Hesper said:
Thank you for the links thorbiorn and for the history Pierre. This experiment reminds me of what Collingwood wrote in Speculum Mentis about the medieval mind:
Speculum Mentis p. 25 said:
The medieval mind feels itself surrounded beyond the sphere of trial and danger, by a great peace, an infinite happiness. This feeling, so clear in the poets, is equally clear, to those who have eyes to see, in the illuminations of a missal and the detail of stonework, in the towers of Durham and the Vine window at Wells.
I get that impression when watching this creative, communal, and inspired construction process. [...]
[...]
What a magnificent piece of work compared to the uninspiring architecture most of us live and work in today.
I agree that these historical reenactments makes it clearer what Collingwood meant with regard to the medieval mind.
By now, I have watched many more episodes of several other series that I mentioned in the first post:
first post, The series do help to understand the various periods, at least from the perspective of the rural middle class with its daily chores. During the series, the team meets up with specialists from various trades that advice them and help them out. Below, I present some links to pages about the series and some paths of study along with further links and comments.
For a short review of all the series:
BBC Historical Farm Series
_http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BBCHistoricalFarmSeries
The comments of what follows is listed chronologically according to the period in history they deal with.
Tudor Monastery Farm early 16th century
_http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01k3b96/episodes/guide
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-1/
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-2/
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-3/
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-4/
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-5/
_https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/tudor-monastery-farm-episode-6/
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_Monastery_Farm
_http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10394912/Behind-the-scenes-on-BBC-Twos-Tudor-Monastery-Farm.html said:
Behind the scenes on BBC Two's Tudor Monastery Farm
By Vicki Power11:30AM GMT 13 Nov 2013
[...] some question the value of the recent slew of programmes about our heritage. Do we really need to watch archaeologists scything barley in a bucolic landscape? I ask Goodman. Isn’t it just escapist nostalgia?
“Of course, there’s a slight fantasy element to the series,” she says, bristling “but it’s not pure indulgence.” Then she rallies. “If you look at history, you realise that everything in the past has been different – everything!” She emits a delighted laugh. “And that means that everything in the future can be different. You can be powerful. You can change the world.” Clearly, there’s no keeping this Tudor Girl down.
If one wishes to find out about the lives of children at or near the near the time of the Tudors there is
Children of the Middle Ages a documentary with Dr. Stephen Baxter: _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrVise5qvx0 He also mentions two books about good manners as they were expected from the better offs, as they were recommended at the end of the middel ages and early 16th century, one is "The Babees Book - Medieval Manners for the Young", another is "The Book of Nurture by John Russell" For comparison with other cultures see: _http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/different-cultures-different-childhoods
Tales from the Green Valley early 17th century
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_the_Green_Valley
_http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mrtbv
Relating to the Victorian Period late 19th century
Victorian Farm
_http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00grv47
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Farm
At the end of the Wiki, they write that they a year later produced three episodes that revolve around the preparations for the Victorian Christmas. In fact they are more than that, as the life of the farm has to go on and they visit some specialists too.
Comment: While watching this series I noticed they referred to a book by Henry Stephens,
The Book of the Farm, which contains 19th century state of the art knowledge about how to run a farm. It is available as a pdf online.
Another book was
The Family Save-all, which was used by the lady of the house: When I looked, I found two titles with similar titles, but different layouts from about the same period.
Published in the UK: The Family Save-all, A system of secondary cookery supplying exellent dishes for breakfast, luncheon, dinner and supper, from cold and other fragments with invaluable hints for economy in the use of every article of household consumption. Second edition, London 1861.
