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A comment on What you can learn about medieval Europe if you focus on peasants. Parent comment

Re:What you can learn about medieval Europe if you focus on ... by bennysonething on Friday February 12, 2021 @03:07AM (#26111608)
Exactly, it was a protection racket. And like all protection brackets some people romanticize them (I've come across this view multiple time in my home town, Belfast, where paramilitaries have offered this "service" to small businesses).

Also it's worth pointing out that literacy rates across Europe plummeted as the Roman empire fell apart. I read that even Charlemagne "struggled with his letters".

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Re:What you can learn about medieval Europe if you focus on ... by Bayart on Friday February 12, 2021 @11:43PM (#26121456)
Charlemagne struggled with writing the incredibly arcane Merovingian script [1]. That's the very reason he came up with the Carolingian script [2] the very print script you're reading this message with is descended from and the reason why he implemented school reforms.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_script

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_minuscule

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Re:What you can learn about medieval Europe if you focus on ... by bennysonething on Saturday February 13, 2021 @12:21PM (#26124912)
Ah well that's interesting, thanks.
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