The medieval times

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December 1215

MAGNA CARTA SUCCESSFUL WHAT IS THE MAGNA

WHAT DOES THE MAGNA CARTA SAY?

CARTA?

For the first time, the Magna Carta has established the

The Magna Carta includes 63 different

principle that everyone, including the King, is subject to

clauses which deals with specific

the law. One of the most important clauses, is the 39th.

criticisms of King John’s rule.

This clause states that ‘all men’ have the right to justice

WHY WAS THE MAGNA CARTA MADE?

and a fair trial. Overall, it guarantees the rights of the Church, closes the loopholes that King John can exploit in

The Magna Carta has been made for one main reason,

the system, limiting scutages (a tax paid by a knight to

King John has made the barons very angry so they have

his lord, that frees him from military service) and relief

demanded action.

payments and also banning the abuses of privilege

WHY WERE THE BARONS ANGRY?

common in wardship. Finally, it confirms people’s rights under the Common Law.

King John has been driven out of France by King Philip, so he needs to pay for an army to win back his land in France. In order to pay for this he has done two main things—raised taxes (this has mostly affected the barons) and made the barons serve in the army or pay money.

The barons are now infuriated, as many of them own land in France which they now have to give up. This has made them even angrier. King John has also imprisoned or fined barons who annoyed him. The last reason why

HABEAS CORPUS

the barons dislike King John is because they think that he Habeas corpus literally means in Latin, ‘you may have the body.’ It is a writ (a court order) to bring a jailed perhas murdered his nephew Arthur. son before a judge or court to find out if that person should really be in jail . It is included in the Magna Carta, under the 39th clause, “No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him nor will we send upon him except upon the lawful judgement of his peers or the law of the land."

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December 1215

CONTENTS National and International News

By Aishah Ahmed and Hanan Rasul

Local News

By Humera Ali and Rupika Gopalakrishnan

Religious Affairs

By Mauminah Ahmed and Aisha Ahmed

Property Page

By Grace Keane-Parry and Hafash Ahmed

Business, Trade and Exploration

By Ummarah Zahir and Afsa Hussain

Legal

By Esther Levin and Sara Ahmed

Editorial Letters

By Haleemah Sadiah and Kainaat Qamar

Fashion and Food

By Aneesah Ahmed, Javeria Khan, Bismah Hussain and Hannah Summers

Science and Maths

By Anisa Khan and Yasmin Richardson

Culture, Literature and Music

By Niamh Cafferkey and Allena Mirza

Games and Sports

By Emma McNamara and April Parncutt

Advertisements by Lauren Badger and Maddie Bray 2

December 1215

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS

THE MONGOLS OVERTHROW BEIJING

KING BETRAYS BARONS (NOVEMBER

Yesterday, after two years of war Genghis Khan lead the

1215)

Mongols into Beijing, overthrowing the Chin dynasty and

Now in November 1215, we have come to a point where the

taking the city. This tragic war started in 1211, when Khan

nobility of England have had enough of paying extra

started building his army and developing his tactics, but

taxation. The displeased barons are rebelling. In June, the King

the Chin dynasty could keep him out. In 1213 he managed

met these barons to try and reach a peaceful settlement. The

to invade up to the Great Wall of China but the vast barrier

meeting took place at Runnymede on the river Thames. The

did its job and prevented them advancing. Khan then

King agreed to their demands by signing a document known as

strategically split his army into three and got through the

the Magna Carta - Latin for 'Great Charter'. Many people see the

wall. The battle was long but finally it has been won, and

Magna Carta as a vital piece of legislation, where the rights of

for the Mongols it is a time to rejoice, for the Chin dynasty,

individuals are protected against the power of the King or

not so much.

Queen. King John signed the document to keep peace with the

Besieged, captured and sacked the Jin capital of Yanjing (Beijing) has been devastated by the attacks, torched to the ground This isn’t the Mongols first victory though, with Genghis taking many countries in Asia including Burma, Japan, Russia and Korea, and often ordering the mass murder of innocent civilians. To his people he is a genius, a master of war; to his enemies he is a nightmare.

rebel barons - to buy time - and has not been keeping to what he

POPE SUMMONS THE FOURTH LATERAN COUNCIL On November the Eleventh, Pope Innocent called the Fourth Lateran council to discuss the pressing issue of the Holy Land, plans have been put in place for Fifth Crusade to happen, he wants to avoid the mistakes of the Fourth Crusade and have it led by the papacy (the popes office) rather than the Venetians (the people of Venice).

He has organised for the crusaders to re-meet in Brindisi

in 1216, and had prohibited any trade with the Muslim enemies. He wants to reward all crusaders, even those who didn’t actually fight but donated money.

agreed to, thus betraying the barons. Because of this, Civil War has commenced in England.

ROCHESTER CASTLE SIEGE LATE (NOVEMBER 1215) It all started in 1204 when King John lost most of his lands in France including Normandy, Anjou and Poitou to the King of France. John tried to regain the land and had to raise enormous amounts of money to pay his knights and also to recruit foreign armed force in order to prepare for battle against the French king. The money was mainly raised by unfairly over-taxing his barons. This Barons made a list of complaints and called it Magna Carta - the Great Charter. The king was then forced to sign Magna Carta, but as soon as he had, he secretly wrote to the pope (Innocent III) . He hoped that the charter

would be

declared illegal and condemned. However, before the pope had an opportunity to write back, the rebellious barons had agreed that John could not be trusted to stick to the terms of the charter.

John had then decided to offer the crown of England to Prince Louis, the eldest son of the king of France. In preparation for war, John had been recruiting foreign mercenaries from Dover and had begun to march towards London. In his way stood Rochester castle which King John was planning to take control of. However, under the terms of Magna Carta, King John was forced to hand it back to the archbishop of Canterbury in May 1215.

