Status Updates From Ortaçağ Avrupa'sında Günlük...

"Meanwhile, the images and relationships that structured medieval life are deeply imbedded in the culture we have inherited from the Middle Ages, and continue to resonate even when the world that gave them their meaning can only be seen dimly across the centuries." And continues to be dim with every Hollywood portrayal that is inaccurate.
Good concluding sentence, though.

"People's private and public identities were generally one: a tradesman's house was also his workshop, a villager's cottage was integral to the landholding that supported him, an aristocrat ate and worked in the great hall of his castle or manor house."
This is very different from most of modern society. Also something to consider when playing RPGs like DnD.

Going by days surrounding religious holidays or observances instead of a calendar is an interesting detail.

"Travelers to the shrine of Saint Thomas à Becket at Canterbury in thirteenth century England could purchase tiny tin bottles containing holy water mixed with a fragment of the saint's blood." Lol what a tourist trap! 1) how long did that scheme last? 2) How much did that bottle go for?

"To reduce risk of attack [by highwaymen], the sides of the road might be cleared of trees and brush, depriving highwaymen of convenient hiding places: an English law of 1285 required that the roads between market towns be cleared for 200 feet on either side, although the law was probably not effectively enforced." That's interesting. I will take note of that.

"Riding was the fastest mode of transport available; a rider could easily travel thirty or thirty-five miles in a day." That's why in DnD they have this listed among the modes of travel.

"Scholars did not actually believe that Europe looked like a quarter circle, nor did they even think the world was flat as represented on the map." A misrepresentation that originated from the late Renaissance and early Victorian era when people were looking back on this time period. This misrepresentation has continued to today with the "Flat-Earth Society."

"...Medieval people saw their world from the surface, and related places to each other by landmarks, relative directions, and times of travel." Well, at least Brian Jacques had considered this when writing, although I don't think he was involved in the map-making. Considering how much he contradicted himself. But it is something to consider when making my own maps for my fantasy world.

I was a fan of St. Francis of Assisi back when I was younger.

"The friars differed from monks in that they were bound to collective as well as individual poverty. A monastery was free to own property, but a friary was supposed to be dependent on borrowed resources and donated provisions." See, I think this is better and much more attuned to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.

"Many of the faculty and students left Paris for elsewhere [on account of violence between students and Parisians], and then only because the pope intervened, compelling the crown to enforce the students' privileges. Such conflicts between town and gown recurred repeatedly at medieval universities." And making students be immune to the consequences of their riots and destruction is going to make things better.

Not only do we have the origin of universities during this time, but also the origin of colleges, which functioned more like dormitories.

"It seems that few students failed to pass the oral exams and debates. Those who failed were more likely to dropout beforehand, and indeed a student had to be recommended by his master prior to examination."
Even back then, getting a bachelor's was difficult.

The concept of the university started in the medieval era, but schools and schooling did happen if there were enough resources for it way before it.

"The Jews were recalled in 1196, and periodic expulsions and readmissions recurred during the following centuries—a technique typically used by the French kings as a means of exporting money from the Jews as a condition of their return." These French kings just didn't like paying off their debts.
"The darker implications of medieval piety were reflected...that the Jews wear a yellow badge..." So, not just the Nazis.

"Regulations restricting hours of work served in part to prevent masters from overworking their staff. Several by-laws specifically mention the journeyman's right to rest."
Again, the Medieval Era seems to treat workers both in the city and in the country as people, indispensable, unlike today.

"Just at the end of the Grand-Pont itself was the Grand-Châtelet, a fortified keep that initially was built to guard the entrance to the bridge, but now served principally as the center for royal administration of the Parisian economy; it also housed one of the city's principal royal prisons." Okay, that must be where Judge Frollo was for "Hellfire."

"The canons were forbidden to sell wine except by the barrel..., and they were specifically forbidden to keep bears, stags, monkeys, or crows in their houses?" LOL, why bears and stags, though? Monkeys and crows I can understand, but bears and stags?

I wonder if Judge Frollo in The Hunchback could be considered a emissary or representative of the king on secular matters and governance while the king was away, even though historically, it would be the bishop who had that power? Something to think about.

Finally, Notre Dame gets mentioned.

"The west end of the Cité was the site of the royal palace, which covered a third of the island..." It got the "island" part correct, although "west" is being very generous as that is not what Google Maps shows. Also, I'm now going to laugh when I watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame, especially the final act. Because you're telling me that a riot happened outside of the cathedral only a few blocks away from the palace?

Um, what? The most imposing building in the Juiverie was the parish church of Madeleine? *checks map* Yeah, this is factually wrong. The Juiverie was located on the Rue de la Harpe, a street that crosses the Seine and meets with the Rue de la Cité. This bakery has been described as being on the island in the middle of the Seine. That should mean that the parish church should be Notre Dame, not Madeleine.

I love the mixture of originality, creativity, and humor of these street names.

City nobility and upper class: "Yes, we heartily approve in improving the roads and streets of this city! We've long thought it was a most needed necessity! Oh, you want us to help pay for it? Oh, well, the thing is..."
Tales as old as time. The upper class would love to reap the benefits of important social work, but they hate to bear any of the costs.

This chapter on medieval cities is so long!

Wow! This map of the city of Paris in 1550 is impressive! I'm such a fan of city design and urban planning. I love playing games that are like that.

The picture of the oldest house in Paris cerca 1407, looks like something from the eastern parts of France, particularly those towns bordering Germany.

"Street property was at a premium..." And it still is in Paris as well as other cities.

The origin of the word "valet" comes from the French Middle Ages, and hasn't really changed since then.

I don't think that the merchant class was a major factor yet during the Middle Ages, at least not till the very tail end of it. This was because wealth was centered around land ownership, not materials. It wasn't until the Black Death nearly wiped out all social classes that the merchant class grew up from the lower to buy the empty plots of land.