LGBT history: the memory of a forbidden Love.

I set out on the task to write about the LGBT history and its importance with the a feeling that I knew nothing about it, and that all I knew was taken from films like Milk and TV series and documentaries, together with the update from last year about Oscar Wilde. And it is true, my knowledge about LGBT history was and still is limited, but I asked a few friends and important scholars to give me their view on it, and I would like to thank them all for their help and comments, Thank you so much, you know how you are!

LGBT history, which in Britain is celebrated with a LGBT history month in February every year, is in basic terms the history of the developments in legal, political and cultural acceptance of LGBT persons throughout the world. It is a kind of history which very much is a pert of our daily lives and is unfolding as I write. For throughout the world are LGBT persons still prosecuted for being who they are, or for manifesting their love, or fighting for the right to say the word GAY, or even the right to live. Although many gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in the western world are living a good life with what appears as equal rights, are there still a need to remember the past so that none takes the right for granted, and so that young LGBT people and others can see and know the wonderful heroes and role models that have done so much for the LGBT fight for equality.

LGBT history, which developed in the second half of the 20th century, seems to consist of two different things, namely the narrative of the development of suppression and liberation for LGBT rights on the one hand. On the other a series of biographical accounts of LGBT personalities and heroes. This was at least what it appeared to be for me when I started to research the matter through the material available online for LGBT history month, yet I kept getting the feeling something was wrong, or missing from this picture, that LGBT history had to be something more that just that. Many of have/had their first encounter with LGBT History through seeing the film Milk, or the documentaries about the Stonewall event. For those that don’t know this event was it a police raid on a LGBT friendly bar in New York that sparked the fight for equal rights and recognition for LGBT people. That’s why some LGBT history might refer to before and after Stonewall.

Yet turns out, LGBT history is the story of sexuality, acceptance, prosecution, sacrifice and love. It is a kind of history which can be seen as slightly different that political and religious history, for its appeal is International, and its relevance is so as well. Many forget that LGBT history is just as important for equal rights studies as Black history or Women’s history, yet LGBT history is less studied and taught at universities in Britain.

LGBT history have within it a core of hope, a hope for a better tomorrow, as well as a remembrance of those who sacrificed much or all for their love and the modern freedom of love and sexual diversity. LGBT history is studies and celebrated so that young LGBT persons can be taught that they are not alone, and to give them awareness of what have passed so that they can enjoy the freedom of the western world. Scholars have argues that LGBT history is the history of sexuality, and that this history is short, for as the modern definition and understanding of sexuality is only very recent and can not be applied to persons which lived before this definition came into place. For these definitions talk more about the individual identity in relation to sexual preferences of the individual rather than the sexual life of the individual alone. For as David M. Halperin points out in The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader; sexual practises in Hellenic Greece and in the Roman Empire seem to him to be more like dietary preferences today, as long as one kept it between a citizen and his social inferiors of either gender. In the sources Halperin uses does it not seem to be a difference between strictly homosexual males or heterosexual males, neither are lesbians considered to be different from heterosexual females, which in a way just leaves the idea that they are all bisexual. It has to be added that in general does it not seem to be a label used about sexuality or that sexualities existed, it seems just to have been sex. Although I personally think it’s a bit far-fetched to claim that certain named characters in antiquity were gay, after all who have used a time machine to go back and ask them if they identified themselves as Gay, for it is easy to argue both sides of that case in retrospective. Lets just settle with the knowledge that the cultural and social acceptance of sexual activities between same-sex partners was more accepted in some at least in social classes than it is in many nations throughout the world today. LGBT history today includes more than just the traces or references to gay sex in sources or prohibitions against such sexual activities. For LGBT history as a friend of mine reminded me is all around, it includes the way we think about Sexual transmittable diseases(infections) and HIV/AIDS, and it also includes the legal battles fought so that LGBT people today can live openly and have (in the best cases) same rights as other members of their nation. Yet LGBT history is so much more, it’s every coming out story that have ever happened, it’s the It’ll get better campaign which took place after a series of suicides in the USA, it includes also all the hate crimes which have and will take place against LGBT people throughout the world, it includes how societies and nations deal with and relates to LGBT issues and so much more. All of this is LGBT history. A history which when taught in schools aim to decrease homophobia and increase awareness and acceptance among young members of society. This have also been the overall aim of the LGBT  history it seems, to remember the past to create a better future.

As part of the work for this blog article I asked Professor Elisabeth Stuart what LGBT history meant to her and she kindly answered; -‘It means honouring those who risked and suffered so much to be themselves and to fight for the freedoms we enjoy’. I further asked her if LGBT History and research have a value in society and if it affected the identity of the community, and her response; -’Owning a history is an important part of forging and claiming an identity but it is only by learning from the histories of others that we expand our minds and souls beyond concerns just for ourselves.’ tells us that LGBT history have a meaning and need to be valued, not only in Britain but throughout every nation which wishes to see its LGBT population fully and equally integrated into its society.

To my question if LGBT history and science have made a difference, Professor Stuart responded; -’Well, I have been involved in the development of Queer Theology which has questioned the notions of gender and sexuality as theological categories.  Queer Theology has certainly made an impact on theology as a whole.’

I also asked Professor Eric Anderson the same questions and his answers in comparison to Professor Stuart, show the complexity of the LGBT history. Professor Anderson said in response to the question about what LGBT history mean to him that;    -’Well, what’s great about this question as that we are currently in a period of massive expansion of our history! We are quite literally living in the most historical LGBT moment ever. I must also, of course, criticize this stuff a bit. We far too often include trans issues, or bisexuality, when were really only talking about gay men, and maybe lesbians. These are separate issues, with vastly different understandings in contemporary society. I’m very pleased that LG progress seems to have helped trans and bi progress, but there is still a very long ways to go, particular with trans issues.

But for the spirit of corporation, I look forward to the day, which is eminently approaching, in which LGBT students do not need to know of their history – of the struggles that went before – that they can just live their lives with joy and love (that sounded corny) without having to fear or reminisce about how awful things used to be. That is what we have been fighting for, political apathy.’

On the question about the LGBT history and research have any value in society and its effect on the identity of the community he answered; -’You are essentially asking me why LGBT history is important. It’s not. What is important is LGBT legal and social equality. And to the extent that understanding our history, i.e. comparing the anti-gay marriage arguments to previous arguments about blacks marrying whites, helps us ascertain that equality, well then it is important.’

