How Western Civilization Survived ‘By the Skin of Its Teeth’

 From Intellectual Takeout:

In the traditional Protestant view (by no means shared by all Protestants today), Christianity was in its purest form in its beginning stages, and over the centuries experienced a gradual distortion until its “Reformation” in the 16th century.

Because of the influence of this Protestant view of history on Western schools, most students typically do not hear much about the period of the 800-year history following the Fall of the Roman Empire known as the Middle Ages.

And because they are kept in ignorance of the Middle Ages—while nevertheless having the gall to classify it as a period of “ignorance”—they typically think of the Renaissance as limited to something that happened in Italy beginning in the 14th century.

But according to many modern scholars, that wasn’t the first Renaissance in the history of the West. Rather, the first revival of learning and culture took place in the 8th and 9th centuries and, according to historian Kenneth Clark, helped Western Civilization survive “by the skin of its teeth.”

The first Renaissance was spearheaded by the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) and his successors, and is thus known as the “Carolingian Renaissance”. Its main contributions included improving the knowledge of Latin throughout Western Europe and the copying and preservation of many classical texts.

Latin was the language of the Western version of the Bible (the Vulgate), the Church Fathers (the early theologians of Christianity), and classical Roman literature. Thus, becoming a literate person at that time required a knowledge of Latin.

However, after centuries of barbarian rule, knowledge of proper Latin was in a deplorable state in the late 8th century. Most of the clergy—those most likely to receive formal education—were barely literate. Famously, St. Boniface had written to Pope Zachary about witnessing a baptism performed by a priest who used the formula “Baptizo te in nomine Patria, et Filia, et Spiritu Sancta,” which he considered invalid. (The correct Latin rendering is “Baptizo te in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.”)

Charlemagne responded by first drawing the greatest scholars of the time to his Palace School in Aachen, and then issuing a series of ordinances, or “capitularies”, stipulating that all bishoprics and monasteries have schools at which they taught the rudiments of proper Latin grammar (along with basic arithmetic, singing, and musical notation). It was the job of Charlemagne’s traveling representatives—the missi dominici—to ensure that the mandated curriculum was being satisfactorily carried out. (Read more.)

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The Birthplace of Jousting Steeds

 From Science:

Excalibur and A Knight’s Tale got at least one thing right. Medieval English knights donned armor, mounted highly trained horses, and jousted with long lances in spectacular ritual combats. King Henry VIII was obsessed with jousting, until a 1536 spill from a horse during a tournament left him with traumatic injuries.

But the steeds used in these contests weren’t all home-grown, a new study finds. An analysis of dozens of medieval horses buried in an open field between the Thames River and Westminster Abbey reveals a far-flung European horse trading network, researchers report today in Science Advances, with some of the animals coming from as far away as northern Italy. The findings, experts say, open a new window into the life of medieval English elites and their favorite hobby.

“This paper’s enabling new stories to be told about these horses and the people who rode them,” says Richard Thomas, an archaeozoologist at the University of Leicester who was not part of the research.

Historical documents show England’s medieval elite took great interest in horses. A record of royal horses called the Equitium Regis, for example, lists hundreds of horses belonging to the royal family in the late 13th and early 14th century C.E., often by name and sometimes geographic origin. (Read more.)

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India's Christians Are Being Targeted for Genocide

 From The Stream:

Oddly, while North-East India’s vibrant Christianity has remained a mystery even to most Indian Christians, it has been a bitter pill for India’s Hindu ethno-nationalists to swallow. This cluster of Christianity has presented an almost unassailable bulwark to their totalitarian goal of a pan-Hindu India. The idea of an exclusive Hindu nation comes largely from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s 1923 book Hindutva: Who Is Hindu? — a work that has been seminal in spawning violence and militant Hindu hatred against Christians and other religious minorities in India.

Savarkar’s invented metanarrative of “Hindutva” (Hinduness) consists of nation (rashtra), race (jati), and civilization (sanskriti). At the core of Savarkar’s paradigm is the idea of India as pitrubhoomi — literally Fatherland — interpreted by Savarkar as “holy land.”