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December 1215

LOCAL NEWS WYCOMBE: ‘CHEPPING’

up-to-date 13th century facilities. The

now forced to wear special pointed hats, to

OR ‘HIGH’?

hospital opened after popular demand,

denote their religion to the public. Riots

due to the fact that many people were

involved Jews being physically and

What will it be?

dying from this tragic disease.

verbally abused, and some Jews were

Yesterday a very important issue was

In its later stages, the body of a leper

town they live in, during the early hours

announced in ‘the old medieval

bears the appalling signs of decay and

of Monday last week. A few days ago, an

council’ about something which may

putrefaction: a misshapen face, numb

old man, Noah Abraham, was brutally

impact upon the future of our town

and deteriorating limbs, festering sores

killed due to the simple truth that he was,

and its next generation inhabitants.

on the skin, rancid breath and a raspy,

in fact, Jewish.

People will soon be gathering to vote

fading voice. Believed to be highly

on a very significant issue; the new

contagious, this distressing image is

We managed to track down a young

name of our town. Will it be called

quickly becoming the source of vast

eyewitness who was present during this

‘Wycombe Chepping’ or ‘High

panic in Europe.

horrific incident. The teenage boy, who

Wycombe’? For certain the name of

chooses to stay anonymous said the However, according to this new hospital, following, as he describes the tragic and the physicians in practice will be able to heartlessly vicious event:

expelled from both their homes and the

our town will not remain ‘Wycombe’, and the vote to help contribute to making this very important decision will be tomorrow in the council building, early noon. In the lead up to the vote, orthodox radicals have been

give you expert treatment. John Skefthyng has been appointed a warden

“He was mercilessly thrown to the pavement

in the hospital, and we went to speak

as they chanted ‘Judas’ ‘Judas’. They stomped

with him for an exclusive interview.

on his limp body as blood oozed out of his festering wounds. A scarlet sea surrounded the

protesting outside the council building Skefthyng, although not particularly on the streets to keep the town’s name educated, likes to think himself

dead body as they cheered at his demise. I stood there in shock, unable to move, such cruelty

as Wycombe. But we want to know

something of an expert in the area of

our readers’ opinion, in other words –

leprosy. “My brother died of leprosy,” he

yours. Write to us at ‘The Medieval

informs us. “And I distinctly remember

As we read these above words, I am sure

Times’. We would love to know what

my mother who was a notable alchemist,

you feel as horrified as we do about the

you think… Chepping or High? … Or

making him a concoction of gold. The

things we are capable of now in the 13 th

are you a radical???

metal symbolises richness and purity,

century. The unknown offenders have got

which corrects the illness. We will be

away, as there is no police service, and a

WYCOMBE’S FIRST

feeding this to all of our patients, and

lack of law and order in High Wycombe.

LEPROSY HOSPITAL

giving them the best treatment in

We know that King John sympathises with the Jews, but only due to the fact that he

OPENS FOR BUSINESS

Buckinghamshire. We also give out bread and wheat to the poor, so we are

wants to befriend them because of their

very charitable.”

abundance of wealth. Recently, he has

An ambitious man with oozing sores will always seek a fester way to do things.

Yesterday Wycombe’s first leprosy hospital (St. Giles) opened to treat the widespread illness of leprosy, which made its way to Buckinghamshire last month.

exploited the Jewish community by So, if you have any of the above

demanding the sum of no less than 66,000

symptoms and fear yourself doomed

marks from the Jews. This is shocking.

from leprosy, do not fear! St Giles’ leper hospital opens for business tomorrow

However, we want to know your

morning, and you’re 100% guaranteed to

opinions. Write to us and post your letter

survive the treatment!

through The Medieval Times’ letterbox.

What do you think?

The prestigious establishment was

ANTI SEMITISM ON THE

constructed near Easton Street in

RISE ACROSS WYCOMBE

Wycombe, next to St. John’s Hospital.

The hospital is new and efficient, with

was unfathomable to a young boy like me.”

Recently on the streets of our town we have noticed a rise in prejudice against Jews in our area. Jews in our time are

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December 1215

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS THE FIFTH CRUSADE

Béziers in 1209 the War has become one

The Fifth Crusade started two years ago

pendent people of the Languedoc and

in 1213 and is currently ongoing. It was

their allies.

ordered by the Pope and is an attempt by the Catholic Europeans to take back Jerusalem and rest of the Holy Land from the Ayyubids. Many people have been at-

of French and their allies against the inde-

THE FOURTH LATERAN COUNCIL The Fourth Lateran Council has con-

The war is seeing many sieges, including

vened. The Pope desired the widest possi-

those of Béziers, Carcassonne, Bram,

ble representation, and more than 400

Lavaur, Saissac and Minerve, with yet

bishops, 800 abbots and priors, envoys of

more to come.

many European kings, and personal rep-

tacked, massacred, and crucified, including Christians. This is all so that the Cru-

These sieges were of castra, constructed

saders can reacquire Jerusalem and most

for use as military defensive positions.

of the land that was previously held by

Some have given up without a fight - the

Christians.

desired result of the Crusaders’ deliberate

resentatives of Frederick II took part. The purpose of the council was twofold: reform of the church and the recovery of the Holy Land.

terror tactics. These include Fanjeaux and Many of the conciliar decrees touching on Castelnaudary Lastours and Foix and church reform and organisation are Aguilar.

Terror tactics have included mass indiscriminate slaughter as at Béziers and Marmande, various atrocities as at Bram and Lavaur, and mass burnings as at Mi-

nerve, Lavaur, and Montsegur.

hoped to remain in effect for centuries.

