ANST - What I learn in

[Ghislaine Fontaneau/Elayne Hoover]

Perhaps it is because we live in an Anglophone country, but I've noticed
that many people tend to look at England as the example and then make a
blanket assumption about the medieval period based on what was happening
in England.  

A good example is the simple idea of Feudalism.  In England, courtesy of
Wm. the Conquerer, all land belonged to the king. ALL land... if the
Duke of thus and such rebelled against the king, he didn't drag 100
underlings with him.  However, in France, the king gave land to some
nobles, who gave land to some other nobles, who gave land to some.....
and you had a huge chain of allegiences where a minor nobleman might owe
allegience to a Baron who owes allegience to a Duke and when that Duke
rebels, everyone gets drug along for the ride whether they want to or
not.  But I'll be darned if every teacher I've ever had until my
sophomore year in college has gotten it *wrong* and measured all of
Europe to fit England.

Ghia
-- 
mka: Elayne "Ely" Hoover
SCA: Madame Ghislaine Fontanneau 
elyh at wcc.net
________________________________________________          
"You can make any answer the right answer if you know enough calculus."
		--Bubba Carter
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