Historian Tanika Sarkar in an essay in Public Hinduisms (2012), explains how Hindutva conjoins “nation with faith, and, in the same move, makes the land of India the property, in a literal sense, of Hindus alone.” Since Christians, Jews, Parsees and Muslims do not fulfill the criterion of India as their “holy land,” they cannot be regarded as Indians, notwithstanding the antiquity of their religious presence in the land.

The tribal Christians of North-East India, however, fail the test of “Indianness” on all four counts! On land, the very inclusion of tribal territory into India after independence from British colonial rule, has been fiercely contested. On ethnicity, the “hill people” of the North-East are racially different from most Indians, enjoying closer ethnic ties to the peoples of China, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim than to the “plains people” of the Indian subcontinent.

As for Savarkar’s criterion of a Hindu sanskriti, nothing could be more remote from the proudly indigenous tribes than identifying with Hindu “civilization” or “culture.” This is a marked difference from other Indian Christians, particularly Catholics, who have happily enculturated within a Hindu culture — some to the extent of a troubling syncretism. (Read more.)

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Shakespeare's Sister

 From Phys.org:

By analyzing digital copies of an incredibly rare and obscure 17th-century Italian religious text, a University of Bristol academic has revealed that a long-lost document previously thought to have been written by William Shakespeare's father belongs, in fact, to his relatively unknown sister Joan. The document, a religious tract in which the writer pledges to die a good Catholic death, written at a point in English history when Catholicism was strongly disapproved of, was found by a bricklayer hidden in the rafters of the Shakespeare House in Stratford-upon-Avon around 1770.

It was seen and described by two early Shakespeare experts and then lost. Both thought it must have belonged to Shakespeare's father, John, who died in 1601, which would imply that he was a zealous secret Catholic in an Elizabethan world of priest holes where people risked torture for their faith. Subsequent scholars thought it was a forgery designed to give the impression of being a document from John's lifetime.

In fact, the document is actually a translation of an Italian text, "The Last Will and Testament of the Soul," and Professor Matthew Steggle, from the University's Department of English, used Google Books and other internet archives to track down early editions of that text in Italian and six other languages, many of which editions survive only in a single copy and are scattered across the libraries of Europe. (Read more.)

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The Favourite (2018)

 

Queen Anne of Great Britain

 

 

 

From The Easton Gazette:

Abigail: As it turns out, I'm capable of much unpleasantness. ~from The Favourite (2018)  

In a time when we see our past being erased or distorted by the removal of historical monuments, even as the errors of critical race theory are taught in our schools, recent historically-based films and television series play a part in the deconstruction of our culture as well. Films and shows which are built around the rumored sexual peccadilloes of a historical character, usually a long dead monarch, are particularly degrading to the communal understanding of our past.

I am thinking in particular of the unfounded rumors about Queen Marie-Antoinette and Count Axel von Fersen, of which I have written a great deal. While there is no evidence of a sexual affair, plenty of evidence exists that Marie-Antoinette loved her husband Louis XVI and stayed at his side at the cost of her own life. Over and over again we are shown that the old days of Christendom were full of sin, hypocrisy and perversion and so we are brainwashed into thinking that everything our civilization is built upon is a lie. And while most monarchs had sins just like the rest of us they were, like us, more than just their sexual peccadilloes, and should not be reduced to such, for the sake of historical integrity.

   The 2024 Sky/Starz miniseries Mary and George is an example of the gross distortion of the representation of a historical person, that being King James I and VI of England, Scotland and Ireland. While I am not particularly fond of King James because of how he treated the Irish, the Catholics and several supposed witches, he did painstakingly sponsor the making of what is known as the King James translation of the Bible, while keeping his Three Kingdoms out of the ruinous continental wars of the early seventeenth century. Yet I am reliably informed that in the show Mary and George King James is shown partaking in orgies. While it is known that James admired young men, it is debated as to whether he had a physical relationship with any of his favorites. He drank heavily and partied yet he was also very religious. He was a husband and fathered several children. He also passed strict anti-sodomy laws. Yet the rumors of his same-sex attraction were not enough for the television people; he is made into a complete profligate who only finds satisfaction with multiple partners at the same time. Who cares about the authenticity of the costumes when such lewdness becomes the center of the drama? Although I am currently engaged in writing a trilogy about James’ son Charles I and Charles’ wife Henrietta Maria, and therefore should enjoy seeing the era dramatized, I really cannot bring myself to watch Mary and George.      