Finally I asked if the LGBT history and science have made any difference and if it is governed by the same rules as other sciences, to which Professor Anderson stated; -‘Oh very much so.There is fascinating work occurring sexual minorities at the sociological,psychological, social-psychological and biological levels. Now, I restrict my comments toward that of empirically based sciences and social science, post-structuralism, by it’ own admission is not concerned with empiricism, validity, or reliability. But if you look at the brain imaging of sexual desires, it’s startling! If you look at the hormone research and epigenetic effects on sexuality, it’s at the forefront of science. If you examine the changing nature of homophobia, sociologically, or the impact this has on one, psychologically, the findings are vastly different than they were just a decade or two, and certainly three, ago!’

As a few final concluding remarks I would like to say that although some of you who read this might not know any Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual or Transgender persons, you should know that their lives and love is just as natural as yours. In addition have I personally learned that LGBT history is not only the narrative of prosecution and liberation, but also the story of hope, diversity, sex and Love. And remember when you next time talk about human rights and equal rights history that it does also include the rights of the sexual minorities, not just what Women’s history and Black history. Just imagine how boring would this world be if we all were the same?

After all it is just Love.

A Chat with Julian Humphrys

It has been a while since my talk with Julian took place. I remember it was a very hectic morning a the University and that this very nice man was coming to have a chat with me about what he did and who he was. Nonetheless, everything that could go wrong did, in fact, go wrong; my dictaphone did not load batteries properly and was not working, I had my computer with me, but not a single place to plug it in. All I had at the time, was a pen and a bit of paper. So from the very messy scribbles I took down that day, here I present you Julian Humphrys: a chat with him at the Learning Cafe, University of Winchester.

 

Interest in History:

When asked about this, Julian gave an answer that I personally share: how could anyone in England not be interested in history? The whole country breaths history in almost every single village. He mentions how his parents were always interested in the historical culture, so he was brought up in a history-friendly environment. Some of his early memories are the Westgate and St.Cross, here in Winchester. He also mentions a bookshop in Alresford where he saw an interesting book on the Victorian period. Currently, Julian’s main interest in history is related to battles and warfare. He particularly mentions his focus on battle fields, with special mention of Cheriton.

In addition, he suggested that his attraction towards history also benefited from his school teacher, as the history department was very active and they always made it fun. However, he does not agree with the common method of teaching history as a chronology and nothing more.

 

Julian’s Specialisation:

Since he graduated from university, most of the time he has been involved in the field of historical studies in a way or another. Julian is a writer but does not consider himself an academic historian. He is very keen on objects and the stories behind them: medals, castles, battlefields…

He mentions the time he spent working for the National Army Museum and how much he enjoyed but he decided that he needed new experiences. It is not surprising then to know that Julian is also qualified tour guide, has worked closely with English Heritage and is an expert in organising visits. Furthermore, he has written books on historical royal palaces. He said he is really curious about the private life in palaces, and the stories behind the people who lived in there. Also, he wrote the BBC History Magazine page. According to him, people are always interested in that sort of things, just like quizzes, like the one he was working on at the time we had the interview.

Finally, Julian says that the really exciting thing about his job is to get out there and talk to people about history, face to face. He is a person that loves to engage with the public, and that passion is easily noticed and transmitted when you speak to him, you can see that he is actually liking the fact you are asking questions and want to know more. Devoted, I think that is the word that defines him best. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that, currently, he is working for the Battlefield trust.

Approximately, this would be Julian’s brief chronology:

Southampton Grammar School—>Emmanuel College (Cam.)-Study modern history—>70s various jobs:painter-decorator—>Polytechnic North London-postgraduate in Information Studies—>Museum for c.15 years—>English Heritage—>Present

 

Best Thing Ever Done Related to History:

Although he seems reserved to tell us about it, very humbly, Julian explains how much he enjoyed building a collection about British activities in Bosnia. He did at all from scratch, trying to give importance to what was significant and what was not. One of his favourite parts of the collection was the story regarding a boot hole, because it explained the particular circumstances that boot had gone through.

Also, he tells us how much he appreciates it when guiding he would take a group to a place he would love and those people, after getting the explanation and the view, share the same love for the site.

The Time Machine Question:

As you probably know already, we determined long time ago that this question should be included in all of our interviews. So Julian was not an exception, and thank goodness, because his reply was very interesting.

He said he would really like to be able to go to India at the time of the mutiny against the British governance. He would have liked to know what the Indians actually thought about the British and if they actually saw them as oppressors or things were more complex.

 

So after a long conversation and much chatting my meeting with Julian comes to an end. This was a while ago, and I have not been able to update this interview before as I thought I had misplaced one of my papers, and I refused to make the post not having all of the information. Now that I have finally found all of the sheets, and have been able to produce a somewhat comprehensive text I hope you all can enjoy it, just as much as I did enjoy meeting Julian and knowing about his exciting and very inspiring life.

Hopefully, the long wait would not make it less worthy!

All this said, we all would like to thank Julian for the effort he did to come down to Winchester for this occasion and wish him all the best in his future and to his organisation Battlefield Trust!!

Working in local heritage as a career: A fairly quick and informal student overview.

As a history student here at the University of Winchester, I decided early on in my course that I would ideally like a job working where I could apply my knowledge and expertise in promoting the benefits of historical knowledge and education to the general public. To that end, I’ve been building up experience by training with the National Trust (when I haven’t been working on my degree) for the past three years through voluntary training at Stourhead, Wiltshire to working four days a week this year as a House and Collections intern at Montacute House (living on site) in South Somerset in the hope of building a career path in the sector. Although I’m at the very start of my journey with an initial two years of experience, it’s been an interesting experience so far that other students might want to consider looking into after reading this brief overview.

Although many people completing a history degree consider it (however fleetingly) as a career option, a job in heritage is a demanding role which is very different to navigating an academic environment, even at the lowest levels of responsibility. Working within a historical building does require that you have a good academic command of wider and local historical knowledge, but the job also requires a completely separate skill set that includes an enormous variety of tasks, although there are more than a few similarities with field archaeology.

It’s an environment in which it pays to be pragmatic, friendly and adaptable. Typically, I’ve been assigned to House and Collections as an assistant during the open months to the rest of the House team in a semi-rural location. This is inevitably a “Swiss army knife” type of role. You have to be prepared to deal with absolutely anything, from a catastrophic disaster such as fire or flood to a sudden biscuit shortage. Alongside more everyday concerns, the challenge of constantly contextualising and revising your knowledge of the building and the entire collection of artefacts within is a significant one, along with fulfilling the demands of visitors, volunteers and the conservation requirements of the property. The weather can also be an unexpected challenge. Storms can mean a severe drop in visitor numbers and older houses such as Montacute are unavoidably temperamental during wet weather. Outside communication can also be problematic. Heavy stonework is also exceptionally good at blocking mobile phone and Wi-Fi signals.

