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3

Primary Sources + Kalmar Union?

Does anybody know where I can read an English translation of either the Coronation Act of 1397, The Act of the Union, the Charter, or the Letter?

Heck, I'll take any primary source regarding the kalmar union, especially there first few years.

1 Comment
2024/03/14
22:05 UTC

5

Where did the phrase "the road less travelled" come from?

I was reading Ambrose Bierce's "The Death of Halpin Fraser", published in 1891, that contained this paragraph:

"He thought he was walking along a dusty road that showed white in the gathering darkness of a summer night. Whence and whither it led, and why he travelled it, he did not know, though all seemed simple and natural, as is the way in dreams; for in the Land Beyond the Bed surprises cease from troubling and the judgment is at rest. Soon he came to a parting of the ways; leading from the highway was a road less travelled, having the appearance, indeed, of having been long abandoned, because, he thought, it led to something evil; yet he turned into it without hesitation, impelled by some imperious necessity."

Bierce's "road less travelled" is very different from Frost's, but I wondered two things as I read this: did Frost read Bierce? and who did Bierce read, to find this phrase? Where did the phrase come from?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:46 UTC

3

Did Islamic armies fast during ramadan?

I was thinking, Ramadan is pretty long period of time, considering an entire war could easily be decided during that timeframe. Did Umayyad, Seljuk, Ottoman and other Islamic soldiers really fast during ramadan, not even drinking water? If so, how did they cope with it? Did they only march at night, did Christian armies try to exploit them during their weakened state?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:29 UTC

1

Why is the great divergence important?

I know this may be a dumb question but why is the great divergence of the 18th/19th century so important? How did it impact the world?

2 Comments
2024/03/14
21:29 UTC

4

If Peleus and Thetis’ wedding started the Trojan War, how did Achilles die at 25?

In my research of the Trojan War, there seems to be a jump in the timeline.

King Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis get married because Zeus received a prophesy that her son would be greater than his father (and in some sources, all of Greece). During this wedding, Eris throws the apple that leads to the Judgement of Paris where Aphrodite bribes him with the most beautiful woman in all of Greece, Helen of Sparta. He abducts her (whether she was willing or not) and this the events of the Trojan War start.

Now, back to Thetis. With Peleus, she bears Achilles and the first prophecy of her son is fulfilled. According to Appllodorus, Achilles is 15 when the Trojan War begins and takes full swing. To avoid fighting because of another prophecy where he will die young but gloriously, his mother hides him. After being lured out by Odysseus he joins the Trojan War and becomes a prominent figure and hero.

The Trojan War lasts ten years and Achilles dies on the battlefield at presumably 25 if you’re going by Apollodorus’ accounts. Now this is where I’m confused about the time jump. If Paris abducts Helen at the wedding of Thetis, that should start the Trojan War and therefore Achilles wasn’t even born. How is this possible?

Of course, my current answer is “mythology logic” where time jumps and inconsistent timelines are the norm, but I was working on a small project where I wanted to have a cohesive timeline from the Judgement of Paris to Achilles’ death and had no idea how to account for those extra 15 years between the wedding and the start of the Trojan War.

Thank you in advance for your time and energy!

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:23 UTC

1

What kind of peace did German civilians expect in 1945?

I know that in Japan the government had convinced much of the population that the Americans, if victorious, would show no mercy. I've heard stories of mothers killing their children rather than letting the Americans do it.

I'm guessing that German population had a better understanding of the allies and didn't expect wholesale slaughter if they lost - is that right? What exactly did they expect?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:18 UTC

21

Is "They Came Before Columbus" Correct About Africans Reaching the Americas before Europeans?

My sister gave an interesting book with that title, and I read it. Its premise is that Africans were in the New World before Europeans; specifically, West Africans like the Malian king who sailed west with a giant fleet, and an Egyptian ship with Phoenicians earlier.

