Castle Aching

[Poggy1165]

Certainly in late medieval England, life as a monk (or nun) was a pretty good lifestyle. Unless you joined one of the austere orders, like the Carthusians. Relatively decent food, little in the way of compulsory work, and virtually no chance of being involved in violence. (There were very rare cases when even regular clergy were called up for national defence, but that would be like being in the militia at worst, and it was very rare.) You couldn't be married, but many of them had access to women. If you could get to be an abbot, why, that was like a lottery win. Fantastic lifestyle, equivalent to a baron or earl, but with no chance of getting your head chopped off over politics.

 

One could do a lot worse. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by Poggy1165

[Hroth]

Apologies.  There has been Too Much Real Life, not always of the most welcome variety.

 

But, a 'V' and some point blades have arrived, hand crafted by Mr Don W, for which, profound thanks.

 

At the opposite end of the station, I have made a vaguely circular hole in the baseboard.

 

Boring!

 

At least its not a Spiral Scratch....

 

B'dum, b'dum!

 

 

(I've been sidetracked the past couple of weeks by guests and cakeboxes.  Its nice to return to Holy Orders and Railway Modelling.....)

[Compound2632]

many of them had access to women.

 

But it could land you in trouble. (Still true, always has been.) William of Wallingford, the reputed composer of the oldest surviving song with lyrics in English - Summer is Icumen In - was rusticated from Reading Abby to a daughter house in remotest Herefordshire for having too much to do with the townswomen.

[Hroth]

But it could land you in trouble. (Still true, always has been.) William of Wallingford, the reputed composer of the oldest surviving song with lyrics in English - Summer is Icumen In - was rusticated from Reading Abby to a daughter house in remotest Herefordshire for having too much to do with the townswomen.

So it really did go "Sumer is icomin in, lewedly sing cucu"...

 

Those Naughty Monks!

[Regularity]

rusticated from Reading Abby to a daughter house in remotest Herefordshire for having too much to do with the townswomen.

My emphasis: an unfortunate choice of words, or was he simply being rewarded for his sins?

[Compound2632]

My emphasis: an unfortunate choice of words, or was he simply being rewarded for his sins?

 

Technical term.

[Nearholmer]

A sub-shed, in railway parlance.

 

Not all of the things said about monks as a pretext to the dissolution were untrue; some were indeed dissolute, before being dissolved, it would seem.

Edited November 5, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Donw]

From what we can tell there was a wide belief in Christianity and Hell was something to be feared. However with a doctrine that allowed confession and penance (often quite light just saying extra prayers)  sin and repent seemed a viable choice and is rather like having your cake and eating it.

 

Don

[corneliuslundie]

There was at least one occasion when a whole crowd of Welsh monks were slaughtered in a battle with the English but I cannot remember the details except that it was around 1000 years ago give or take a century.

Mind you, Welsh history is mostly about individuals killing their relatives, so what price a few monks?

Jonathan

[Adams442T]

If the account of the Welsh historian Theophilus Evans is to be believed, then Augustine was no saint.

 

He is commonly credited with bringing Christianity to the Saxons in Britain, but when he went to Wales he encouraged the Saxon army to carry out a massacre of 1200 monks and scholars at Bangor-is-y-coed near Wrexham.

 

Note: This Augustine is not to be confused with St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430).  The notion that Augustine brought Christianity to Britain is pure myth. He came here as the representative of the Pope and persuaded the Saxon kings to submit to Rome. There were mass baptisms all over the country as the Saxon people followed the example of their leaders. Then in 601 he went to Wales, expecting the same success, but was disappointed. The Welsh already had the true faith, given to them by the early church, and they did not need any new innovations from Rome.

 

There is a clear subjugation of the Celtic religion, including Ireland, in all this.  The Celtic church had many more associations with the natural world, and 'Romish' traditions were imposed on them, despite many objections.

[Compound2632]

If the account of the Welsh historian Theophilus Evans is to be believed, then Augustine was no saint.

 

He is commonly credited with bringing Christianity to the Saxons in Britain, but when he went to Wales he encouraged the Saxon army to carry out a massacre of 1200 monks and scholars at Bangor-is-y-coed near Wrexham.

 

Note: This Augustine is not to be confused with St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430).  The notion that Augustine brought Christianity to Britain is pure myth. He came here as the representative of the Pope and persuaded the Saxon kings to submit to Rome. There were mass baptisms all over the country as the Saxon people followed the example of their leaders. Then in 601 he went to Wales, expecting the same success, but was disappointed. The Welsh already had the true faith, given to them by the early church, and they did not need any new innovations from Rome.

 

There is a clear subjugation of the Celtic religion, including Ireland, in all this.  The Celtic church had many more associations with the natural world, and 'Romish' traditions were imposed on them, despite many objections.

 

... is a point of view.