Despite these unusual hurdles, the jobs are typically very rewarding. It’s a real privilege to be given a fair amount of responsibility early on, in that you’re expected to use your own judgement to keep the house running smoothly on orders from the House and Collections manager or curator, depending. There is always backup at the end of a radio or pager if you need it, though. Sometimes the historical environment itself does actually help you with day to day tasks. The former servant tunnels and passageways under and around Stourhead itself proved invaluable for getting around in a hurry.

A regular open day in the summer for me starts out with a fairly mundane “hands-on” two and half hour session in which the house is checked for discrepancies (monitoring humidity, light levels and temperature alongside checking security measures) and then set up for visitors after the standard “Plan B” daily dust and vacuum clean. This is then followed by a quick bit of volunteer co-ordination to set up room guiding for the day. We then move onto visitor opening for around six more until the house is shut down, which for the house staff means plugging gaps in the rota, interacting with visitors, resolving any unforeseen problems, fielding e-mail and working on future plans for the property. Winter cleaning is an entirely different challenge, involving detailed conservation of one room at a time in the colder months, but it’s very likely you won’t see this in detail until much later in your career.

On a regular day, this means that you could easily be fielding both the gallery hoovering and a detailed hour long discussion regarding eighteenth century art history with a visitor within the space of one day, depending on how things go. It’s not the type of job that would suit everyone, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge of combining some very different intellectual and manual tasks to create a rewarding end result. It also helps to have an open minded but formal outlook in my experience, as that seems to work best in an environment concerned with public history.

Of course, the really interesting bit is working with the collections. Stourhead was focused on the English Enlightenment, due to being the former seat of Sir Richard Colt-Hoare, who was one of the first archaeologists to attempt to scientifically examine Stonehenge as well as an avid art collector. With three centuries of occupation, there was plenty of room to explore with verbal and written interpretation for visitors within the complex and overlapping narratives attached to the property, but it’s impossible not to have favourite “case studies.”

Even without contextualisation, the “Pope’s cabinet” at Stourhead is a spectacular example of late renaissance furniture, with an estimated c.120 drawers and over fifty unique types of geological samples present within the woodwork. But with a quick bit of thoughtful expansion on the nature of the base artefact, you could easily generate historical debates, such as the questionable authenticity of it’s ownership (allegedly it once belonged to Pope Sixtus V) and it’s reflection of the values of the counter-reformation and the sumptuary laws. It’s in these debates that the value of conservation becomes worthwhile. As well as inspiring pieces of art, artefacts encourage people to think about the past in a more philosophical and analytical sense, regardless of age or level of interest.

Montacute house from the outside. Credit: Wikimedia commons.

Montacute house was practically a gift in terms of linking it’s significance to wider British history, with a history that really began in the Jacobean period. The initial owner, Edward Phelips, helped to prosecute both Guido Fawkes and Sir Walter Raleigh at the turn of the seventeenth century, and Lord Curzon (responsible for the partition of India) occupied the house as his third home at the turn of the twentieth. The interlocking threads could become tricky to navigate (particularly with artefacts linking to further threads outside of direct contact, such as portraits) but I managed to quickly adapt. It’s actually helped with presentations at University; the ability to maintain a good flow of speech while discussing a complex subject from memory cannot be underestimated.

While some visitors will come to marvel silently at the art and architecture (often with extensive background knowledge of their own) others will want to engage you on the subject or learn from you directly It’s always rewarding to see a visitor leaving with a better understanding of history than when they first entered. Having an extensive library at Stourhead also added to what was possible in terms of interpretation; my mini-presentation on Hogarth utilized an actual late eighteenth century binder of his work. While that sort of presentation isn’t feasible as a constant feature, exceptional added value like that can really add to the visitor experience on a day in which we’re expecting heavy footfall. Special events such as open days are also a significant feature of the heritage calendar. While tiring, they can be great fun to participate in as an organiser.

If you’ve read this far and are still considering a career in heritage based on my student experience, I’d recommend seeking out a voluntary position, as I did, to see if it’s the right sort of job for you. My brief summary doesn’t really do the inherent complexity of the kind of roles available justice, so the best way is to experience it for yourself. Bear in mind tour guiding and outdoor work are two completely different skill sets again, but ones which can be equally as rewarding.

If you’re interested, join in and find you enjoy it and can keep up with the fast pace of work, keep at it! It’s a competitive job market (as in many other sectors) but plenty of jobs within historical houses, castles and museums do exist for those who are committed and willing to learn. Regardless, interning or volunteering at as many locations as possible will raise the quality of your application to any job. I’ve really enjoyed my time so far, and I’ve been lucky enough to be tutored by two fantastic bosses who have both taught me a enormous amount. After hearing about what some former interns at Montacute have gone on to do, I’m cautiously optimistic about my future prospects…

If you’re interested in seeing a few more of the historical items I’ve worked with so far, http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/ contains a detailed database of items for both Stourhead and Montacute and a bit more information than I’ve discussed here.

What if Arthur had become King of England?

The Tudors are one of the most famous English royal families, into which historians have conducted countless amounts of research, with particular focus upon the wives of Henry VIII, as well as the reigns of both himself and his three children, among various significant events which took place during this momentous period of history. It is therefore, interesting to view certain aspects of this particular time from the perspective of counter-factual history, also known as alternative history. The life of Prince Arthur Tudor, for example, is one of the areas overshadowed by the more decisive and influential aspects of Tudor history. The approach of alternative history could be applied to multiple areas of Tudor history, but in this post I hope to explore the alternative of What if Arthur had become King of England?

Well, the first question one would perhaps wish to ask is; would he have been the great legend his parents had hoped for? Indeed, his place of birth being Winchester – the ‘spiritual home of King Arthur’s Round Table’[1] – implies Henry VII and Elizabeth of Yorke had high hopes for their first born son. Also, would he have been both as famous and infamous as Henry VIII? Considering the view that Henry VIII’s main reason for the Break from Rome was to divorce his first wife – being an incredibly controversial move amongst the English people, it can be argued that Arthur would have been rather different. As, one historian, Gunn argues, that due to his less confrontational nature, Arthur would perhaps not have been so destructive towards the Catholic church as his brother. What is more, any alterations to or replacement of the Catholic Church in England, would, as Gunn suggests, have derived from the grass-roots as a challenge to authority, rather than enforcement by the government or monarchy.

It has also been argued by Kathryn Hadley in her review of Steven Gunn and Linda Monkton’s book Arthur Tudor: Prince of Wales, for the History Today magazine that the English Reformation would have been played out rather differently had Arthur been King of England. This is because it is believed that Arthur was ‘less confrontational’ and therefore would most likely have been more careful like his father. Indeed, when trying to construct an image of Arthur Tudor as king of England, it is helpful to reflect on the attitudes of Henry VII as he would have had a lot of control over his son’s upbringing, such as through choosing his tutors. This point links back to the areas in which the two sons of Henry VII were most educated, in order to prepare them for their duties as English royalty.