The council ruled on such vexing problems such as the use of church property, tithes, judicial procedures, and patriarchal precedence. It has ordered Jews and Saracens to wear distinctive dress and

obliges Catholics to make a yearly confes-

THE ALBIGENSIAN

CATHARISM IN BRIEF

sion and to receive Communion during

Catharism is a Christian movement.

Cathari and Waldenses are to be con-

Catholic chroniclers record that Cathar-

They believe that once you die you

demned. Pope Innocent is also ordering a

ism have become the majority religion in

reincarnate and get put in a new

many places in southern France, and that

body by the bad God and then go

Catholic churches have been abandoned.

back into the world. They believe

CRUSADE

They have mainly grown in influence in the Languedoc. Of the Catholic clergy that are remaining most are Cathar believers. The Papacy responded initially by

the Easter season. The teachings of the

four-year truce among Christian rulers so that a new crusade can be launched.

that to escape the reincarnation cycle they have to perform rituals so they can go back to the good God.

initiating preaching campaigns and engaging in public debates, both of which have proved humiliating failures for the crack teams of theologians sent by the Pope. The Albigensian Crusade is a formal crusade in the full sense of the word preached and directed by the papacy, and offering participants the remission of sins and an assured place in heaven. The Crusaders regard themselves as being ‘on God's business’ and refer to themselves as ‘pilgrims’. From the first major siege at

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December 1215

QUIZZES WHICH MONK ARE YOU?

GUESS WHO LIVES IN THESE

1. If you had to wear a robe, what colour would you

HOUSES...

wear?

A)

Brown

B)

Black

C)

Blue

1.

A) The king B) Noblemen with servants

2. Do you…

C) Peasants

A)

Love the poor

B)

Feel that education is most important

2.

C)

Have no cares for the world

A) Peasants

3. Who is your favourite Saint?

B) Knights

A)

Saint Francis

C) Foreign royalty

B)

Saint Dominic

C)

Saint Justin

3.

4. Which is your favourite quote?

A)

A) Knights

“The Lord granted me, Br. Francis, to begin to

B) Kings and Queens

do penance in this way .”

B)

C) Middle class families

"If he abominated heresy and laboured untiringly for its extirpation, it was because he loved

C)

truth and loved the souls of those among whom

4.

he laboured.”

A) Working class

“We have the right to live forever.”

B) Servants

5. Do you prefer?

A)

Lenient orders

B)

Strict orders

C)

Not to follow orders

IF YOU GOT….

Mostly A’s- You will be the perfect Franciscan monk, you

C) A priest 5.

A) Princess B) Earl C) Farmer

like to follow lenient orders and you love the poor Mostly B’s- You will be the perfect Dominican monk you like to follow strict orders and education is your top priority

ANSWERS

Mostly C’s- You will never be a monk. You are a disgrace

1.B 2.A 3.B 4.C 5.C

to the monastery world.

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December 1215

PROPERTY PAGE TOP TIPS

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enhance the experience of your garden.

how to get your garden looking organized and something

2. Roses are very popular especially red roses, they will

to be proud of. Gardens should be used for entertainment,

brighten up your garden by adding a sophisticated red

food and herbs.

colour. Roses are important to represent your Christian faith as well as creating a fresh scent.

Although roses are expensive they are impressive and

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Ribbed vault

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December 1215

ALL AROUND THE WORLD ST GODRIC OF

Additionally, he witnessed visions of the 1105: his acceptance of a hermitage. Dur- Blessed Mary (Virgin Mary) as well as his FINCHALE late sister and many others. Despite having this year, he became very well acing the ability to receive and understand Born in 1065, died in 1170. He lived a glori- quainted with an elderly hermit, named prophecies, he was never able to escape Aelric. Following Aelric’s death, Godric ous 105 years! A merchant-turnedhis own fate. He foretold his own death. made another journey to Jerusalem. He hermit, monk and saint. He may not have He suffered a short illness during which been as notorious as Cuthbert or Giles, but remained there for several months, work- he was cared for by the monks of he will definitely be remembered for years ing in a hospital and living with other Durham; this was the last time he ever to come. Today, we will commemorate his hermits. During this time, Godric received suffered. Nevertheless, he died a contenta vision from Saint Cuthbert, who prom- ed death, at peace with the world as he legacy by acknowledging and celebrating had lived a life free of sin. ised him a hermitage in England. This 45 years since his death. This piece will Another prominent year in his life was

to the seas’ as he sailed so often and with

concluded his final visit to Jerusalem as he So, we dedicate today to remembering returned again to England to accept his and celebrating the life of Saint Godric of hermitage.

Finchale. He lived a life of nobility and self-effacement. Regardless of the fact that The next 60 years of his life was spent, he endured many struggles, he always here in Finchale, where he lived an stood by his ethics, and was not one to ‘austere life of mortification’. He lived on allow any suffering. Saint Godric will berries and roots at first, but later decided always be remembered and we will enon growing his own vegetables and bar- sure he is never forgotten.

great pleasure. He faced many issues,

ley. During this period, he devoted his

whether it was in terms of the weather, the

time and exertion to build a small church

size of the waves or terrifying sea crea-

dedicated to Saint Mary.

focus mainly on significant events in his life. This includes his journeys, which impacted his life massively. We will remember this extraordinary saint.

In his younger years, Godric was a merchant, who travelled the seas on a daily basis. It was said that he became ‘attracted

tures. However, he overcame them all.

