Dark Ages: Difference between revisions
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The '''Dark Ages''' is the term used for a period of early [[medieval]] history between the [[Roman]] Era and the origins of the current |
The '''Dark Ages''' is the term used for a period of early European [[medieval]] history between the [[Roman]] Era and the origins of the current European nation states. The term '''early medieval''' is now often used in its place. Opinions differ but this period is sometimes given as between 400CE and 1000CE though now it would most likely be said to be 300-0900AD. |
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==Origins of the Term== |
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It probably originates from [[Britain|British]] historians, who had no idea of what if anything existed between the withdrawals of the Legions, and the rationalisation of the [[Anglo-Saxon]] influx into nominate "[[kingdom]]s". They had heard rumours of [[King Arthur]] but lacking documentary proof he existed, they dismissed him. They had [[ecclesiastical]] works, most of which they dismissed as [[hagiography]], collected [[pagan]] [[mythology|legend]] (all, of course, untrue) and milleniallist rantings. They had occasional chronicles, which were unsupported by "hard evidence" (such as earlier academics' learned disquisitions, or undemolished buildings). |
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The term comes from the fact that so little was written at the time so that it can be hard to see just what actually happened. This is really a Northern European problem and was not overcome until the coming of Christianity brought literacy and, thus, happenings, and folk memories begam to be written down. Having said that it should be noted that Irish monks were still writing events down and, indeed, it was they who spread Christianity to the Northern English Kingdoms. This is why early historians, had little idea of what happened between the withdrawals of the Legions, and the rationalisation of the English [Anglo-Saxon) influx into the Five Kingdoms. The Welsh had stories and some vague writings about Arthur, as did their exiled fellow Britons in Brittany, which were tales of Briton resistance to the English, but the maintales of Arthur are from the High Middle Ages and reflect teh ideas and attitudes of that time. English written history comes mainly from The Anglos-Saxon Chronicle that was ordered to be written by King Alfred and the ASC continued to be written until teh early 1200s. The ASC histories of teh time prior to Alfred's reign are folk history and are of varied accuracy. |
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The term '''Dark Ages''' has fallen out of general use by scholars of the medieval period. |
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They therefore constructed the "Dark Ages" as a period where Nothing Of Significance Happened, and people simply worked all day long and sat around in the dark at night, waiting for the glorious sunrise of academia, which was taken, pretty much, to commence with King [[Alfred the Great|Alfred]], who as well as burning drop scones, set up (or tried to) a [[library]]. ([[Canute_the_Great|Cnut]] obviously didn't count -- he did silly things with thrones and tides and anyway, he was Norse.) The historians' definition of Full Daylight probably coincided with [[Edward the Confessor]], since they knew he was supposed to have been a learned man, and since they needed to discuss whether [[Harold Godwinson ]] had or had not sworn holy oaths to [[William the Bastard]] prior to his (Harold's) seizure of the [[throne]] on Edward's death, and therefore whether William was a bloody invader, or simply a man coming to claim his rightful realm. (Since [[Hardrada]] died, he was damned as an invader either way.) |
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Some say that there is a Dark Age in [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] history, between the [[Helladic]] and the [[Hellenistic]] periods. For the layman, this is the time between the great [[Bronze Age]] civilizations of [[Mycenae]], [[Troy]] and [[Crete]] (which likely were the source of the [[Odyssey]]-cycle, as popular in the medieval period as today) and the classical [[Iron Age]] Hellenes of [[Athens]], [[Sparta]], et al. |
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[[category:periods]] |
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Latest revision as of 12:51, 27 December 2022
The Dark Ages is the term used for a period of early European medieval history between the Roman Era and the origins of the current European nation states. The term early medieval is now often used in its place. Opinions differ but this period is sometimes given as between 400CE and 1000CE though now it would most likely be said to be 300-0900AD.
Origins of the Term
The term comes from the fact that so little was written at the time so that it can be hard to see just what actually happened. This is really a Northern European problem and was not overcome until the coming of Christianity brought literacy and, thus, happenings, and folk memories begam to be written down. Having said that it should be noted that Irish monks were still writing events down and, indeed, it was they who spread Christianity to the Northern English Kingdoms. This is why early historians, had little idea of what happened between the withdrawals of the Legions, and the rationalisation of the English [Anglo-Saxon) influx into the Five Kingdoms. The Welsh had stories and some vague writings about Arthur, as did their exiled fellow Britons in Brittany, which were tales of Briton resistance to the English, but the maintales of Arthur are from the High Middle Ages and reflect teh ideas and attitudes of that time. English written history comes mainly from The Anglos-Saxon Chronicle that was ordered to be written by King Alfred and the ASC continued to be written until teh early 1200s. The ASC histories of teh time prior to Alfred's reign are folk history and are of varied accuracy.
The term Dark Ages has fallen out of general use by scholars of the medieval period.
Some say that there is a Dark Age in Ancient Greek history, between the Helladic and the Hellenistic periods. For the layman, this is the time between the great Bronze Age civilizations of Mycenae, Troy and Crete (which likely were the source of the Odyssey-cycle, as popular in the medieval period as today) and the classical Iron Age Hellenes of Athens, Sparta, et al.