Although historians do not have accurate evidence of the nature of the relationship between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, it has been suggested in Gregory’s historical novel that the two were very much in love and therefore, one can assume that little would have broken their marriage, had they had the opportunity to live as King and Queen of England. However, considering their ages at their time of marriage, any form of relationship can really only be speculation. Also, if we are to consider what we do know, in order to construct an alternative story to the actual succession of the Tudor monarchy, Arthur’s weak health would suggest that producing sons, who would live beyond the age of three, would have been a challenge.

On the other hand though, Referring back to Henry VIII’s first divorce, which, the evidence suggests, was primarily due to the lack of a male heir, it could be argued that things may have planned out differently, had Arthur remained Catherine’s husband. As, although it is hard to tell whether the lack of a male heir would have given him reason to find another wife, having been trained to become a king, unlike Henry, who was trained in the church, as the second son, Arthur may not have been as involved or concerned with the workings of the English church. What is more, the investigations into Henry VIII’s illnesses and their links to his inability to have more than four children – of which only one was a legitimate male heir – could lead to the conclusion that if Arthur had become king, England may have had a more stable line-up of sons. Although, returning to the matter of his health, had Arthur survived the illness which killed him as a young man, it would most likely have weakened him.

But if Arthur, as king, had had to face the same succession crisis as Henry VIII, would he have divorced Catherine and if he had, whom would he have married? This is a question which feels far beyond any reasonable speculations, but being the serious boy he was, it seems likely that had it crossed his mind, Arthur would have made some foreign alliance, through a second marriage, with another European power. But again, there is not enough material to speculate with much accuracy.

One last point I would like to consider in this post, is the amount the Tudor court would have travelled, had Arthur fulfilled his parents hopes’, in becoming the next legendary king of England. If he had demonstrated anything like the character of his father, the court would have remained fairly inanimate and stationary, which combined with his upbringing in the Welsh castle of Ludlow, may have produced a seemingly distant and at times, absent king. Although, again, there is little material for speculation in their area.

To conclude, let us consider what is the significance of counter-factual or alternative history and what can we learn from it? Thinking about the what ifs of a subject or event in history can help us to unravel why history happened the way it did and how these things have had an effect on subsequent events.

Bibliography;

http://www.historytoday.com/blog/news-blog/kathryn-hadley/what-if-arthur-prince-wales-had-been-king

http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/ArthurTudor.htm

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/prince_arthur.htm

 

---

[1] http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/prince_arthur.htm

 

Leap year traditions

Happy Valentine’s Day readers,

So it’s that time of year again, the one day they (being the powers that help organise this blog ) let me out of the politics and gender history and allow me to write something comparatively lighter and happier, they let me write about love… about valentine’s day. Ok so maybe they don’t let me instead I offer my services to write about the history behind, what I’m now going to name as the lovers holiday. So I hope you’re all having a fabulous day with your loved ones, if your with someone special, or if your single I still wish you all the best, and hope you enjoy the different kinds of love that are around you today instead; friendship; family and a love of life all of which are great things to have. And so in the words of Beatles and Ewan McGreggor in Moulin rouge, All you need is love, and with that we shall begin.

2012 is a year of many events; in England we have the diamond jubilee and the Olympics, yet this year is special for another reason it is a leap year. Ok I can hear you saying what’s so special about a leap year, we get an extra day in February and that it is, nothing special, nothing romantic … am I right? Well what if I said that this day the 29th of February is very important in the world of romance, in particular for women…., have I given you enough clues yet or are you still reading this thinking that the author has lost the plot and should put you out of your misery. Ok so the important thing that is romantic and can only happen in a leap year is that on the 29th of February a woman can legitimately propose to a man! So to our women readers if there’s a special man in your life that either isn’t getting the hint or you love him so much that you wish to spend the rest of your lives together, now’s your chance to pluck up the courage and get down on one knee and propose to him, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

Leap year traditions date back as far as 5th century Ireland where according to legend St Bridget struck a deal with St Patrick, after some haggling, originally it was going to be one year out of every seven, to allow women to purpose to men on leap day , in order to balance the traditional roles of men and women. Then unexpectedly St Bridget, being single got down on one knee and proposed to St Patrick, to which he refused but gave her a kiss and a beautiful silk gown in consolation. Apparently in 1288 a Law by Queen Margret of Scotland, aged 5 and living in Norway at the time stated that compensation should be given for a refusal to soften the blow. The statue apparently reads;

It is statut and ordainit that during the reine of hir maist blissit Magestie, ilk maiden ladye of baith highe and lowe estair shale hae libertie to bespeak ye man she likes; albiet, gif he refuses to tak her till be his wif, he sall be mulcit in ye sume of ane hundredth poundis or less, as is estait mai be, except and alwais gif he can mak it appear that he is betrothit to ane other woman, then he shall be free.

Rough Transulation by me: It is ordained that during the reign of her blessed majesty that a maiden lady of high and low birth, shall have the liberty to bespeak [propose to] the man she likes, if he refuses to take her as his wife, he shall be [fined] in the sum of an hundred pounds or less as it may be established, execpt and always he can make it appear that he is betrothed to another woman he sahll be free [of the fine].
However the validity of this law and whether it was actually enforced is questionable, considering it was written by a 5 year old.

This tradition of leap day, also known as bachelor’s day, was recognised by the 17th century, even if it’s origins are questionable, as shown by the allusion to the tradition of leap year to have a role reversal, in the play The Maid’s Metamorphosis(1600)

‘Master be contented, this is leape yeare,
Women weare breetches, petticoats are deare.’

And perhaps the tradition can be dated back to the medieval ages with this quote attributed to Chaucer, published in the Collectanea by Vincent Lean (1905);

In Leap Year they have power to chuse
The men no charter to refuse

But men be weary of refusing a women’s proposal on this day, as there were consequences if you refused the woman who proposed to you. The consequences include; a kiss (As stated in the law of Margret of Scotland), paying a fine, buying the woman a gown (to the value of £1 in medieval times); or as in some European countries such as Denmark, buying the woman who proposed 12 pairs of gloves, the idea behind this was that the women would then wear the gloves in order to hide her embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. In Finland, if the man refused he should buy the woman the fabrics for a skirt. Although in Greece it is considered unlucky for anyone to get married during this year and on this day.

