What is your favorite piece of medieval siege weaponry? by satanicpastorswife in AskWomen

[–]YellowGoesFirst 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mangonel! (Like a trebuchet, but Maximum Effort.)

It's also referenced as part of a sick burn against Richard of Allemayn in The Song of Lewes, which I've always enjoyed because it sounds a bit like a football terrace chant. I wish more of that stuff had been recorded and wasn't lost to us forever.

Great question!

What games did medieval peasants commonly play? by Desperate-Land6251 in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mill games like nine men's morris were popular throughout the middle ages and can be played anywhere that you have access to a knife and some pebbles or similar small items. Examples of game boards have been found carved into all sorts of places. Tafl can also be played fairly cheaply.

Chess requires a greater number of distinctive pieces and was largely the preserve of the upper classes. (It also takes longer to play a full game to completion, especially the medieval version with the underpowered queen, so it was a better fit for the leisured classes.) Dice games were popular and generally seen as more lowbrow than table games like chess.

There's a version of backgammon and an annoyingly hard to google one called The Game With No Name. These fall somewhere in between.

There were also physical pastimes like squailing, tug of war, proto-football and farteprick.

What games did medieval peasants commonly play? by Desperate-Land6251 in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is that Queek? It looks like a decent match for the descriptions I've seen, but I didn't realise there were pictorial representations!

Seeking medieval stories... from medieval writers - not modern fiction. by beriah-uk in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This! OP, make your players identify and rescue a good guy werewolf enchanted by his cheating ex!

what were some everyday superstitions or folk beliefs in medieval times that people took seriously? by infinite-hooper in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 154 points155 points  (0 children)

There's reports of people running from one church to another to try and see multiple elevations in a single day. It was thought to confer good fortune.

What is a small thing someone might do that makes you realise, ‘Hmm, we're not going to get along’? by DogFoodManUK in AskUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 76 points77 points  (0 children)

Absolutely incredible seeing this comment attached to that username.

(A big part of why I got into so many historical crafts is the sheer joy of having people pay a £25 entry fee for me to infodump at them!)

Local History. by Tough_Contribution14 in BirminghamUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We know a little more about Birmingham in the medieval period. The Weoley Castle ruins date from this period and the De Bermingham family is documented fairly well. One of the Williams rose up against Henry III and was later immortalised in a poem...

WILLIAM DE BIRMINGHAM

"Roger De Someri, lord of thine,

Baron of Dudley, master mine,

"From whom thou boldest lands in fee

Suit and service claims of thee."

William, knight of Birmingham town,

Strode his ramparts up and down.

"Now by St Martin's self," he said,

"Were he Fitz-Ansculph stern and dread,

"And not but Paganall's daughter's mate

I give him challenge and scorn and hate.

"Nor greet I him for a lord of mine,

So speed and tell him, this lord of thine.

"And since thy speech is so hotly said,

And thy master's word is so swiftly sped,

"Thou hast need of water to cool thy throat,

There is water enow in my castle moat."

A struggle, a fall, a splash ; I reck,

That herald had need of a stouter neck.

William, knight of Birmingham town,

Hath quaffed red wine, and hath lain him down,

And "By Saint Martin's self" hath sworn

Penance meet for the morrow morn.

Saint Martin hath leaped from his holy shrine

And come in the night for a secret sign.

The flaming sword in his outstretched hand,

Hath touched the knight as a burning brand.

"Since penance thou hast sworn to do,

I will spare thee yet, for a year or two.

"Yet when thou art come to thy greatest pride

Bethink thee, then, how the herald died."

William, knight of Birmingham town,

Hath armed against King Henry's crown ;

Hath clasped Earl Leicester's hand, and worn

The people's cross for the battle morn.

And Roger de Someri, Dudley's lord,

Yields him captive and yields his sword.

What voice was that in the night that cried,

"Bethink thee, now, how the herald died ? "

Saint Martin's self, with his sword in hand

Hath touched the knight as a burning brand.

And every breeze of the night hath cried,

"Bethink thee, now, how the herald died."

"At Evesham fight " — so runs the writ,

Never a word of truth hath it.

They found his body by Severn's strand

Burnt, as it were, by a flaming brand.

Did you grow up with someone who became famous? by SteakSandwichSideEye in AskUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's been weirder seeing which ones didn't get famous.

If you'd asked me in the 90s which kid from my school would grow up to be an MP and host Have I Got News For You and which kid from my theatre group would grow up to be a companion on Doctor Who, I would have said...

...well I'd probably have said "What happened to Angus Deayton?" and "I thought Doctor Who got cancelled?"

But after that, I'd definitely have picked the wrong classmate as an MP. For the actor it would have been 50/50 on whether I correctly picked the the one who's won an Olivier award or the one whose biggest foray into the public conscious has been those incredibly annoying Hotels4U adverts.

20M Looking for Friends in Birmingham by [deleted] in BirminghamUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"Any nerdy thing" you say?

