The Knightly Newsletter

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The Newsletter for the Medieval History Site at About.com

Vol. V, No. 7
December 4, 2002

•Medieval Shopping Online
•A Very Old Canoe
•Fryar Roger Called Bachon

Holidays for History Lovers

Medieval Shopping Online

Delight a history buff or draw someone into the marvelous world of medieval history. Visit these websites selected by your Guide to buy medieval antiquities, coins, and reproductions of items from the Middle Ages.

In the News

Anglo-Saxon Canoe Discovered
A 16-foot-long wooden dugout canoe has been recovered from a lagoon in Suffolk. It may date as far back as the eighth century and appears to have been built by Anglo-Saxons from a hard wood such as oak. Find out more in the article by Shaun Lowthorpe at EDP24 News.

Expensive Ming Dynasty Letters
A collection of missives written by more than 400 significant individuals from the Ming Dynasty were auctioned off for 9.9 million yuan (US$1.19 million). Get more info in this item at the Xinhua News Agency.

Oldest Map of Africa
Dating to 1389, covering more than 17 square meters and produced on silk, the oldest map of Africa is now on display in Cape Town. Find out more about this Chinese treasure in the feature by Alastair Leithead at BBCi.

Shroud Dates to Middle ages
Russian scientists concur with the results of a recent study that determined the Shroud of Turin was created no earlier than the thirteenth century. Find out more in this item at DiscoveryNews, and be sure to check out the photo of the head on the shroud.

This Week in Medieval History

Henry VI was born, Saint Sabas died, and St. Ambrose was ordained a priest barely a week after his baptism in order to take his place as the Bishop of Milan.

What happened today?

Fryar Roger Called Bachon

A scholar-monk who envisioned an Academy of Science, Bacon's ideas were far ahead of his time and ran counter to the Church's doctrine. An article by Dianna L. Dodson, originally appearing in British Heritage Magazine and now online at the Medieval History site.

And be sure to check out more about this extraordinary medieval scientist in our page on Roger Bacon in Who's Who in Medieval History.

Medieval Daily Life

While the details of day-to-day existence varied substantially from place to place and century to century, a general understanding of the basic facts of life in the Middle Ages can be gleaned from the useful and enjoyable books, selected by your Guide, in Top 7 Medieval Daily Life Books.

Elsewhere at About.com

Notable Women: Christmas
Women's History Guide Jone Johnson Lewis offers quotations about Christmas from such notable women as Louisa May Alcott, Saint Birgitta of Sweden, Erma Bombeck, Willa Cather, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ella Wheeler Wilcox and Emily Dickinson.

Celebrate the Saturnalia
Try something old this holiday season. Ancient/Classical History Guide N. S. Gill has info about the ancient Roman festival that honored the god of sowing, Saturn.

Quote of the Knight

Time in its irresistible and ceaseless flow carries along on its flood all created things and drowns them in the depths of obscurity. . . . But the tale of history forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time, and checks in some measure its irresistible flow, so that, of all things done in it, as many as history has taken over it secures and binds together, and does not allow them to slip away into the abyss of oblivion.