So leap year proposals, what do you think? Some people think it’s a sweet old tradition that perhaps doesn’t have any place in a modern society any more, or it has a place as a romantic tradition that celebrates the love in this world, let me know, and in keeping with tradition I’m going to, ask for your favourite love quotes again this year, or your favourite love song, please leave them in the comment box below. Finally, all that’s left for me is to do is wish you a happy Valentine’s day, for the 14th , and good luck for any of our female readers who are brave enough to propose on the 29th. But whatever your relationship, I wish you all the happiness and love in the world.

Sophie, xoxo

p.s check out our gallery for a postcard from 1908 showing leap year tradtions.

Sources

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/chinese-leap-year.html

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/leap_year_2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year.

Historical Video Games: Traps or Tools for the Historian

Let me start with a confession; deep down I am a complete gamer at heart. Starting with the PSone, then on to the original Xbox, and now with the 360, also with a smattering of PC games along the way, gaming has been a large part of my life. This has also played a part in fuelling my love of history. I can vividly remember blasting Nazis away playing Medal of Honor sometime around the year 2000, therefore it didn’t take long to question why I was doing so, and for this I had to turn to history and then devoted the next 9 years of my life to reading as many history books on the Second World War as possible. Whilst in my case video games no doubt helped me to want to learn history, the question remains, can they be useful to the study of history? Furthermore, is it possible for video games to be historically accurate and should they be? This is a big topic and in order to answer these questions I will be examining both popular first-person shooters and strategy games, including various series such as Call of Duty, Red Orchestra, Total War. However, firstly I must explain the difference between the various genres. The first-person shooter genre can generally be split into two separate categories; there is the classic run ‘n gun with games such as Call of Duty, a series mostly centred upon the Second World War, then there is the more tactical games such as the Red Orchestra series centred around the Eastern Front during the Second World War which attempts to base itself more upon realism.

Video games are primarily designed as a medium of entertainment, a medium which has boomed considerably in the last 10 years, and therefore historical accuracy is not necessarily their main priority. Whilst historical accuracy is desirable, in some cases it has been sacrificed for gameplay. In the case of Call of Duty, whilst you take the role of an infantry soldier during the Second World War with accurate uniforms and weapons, somehow you are pretty much invincible. Apparently at some point before the war the Allies were able to perfect a technology where they were able to create super-soldiers and it takes hundreds of bullets to kill them as if soldiers are hit but they then rest a while then they are magically healed. Obviously, this has no real use in the study of history however if we were then to use this as a source regarding Second World War battles then it risks leading us to the conclusion that battles were made up of men running around with little thought to life or limb when in most cases this is not true. However, in some cases Call of Duty can be seen as being historically accurate when analysing particular missions, specifically the Pointe du Hoc mission in Call of Duty 2. The assault on Pointe du Hoc during the morning of 6th June 1944 was of tremendous importance to the Allies as it stopped the Germans from sending reinforcements to Omaha beach. American Rangers scaled the cliffs overlooking the beach, were able to overwhelm the defences and destroy the artillery guns firing upon Omaha. In the game it is clear that this was heavily researched as the mission begins with you scaling the cliffs and attacking trenches and pillboxes along the clifftop before finally finding and destroying the artillery and repulsing a German counter-attack. A few years ago I visited Pointe du Hoc in Normandy and one of the first things I realised were the visual similarities to the Call of Duty mission, not only demonstrating how often I play these games, but also how true the developers stuck to the reality. Therefore, what this shows is that whilst in the case of Call of Duty it is difficult to show what war is really like, it is perhaps possible to give a general impression.

However, in some cases first-person shooters are perhaps able to do more than give a general impression and draw you in to a soldiers feelings and emotions, in particular with the Red Orchestra series. In this you play as either a German or Soviet soldier on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. Whilst this may sound a lot similar to Call of Duty there is one crucial difference and that is the realism. In Call of Duty, depending on the difficulty, for the most part you are able to run around happily gunning down Germans, however if you do the same in Red Orchestra, much the same as real life, then that bullet with your name on it will find you rather quickly. Furthermore, there is no health regeneration as there is in Call of Duty so every bullet can, and mostly will, kill you. Playing Red Orchestra you will often find yourself trying to hug the bottom of the nearest hole, not knowing who is trying to kill you or where from and hoping they will stop. Heroics of the sort seen in Call of Duty are heavily advised against. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most brutal in the Second World War resulting in the complete destruction of a German army and the loss of thousands of Russian lives. It was a battle where snipers reigned supreme and fighting was not house to house but room to room. Therefore, I believe that Red Orchestra is a series where it is possible to understand the terror soldiers would have felt knowing that death was just around the corner.

Whilst first-person shooters have made a good attempt at historical accuracy, no genre has done so quite like the grand strategy genre. Grand strategy games are based upon the idea of the player taking control of a nation, such as the Total War series. The Total War series is made up of different games based upon different historical periods including Roman, Medieval and Early Modern. However, whilst brilliantly designed and fun to play, it also suffers from the problem of various historical inaccuracies. In the case of the Roman period, the game divides the Roman Republic into 3 separate families controlling vast conglomeration of provinces with the Senate and People of Rome controlling just Rome. This is clearly inaccurate as the Roman Republic was a singular entity controlled by the Senate and its two elected Consuls. Grand strategy games are centred upon the principle that the player shapes history as they want to. In the Total War game based upon the Early Modern Period I took command of the British Empire and managed to expand so much as to conquer all of North and Central America and stop the American Revolution from ever taking place. This therefore has little significance in the study of history as this clearly didn’t happen, however there is a possibility for these games to be useful. I believe that as long as the basic framework of the period is in place then these grand strategy games can be of use. Then they will be more akin to the study of counter-factual history where you are able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different nations. Therefore, as a historical source grand strategy games have several faults but as a method for the study of counter-factualism it does bear some possibilities, yet always keeping in mind that it is a game and therefore designed to be entertaining plus designers can be hindered by the technology of the medium.

Overall, video games can be of use to the historian. They can be useful in understanding the atmosphere of the time and in the study of counter-factualism. However, more importantly they can be used to inspire a new generation of historians to study history, much like myself. In the past few years the historian Niall Ferguson has been attempting to boost the popularity of history in schools through using video games, even advising on a grand strategy game, Making History, with the focus on historical accuracy. Historical accuracy is no doubt necessary in historical video games as otherwise it risks giving a false impression of the past. However, leading the backlash against historical video games is Anthony Beever with the argument that there is enough real history to study and therefore should we really use them? As previously stated, I believe that historical video can be useful as a tool of inspiration and in order to give a general impression of a period, however any more than this is really a wild goose chase when, as Anthony Beever says, there is enough real history to study.