His visit to Lindisfarne can be identified as the most fundamental point in his life. On reaching Lindisfarne, Godric read an account on the life of Saint Cuthbert; this deeply affected him, resulting in an immediate alteration to his lifestyle. This was when he decided to become a monk. He began by travelling to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage. After emerging from the River Jordan, he pledged to never again wear shoes, remaining barefoot for the remain-

der of his life. He kept this oath, even in

I believe it is worth mentioning that Godric faced at least two instances where he almost died. The first near-death experience was before his conversion to become a monk, where he was caught up in a flood whilst sailing. This was fairly early on in his life, when he was a merchant.

The second instance was after becoming a hermit. He was violently beaten by Scottish soldiers who believed he had hidden valuables. This showed that Godric’s life never ran smoothly: he faced difficulties wherever he went, but overcame them as if it were nothing.

the worst of terrain.

Finally, Saint Godric had the astounding ability to foretell certain events. He was able to predict the deaths of Bishop where he became a steward. However, upon discovering the landowner’s meagre William of Durham and Saint Thomas treatment of other workers, he departed on Becket of Canterbury, despite having never met either of them. He was also another pilgrimage; this was to the shrine known to have predicted many shipof Saint Giles, with his mother. This shows wrecks, or possible disasters at sea; it is the strength of his morals as he was combelieved that he saw visions of scenes in pelled to abandon his job due to the unfair the distance and would often stop midmanagement of his fellow workers. sentence to pray for ships in danger.

The Saint then returned to England,

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December 1215

TRADE AND BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: TRACTATUS The shape and place of the Earth: DE SPHAERA Book Review on Tractatus de Sphaera by Johannes de Sacro-

Tractatus de Sphaera contains a clear description of the Earth which agrees with wide-spread opinion in recent

bosco - A brief insight into the understanding of the world be-

years. It contrasts to statements of some historians who

ing spherical.

indicate they thought the Earth was flat.

An interesting book has come into my hands recently, and it consists of a justification of an event which changed our outlook on the world – the World is round! Tractatus de Sphaera is not

Various circles surrounding the Earth:

available for the public to read as it has not been published as of yet, but I have been very privileged to get a read of it. Since this The circles of which this material sphere was composed is is the latest discovery I’ll start by giving you the facts. Tractatus

discussed in this chapter.

de Sphaera for you dummies out there, is Latin for ‘On the Sphere of the World’. De Sphaera mundi is another name given to Tractatus d Sphaera. The book exhibits the background and reasoning behind the great phenomena of finding out the world is round. The book is written by the renowned Johannes de Sac-

robosco, it may surprise you that Sacrobosco has a passion for astronomy since his first piece of work was a book on the Hindu -Arabic numeral system – ‘Algorismus’. He is known for the

Geographical locations: The rise and significance of signs such as Astrology are

explored in this section as well as new found geographical locations.

Algorismus as it was very widely read and then used to judge the number of manuscript copies. Currently, Johannes is a scholar and works at the University of Paris. Tractatus de

Ptolemy and Eclipses:

Sphaera is written in four chapters. The first chapter deals with the shape and place of the Earth within a spherical universe.

Sacrobosco wrote the world was a machina, mundi, the

The second chapter conveys with various circles on the sky. The machine of the world, indicating that the reported eclipse third chapter describes rising and setting of heavenly bodies

of the Sun at the crucifixion off Jesus was a disturbance of

from different geographical locations while the fourth chapter

the order of that machine.

gives a brief introduction to Ptolemy's theory of the planets and of eclipses. Upon turning the book cover I was grinning like an overly excited child, as I was overwhelmed to find out the reasoning behind this. Additionally, I was aware that his work would be very valuable to me as well as assisting me to understand the World better. After a couple of chapters, I discovered that since the World is a sphere, and the new term given to describe it is ‘Earth’. Sounds unusual at first but I’m sure it won’t take long for it to become familiar. As I finished the first chapter I realised that this book has extensive detail and riveting concepts and then it occurred to me that I must write a review on it and bring the masterpiece to a wider audience. Following that, I began to make notes whilst I was reading. Some of the theories are expressed in the following:

9

December 1215

COMPETITION OPPORTUNITY Some of you are probably wondering how the world being

If you have limited knowledge when it comes to astronomy

spherical affects you any more now than it used to. Well I sup-

then you might find it difficult to understand but for you smart

pose that knowing the shape of the world is helpful for future

ones it’s a must read! Every page of this book made me excited

exploration but more importantly it provides us with better

me to read the next. I must say absolutely formidable ideas are

opportunities to travel to these new places and appreciate this

conveyed in this profound book. I am certain this book will be

newfound ability. Besides, it opens up more trade routes now

influential not only in Europe but across the world in centuries

because we can export and import goods to and from foreign

to come as it is the true introduction into astronomy.

lands. All in all it is a great discovery, which will benefit us all in many years to come.

Personally taking the time and effort to educate yourself about

Finally, after rambling on about my love for this book and perhaps enticing you into reading it I can announce that following this Book review there is a chance to win an exclusive copy of

such issues is vital in today’s society. Understanding the world the book before its publishing/release date. Below are the details you live in is compulsory that is why I took the opportunity to

for entering a competition which could lead to you getting your

read the book. Tractatus de Sphaera is well written and in-

hands on this book.

cludes images and documents from the discovery itself.

One lucky winner will be announced in my next article to be published on June 30th. So be sure to buy next week’s issue.

10

December 1215

LEGAL ISSUES THE POPE’S PLAN FOR PUNISHMENT The Pope has decided that priests can no longer help with

CRAZY CRIMES & PETTY PUNISHMENTS

ordeals due to their unpopularity as many people have

November 2nd

been using the opportunity to get revenge. No longer will

Richard Black was heard excommunicating (making fun of)

people be judged by ordeals, instead they will have to

the King with a bell and a candle

attend a trial with the result determined by a jury.