   However, there is a 2018 film called The Favourite which I had not seen. It is about James’ great granddaughter Queen Anne, for whom Annapolis, Maryland is named, even as Maryland itself is named for Anne’s grandmother Queen Henrietta Maria. I had heard that it portrayed the fourth queen-regnant of England as a lesbian but that the acting was excellent. I was prepared to be annoyed at seeing Anne as a lesbian because it is not historically accurate. While it was known Anne was deeply attached to her friend Sarah Jennings Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, she also adored her husband George of Denmark, to whom she bore seventeen children, all of whom died. And eventually George himself died. The multiplicity of deaths made an already highly moral woman more devout as she fought depression, gout and numerous other debilitating health problems while still in her forties. Yet she actively took a role in managing the government, even when ill, and was known for her extensive charities.

   Olivia Coleman is perfectly cast as Queen Anne, resembling her in both face and figure. Rachel Weisz is too dark for Sarah, who was famous for her delicate blond beauty; Emma Stone is too pretty for Abigail, who by all accounts was homely. Sarah is repeatedly referred to as “Lady Marlborough” when as a Duchess she would have been called “Her Grace.” Yes, the acting is spectacular. However, all the men are shown as buffoons or thugs; Queen Anne’s husband is not shown or mentioned at all, although I assumed he was the reason the court was in mourning. At least, I thought they were in mourning because they were all in black and white. Then I discovered that at the time covered in the film, George would still have been alive. So a devoted husband who was greatly loved by his wife, who shared a bed when most royal couples did not, is sacrificed to the filmmakers’ preference for a gay story-line.  (Read more.)

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Return of the Kennedys

 From Creative Destruction Media:

His brother, Robert, told the president to not make his statement political, but make it on moral grounds, and he did. 

"We are confronted primarily with a moral issue," President John F. Kennedy told the nation that evening. "It is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution." 

Perhaps, Bobby Kennedy, Jr.’s family should remember those words and reflect upon their own conflicts of interests and put moral before politics in 2024. 

And, why they do not, makes one wonder what are the real motives behind their criticisms because their criticisms do not even reflect their own family history. 

Rory Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s youngest sister appeared on CNN recently, and called her brother’s campaign “dangerous,” but when asked what is dangerous, her answer was enlightening. 

She denied that her brother’s policies were “dangerous, but rather that the campaign was "dangerous" because she was shown some polling that her brother’s campaign pulled 70% from the Biden camp. 

So, it appears Rory is fearful of a Trump re-election, but what about Biden's policies?

The public deserves to know the links, benefits, and conflicts of interest between the Obama and Biden camps and those Kennedy family critics of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s presidential campaign.

On St. Patrick's Day, Kerry Kennedy certainly seemed to take a swipe at her brother in a mean spirited way on her social media account at Biden White House event with a photo-op with President Biden. She posted a group picture with President Biden with about 30 Kennedy family members out of over 100.

“It’s not enough to wish the world were better, you must make the world better”
@POTUS President Biden, you make the world better. Happy St. Patrick’s Day ," wrote Ms. Kennedy. (Read more.)

 

From MxM News:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy has evolved from a mere curiosity to a significant challenge to President Joe Biden's campaign. Kennedy's strategic selection of Nicole Shanahan as his vice-presidential running mate has made clear his intent to court disenchanted Democrats, signaling a potential shift in the electoral battleground.

Kennedy's surprising strength in polling, reaching double digits in some areas, showcases a growing discontent among voters with the current political status quo. This sentiment is particularly potent within the Democratic base, where Kennedy's moderate stances, coupled with Shanahan's leftist credentials, offer an alternative to Biden's increasingly left-leaning policies. The duo's focus on issues such as healthy food initiatives, regenerative agriculture, and the ethical concerns surrounding big tech's use of AI positions them as champions of progressive yet pragmatic solutions.