About the author they write: "By the editor of Enquire Within, etc" I tried to find out who could be the author and came across a reprint of a book called Enquire Within Upon Everything. On Amzaon there is:
_https://www.amazon.com/Enquire-Within-Upon-Everything-1890/dp/187359030X said:
In the wake of the Industrial Revolution the population swiftly developed a thirst for knowledge about the myriad of new goods and ideas that were becoming available. But before the days of television, newspaper advertising and junk mail how did people get to know about everything? Over a million people solved the problem by buying a copy of this book which caused a publishing sensation in Victorian Britain. Because it explained so much about so many different aspects of life it continues to provide a very enjoyable and informative peep into the lifestyle of our forebears. In 2775 entries the enquiring Victorian learns how to tell if food is fresh and when it is in season; how to dance; the difference between local dialects; correcting grammar and spelling; the rules of games and puzzles; hints on etiquette; kitchen and household hints and recipes; cures for scores of ailments including rheumatism and baldness; the origins of Christian names; first aid; employment and rental regulations; keeping fit; dressmaking and embroidery; births, marriages and deaths; personal conduct as well as scores of others. We know when and where the Victorians lived. This fascinating book explains much about how they lived.
The style of the Save-all book is the same which is short numbered items grouped into chapters according to subject. The search engine also mentioned that an edition of the above book was available on _http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10766? and there they say that the author was a Robert Kemp Philp
The above book published in the US: The Family Save-all supplying excellent dishes for breakfast, dinner and tea from cold fragments. With miscellaneous receipts and invaluable hints for economy in every article of household use. Philadelphia, 1867 'by the author of "The National Cook Book"' and "Philp" is written with ink by the librarian.
Perhaps that was a lot of research to do for just one book, but I solved the puzzle and learned something more. The reason I was curious was that these old books contain advice that in several instances is much more practical in cases where one is in short supply of reliable power sources, technologies and money.
Not filmed on the same location, but involving one of the same presenters, Ruth Goodman, there is a four part series about the
Victorian Pharmacy: _https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Pharmacy _http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ylych which reenacts the business of a Victorian pharmacy with all its challenges. It includes the gathering of herbs, preparations of medicine and service of selected customers which come to find alleviation for their ailments.
Another documentary film that deals with the same period, but seen from the perspective of children, is:
The Children Who Built Victorian Britain _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6ByG7q74qg where Professor Jane Humphries presents the conditions, lives and testemonies of many poor children. There is also an interview with an author Hugh Cunningham at around minute 41 in the video. For the book see reviews in: _https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Childhood-Hugh-Cunningham/dp/0563493909 has reviews.
_https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1448345.The_Invention_of_Childhood has reviews.
In the interveiw, Hugh Cunningham mentions the role of the romantic poet in shaping our concepts of childhood. For his understanding of childhood through the ages, there is a summary here: _http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/re-inventing-childhood
In the above video there are several horrible stories of abuse, and then it might even have been kept to minimum!! Still there is evidence many children saw possibilities even in the very bleak condition they lived under and showed a lot of responsibility. The legislation, (this is from around minute 50) progressed slowly, 1802, 1820, 1833 ... From the first attempt to improve the working conditions it took more than 30 years it get results which limited the working time of children to 10 hours, and then far from everyone complied, nor were all sectors included! Only in 1884, with the Factory Act, was the working day of children under 13 limited to 6 and half hours. But as mentioned, this was a "factory act" and many areas were still unregulated like children working in agriculture and construction. As an example, there is a quote from one person, Will Thorne who started out as a brick worker, (minute 53), he got up at four am. Then he walked 5 km to get to work where he had to show up at 6 a.m. and worked the whole day before returning home. He did literally back breaking work, after stopping to work it took several weeks for his back to straighten out![/quote]
Comment: Thinking about the children who lived in Victorian Britain in relation to the children of today, on the surface of things things are certainly better for many. Still, children in our world are treated to more vaccines than can be helpful; they are exposed to relentless streams of advertisement, entertainment and destructive cultural impressions including misguided education; their brains are being jellyfied by Wi-Fi radiation, and they are being fed with very artificial food they are being forced to live lives of children by laws forbidding them to work even though their bodies mature earlier now than ever before. Isn't that cruel, or is it just that being born into this world means a high probability of a lot of suffering one way or the other.
