Imagine living in the Dark Ages, 9th Century, in what is now England. That’s not easy, the imagining part. The ‘Dark’ alludes to an age when a civilization, excluding Catholic priests and monks, could neither read nor write. The Roman Legions had pulled out (410 A.D.) and left local, tribal leaders (almost-kings) to expand their rule if possible and defend what they had. After several hundred years, written histories were few and far between, housed in monasteries. Christianity prevailed across borders which gave the church unchallenged authority but no direct power.
It gets complicated without Roman troops to protect people and property. Germanic people from the continent (Saxons) began to arrive, establishing themselves where they could. Then Viking raiders (pagans) began their pillage & plunder of the Northeast coast. Britons/Saxons were no match for the Viking warriors who sent word home, “. . . come on down. The weather is great, lots of plunder and the natives are weak.” There you are, ‘The Dark Ages’. Lots of violence and everybody was a moving target.
I’ve been watching a Netflix series set in the 800’s, in what is today’s England. With modern technology, earth penetrating radar, etc. there has been a revolution in archeological research there. A different picture of the period is emerging there with more assimilation, more commerce and less warring. Still, treachery was the norm, greed and lust for power were necessary attributes but you wouldn’t like living there, not then. It was a violent time, just not as ‘Dark’ as earlier believed. The series is based on a set of novels written by a leading scholar on the period. Embellishing history with fictional plot twist-&-turns (not altogether made up) is more appealing than creative quirks of an unloosed imagination.
With politics and Covid still churning up the culture, much of the same corrupt duplicity as 1,200 years ago is still in vogue; still corrupt, forever double dealing. As much as I like to believe that individuals can change their ways, when we get together (collectively) as a force for good, naturally; we are still rat-bastards. Nobody advocates evil when ‘Good’ is whatever you decide it is. If you cast those actors in the present with motorcycles, surveillance drones and assault rifles you wouldn’t have to rewrite the script at all. But I like being entertained and the characters are both believable and for the most part, forgivable. If I were born into that Dark Age, I would hope to be a warrior-priest. That would enjoy the advantage that comes with education, with the Pope’s blessing, with sword skills and my King’s protection. But without toothpaste, hot water, soap and bananas, I would still feel more like the goat brought inside for the winter than the privileged white man I am today.
It gets complicated without Roman troops to protect people and property. Germanic people from the continent (Saxons) began to arrive, establishing themselves where they could. Then Viking raiders (pagans) began their pillage & plunder of the Northeast coast. Britons/Saxons were no match for the Viking warriors who sent word home, “. . . come on down. The weather is great, lots of plunder and the natives are weak.” There you are, ‘The Dark Ages’. Lots of violence and everybody was a moving target.
I’ve been watching a Netflix series set in the 800’s, in what is today’s England. With modern technology, earth penetrating radar, etc. there has been a revolution in archeological research there. A different picture of the period is emerging there with more assimilation, more commerce and less warring. Still, treachery was the norm, greed and lust for power were necessary attributes but you wouldn’t like living there, not then. It was a violent time, just not as ‘Dark’ as earlier believed. The series is based on a set of novels written by a leading scholar on the period. Embellishing history with fictional plot twist-&-turns (not altogether made up) is more appealing than creative quirks of an unloosed imagination.
With politics and Covid still churning up the culture, much of the same corrupt duplicity as 1,200 years ago is still in vogue; still corrupt, forever double dealing. As much as I like to believe that individuals can change their ways, when we get together (collectively) as a force for good, naturally; we are still rat-bastards. Nobody advocates evil when ‘Good’ is whatever you decide it is. If you cast those actors in the present with motorcycles, surveillance drones and assault rifles you wouldn’t have to rewrite the script at all. But I like being entertained and the characters are both believable and for the most part, forgivable. If I were born into that Dark Age, I would hope to be a warrior-priest. That would enjoy the advantage that comes with education, with the Pope’s blessing, with sword skills and my King’s protection. But without toothpaste, hot water, soap and bananas, I would still feel more like the goat brought inside for the winter than the privileged white man I am today.
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