1000 years ago - Writers Forum

HippoHead · 04-19-2008, 07:06 AM

how were things in england a thousand years back?

links to that kinda info. anyone? landscape and how people acted are most important, methinks.

Suzip · 04-19-2008, 11:22 AM

Why not google it, I'm sure you will come up with something.

Industrial · 04-19-2008, 11:45 AM

It's come to the point where people are to lazy to even do tasks on the internet, but instead have to rely on other people to do their bidding.

*Angel · 04-19-2008, 04:00 PM

The Cultural History of England From 1000 to 1250 AD - Associated Content

just random google article, may help, may not

Neo · 04-21-2008, 01:52 PM

They still had dial-up internet and the Backstreet Boys were top of the charts.

Nah - 1000 years ago it was 1008, so really it was peasentry and disordered agricultural society I think.

archer88iv · 04-22-2008, 10:26 AM

Ok, I understand as well as anyone that Google is a decent place to find information on almost anything, but...

...let's be honest. You go to Google to find Google's brand of information. It's not necessarily intelligent or topical and there's probably porn or spam somewhere in it. This forum is supposed to be set aside for research. Yes, you get lots of lame questions that you don't have answers for, but is there anything wrong with simply not answering if you haven't a clue?

If someone actually wanted to do a Google search, I'm willing to wager good money they'd go to Google and type it into the damned box rather than come here and make a thread about it. What if, by some weird chance, someone on this forum actually had unique, useful knowledge about a topic that would not necessarily be readily available on Google?

I would think that would be the appropriate function for a forum like this, since--otherwise--all you get is a bunch of people posting the same link over and over again (if you can't guess which, just log out now).

Yes, this "Google it" nonsense is a definite pet peeve of mine. Unfortunately, I can't say as I know any more about England a thousand years ago than anyone else.

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Possibly a useful hint: In 1008 AD, England was on the verge of a significant cultural change. In 1066, William the Conquerer (aka William the Bastard) wrested the English crown from King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. This event and the series of events leading up to it might be useful as a starting point in your research. Prior to 1066, England was ruled by Saxons. After 1066, England was ruled by Normans.

It might be helpful for you to know when exactly you're setting the story; I get the feeling "1000 years ago" wasn't intended to be an exact number.

Life would likely have been quite different for peasants living before the change of ownership and peasants living afterward.

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Edited to add: Yes, it probably took me much longer to rant at everyone and then try to offer a little help than it does to say "Google it," but I wouldn't have clicked on the "Research" forum if I had not been prepared to blow a few minutes trying to offer a little help.

I will confess that there's a small chance that someone on these forums has not actually heard of or used Google before. But, then, I may already be a winner in the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes, too.

Neo · 04-23-2008, 11:04 AM

I know very little about British history, despite living here.

Maybe I'll Google it and learn more...*chuckles*

Sayuri · 04-28-2008, 04:50 AM

Even before the Norman invasion, the British continent was subject to many conquests by Viking invaders. It just depends on where exactly on the island you're talking about. A few centuries before that, the Britons (the original inhabitants of England) were driven west into Wales by, er, some group--who the Saxtons later battled and sent northwards into Scotland. I think.

I don't know so much about England, but before said Viking invasions, Ireland was actually the premiere intellectual and artistic power in Europe, around the 7th and 8th centuries. Once the Vikings invaded, though, they tore down all the monasteries (where people were educated) and plunged Ireland into the Dark Ages along with the rest of Europe. Ireland lagged behind for a very long time because of that, IMO.

A good novel to read for a little bit of perspective on England just after the Norman invasion and how it affected the Saxon power structure is Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. I mean, it's fluffy in a nineteenth century romance way, but at least it's a good read.

As far as daily life, it was very... dirty, I'd imagine. That's about all I've got.

Rowan Hart · 05-03-2008, 04:45 PM

Britain post Roman occupation until the trend towards urbanisation, was a land of vast forests, grasslands, heaths and bogs. Can't remember the exact proportions, but most of the country was wooded at least sparcely and the wetlands and heaths covered huge areas. If you've ever been to the rural areas around the Blue Peter mines in North Yorkshire or the Vale of pickeringham, you'd get some idea of what the land was like.
Most - over 90% - of the population was rural, living in villages and hamlets which shared family ties. The culture was surprisingly advanced and contrary to popular oppinion, the Saxons at least kept themselves fairly clean. This was a matter of necessity to cut down on parasites. As an example, on digs I have been on I personally have found many bone nit combs. various herbs and the like were used for cleaning dirty bodies and hair.

Agrarian work was the norm. Most people were engaged in some form of farming which tended to local subsistance with some excess for trade or tax. metal working was regional - indeed most non agrarian activity was regionaly specifc due to the existence of raw materials. Take charcoal burning; this needed the correct wood and expertise and so was centred around charcoal communities. As smiting industry such as it was depended on charcoal and bog found ore nodes, iron working was conducted close to the charcoal sites. This is not to say that community projects did not also exist, just that specific industry tended to be based around these raw materials.

The British Isles were a mixed bag racially. Around the home counties were the great Saxon kingdoms which consolidated towards the new millenium into fewer, larger states. Around the midlands was the Danelaw, a loose confederation of Danish chiefdoms ( and kingdoms later ) where the Scandinavians had finally settled. Around Wales and Cornwall were Celtic peoples. North were more Saxons and the Pictish descendents mixed with Viking invaders from Ireland.

Hell, I'm waffling! There are numerous books on the subject. at the moment there's a decent T.V programme on one of the Sky Documentary channels called 1000A.D. which is mostly good. Pop down to the Archives offce and we'll supply photocopies of documents for you. for names, there are good web sites which split names into Angle/Saxon/celtic etc. Have an exact time in mind because things changed almost by the year, especially leading upto and after the Conquest.

Hope to have been some help Hippo