Edward Smith was expected to complete the ‘Ordeal By

By order of the King he was executed the next day.

Fire’ next week. As an accused person he would have

November 10th

been required to hold a red hot iron bar and walk three

Thomas Dun was charged with theft of books. He submitted

paces, his hands would have then been bandaged and left

himself to the jury and was found guilty.

for three days. If his wound had not healed after the three days he would have been found guilty. In an interview

He was hung November 20th.

with Edward he stated: “I was blamed for stealing a loaf

November 18th

of bread from the bakers but I am innocent and I will be able to tell my story to the jury.”

Furthermore, Charlotte Baker was accused of witchcraft after a neighbour saw her turning a cat into a frog. Last week Charlotte completed the ‘Ordeal By Water’, she was

Meurig complained that, on Saturday 2 November, William came and shot at him with a bow and arrow and seriously injured him.

The jurors found William innocent and Meurig was fined 12d.

tied up from feet to hands and thrown into the River Thames. A witch is expected to float but when Charlotte

sank it was decided she was innocent. However, all hell broke loose when Charlotte was pulled from the water and found to be dead.

November 23rd William of Lonsdale escaped from prison in England.

When asked how he escaped from prison, William answered that he left by the open door, and went to Scotland.

Roger Bigod has reportedly refused to serve the King by not paying the ridiculously high taxes. Yesterday,

Therefore he is to be hung.

Jonathan completed the ‘Ordeal By Combat’. He fought with his accuser (James Glove) and won the battle

November 27th

proving he was right, leaving James severely injured. But his victory was short-lived as the new law set by the Pope demands that Roger and James attend a trial with the result to be determined by a jury next week.

Many are pleased by this new law. However, reporters here worry that, now matters are being taken into people’s hands, more innocent victims will be found guilty and punished.

Christiana complained that the priest Matthew of York came to Perth with a thief named William Wallace and stole her possessions in her house.

The jury found him guilty therefore he is condemned to

penance.

November 30th Victoria Black was caught nagging her husband publicly by three neighbours She is condemned to the stocks for a day.

11

ROBIN HOOD

As citizens should know, the forests are out of bounds to anyone

but the King. This outlaw has been stealing from the rich to give to the poor by hunting animals in Sherwood Forest. A hefty bounty is offered to any peasant who can provide information as to his or his merry men’s whereabouts that lead to his arrest and eventual execution. But beware, this outlaw is lethal with a bow and arrow.

12

December 1215

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD To the Editor,

Dear The Medieval Times,

King John captured and murdered his teenage nephew, Arthur of

I find myself unable to resist the temptation of writing to you. Many

Brittany, in April 1203, aged 15. This youthful, innocent soul was my

have heard of me, I am infamous for my thieving personality. I steal

son. He was ruthlessly assassinated by the hands of the now King of

from the rich and give to the poor. With such a big gap between the

England.

two, the situation is in desperate need of interference.

He would have been an exemplary King and leader; he was mercilessly I am wanted by King John for I have stolen ‘his’ money but I do not killed by his uncle. One who he was meant to trust but King John did

regret it as I am helping the needy. Some call me selfish but I think of

not honour this relationship. Even the sound of his name revolts me.

myself as generous. Sadly, some are unaware of this fact and consider

I am writing to appeal to the masses so they are made aware of this

King John to be great; he is not.

tyrant that they call their king. They must be cognisant about the cruel-

I must inform you all of his manipulative, avaricious and evil ways.

ty and oppression that exists in his kingdom.

You must be made aware that he is stealing your money through taxes

The slaughter of my son is only one of many; so be vigilant because when you turn your back, your children will be mercilessly torn from

and spending it on a war that we will never win. We must fight this injustice and rebel against him!

your grasp. So beware of the King for, though he has been nicknamed

My name is Robin Hood and I am here to send this message to the

‘soft-sword’, he has a core of iron within in his dwindling dagger.

people of England.

Yours Sincerely, Constance, Duchess of Brittany

Yours sincerely,

Dear The Medieval Times,

The treasonous traitor, RH

I am writing to you defend our great noble King, he has the potential to be great, but due to unfortunate luck and a mass of enemies he is una-

Dear Editor,

ble to reach his potential.

This letter is to uphold the dignity and honour of my late mistress Isa-

The picture of a monster has been put forward by Roger of Wendover

bella of England but to also help unite my fellow Christians to aid in and Matthew Paris, and their statements are false. There is no true basis revolting against a breathing devil amongst us . for their argument and they are just doing as they promised; ‘obeying’.

Despite my lady’s youth and beauty her father, King John ‘soft sword’, King John has the administrative ability of a great ruler but, from the married her off to a man twice her age as a result of a political endeavmoment his reign began, foreign rivals and greedy traitors tried to

our. The treatment of my lady was beyond degrading and unbecoming.

cheat him out of his inheritance and right to the throne. As he wrestled

As a young child, my lady dreamt of marrying a man who respected

with one of his enemies, more sprang upon him, behind his back. He

her and treated her with love. Unfortunately reality differed from her

was constantly thrown by the constant attacks. He did not deal with

expectations. This marriage constituted nothing but a political match

them as well as previous kings but he can be a decent king.

which resulted in my mistress dying in childbirth.

So I plead with you all, do not judge a king by one lost war. He can and I understand that my writing this heinous and treacherous letter rewill do great things and I wish to give him the chance to do so – don’t garding our “noble” King will not be well received. However it is not in you?

my jurisdiction as to what will occur to me once this letter is published.