[Hroth]

Another clash between the teachings of the Celtic church and the Church of Rome was at the Synod of Whitby, where the Northumbrians decided to follow the customs and practices of Rome rather than that of the Ionian monks.  This was reported in the writings of the Venomous Bede (cf Sellar and Yeatman, 1066 And All That) some 50 years after the event took place.

 

Of course, Bede wasn't biased, oh no no no no no......

[Compound2632]

If folk must persist with this line of anti-Roman Catholic prejudice, can I refer them once again to the no potpourri riots before suggesting that they move back on to something slightly more railway related? (I hesitate to say 'on topic'.)

[Regularity]

What did not motivate, because it was at the time deeply gratifying to me, was the conclusion of one of my Tutor's periodic dressing downs; "all in all you are a grotesque hangover from the Nineteenth Century.”

 

You are more modern than I, sir!

The Head of Chemistry when I was taking my A levels remarked that I was “born out of time. You would have been at home as a ‘gentleman scientist ‘ of the mid-Eighteenth Century.”

 

Incidentally, during the era of interest to you, Norfolk was part of the RC diocese of Northampton.

 

Presumably now that the day where we celebrate the hanging, drawing and quartering, followed by the burning of the remains, of the mercenary component of the plot (let history blame foreign powers, rather than internal division and intolerance!) has passed for another year, we can get closer to the main theme of this topic.

 

If anyone has knowledge of the main theme of this topic, could they let us know?

[Compound2632]

If anyone has knowledge of the main theme of this topic, could they let us know?

 

There is some internal evidence that James is building a model railway.

[DonB]

There is some internal evidence that James is building a model railway.

 

Oh, Deary me, Wash your mouth out !!

There's plenty of (ahem) that sort of activity elsewhere on this web site. This Scholarly Discussion Gathering is a beacon of knowledge of the wider world, sadly lacking in some of the more narrowly focused threads.     

[Nearholmer]

Well, for a long time we’ve been urged to “model the railway in context”, which is usually taken to mean building loads of scenery and structures outside the railway fence (a post-WW2 trend, that I’ve fallen out of love with). So, this thread is about modelling a railway in context, it’s just that the definition of ‘context’ here appears to extend beyond the immediate visual/physical context, to the long run of history, philosophy, art, literature etc etc etc. Life, death, and the universe, in fact.

 

And, the better for it.

[Hroth]

If folk must persist with this line of anti-Roman Catholic prejudice, can I refer them once again to the no potpourri riots before suggesting that they move back on to something slightly more railway related? (I hesitate to say 'on topic'.)

Its probably seasonal, normal services will be resumed shortly.... 

[Hroth]

Well, for a long time we’ve been urged to “model the railway in context”, which is usually taken to mean building loads of scenery and structures outside the railway fence (a post-WW2 trend, that I’ve fallen out of love with). So, this thread is about modelling a railway in context, it’s just that the definition of ‘context’ here appears to extend beyond the immediate visual/physical context, to the long run of history, philosophy, art, literature etc etc etc. Life, death, and the universe, in fact.

 

And, the better for it.

Basically, we're the "In Our Time" of rmweb.

 

Good, eh?

[BG John]

Basically, we're the "In Our Time" of rmweb.

 

Good, eh?

Is that anything to bragg about?

[Nearholmer]

The best programme on the radio, IMO.

 

One of the true joys of life is to be in the utility room, laying track or similar on the layout, listening to it.

 

I do occasionally come over all utilitarian, and wonder whether it is worth spending public money on the salaries of academics, so that they can spend their lives accumulating such knowledge, when we appear to have collectively decided that councils should barely be able to afford to empty the bins or house the destitute, but it’s still a blooming fascinating programme.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Nearholmer

[Hroth]

Its like slipping into all those tutorials and seminars you avoided at the time, due to an active social life. Radio stations and programmes like these make me glad that the Murdochs aren't entirely in charge of the media....

 

And if you're into watching 6-gilled sharks gnawing the carcass of a dead whale, accompanied by the soothing tones of Boaty McBoatface Sir David Attenborough, then Blue Planet II is cracking viewing!

[Compound2632]

And if you're into watching 6-gilled sharks gnawing the carcass of a dead whale, accompanied by the soothing tones of Boaty McBoatface Sir David Attenborough, then Blue Planet II is cracking viewing!

 

... particularly after a family roast chicken dinner.

[Nearholmer]

At the zoo last weekend, small daughter and I watched a huge tiger demolishing a chicken and a quarter of a lamb, at close range. The enclosure had glass barriers, and we were in touching distance of the tip of the beast’s tail. Mightily impressive, and when it turned round to look in our direction, we both instinctively ducked and froze - I know how it is to be a mouse, now!

[corneliuslundie]

"Life, death, and the universe"

Naah. That's just the starting point.

As has been remarked before, the Pre-grouping section of RMWeb is where civilised life is found.

Along with some seriously impressive modelling.

Jonathan