Some of the evidences were ocean currents making it easy to go from West Africa to the new world, their ships being seaworthy enough for the voyage, accounts of Africans being found in the New World by the first Europeans, Africans being depicted by Mesoamerican art, etc.

The total package was compelling, but I'm still skeptical. My main issue is that I have to think Africans would have brought the same apocalyptic diseases Europeans brought, yet there's obviously no record of that. And some of the evidence seemed a bit loose ("those statues look like Africans"). Other evidence seemed very legit, but I couldn't verify it.

Can anyone confirm or deny his claims? It would be helpful if you're familiar with the book, and nor just the general theory behind African pre-Columbian contact in the New World.

Thanks!

5 Comments
2024/03/14
21:16 UTC

4

Origin of the Western phrase “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us”. My father found it in the book “The Man from Bar-20” by Clarence E. Mulford (1918) Is there any known instance of it appearing earlier?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:04 UTC

1

Has any American president ever attended any coronation?

So, I know that no American president has ever attended a British coronation, but I'm having trouble finding out if one has ever attended a coronation in a country that's not the UK. All the articles on this topic specify the British coronation and don't address whether this has ever happened for Spain, Sweden, etc.

(I do know that international travel wasn't a common thing for sitting presidents until FDR. Also if any of you happen to know if any ex-presidents have attended coronations after leaving office that would be interesting too!)

1 Comment
2024/03/14
21:03 UTC

1

Is there any relation between the US's strong focus on dental appearance and the British being mocked for their allegedly poor dental hygiene?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
20:58 UTC

0

Why didn't the Persians use slave labor to build their monuments?

They could have easily imported slaves from the rest of the empire, as they had the wealth to do so. So why didn't they do this? Is there any evidence for an aversion to slavery among the Persians? Was it simply a matter of letting the people keep their jobs? Or was it some third thing I have not thought of. (I imagine that it is disputed)

2 Comments
2024/03/14
20:57 UTC

4

How did the Byzantine Empire survive as long as it did?

After the Western Roman Empire fell, the Eastern Roman Empire flourished for another 1000 year. Its entire history was filled with external and internal conflicts, but somehow Byzantine survived against all the odds. Theodosian Walls was built in 5th century and it finally fell to the gunpowder might of Ottaman in 15th century. What were the main reasons Byzantine Empire survived as long as it did?

2 Comments
2024/03/14
20:12 UTC

1

What happened in the Danubian Principalities or present day Romania, during the Mongol invasions?

I can’t find any information about it. Is there any chronicle that covers this area or the passing of the Mongols during the invadions?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
19:52 UTC

3

Why isn't Southeast Asia as politically/economically significant today as it was in the ancient world?

To preface, I apologize if my question ends up being ignorant and Eurocentric.

Realizing that, aside from Vietnam, Southeast Asia isn't really touched at all by American World History curriculum, I did a cursory dive into its seeming irrelevance in the modern age. A very well-written Quora response pointed out that SE Asia not only held immense political/economic power and religious sway over the East in the Ancient Era, but has also made lasting contributions to the world as a whole (domestication of rice, invention of seaworthy vessels, and early utilization of gunpowder, in particular.)

It's kind of baffling to me that, aside from Singapore, seemingly very little of this power and progress carried over into the Industrial Age and SE Asia was somehow left behind. If I'm understanding correctly, this region has remained largely agrarian. When looking at Streetview in SE Asia, infrastructure seems barebones in all but the major cities, and even then it feels less robust than what you'd see in other densely populated countries, especially in Laos and Myanmar.

1 Comment
2024/03/14
19:50 UTC

1

Resources for Cultural Location Names?

I'm looking for resources on how different cultures create names for themselves and their civilizations (kingdoms, cities, regions, etc.).

I'm writing a fantasy novel which features multiple cultures inspired by real world counterparts. It would be easier to revert to gibberish, but I think I owe these people an amount of respect in their representation.