Yours faithfully,

As a woman of God, I believe that no matter what occurs to me by the

hands of our ever so merciful King, my real judgement will be in the William Stubb

eyes of the Lord.

What is a man who has no respect for God’s representative on Earth, the blessed Pope? Such a question is utter idiocy for he is neither a man thus nor a worthy king.

For those of you follow him like moths to a flame will not be treated accordingly in the afterlife. Stop yourselves now, my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, before the breathing devil amongst us strangles your family and you are compelled to hear their stifled cries.

Rise up and fight the beast now or forever stay in its malicious and deceitful power.

13

December 1215

FIBONACCI’S REVELATION 1,1,2,3,5? A GUIDE TO FIBONACCI’S

FAREWELL TO I, II and III… NOW

SACRED SEQUENCE

NUMBERS WILL BE EASY AS 1,2,3!

13 years ago, in 1202, Fibonacci uncovered his own sequence.

Still on the topic of this Fibonacci bloke, it seems our Roman

For 1000 years we have been waiting for such a mathematical

numerals will now be history, and instead, we will use the Hin-

discovery in Europe, and for once an Italian glorifies Maths in-

du-Arabic decimal system.

stead of an Arab (of course with the inspiration and help from the Arabs’ knowledge). Europe is beginning to delve into the scientific and mathematical world, where many more discover-

ies are likely to emerge.

So, we are all familiar with the name, ‘Fibonacci sequence’, but what exactly is it? The string of numbers do actually bear some

"These are the nine figures of the Indians: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. With these nine figures, and with this sign 0 which in Arabic is called zephirum, any number can be written, as will be demonstrated."

(This is taken from the first chapter of Fibonacci’s book, which he wrote 3 years ago).

relevance and intellect. Each number is the sum of the two pre-

0– this is not a circle, it is actually a number! Fibonacci explains

vious numbers.

that with this, and the other figures, calculations for merchants

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144

will be much easier, as subtraction and addition can happen with smaller numbers.

The Italian genius corresponds numbers with a population

For a Latin-speaking Europe, introducing this number system is

problem involving rabbits. Yes, rabbits. Who knew that the

out of the ordinary, however, Fibonacci shows that mathemati-

question ‘How many pairs of rabbits can be produced from a

cal and commercial calculations will be easier with this system.

single pair of rabbits in one year?’ could result in such a phenomenon?

So, tradesmen out there, it is up to you to decide who you are thankful to– the Arabs, or the Italian who has introduced it to us

It is evident that the mathematical discovery relates to natural

here in Europe. It’ll be hard to get used to, but daily life will population, but it seems that it relates to other wonders, such as now be easier whenever we need to do mathematical calculathe distances between the curves in a snail shell! Never underes- tions ourselves. timate sequences.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SCIENTIST AND BISHOP ROBERT

experiment to the Latin West and it was also useful in revealing the connection between this and demonstrative science.

Q) In what way were these experiments relevant and useful in

GROSSETESTE

developing scientific theory?

Q) What contribution have you personally made towards the

A) I arrived at conclusions in my scientific writings which were

future of scientific development?

drawn on the basis of a multitude of considerations. I appealed to authority and everyday observation and made use of thought

A) I was the first person in the Latin West to develop an account

of an experimental method in science. I challenged the frontiers of knowledge, making systematic use of a method of experimental verification and falsification, utilising mathematics in my attempt to provide scientific explanations of the physical world.

Q) What experiment are you most famous for performing?

A) An experiment which I am most proud of investigated whether scammony causes the discharge of red bile.

Q) What was the significance of this experiment?

A) It enabled me to introduce the notion of controlled

experiments and certain metaphysical assumptions. An example of one of these revolutionary conclusions is: ‘every operation of nature occurs in the most finite, ordered, shortest and best way possible for it.’ This shows how, through establishing a system involving variables and a controlled method, I was able to broaden the prospects of science for the future and also improve understanding of current theories through proving them to be true.

14

December 1215

CULTURE, LITERATURE AND MUSIC OXFORD VS CAMBRIDGE

HILDEGARDE OF BINGEN

Recent reports have suggested that a new university in Cam-

Saint Hildegard of Bingen, was born in 1098 and died on the 17

bridge has been founded. Started by former Oxford alumni flee- September 1179. She was a German writer. Hildegard coming after two scholars were hanged for the death of a woman,

posed over seventy chants, hymns and sequences , some of

the university is beginning to develop at a fast rate. Similar to

which have been the subject of recent recordings by ensembles

the learning pattern of French and Italian universities, Cam-

of medieval music including " Sequentia " Ave polka , Columba

bridge provides a ‘foundation course’ in arts, which entails:

aspexit , O presul.

grammar, logic and rhetoric.

She also composed a liturgical drama titled Ordo virtutum (The

The incident in Oxford has caused the university to suspend its

game of the virtues), which has eighty-two melodies and di-

teachings for an unspecified time. A clerk killed a woman by

rected the pain of the soul between the devil and the virtues.

accident and fled the city. The mayor of Oxford and others searched for the man in his house, which was rented by three others. The peers were seized and insisted that they knew nothing of the murder and were innocent. The three men were thrown in prison and later, by order of the King, were hanged.

An account from Roger of Wendover stated that: "When the deed had been done, both masters and pupils, to the number of three thousand clerks, left Oxford so that not one remained out of the whole

university; they left Oxford empty, some engaging in liberal studies at Cambridge and some at Reading."