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/09/television-war-games-niall-ferguson

http://mplayer.pastemagazine.com/issues/week-18/articles#article=/issues/week-18/articles/red-orchestra-2-heroes-of-stlingrad-pc

http://www.ign.com/blogs/bacchus451/2011/03/15/an-academic-analysis-of-historical-accuracy-in-call-of-duty-2

Light in Darkness and Fear the Night.

Every year when the night grow longer and the sun stands lower and lower on the sky, young girls on the Scandinavian Peninsula dream of becoming this year’s Lucia. Last week like every year for a long time, girls all around Norway and Sweden was elected or pointed out to become Lucia, and to lead the Lucia day procession dressed in white and with a crown of light in their hair. For many people in these countries this day, the 13th of December, is a day to celebrate light in the darkest hours of the year, by having girls walking from room to room with lights in their hair singing joyous songs and commemorating the Holy Lucia and her good deeds in life. Although it might be seen as a paradox is that St. Lucia is a catholic and orthodox saint and not a part of the protestant and Lutheran Churches of Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. The modern tradition of celebrating Lucia can be traced back to Germany in the early modern period, but spread through Sweden to the rest of Scandinavia, the first recorded evidence of the modern celebrations outside Sweden can be found in Denmark and Norway just after the Second World War.

Lucia was a young woman from Syracuse in Sicily, whom allegedly died in 304 as a martyr for her Christian beliefs.[1]  This happened only 9 years before Emperor Constantine the Great ended the prosecution of Christians. [2]  Legends of Lucia tells us the story of how a young girl traveled to pray, at a grave of a Christian saint, for her mother who were very ill, and God heard her prayers and healed Lucia’s mother from her illness. Lucia who was a Christian thanked God by giving food to the poor paid for by the money she supposedly were to use to pay for her wedding. This was not appreciated by other citizens of Syracuse, especially the roman authorities who were anti Christian in their beliefs prosecuted her and tried to burn her, but the fire would not touch her, by divine interference. She died in the end at the blade of a sword, for her beliefs and for helping Christians and poor people in her city.[3]

Lucia, or Lucy which is her English name, can be seen as one of many early Christian saints and martyrs who’s stories were not written down until the latter parts of the middle ages, so therefore we cannot say a lot precise about her life and her existence.  But we can see her life as a saint, as a continuation of and a part of the traditions of the early Christian saints and martyr’s. We have all heard, read, and know about the prosecutions that Christians were under in the first three centuries after the birth of Christ, and like so many other Christian holidays and festivals throughout the world, they were throughout the medieval period introduced in the newly converted and Christianized regions of northern Europe, i.e. the first recorded celebrations of St. Lucia in Scandinavia can be found in records from the 13^th century in Western Sweden,  but it then held a different form and context.[4]

The night between the 12^th and the 13^th of December was believed to be the longest of the year, which would have been the case in the Julian calendar of the 15^th century, which was 8 days later than our calendar today, which would place the night to fall between the 20^th and the 21^st, which after all is the Winter solstice, which is the Longest night of the year. On this night none should be outdoors because on this night the witches of the earth and the mares of the world would hunt through the night and take with them all humans who were out and about. These beliefs are derived from pre Christian traditions of Osgardsreia, or the end of the world, or in some cases the night of the witches and nightmares of all living things. This explanation of the meaning of Osgardsreia have been given by some, though in Ornulf Hodne’s book; “Vetter og Skromt” from 1995 it is explained as; a journey done throughout the lands by pagan Gods and heroes to try to regain influence upon the Christians.[5] This idea that this night was the most dangerous night of the year can to some aspect be seen as a religious synchronization between the paganism, here represented by the pagan Gods who are trying to gain a following though traveling through the world of men, the folklore, which suggest that people would be taken by this Osgardsreia, and the new Christian religion which can be seen through the strong belief and idea that the reia is dangerous and of an evil king, i.e. devilish.  Much of this folklore can still be traced in stories and fairytales of the Scandinavian countries, though the modern way of celebrating Lucia, is as earlier mentioned; girls parading from room to room dressed in white and with candles in their hair. Which leaves with a question to ask is; to what extent is this a new folklore of Scandinavia with its celebrations of light, the turning of the year and the memory of the Christian martyr’s. Or is it rather just a costume without meaning and purpose for the inhabitants of Scandinavia? But what we can see is that the traditions of Lucia, the story of her life and trust in God have inspired a holiday and belief which bring light into the dark days and nights of the high North as well as Scandinavian homes throughout the world, and that this is a result of religious and cultural syncretism.

---

[1] http://snl.no/Lucia_fra_Siracusa

[2] http://snl.no/Konstantin_den_store

[3] http://snl.no/Lucia_fra_Siracusa

[4] http://snl.no/Lucienatt

[5] O. Hodne, ’Vetter og Skromt’, Oslo, 1995.

Bibliography

Hodne, O., ’Vetter og Skromt’, Oslo, 1995.

http://snl.no/Konstantin_den_store

http://snl.no/Lucienatt

http://snl.no/Lucia_fra_Siracusa

The Meaning of Christmas

It’s this time of year again, and it seems to come round so quickly! But have you ever stopped to consider the true significance of 25^th December?

From my experience of Christmas, both the weeks leading up to it and the actual day itself have been centred on commercialisation and the anticipation of receiving our dream presents, particularly for children and teenagers. Commercialisation is a huge problem at this time of year, especially for those suffering badly from the government cuts and increased VAT. Although, I think it has always been a dark shadow, how the adverts, the sales and the shop window displays lure us in and play on are stresses over finding just the right present.

What is more, it seems that advent, a time which is supposed to prepare us for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, has been turned into a manic rush in which we are either agonising over the best size tree for the living room, calculating how much food is needed for the hordes who’ll visit over Christmas or frantically rushing through the crowds of shoppers in a mad hunt for that special something – and for what? Indeed, commercialisation is not the only problem, but also how we as individuals value Christmas and whether we conform to the norms of society, with the image of an ideal Christmas. Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment and should we not be revaluating why we go to so much trouble for one day a year?

As a Christian, I feel the true meaning of Christmas has been clouded by the stress of buying the perfect present for those we love and the preparation of all the trimmings, such as the tree and the big dinner. When it comes to the heart of Christmas; how many of us actually attend Church on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, to hear about the reason for this celebration beginning with Christ? In the past, particularly the Middle Ages and the time of the early church fathers, the story of Christmas and the giving of gifts appears to have been far more important than the receiving of gifts and the watching of television programmes. For example Boxing Day was a time when the Church would share the contents of a wooden Christmas Box with the poor[1], so they also join in the festivities.