Are there any books, blogs, what have you on this topic?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
19:08 UTC

5

Did the pope have universal jurisdiction in the first millenium?

To be specific: I’m not talking about an appellate structure im aware people could appeal to Rome but that is not universal jurisdiction im talking about the pope going somewhere without appeal and then settling the manner / asserting his will

1 Comment
2024/03/14
19:03 UTC

23

Why did Kublai Khan try to invade Japan in 1274 and not earlier despite saying otherwise?

I'm currently reading a book on samurai, and it states that Kublai Khan originally sent his first letter to Japan in 1268 with no reply. Then, it says that he sent another letter in 1271 "stating that if no reply were recieved, the Mongol army would head for Japan at the end of the year." Why did he continue to send letters and invade Japan two years later?

5 Comments
2024/03/14
19:00 UTC

0

Why were 1700s battles so formal?

I was just watching Glory with Matthew Brodrick and it reminded me of a question I used to have in middle school. Why were battles in the revolutionary/civil war era conducted so formally? It seems like standing in a neat file and slowly walking to the enemy is not only ineffective, but would go against your will to survive as a soldier.

I suppose this would be similar to the "honor in battle" idea most closely associated with Japanese history but surely there is a better answer to this than just "that's how it was." In other words, was there a code of war at the time? If so was this just tossed out the window once revolvers and automatic weapons entered the mix?

Any discussion or help is greatly appreciated thank you!

4 Comments
2024/03/14
18:53 UTC

7

Did Medieval and premodern Iranians and Persians not know about the Achaemenid empire and Cyrus the Great?

I was just reading about the shahnameh written in 1000 CE which is an attempted histories of the Iranian people. From what I understand, there is no reference to the Achaemenid empire or Cyrus the great. It seems that it mostly starts with Alexander the Great and the Parthians(?). It is then pretty accurate about the sassanids from what I understand.

Anyways, I found it peculiar that the Iranian national poem didnt include the actual founders of the Persian empire. Which makes me wonder- did medieval Persians even know about Cyrus the great ? Did they even know about the Achaemenid empire ? My assumption is that they must have read some Greek literature that referenced him and the Achaemenids.

1 Comment
2024/03/14
18:49 UTC

4

At what point on in the German response to D-Day was the situation hopelessly lost?

After reading the battle for Carentan i asked myself this question. I know that the german order of battle for Overlord was flawed from the beginning. The SS Pazer Divisions were not allowed to move without Hitlers specific orders. And he was often sleeping 'till noon or further.

So was the german loss inevitable from the start? I guess the moment the invasion force landed in the hundrets of thausands DDay was a victory for the Allies. I can hardly imagine a scenario where 350.000 Germans can counter attack a 3:1 superiority.

Could a faster transfer of German SS Panzer and Panzer Lehr have helped? Or would allied air superiority not have allowed some of these divisions to move earlier?

Had the Germans a fighting chance by holding on to Carentan and prohibit the Allies to connect their beachheads?

Was there a point further into DDay where a different battle or german decision could have changed anything about the outcome?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
18:46 UTC

1

Who really bombed the Vatican?

During WW2, the Vatican was bombed in two separate incidents. For both, there are conflicting accounts attributing blame to various parties based on many possible motives and contradictory testimonies. Because of the very controversial and politically charged nature of the incidents, it seems like to this day there still isn't a clear answer. So, is there?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
18:38 UTC

0

is it true that the emperor of japan took the decision to surrender in ww2?

was it the atomics bombs or the soviet invasion in manchuria or both that caused japan to surrender?

2 Comments
2024/03/14
18:33 UTC

0

How did activities, like metallurgy, spread?

Apart from being very work intensive, those kind of professions require many little secrets that someone difficulty could replicate without a master; and I find that something that give such an advantage would not be very willing to share its secrets.

So is there any record on how the knowledge spread?

