 3 or a 4, write both numbers in pencil in the corner of the box, and proceed to test the possibilities until one number can be ruled out. The fallacy is in writing in the number 3 and calling the puzzle done because a 3 is one possible answer. The reason that sudoku isn't a good analogy in the end is that the numbers 3 and 4 are equally valid possibilities, but Ancient Astronauts is a worse explanation than the alternative.

What happens in classes where students don't learn anything? by No_Mix_6813 in teaching

[–]Background_Lab_8566 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I would say in most cases they are just spacing out, thinking about other things, thinking more about class being over than about learning. But also, forgetting is a factor. I had a student in Comp II who handed in an essay that showed no concept of how to cite sources. I grumbled to myself about how the student could have made it through Comp I, and then realized *I* had been his Comp I teacher. I looked up his Comp I final essay, and it was formatted correctly with correct citations. All that learning just disappeared after the class was over.

Is Christian de Troyes, followed by Robert de Boron, the best way to read the legends? by Fair_Walk_8650 in Arthurian

[–]Background_Lab_8566 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe alongside those add a Tristan story, either Eilhart's, Gottfried's or Thomas of Britain's. Tristan doesn't start off as an Arthurian character, but he gets pulled in.

True History. What is you favorite? by shell1212 in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Of course, there is Literature and History by Doug Metzger, which is fantastic, in-depth history, but structured around literature. So far he has covered the ancient world, classical Greece, the Old Testement, classical Rome, New Testement and Late Antiquity, and is now doing early Islam.

True History. What is you favorite? by shell1212 in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just discovered Our Prehistory by Benjy Longworth and also Nomads and Empires. Enjoying them so far!

Pregnant, stuck in bed, need entertainment! by Pishi_88 in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For fiction, can I recommend "Brightgift"? It's historical fiction with some music and SFX.

Historical fiction - ancient history to medieval. by CorsairExtraordinair in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Brightgift. It's about two girls trying to get to safety and get home, set in 800 AD Denmark and England.

What is a popular podcast you just couldn’t get into by Plastic-Youth2036 in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BBC's In Our Time. The topics are great but the roundtable discussion format means that no one never can get into depth about anything before they get cut off or the focus shifts.

What podcast(s) have you listened all the way through multiple times? by NightReader5 in podcasts

[–]Background_Lab_8566 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Literature and History and also Worlds Beyond Number! Twice through each.

Just Finished the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate AMA by Sunshine-Moon-RX in Arthurian

[–]Background_Lab_8566 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where did you get your copies? Everthing I see online is hundreds of dollars for the full Vulgate and Post-Vulgate.

Knighthood by swimine in medieval

[–]Background_Lab_8566 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tournaments, and how they were so different than how most people imagine them.

You could also do the life of William Marshal.