Another element of Christmas, which I see as of particular significance is the chance to spend quality time with our families, although even this can sometimes be tainted by perfectionism and commercialism. Not only is it the type of commercialism which we experience through adverts for the latest gadgets and fashions etc., as well as the buying of presents, turkeys and trees, but also the type that we are exposed to on the television, with the introduction of Christmas specials for series such as Outnumbered, Dr Who and East Enders (to name but a few). Don’t get me wrong, viewers do generally enjoy many of these programmes and to some extent the showing of them can help make time to bring families together (in spite of the arguments, selecting what to watch can cause), but they are still a diversion from the truth of Christmas.

Additionally, with regards to festive films, the adaptation of Charles’ Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol into a film, on numerous occasions, somewhat contradicts the message he was trying to portray. Indeed, the main reason for celebrations on 25^th December is by so many aspects of modern society, in danger of becoming extinct from our consciousness. It is not what we do on the day or how well decorated our homes are etc… that matters; it is the celebration of the coming of our Saviour. In this time of economic strain Christmas is our beacon of hope, as it is the reminder of the faith that men and women have lived by for centuries.

When comparing our attitudes to Christmas with those of past societies, some aspects would almost be unrecognisable to us and others are not dissimilar from today. For example, the intended good will of the Christmas season, such as the Christmas Box given to the poor on Boxing Day, by the Church[2] is a little like the Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child campaign, whereby those in more well-off countries pack shoeboxes with goodies and ship them off to children who would otherwise not have a present at Christmas. This just shows that the true spirit of giving is still alive today, but perhaps not as prominent as it ought to be. On the other hand, the traditional medieval celebrations of Christmas featured three different masses, all celebrated on 25^th December; the Angel’s Mass at midnight, representing the coming of the light of God when ‘the light of salvation appeared at the darkest moment’[3], the Shepherd’s Mass at dawn and the Mass of the Divine Word which happened during the day.[4] Therefore, it is clear that throughout the Middle Ages, Christmas was taken very seriously as a significant time of year for Christians. However, some aspects of the Middle Ages remain in our celebrations today, such as the name: ‘Our word Christmas is derived from the Middle English usage “Christ’s Mass”’[5] Based on the three masses. What is trying to be demonstrated here is that the true spirit of Christmas is about sharing and giving, as well as acknowledging the story of Jesus and its meaning and importance to humanity.

I would like to conclude therefore, that as long as we understand why many parts of the world have either a designated day or set of days when people give and receive gifts, and we do not forget that we are buying presents in order to show our love to those in our lives, then we need not feel guilty. As, despite all those things we may be so desperate to buy or receive in order to fulfil our idea of the prefect Christmas, the key point of Jesus as light and love of the world is what’s  really important. Perhaps one of the reasons why buying (and receiving) presents has become so prominent in our celebration of Christmas, is due to the fact that, this day was originally set aside to acknowledge and celebrate the birthday of a child that was destined to save the world. Indeed, we all know from school nativity plays how the three Kings/Wise Men brought the baby Jesus precious gifts  -  but it is perhaps the meaning of these gifts that we ought to be reminded of, not merely that presents were given on the first Christmas. If we consider the gift of Gold, for example, we are reminding ourselves of Jesus’s significance as King of the Universe. Frankincense is believed to have represented that people would come to worship Jesus and Myrrh is associated with death, foreshadowing Jesus’s fate on the Cross.[6]

Although, whether Jesus was actually the Messiah and Saviour of humanity and what it is He is supposed to have saved us from is, in our society, a matter of debate. Whether we believe in the story of Jesus or not, it would be a credit to us all, as beings capable of so much love and compassion, not to expect to receive our dream presents this Christmas, but instead to give whole-heartedly, not merely material gifts to others, but also gifts of compassion, even to those we do not know. For I believe our God came to the Earth in human form, not only to save us, but to show us just how much He loves us and so wants us to share His love with the world.

---

[1] http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/boxingday.html

[2] http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/boxingday.html

[3] http://www.godecookery.com/mtales/mtales09.htm

[4] http://www.godecookery.com/mtales/mtales09.htm

[5] http://www.godecookery.com/mtales/mtales09.htm

[6] http://www.whychristmas.com/story/wisemen.shtml

Halloween

*sets the scene* the curtain lifts to reveal a dark stage, a rustling cane be heard from the wings as an old greying butler begins to light the candles on the small circular table, slowly the footlights begin to glow a soft yellow light, revealing a chair next to the table, you look at the chair to find it is occupied by… by … me your history blogger of the week. Lol.

Happy Halloween, my readers, I hope you’re having an amazing Halloween as I am. As you have guessed, the opportunity was too good to miss, and we history bloggers love the holiday too much that it was impossible not do a blog post on Halloween or All Hallows Eve. The one day of the year where we celebrate the creatures, monsters, the things that go bump in the night. Were we dress up as witches and Frankenstein lurks around the corner or if you’re silly enough to say trick to a bunch of kids your house ends up pelted with eggs. So sit back, relax and join me on this ‘ghost’ train of a ride as we explore the traditions and the history of Halloween.

The origins of Halloween

All Hallows Eve dates back to the time of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) . The Celts are generally found in England, Ireland and northern France and would celebrate Halloween as the day in which the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its weakest, and it is on this day that the ghosts of the dead came back to the land of the living. It was believed that the ghost came back to play tricks on people, and destroy harvests etc. remember this was a time when the was a different type of logic and reasoning than we 21st century people are used to and people believed that if something went wrong the supernatural was to blame, something it can be argued that is still believe in by some people today. In addition it was believed that it was due to this supernatural activity that it was easier for druids or Celtic priests to predict the future. The Celts celebrated Samhain by building huge bonfires where sacrifices were made to the Celtic deities, and during the day they wore costumes made of animal skins (perhaps an early example of Halloween dress up) and once the celebrations were over they re-lit their hearth fires to help protect them from the harsh winter, that was coming. The Romans also had their own take on Halloween. After taking control of the Celtic lands, the Romans combined two of their own festivals, Feralia, a day commemorating the dead and a day that honoured Pomona the Goddess of fruit and trees with the Celtic celebration of the Samhain, in their version of Halloween. Interestingly it may be from the goddess Pomona that we get the Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples as that was her symbol.

Another aspect to All Hallows Eve is the day after, all saints day moved by Pope Gregory III to the first of 1st November. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had spread so far that it began to mix and supplant the Celtic traditions, in 1000 A.D. all souls day was created by the church on November 2nd, a day to honour the dead. The day itself was celebrated similarly to the Celtic Samhain, with bonfires, parades and dressing up as saints; angels and devils. This was eventually moved to the 1st of November and combined with all saints day leaving the traditional Celtic Samhain to be performed the night before, coming to be known as All- Hallows eve … Halloween.