The university in Cambridge already has a structure for learn-

Hildegard travelled throughout southern Germany and into Switzerland and as far as Paris, preaching. In the last year of her life, she was briefly in trouble because she provided Christian burial for a young man who had been excommunicated. Her defense was that he had repented on his deathbed, and received the sacraments. She died on 17 September 1179. Her surviving works include more than a hundred letters to emperors and popes, bishops, nuns, and nobility. She wrote 72 songs includ-

ing a play set to music. Musical notation had only shortly before developed to the point where her music was recorded in a way that we can read today.

ing – similar to that of Oxford - with teachings being conducted by masters who had previously passed the course. These teachings are mainly in the form of reading texts, which leads to an examination in which students will discuss questions with others, including the master who is teaching them. Masters have already partaken in advanced studies such as law and medicine, which has enabled them to become doctors in their chosen field.

It is not known how Oxford has reacted to the establishment of the University of Cambridge, but it is likely to be irate. It is unknown how much of an impact that Cambridge will have in the future, but it is almost certain that a rivalry will form between the two universities. As they continue to develop and galvanise knowledge, only time will tell.

15

CLO GS IN O R O UT ?

PRACTICAL OR JUST A FASHION FAUX PAS ?

FIND OUT INSIDE! ALSO WAYS TO RECYCLE YOUR CLOGS FROM LAST SEASON

DID THE KING REALLY LOSE THE CROWN JEWELS? ALL THE JUICY DETAILS

3 HAIRSTYLES FOR SUMMER HOW TO SPICE YOUR PLAITS UP TO GET HEADS TURNING!

16

December 1215

FASHION & FOOD CLOGS IN OR OUT?

FOBBED OFF BY YOUR FARMERS

Clogs may not be the most stylish shoes out there but they

Farmers are now being accused of ripping off customers,

are most certainly the most practical. The thick wooden sole

by ‘raising taxes’ on produce. They claim that they are

can protect your delicate feet from the harsh English terrain.

being forced to charge more tax. However, this is not true.

They are very appropriate for heavy labour type jobs. They

Are you being robbed of your riches? In 1214, farmers sold

are also very versatile and after they have served their

2 cows for 30 pennies and 2 pigs for 16 shillings. However,

purpose you could use them as firewood. So in our opinion

an investigation carried out in January this year shows

clogs are definitely in - not for their looks but for their

farmers selling 1 cow for 20 pennies and 2 pigs for 18

practicality.

shillings. This shows that farmers are raising prices of their produce with no reason. So, the question is, what will you do about this? Is this acceptable? Jane Smith is a mother of six and finds this behaviour unacceptable, ‘”I work hard

KING JOHN LOSES THE CROWN? Has King John really lost the Crown Jewels? According to reports, the King was travelling from Lincolnshire to Norfolk when the supposed accident happened. A source close to the

for my money to provide food for my family, but I can’t even afford meat for my children due to the raise in prices”. Finally, more research is being done into the problem but will there be any way of solving the ‘tax’ problem?

King told us, “ His majesty fell ill a few days after arriving. He decided to return, however he took the longer route and had to have his baggage taken down across the mouth of the River Wellstream. The horses were too slow for the incoming tide and

we lost many horses as well as the King’s belongings.”. The extent to which the King’s valuables have been affected is not yet known but allegedly the Crown Jewels are lost.

SURVIVING LENT Wondering how you’re going to survive Lent without meat? There are many alternative options, but the best substitute for meat is fish. So, go and visit your local market to pick up some fish or go and visit the nearest pond or river and see what you can catch. Cooking fish is

HOW TO PREPARE THE PERFECT

really simple as well! Just mix some nice herbs or spices

CHRISTMAS DINNER

over the fire then serve with your favourite vegetables and

Are you thinking of hosting a big Christmas celebration this year? Do you want to enjoy a delicious roasted Peacock?

Firstly, start by removing the insides of the bird and making

with some oil and rub all over your fish before cooking breads. If you’re not a fan of fish then just substitute your

meat with extra vegetables and you can create some delicious vegetable stews.

sure it's clean. Then make some stuffing to help give the meat a little more flavour. We recommend ripping up some bread into small pieces then mix it with some honey, onion, garlic, pepper, rosemary and parsley before stuffing it into the peacock. Next wrap some bacon around the outside of the bird and start to slowly cook over the fire. Once the bird is looking golden brown, check the inside is cooked then remove it from the fire. Serve it with any vegetables or fruit such as leeks or apples and a few slices of bread.

17

December 1215

GAMES OF THE CENTURY A DUMMIES GUIDE TO JOUSTING

the stirrups, and be prepared

right arm pointing forward

Equipment:

to use your knees to cling to

across the tilt barrier.

which usually take place for

your horse.

8. Aim for the torso or, if



A lance

gatherings, ceremonies and



A horse

you're feeling confident, the



A jousting shield

events. The winner of the tour- 4. Hold your lance upright in your right hand. nament goes through to the



A vamplate

next round, and this continues

5. At the signal, ride forceful-

9. Cling tightly to your mount

ly straight ahead, with the tilt

with your legs, and be

barrier to your left.

prepared to lean backward on

The primary aim of jousting,

until the final round, when the

overall winner is announced.

is to strike the opponent with the jousting sticks whilst

Here's a step by step tutorial:

riding towards him at high

1. Check that you are properly better visibility and keep your

speed on a horse. The riders

armed and have the correct

lance upright.

should try to break the lance

armour.

7. At the last possible mo-

2. Mount your horse.

ment, lower your lance at an

on the opponent's shield, joust their armour, or unhorse him.

Jousts are most commonly

3. Sit firmly in the saddle,

held in jousting tournaments

making sure your feet are in

BACKGAMMON Backgammon is a game played between two opposing sides on

6. Lean forward slightly for

counting the points as spaces according to the numbers rolled by a pair of dice. The player first to get his checkers around, and then off the board, wins the game.