There is actually a video by John Taylor Gatto, where he speaks about the artificial extension of childhood: "Most Radical of All" - EXTENDING CHILDHOOD - John Taylor Gatto _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMeX34vad6A
"The Paradox of Extended Childhood" - John Taylor Gatto _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_wsB7ziHvs
In the autobiography of Collingwood, who was homeschooled until he was 13, there are some comments on the English school system, at least the private boarding schools. If the ideas of Collingwood are to blossom in the educational system, it might have to be modified, or if teachers work within it, they might consider approaching it differently if that is even possible. ohn Taylor Gatto in his review,"- A Short Angry History Of Modern Schooling" _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_5h0aO8ZaE reveals, with reference to historical sources, some of the underlying trends behind the policies that have been implemented.
Many of the issues that Jordan Peterson addresses with regard to the modern person could be related to the way children are brought up, guided and regulated by laws and traditions with roots in religious, ethical, philosophical, psychological, social and historical influences, as well as by political and economic needs. Judged from the outcomes of the educational system, there is no doubt a lot to explore when it comes to finding better ways of bringing up new individuals born into this world. In the following there are some suggestions as how to make it better: "John Taylor Gatto - What Does It Mean To Be Truly Educated?" _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ty3hBXN-oM
For even more on the Victorian period, including some of the above cases with children, there is one episode by the British actor, comedian and tv personality, John Robinson, who in
The Worst Jobs In History 6of6 Victorian explains and in some cases tries out some of the menial jobs done in Victorian Britain: _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9JL3d_pC This is not a pleasant watch, but covers how many of the 19th century structures were built or maintained. One might infer that these ways of working were not only common in Britain.
The is also a series of videos called
Full Steam Ahead. It basically deals with how the railway helped to create modern Britain. I have only watched a few minutes. Without going into details, what I got was that the railway system changed society profoundly. Leaving the Victorian train aside, how much will the situation in Eurasia change with a speed train between Europe and China?
The Edwardian Farm
_http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w15jc
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwardian_Farm
Besides "The Book of the Farm" that I mentioned above, there is also one called
The Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder by William Cook also available online.
They have a horse whisperer come in to tame their semi wild new acquired Dartmoor pony _https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmoor_pony, (_http://www.countrylife.co.uk/articles/shetlands-shires-native-horse-breeds-britain-91125) and he does an amazing job in just three hours. In this connection there is a reference to "The Complete Horse Tamer" by John Solomon Rarey _http://www.rarey.com/sites/jsrarey/jsrbook.html. The specialist they have invited from the US is of the same tradition.
They show how to extract lanolin from sheep fleeces. I have looked on youtube for others, but this appears to be one of the best.
Reflecting on the many people who died at sea fishing and sailing, and how the surviving families coped with their emotional pain and their choices between getting involved with the church or joining up with spiritualist groups, there is one episode where they invite a spiritualist and try a Ouija type board. Questions are invited and one of the ladies asks about a distant relative (in time) lost at sea. After a couple of moves the spiritualist comments on the result. The issue is that the man who was lost apparently actually feels lost - still. Prayer gets suggested to remedy the situation.
The Wartime Farm
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wartime_Farm
_http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mmt8t
There are eight episodes and a Christmas Special
See also _http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/social-economic-history/download-your-free-wartime-farm-booklet where one can download a 16 pages free booklet if one signs up. On the same page there are individual pages about the episodes.
In the Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm and The Wartime Farm there are references to books and booklets that I could not identify. Even so, I learned that
a documentary or historical reenactment can serve as a springboard to go much deeper into a subject and support one's understanding of a historical period and the ideas it generated. It supports ones imagination of what living in a different time would be like. Although these series are mainly focused on Britain, there is much that is applicable to many other countries as well as to the present.
