Medieval History
I did not know how quickly my recent claim (in "Coming to Terms with Medievalism") about the "unique continuity" between medieval culture and contemporary culture in Anglo-America would be proven right. But here it is: Some politicians in New Hampshire just introduced a bill that would demand that all new laws in NH find their origin[alism] in the 1215 English Magna Carta. Did they all watch Sir [another medievalism] Ridley Scott's Robin Hood?
This really beats some of the many other orginalist organizations' habit of using eighteenth-century dictionaries to decide today's political issues. My first reaction to all this: Grant them prima nocte!
HERE IS THE LINK to this fascinating example of medievalism. And here are three sections from Magna Carta that put the proposed law in perspective:
(6) Heirs may be given in marriage, but not to someone of lower social standing. Before a marriage takes place, it shall be made known to the heir's next-of-kin.
(10) If anyone who has borrowed a sum of money from Jews dies before the debt has been repaid, his heir shall pay no interest on the debt for so long as he remains under age, irrespective of whom he holds his lands. If such a debt falls into the hands of the Crown, it will take nothing except the principal sum specified in the bond.
(54) No one shall be arrested or imprisoned on the appeal of a woman for the death of any person except her husband. (Source: Internet History Sourcebook)
- Magna Carta Roundup
The 800th anniversary of the creation of Magna Carta was a major event, and here is a roundup of how newspapers and other media covered it. [View the story "Magna Carta Roundup" on Storify] Her Majesty The Queen unveils a plaque commemorating 800 years...
- The Magna Carta: An Old Piece Of Parchment That Made England A Nation ? Let's Celebrate It
As a nation we take these things for granted. On a recent trip to Lincoln, ostensibly to visit the magnificent medieval cathedral, I found myself alone in a room in the nearby castle where one of only four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta is kept....
- U.s. National Archives Releases Videos On Magna Carta Project
The U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C. prepares to return its copy of the 1297 Magna Care to public display, they have released a short documentary video, ?The Encasement of Magna Carta,? which details its state-of-the-art encasement. The Magna...
- A Medieval Market Town Has Discovered It Owns An Original Version Of The Magna Carta
A medival market town has discovered it owns an original version of Magna Carta, potentially worth about 20 million pounds, rather than a copy worth only 10,000 pounds. It was identified in the collection of Faversham town council in Kent by academic...
- Recently Published: Coming To Terms With Medievalism
Recently published in the European Journal of English Studies, volume 15/2, 2011 (special issue on Medievalism, ed. Ute Berndt and Andrew James Johnston): "Coming to Terms With Medievalism," by Richard Utz. Abstract: "Medievalism, the continuing reception...
Medieval History
Unique continuity?
This really beats some of the many other orginalist organizations' habit of using eighteenth-century dictionaries to decide today's political issues. My first reaction to all this: Grant them prima nocte!
HERE IS THE LINK to this fascinating example of medievalism. And here are three sections from Magna Carta that put the proposed law in perspective:
(6) Heirs may be given in marriage, but not to someone of lower social standing. Before a marriage takes place, it shall be made known to the heir's next-of-kin.
(10) If anyone who has borrowed a sum of money from Jews dies before the debt has been repaid, his heir shall pay no interest on the debt for so long as he remains under age, irrespective of whom he holds his lands. If such a debt falls into the hands of the Crown, it will take nothing except the principal sum specified in the bond.
(54) No one shall be arrested or imprisoned on the appeal of a woman for the death of any person except her husband. (Source: Internet History Sourcebook)
- Magna Carta Roundup
The 800th anniversary of the creation of Magna Carta was a major event, and here is a roundup of how newspapers and other media covered it. [View the story "Magna Carta Roundup" on Storify] Her Majesty The Queen unveils a plaque commemorating 800 years...
- The Magna Carta: An Old Piece Of Parchment That Made England A Nation ? Let's Celebrate It
As a nation we take these things for granted. On a recent trip to Lincoln, ostensibly to visit the magnificent medieval cathedral, I found myself alone in a room in the nearby castle where one of only four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta is kept....
- U.s. National Archives Releases Videos On Magna Carta Project
The U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C. prepares to return its copy of the 1297 Magna Care to public display, they have released a short documentary video, ?The Encasement of Magna Carta,? which details its state-of-the-art encasement. The Magna...
- A Medieval Market Town Has Discovered It Owns An Original Version Of The Magna Carta
A medival market town has discovered it owns an original version of Magna Carta, potentially worth about 20 million pounds, rather than a copy worth only 10,000 pounds. It was identified in the collection of Faversham town council in Kent by academic...
- Recently Published: Coming To Terms With Medievalism
Recently published in the European Journal of English Studies, volume 15/2, 2011 (special issue on Medievalism, ed. Ute Berndt and Andrew James Johnston): "Coming to Terms With Medievalism," by Richard Utz. Abstract: "Medievalism, the continuing reception...