In addition to their checkers, each player has a pair of dice and a dice cup (to shake and toss the

the middle of the tray on one side

10. Repeat the run until one of you falls out of the saddle.

BANNED?

Article by John Freeman.

move in opposite directions

remain in the saddle.

SHOULD FOOTBALL BE

cube which is initially placed in

checkers of a different colour that

foe or he hits you, in order to

neck, couching it in your

dice). There is also a doubling

called “points”. Each side has 15

impact, whether you hit your

angle across your horse's

I think that football should be banned because it is a very dangerous sport.

The football ‘pitches’ often include rivers, streams and woods and many players usually end up being injured.

Football is a brutal game. It is unsafe and it is not good to encourage young children to participate in such brutal and dangerous activities as it could encourage them to behave inappropriately in the future. Furthermore the inflated pig’s bladder or sometimes a leather ball are unsafe equipment and the pig’s bladder is unhygienic.

Therefore, football should definitely be banned.

a board marked with 24 triangles

helm of your opponent.

On the contrary, I think that football is a very interesting and exciting sport. Football encourages friendly rivalry between different villages and encourages people to stay fit through the exercise. This means that everyone can join in and have fun with healthy competitiveness. It is also a good way of encouraging people to exercise and stay fit.

Article by Edward Cartwright.

THE GAME OF CHESS Every game of chess has its own story. Some are long-drawn out strategic affairs; others can be quick, but complicated, tactical battles.

The winner is the player who can out-think his or her opponent, and make the best plans for attack and defence.

If you have a chess set, or decide to make your own, here are the rules you need to play the game.

What you need: A chess board and pieces.

Aim of the game: The aim of the game is to use your army to capture the enemy king.

The armies: There is a white army and a black army. Both armies have the same pieces.

18

December 1215

MAGNA CARTA SPECIAL WHAT IS THE MAGNA CARTA? The Magna Carta is an important medieval document that limited the right of the king to do as he wished without regard to the law. It is world-famous as a symbol of justice, fairness, and human rights. Magna Carta means ‘big charter’ in Latin (a charter is a legal document which guarantees certain rights). When it was signed in 1215 it was intended to protect the barons and a limited class of free men from the worst excesses of the king by regulating feudal customs and rights and setting out rules relating to the administration of justice. The Magna Carta is often seen

as the basis of rights to equal and fair treatment under the law for all citizens.

TOP 10 FACTS 1. King Richard I ‘Richard the Lionheart', brother of King John, died in 1199. Under Richard's rule England was involved in a series of expensive wars.

2. King John inherited his brother's wars and needed money to continue to fight so he put pressure on his barons to raise the necessary finance. He increased taxes,

confiscated land and levied heavy fines.

3. The barons were angered by what they saw as King John’s misuse of feudal customs and rights.

4. The barons rebelled and on 17 May 1215 they cap-

Only four copies currently exist; two are in the British Library, one in Lincoln Castle and one in Salisbury Cathedral.

9. The Magna Carta originally had sixty-three clauses of which only three remain in law today.

10. The most famous clause of the Magna Carta is inter-

preted as guaranteeing individuals the right to a free and fair trial under the law. This means that the law provides protection from punishments such as imprisonment, seizure of property or exile without a trial.

tured London. King John was forced to meet with them at Runnymede in June 1215.

5. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, played an important role in negotiations between the king and the barons. The Magna Carta contains many references to the rights of the church.

DID YOU KNOW? The 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta fell on the 15 June 2015.

6. The text of the Magna Carta was written by scribes in

Parchment was made from sheep skin

Medieval Latin. They wrote on parchment; this was very

which was soaked in lime before being

expensive and so they used small writing and abbrevia-

stretched out to dry and scraped with a

tions in order not to waste any space.

knife to make a smooth writing surface.

7. King John did not sign the Magna Carta. It was authenticated by the Great Seal. It is possible that King John could not write!

King John supposedly died as a result of dysentery caused by over eating.

8. Many copies of the Magna Carta were made and sent

The Magna Carta was amended and reis-

out to important officials such as sheriffs and bishops.

sued in 1216, 1217 and 1225.

19

December 1215

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE MAGNA CARTA? In the years before Magna Carta was written, the barons were

What was Magna Carta originally written on?

unhappy for lots of reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A The King took hostages from the King of Scotland and Prince

A Paper B It was engraved in metal

of North Wales

C Wax tablets

B The King followed a different religion

D Animal skin

C Taxes were very high D The King seized the barons' land

Magna Carta was no longer relevant to British Law after ...

A Parts of Magna Carta are still relevant today?

Magna Carta was an agreement between the King of England and ...

A The Pope B The rebel barons C The peasants

D The King of France

B 1914?

C 1688?

D 1509?

What is Magna Carta?

A A document that gives the monarch power over everyone

else B An official history of Britain

What does Magna Carta mean?

C A big map

A The Peace Treaty

D A document that limits the monarch's power

B The People's Demands C The Royal Decree

Which King sealed the 1215 Magna Carta?

D The Great Charter

A King Henry VII

Magna Carta was written in ink made from what?

B King Theoden

A Earth mixed with water

C King John

B Dye from blueberries and blackberries

D King George III

C Lead D Growths left by parasitic wasps on oak trees

How many of the original 1215 Magna Carta documents are left?

A by signing it with a quill?

B with a seal of hot wax?

C by signing it in gold pen?

D with the King's fingerprint?

A Hundreds B Four C Ten D None

Answers: B, B, D, D, B, D, A, D, C, B

Was Magna Carta agreed ...

20