Critically, Kennedy's campaign has illuminated the deep fissures within the Democratic Party. His explicit critique, alongside Shanahan, that the party has drifted away from its foundational values, resonates with a significant segment of the electorate. This divergence is emblematic of a broader debate within the party about its future direction and the balancing act of catering to its base while appealing to a broader swath of American voters. (Read more.)

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FDA Retreats: How To Get Ivermectin, Z-Pak, And More

 From Creative Destruction Media:

Starting 2021, the FDA mounted a misinformation campaign on ivermectin – an inexpensive, Nobel Prize-winning medication that showed promising signs in the early treatment of COVID-19.

While the death toll from this campaign is difficult to calculate, the impact was far-reaching. The campaign was used as fuel to terminate employment of doctors who understood the science behind ivermectin, as well as justification for pharmacies to cease filling ivermectin prescriptions when people needed the medication most.

Courageous doctors fought back.

In 2022, doctors filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the agencies’ unlawful attempts to block the use of ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19.

“We’re suing the FDA for lying to the public about ivermectin,” said Dr. Bowden, a plaintiff in the case.

The complaint directly cites US laws, including the provision that the FDA “may not interfere with the authority of a health care provider to prescribe or administer any legally marked device to a patient for any condition or disease within a legitimate health care practitioner-patient relationship.”

On Thursday, the court ruled against the FDA and mandated the removal of all previous social media posts that specifically addressed the use of ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The posts have started to come down, including a popular one titled: “Should I take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19? No.” (Read more.)

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Why School "Restorative Practices" Are Destructive

 From The Easton Gazette:

Social justice is not the justice of the bible or the legal system. Social justice has been redefined. The real definition of Social Justice is: The fair treatment of all people in a society. However, Social Justice has been completely redefined to mean something entirely different being integrated with ideology known as Critical Race Theory (CRT) or its rebranded form called Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DIE). This takes race into account, and becomes ambiguously critical of it. Social Justice has been redefined as receiving what one wants/demands without having any standards, boundaries, morality, laws, respect for others, consequences, or God. Equality and fairness is eliminated and replaced with "Equity," which is an unfair system of taking from some and giving to others without being earned. The corrupt meaning of social justice tips the scale of justice with partiality.

If you have not read this past article, we encourage you to do so to get a better understanding. I Have A Nightmare: Systemic Racial Disparities In Schools and It's By Design

Blind-eye reporting and double standards in discipline is nothing new, and has been going on for years under Affirmative Action. It just wasn't until 2018 that it was legislated in Maryland as a result of social justice activism and BLM working the state legislators. (Read more.)

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A Fairy Step-mother

 From History...the Interesting Bits:

Although she only had one biological child, two of Kateryn Parr’s marriages would bring her five stepchildren whom she loved dearly as if they were her own.

Katheryn first foray into motherhood was when she became stepmother to Lord Latimer’s teenage son and daughter. It is more than likely that Latimer, when looking for a wife, was after someone who could be a mother to his children and be present in their lives as he was away a lot. He may have seen those motherly qualities in Kateryn. It would be his daughter, Margaret, 9 years old at the time of her father’s marriage to Kateryn, who would grow close to her new stepmother.

Margaret’s own mother had died in 1527 and her first stepmother died in 1530. This led to Kateryn becoming the only mother figure in the young girl’s life, and at an impressionable age. Kateryn would fill the role of mother, treating Margaret as if she were her own, even after Latimer’s death. Kateryn not only had a legal duty to the two teenagers at this time but a sense of parental duty and love.

Margaret’s father had been strongly Catholic, therefore, his children would have been Catholic. However, times were changing and in Margaret’s will there are curtain wordings which give an indication that she was more inclined towards the reformed religion. Could Kateryn have played a role in this? We do not know for certain, but Kateryn would certainly have been aware of Margaret’s beliefs and most likely had some impact on it. The only thing that would separate the two was Margaret’s death at the young age of 21, in 1545. In her will Margaret thanks Kateryn for ‘the godly education and tender love and bountiful goodness which I have ever found in her highness’. Kathryn had provided a mother figure for Margaret during her short life. She had provided the young girl with companionship when an alternative could have been a very lonely existence. Throughout her marriage to Henry, she was then able to bring her stepdaughter into court life and provide her with connections which she may never have had initially. (Read more.)

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