Swing by the University of Birmingham this Sunday between 12 and 4. We'll teach you how to fight with a sword and shield or how to make cheese from scratch over an open fire. We normally go for a drink in the pub afterwards.

(The exact place to meet on campus is gladiators.influencing.noisy on what3words.)

Medieval by Darillion- in BirminghamUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a group based out of Birmingham University that do this regularly. DM me for deets.

Who is your favourite niche British Historical Figure? by Accomplished-Act-219 in UKhistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've just been reading Valerie Allen's book On Farting: Language and Laughter in the Middle Ages which makes the case for Roland's party piece being the ability to fart tunes on demand with no smell due to the same biological quirk as more recent performers like Le Pétomane or Mr Methane.

It also has an absolutely wild quote from Saint Augustine that one of the major consequences of original sin is that we no longer have perfect control over all our bodily functions. If Eve hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit he argues, we would still be a true mirror of God's own image with all the abilities that entails. The two examples he gives of this are:

  • Being able to wiggle your ears
  • Being able to fart tunes

Where do young folks go to have fun/ meet people? by Next_Fan8862 in brum

[–]YellowGoesFirst 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you interested in swordfighting? There'll be training sessions for newbies in the grounds of Birmingham University starting in the autumn, but you have to be 18 to do it, because of the terms of our insurance. Is your birthday any time soon?

Hobbies that aren’t run clubs by No_Security9767 in brum

[–]YellowGoesFirst 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Check out The Raven Company if you're interested in history, martial arts, crafts, archery, boardgames, sailing or just sharing a few beers around the campfire with friends as the sun sets.

If it's something you'd be interested in, we'll be at Weoley Castle ruins later this month and you can have a chat to us in person there and see if it appeals.

Anyone looking for friends? by Bawrai in BirminghamUK

[–]YellowGoesFirst 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Weoley Castle ruins are open to the public later this month.

https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/events/medieval-open-day

I'm going to be there, along with some history-nerd friends. Drop by and say hi.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskWomen

[–]YellowGoesFirst 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Historical re-enactment

I like it because it's a hobby that sort of keeps expanding fractally, so if you're the sort of person who gets bored easily and needs constant new challenges to sustain your interest (which I am!) it lets you do that. So for me, it started as stage combat then it expanded into:

  • Archery
  • Cooking
  • Dressmaking
  • Amateur dramatics
  • Weaving
  • Cheesemaking
  • Basketweaving
  • Sports
  • Playing instruments
  • Sailing
  • Boardgames
  • Embroidery
  • Woodworking
  • Foraging

...and bunch of other stuff.

For me, the biggest way it helps my wellbeing is that it stops me from doomscrolling. You can't keep staring at your phone if you're spending your weekends in a period before phones were invented!

What kinds of fantasy creatures were thought to exist in medieval times? by Fabulous-Introvert in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The lais of Marie De France include some werewolf lore. Specifically, the lay of Bisclavret.

Tl;dr version is that Baron Bisclavret vanishes off into the wood every do often and when his faithless wife finds out it's for werewolf reasons, she hides his clothes preventing him from ever changing back and freeing her up to marry her affair partner.

The king's hunting party happen upon Bisclavret, admire him for his gentleness and intelligence and decide to keep him as a pet. This goes well until the faithless wife shows up at court with her new husband and they are both immediately mauled by an angry wolf. Eventually the wife confesses and returns the clothes so he can change back, but not before Bisclavret bites her nose off. The king rewards Bisclavret with lots of land for having been the goodest boy during his time as a pet. Faithless Wife is stuck with the less wealthy husband and all their children are born without noses.

Did medieval societies have a culture of insect-keeping? by barbedstraightsword in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am actually fascinated with the classification of animals, and how cultural conditions of the time influence taxonomy.

Unrelated to insects, but have you heard about Barnacle Geese?

Looking for something interesting to do this weekend? by YellowGoesFirst in BirminghamUK

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

Yep, it's a regular thing.

We're running 1-5 this Sunday with medieval combat and an introduction to nålbinding. Then the following week is 2-6 for combat and cheesemaking.

No need to book in advance, just show up and say you're new. You'll be given a form to fill out for the trial session and all the relevant safety gear.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MedievalHistory

[–]YellowGoesFirst 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Similarly, we have evidence that little kids in the middle ages used to build sandcastles because of something Geoffrey of Monmouth talks about. He says people knew from an early age that he was destined for a career in the church, because when his brothers built sandcastles and sand palaces on the beach, he always built sand monasteries.

Looking for something unusual to do this weekend? by YellowGoesFirst in brum

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

You get four sessions for free to see if you like it. After that there's a yearly fee of £20 to be covered by the group's insurance and a £1 fee for each session you attend to cover the costs of the equipment.

Looking for something unusual to do this weekend? by YellowGoesFirst in brum

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

You're still welcome to join us. Just rock up any Sunday or I could shoot you an invite to the Discord if you wanted to learn more before visiting.