An American Halloween

Halloween was more common in Maryland and other southern colonies in America and the typical American Halloween we know was built out of these areas where different European ethnic groups mixed the the ideas of the American Indians, to become Halloween. These celebrations included ‘play parties’, public events that celebrated the harvest ‘where neighbours would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing;’ telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds but these were just part of autumn festivities and not yet a part of Halloween. The great migration to America in the second half of the 19th century helped to cement Halloween as a holiday in America’s calendar. In particular the growing number of Irish immigrants, who brought with them their own English and Irish traditions which soon had the American’s dressing up and going trick or treating.
However there are still elements of the old Celtic traditions, even in the 19th century, with young American women believing that they could divine the name of their future husbands by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors. In the late 1800s, Halloween in America became more a holiday about the community and less about ghosts and witchcraft, although this still remains an important part of Halloween as it stands today. However by the 1900s Halloween became more of, what I wish to call a political correct holiday, with parents being encouraged to take the frightening or grotesque out of celebrations, this lead to Halloween loosing most o its superstitious elements and religious elements. By the 1950s Halloween in America was now a holiday directed at the young and trick-or-treating bad been revived, with adults now giving out ‘candy’ (sweets to you and me) to prevent children playing tricks on them. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday .

Halloween Traditions and Superstitions

Trick or treating, is suggested to date back to the early All Souls Day practise of giving poor people, on this day, “soul cakes” in return for the promise of the recipient to pray for the family’s dead relatives ( A very important thing during this time ). It can also be explained as the church trying t discourage the practise of leaving food and wine out for roaming spirits,… hmm sounds familiar lol. The practice, was referred to as “going a-souling” and was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighbourhood and be given ale, food, and money.

Dress up- in the Celtic days, where they believed that ghost would come back on All Hallows Eve if they left their homes. To avoid being recognised they would wear masks when they left homes after dark hoping that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.

Ghosts – originally were like Casper (if you remember him) and were friendly. As people felt especially close to the deceased at this time, for the friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table and left treats out or them, lighting candles for them on the sides of the road to help them get back to the spirit realm. Today’s ghosts are scarier and it is suggested that this goes back to the middle ages and particularly in the times of the witch craze, where the majority of the European population believed in the idea of witches, and they would avoid detection by turning into black cats and so we avoid the cats. Along with acting upon other superstitious behaviour breaking mirrors, passing under ladders, and stepping on cracks in the road.

Many Halloween rituals also focused on the future particularly finding young women their future husbands. For example in Ireland it e 18th century a cook might bury a ring in the mash potatoes hoping t bring true love to the diner. In Scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girl’s future husband. (In some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.) Other rituals were more competitive, with the first guest at a Halloween party, to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; or the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle.
So from spooks and superstitions, from days commemorating the living and the dead both spiritually and religiously and finding future, maybe even your true love. Whatever your Halloween tradition I hope your day has been as awesome as mine. Now i’m offto hide under the covers whilst attempting to watch scary movies.Please feel free to comment with any of your hallowen tradtions.

Until next time

Sophie

sources
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween

www.google.co.uk/images

…”What is Black History?”…

I love the way in which we are ignorant. Everyone is ignorant, including historians. As humans we have this tendency of ignoring things, either because we do not want to hear about it, because it implicates effort or just because we never showed interest. Sometimes we are ignorant by accident, but most of the time we are ignorant because we chose to. You will think why am I discussing this when we are in the middle of what is called Black History month, and that we only “celebrate” in october in the UK (apparently the rest of the world that is concerned about it does it in february, but never mind). Well, the answer is rather simple, we ARE total ignorant in the subject of Black History.

Me, myself, I was thinking on my topic for this week and found myself wondering…what IS black history? The only thought I could get in my mind were words like slavery and Martin Luther King, maybe some bits and pieces of the Boer War… And that was about it…Me…A “potential” historian…And I thought that was just wrong. It is wrong in the first place having such a thing like black history month, or women history month…It seems rather discriminating. Just like J. Wayne explains in his article, it seems like an excuse to ignore this type of histories for the rest of the year. Nonetheless, and before I put far too much criticism on the subject, one could say that at least for one month these people are remembered.

Going back to the subject of what is black history, I am still trying to make sense of it. I have ben told, and read in several places that it primarily applies to the movement of african people around the world and its implications…Which, to an extent I guess it is reduced to Slavery (the fact that we are using movement rather than migration gives me the clue…). I think this is a sad fact. We chose to remember that African people were trade as any other sort of goods…Why do not we try to remember what existed before that? What made them a people and there for electable to have their own history month? What about their culture? Their unknown kingdoms? Their religion? What about all those Africans that were not slaves or that not ended in wars with the Europeans? Why do not we pay a bit of attention to them?

This is the reason why my topic for today is going to be a very brief comment on a couple of cultural aspects of African societies NOT RELATED to the usual thing. These are things I have just learnt for myself and that I would like to share with you so we all get an image of these ‘black’ people and their history.

In case that anyone forgot, Africa could be argued to be the cradle of civilization. The extraordinary archaeological work in this continent remind us that most likely our human origins belong there. Half of the bananas we eat, we owe them to the inhabitants of East Africa. As it happens they  decided to trade and spread their new-found crop to the rest of the continent (back in the 3rd century CE) and so, new varieties of bananas were produced. These bananas helped to the agricultural development of these people; it provided them with food supplies and trade (reference: C.Ehret, The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800). Half of the music you listen is based on African music. They took it with them to America in the age of Slavery and they expressed their lament in a very poetical way: music. Thanks to this we have soul, blues and even jazz, rock and roll and heavy metal, and most likely, other sorts of pop music. It seems that music was a very important part of African life, as other sort of artistic representations (and it is still within many tribes in the continent, p. 337-344). In the words of B. Davidson:

” Carvers were famous because they were excellent. Dancers were celebrated not because they knew the steps…but because they dances them supremely well. Drummers were admired for the rhythms they could hear and play, rhythms so complex that an unskilled listener like myself cannot even recognise them.” ( The Africans: and entry to cultural history, p.161)

…And so I could carry on.

I am not trying to say that it is bad that we have such a thing like Black History month. I am not trying to say that we are bad people because we do not know their history. What I am trying to say is that maybe the reasons why we do not know such things, or why we need something like black history month are not the best ever. So maybe, we should do a bit of historical reflection and reconsider what sort of things we pay attention to and why.

“Nothing determines who we will become so much as those things we choose to ignore. ~ Sandor McNab”

…And I hope this might encourage you to learn something new today, or this month. Perhaps…Something related to Africa and Black history.