| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Nettle
Main star: Robin
Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 2245
Location: Australia
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:53 am Post subject: Favourite Aspect of History |
 |
|
What aspects of history are your favourite? I don't mean what era, I mean what parts of history do you like best?
I'm big on social history. How people lived.
_________________
Please your majesty! Spare my crab and sweetcorn!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
union_jak
Main star: Robin
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 1777
Location: Sussex
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
Royal history generally. Most of the English history relates to a monarch much more than today with the Queen.
My main aspect of that would be Tudor history, and the various royal conflicts of that time.
_________________
"I'm as clean as a Queen in a washing machine" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
La Nuit
Royal household staff
Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Los Angeles, California
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
When I was younger I used to love reading books about the middle ages. So, social history too, I guess. I haven't read any books like that in ages though. I need to find ones that aren't all dry and boring...
I also used to love reading books about old fashion, you know, like from the 1600s when everyone looked ridiculous.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nettle
Main star: Robin
Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 2245
Location: Australia
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
Old fashion is great fun!  (and part of social history I think.)
_________________
Please your majesty! Spare my crab and sweetcorn!!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ebony
Main star: Robin
Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Midlands,england
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I like history in general, but i really enjoyed 'worst jobs in history', presented by the one and only tony robinson. Brilliant how he showed what the peasents/poor used to have to do.
_________________
I've made many mistakes, but so as everyone else
3 rules for life:
1.Enjoy life
2.Be yourself
3.Bad never looked this good. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lady Loxley
Royal family
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 174
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
History in general but i like social history and i dont know if folklore and legends from various times count but them also.
_________________
But if he dies, he'll be dead! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
union_jak
Main star: Robin
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 1777
Location: Sussex
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Oooh I like ancient civilisations too, forgot about that.
_________________
"I'm as clean as a Queen in a washing machine" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ntnon
Main star: Sheriff
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 448
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Lady Loxley wrote: | | History in general but i like social history and i dont know if folklore and legends from various times count but them also. |
Crossing into, bordering on, or just 'plain old' Cultural and Literary history, surely? Perfectly reasonable and a good choice. I think there's even a proper word for it... certainly there's been a whole lot written and researched about the Norse Sagas and their value as sources of legendary wisdom/received stories/social commentary/historical accuracy, etc.
I like proper Social history (and all aspects, really), but I get thoroughly annoyed by the cod-social history that often winds up being taught: "How do you think a peasant* would feel?"
Well. To answer that either involves trying to get into his/her local mindset (Good), OR to map our modern feelings back onto someone from a completely different background, with different experiences, hopes, desires, thoughts and needs (Bad). And most people - and teachers - seem to opt for the latter. 
So you get comments like "Peasants were a bit stupid, weren't they?", "I bet they were bored working in fields so much and not getting to watch TV..." or detrimental comments about Royalty, inaccurate understandings (and misuse) of terms like "Serf", "vassal" and so forth, and then general incomprehension that people in the past could think and believe different things to those we do! 
Sorry. Pet peeves.  
*And that's a loaded term, anyway..! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lady Loxley
Royal family
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 174
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ntnon wrote: | | Lady Loxley wrote: | | History in general but i like social history and i dont know if folklore and legends from various times count but them also. |
Crossing into, bordering on, or just 'plain old' Cultural and Literary history, surely? Perfectly reasonable and a good choice. I think there's even a proper word for it... certainly there's been a whole lot written and researched about the Norse Sagas and their value as sources of legendary wisdom/received stories/social commentary/historical accuracy, etc.
I like proper Social history (and all aspects, really), but I get thoroughly annoyed by the cod-social history that often winds up being taught: "How do you think a peasant* would feel?"
Well. To answer that either involves trying to get into his/her local mindset (Good), OR to map our modern feelings back onto someone from a completely different background, with different experiences, hopes, desires, thoughts and needs (Bad). And most people - and teachers - seem to opt for the latter.
So you get comments like "Peasants were a bit stupid, weren't they?", "I bet they were bored working in fields so much and not getting to watch TV..." or detrimental comments about Royalty, inaccurate understandings (and misuse) of terms like "Serf", "vassal" and so forth, and then general incomprehension that people in the past could think and believe different things to those we do!
Sorry. Pet peeves.
*And that's a loaded term, anyway..! |
Don't apologise, i understand completely where you're coming from. I'm always annoyed when people use the term peasant and others think of farmers covered in muck and wearing rags.
Anyway, i do like mythology (If thats the word) and for christmas my parents got me the new edition of beowulf which has now been read to death.
It makes me smile when you read tales from many centuries ago and yet they still relate to today's times.
And, erm, yeah, not everyone understands how times change and that with the times, people don't change.
_________________
But if he dies, he'll be dead! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ntnon
Main star: Sheriff
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 448
|
| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Lady Loxley wrote: | | Don't apologise, i understand completely where you're coming from. I'm always annoyed when people use the term peasant and others think of farmers covered in muck and wearing rags. |
"Who's that, then?"
"I dunno, must be a king"
"Why?"
"He hasn't got sh*t all over him"
| Lady Loxley wrote: | | Anyway, i do like mythology (If thats the word) and for christmas my parents got me the new edition of beowulf which has now been read to death. |
Already?! 
I've never been quite as keen on Beowulf as a story as a lot of people are, but it's a very interesting and important work in itself.
| Lady Loxley wrote: | | It makes me smile when you read tales from many centuries ago and yet they still relate to today's times. |
;) Oh, very much so! Although it can also make me a little angry/sad when you realise that some things were problematic centuries ago, and still haven't been addressed! (Or - worse - were addressed a long, long time ago, and have eminently reasonable solutions but still plague us despite that! )
But yes, when you see things in centuries-old literature that sound like they could have been written yesterday, that's just staggering.
| Lady Loxley wrote: | | And, erm, yeah, not everyone understands how times change and that with the times, people don't change. |
Exactly, it seems unreasonably difficult for large numbers of people now to look on people then with much more than contempt (with little or no cause), and label them as stupid.
So, in a sense, the problem is that people today are, um, stupid..  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GazeboMouse
Royal household staff
Joined: 07 Aug 2009
Posts: 31
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I am an Archaeology graduate so Archaeology is my first love, but I am interested in the return of cultural remains of various indigenous minorities, and Monastic archaeology, history of slavery and cannibalism (just the theory, I don't join in!), and several other aspects. I am also interested in childhood history and archaeology, often missed out in major textbooks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ebony
Main star: Robin
Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Midlands,england
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well as a kind of update after doing my as level history i like almost all aspects of history bar from the french revolution. I think if any of my class sees it again we will go nuts
_________________
I've made many mistakes, but so as everyone else
3 rules for life:
1.Enjoy life
2.Be yourself
3.Bad never looked this good. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
union_jak
Main star: Robin
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 1777
Location: Sussex
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I want to know more about early American history. Like, at the time when the Spanish were still exploring and the idea of El Dorado was a romantic dream. Before the cowboys and presidents, and constitutions etc.
_________________
"I'm as clean as a Queen in a washing machine" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Lady Loxley
Royal family
Joined: 15 Jul 2007
Posts: 174
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
An update from me and all i think. Definitely prefer the day to dayy life of people in the past, from the lower classes to the monarchy. Love studying about prehistory and theiir remains as we all drive our archaeology teacher mad, and i also like studying the tudors and stuarts, plus the English Civil War, having studied these for AS History. Liking the Romans at the moment, having sat a module on them for AS archaeology and been to HAdrian's Wall, but just general history, particularly the life of the average erson.
_________________
But if he dies, he'll be dead! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