0 Comments
2024/03/14
18:27 UTC

1

Did the development of the French language involve a conscious effort to minimize visible mouth movements, possibly as a means of concealing speech?

My (often very drunk) Latin teacher in high school made an aside that I've been puzzled by for almost 20 years. He mentioned that, after the Gallic Wars, residents of the region would speak in a way that concealed their visible mouth movements in order to hide the fact that they were speaking from occupying forces. This seems like a pretty absurd notion, but he seemed pretty confident in saying "You think they'd want soldiers to know if they were plotting against them? Why do you think you can speak French with your mouth practically closed!" This has been bugging me for decades and I'd like to put it to rest.

1 Comment
2024/03/14
18:10 UTC

2

How was life for ex-imprisoned French nobles during The Thermidorian reaction following the execution of Maximilien Robespierre but before their titles were restored by Napoleon?

I’m curious about that small period of time where French nobles were finally freed from being imprisoned but before their titles were restored. Especially the ones who weren’t able to get back their wealth before Napoleon came.

How did they lived those couple of years?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
17:52 UTC

25

Why did Frank Sinatra believe that "Strangers in the Night" was about a homosexual encounter?

Despite it being one of his biggest hits, Sinatra was known to hate "Strangers in the Night", and according to Wikipedia: "Joe Smith, then head of Reprise Records, said "[Sinatra] thought it was about two fags in a bar!" [26] Dean Martin had teased Sinatra when the song was being released, saying that he turned down the song because "it's about two faggots".[27] In concert, Sinatra had on many occasions sang the lines "Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away" as "a lonesome pair of pants away"".

Yet the lyrics don't seem to have any hint of a homosexual relationship between the characters, and it only describes a chance meeting of two people who fall in love overnight. Were such types of encounters so associated with homosexual encounters back then, for Sinatra and company to think this of the song?

""

6 Comments
2024/03/14
17:51 UTC

3

Was there ever a concept developed within “Asia” that viewed that whole region as one “Asian” race?

Basically is arguing over whether people in the Indian subcontinent count as “Asian” or if it applies more to the “East Asian” community… like all just western racialism being projected onto an entire spectrum of people without their feedback?

Like why do British people act snooty about being inclusive with calling people from the Indian subcontinent “Asian”, when it seems like the term or concept of “Asian” has always been a western labeling thing. Do people in the former-British-colony countries in that region want to be called “Asian” as a overall racial/regional identifier?

What caused the split where Americans tend to label immigrants from the subcontinent as specific nationality Indian or Bengali etc, but then still kind of using “Asian” as a general grouping for all the people from east asia?

Was there a competing kind of continental racial identity thing in the East that drew a line somewhere and called everyone west of that a concept similar to “Asian?” Was there ever like a Chinese equivalent concept where “everyone west of that area is European” in the same way as ‘Asian” worked for westerners labeling easterners?

2 Comments
2024/03/14
17:51 UTC

0

LGBTQ+ historians: are there any historical sources directly highliting the existence of intersex people in the past? What generally we have regarding these historical problem?

5 Comments
2024/03/14
17:36 UTC

0

How did people in the 1930's communicate long-distance outside of home?

A bit of a dumb question I know, but how did someone get ahold of a person while away from the house? Were call boxes easily available/always nearby, or would it just have to wait until you got back home, etc.?

A bit of context: I'm working on a 30s/40s inspired noir comic (with a spiritual twist, but that's irrelevant) and would like to be fairly accurate to the time period. Say the detective finds a body or a hit has been successfully taken out, how would they immediately contact someone?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
17:34 UTC

0

Why was Hunting, Specifically Falconry so Popular in Feudal Japan if they did not eat meat?

Currently reading the book Shogun, and there are frequent mentions of Toranaga and of Daimyo's partaking in Hunts and Falconry.

If, during that time period, meat was not eaten in Japan, what were these Nobles hunting for?

1 Comment
2024/03/14
17:17 UTC

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