Quoran Medley

Some of these in answer to already known Siddiquee.

Prayers for the safety of Mike Horn are appreciated from those who liked this!

Q I

Did Vikings practice religious fanaticism?
https://www.quora.com/Did-Vikings-practice-religious-fanaticism/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered Thu

Someone claimed that the Viking plunders against Christians targetting especially monasteries were a payback for Charlemagne allowing the cutting down of Irminsul, the holy oak in Saxony (Saxons like Vikings worshipped Odin and Thor, though there were divergences about other gods, I have no idea what Norse god if any Saxnot would correspond to).

If this is correct, all of the Viking age was one big act of religious fanaticism, comparable to Daesh targetting the Occident.

Even if this is not correct, but just a guess (as far as I know it is a guess, but "just" a guess means the guess is wrong too), when Christianity came, Odin worshippers in Norway and Sweden put up a resistance like this example:

// However, Inge did not permit the people to follow the old ways, unlike his father Stenkil. The Swedes reacted strongly and asked Inge to either comply with the old traditions or abdicate. When Inge proclaimed that he would not abandon Christianity, the people pelted him with stones and chased him away.[3] This was the opportunity for Sweyn to assume power, and the account provided by Hervarar saga concerning his inauguration contains a rare description of the ancient Indo-European ritual of horse sacrifice: //

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blot-Sweyn

This would probably explain the Roman Catholic ban on horsemeat, it is in application of Acts 15:20.

Q II

Is the Pope the head of Vatican City and the Holy See?
https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Pope-the-head-of-Vatican-City-and-the-Holy-See/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered Thu

Yes, of both.

Note, if the true pope were to be someone else than the one residing in the Vatican, the true pope would be the head of the Holy See, per definition, but the Vatican City and the fake pope's fake Holy See would be run by the fake pope residing.

Q III

What words rhyme with ending words in -ed?
https://www.quora.com/What-words-rhyme-with-ending-words-in-ed/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

amateur linguist

Answered Thu

Other words which both end in -ed and have the same full stressed syllable, perhaps one in between, as the word in -ed you chose.

I'm supposing you meant -ed as unstressed final, like in w-alk-ed and t-alk-ed (rhyming) or m-anag-ed with (if it exists) pl-anag-ed.

If you meant words like Ted, Fred and words that would rhyme with those, that's another issue.

Q IV

What were the chances of a letter reaching its destination in medieval Europe?
https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-chances-of-a-letter-reaching-its-destination-in-medieval-Europe/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered Thu

Depended on whether your courier was waylaid or not.

Read the novel Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne, and you will see what the procedure was like when enemies wanted to intercept ...

Q V

What became of the Huguenots?
https://www.quora.com/What-became-of-the-Huguenots/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Answer requested by

Neil Kuchinsky

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered Fri

Some converted, some died in resistance or on galleys after trying it, very many fled to Belfast or Berlin.

Jacques Tredoux

Fri

Also, many ended up at the Cape of Good Hope after fleeing to The Netherlands, courtesy of the Dutch East India Company.

Many settled around Cape Town, especially in Stellenbosch, and established the South African wine industry.

They were assimilated into the Afrikaans-speaking population, contributing a number of French loan-words to the language.

Surnames such as Barnard, Lagrange, Malherbe, Du Toit, Retief, Nortier, Malan, Le Roux, Fouché, Fourie, De Villiers, Roux and De La Rey are still prominent in South Africa.

Q VI

How widespread was Latin spoken in the Roman Empire?
https://www.quora.com/How-widespread-was-Latin-spoken-in-the-Roman-Empire/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Answer requested by

Mike Austin

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered Fri

It was spoken all over the Western half, while Eastern half similarily had Greek, with some enclaves of it in the Western half as well (Marseilles and Rome had many Greek speakers and so had South Italy).

1st C BC and 1st C AD assisted a mass extinction of languages within Roman Empire which were neither Greek nor Latin, arguably their speakers shifted to Latin in for instance Italy or Gaul and to Greek in for instance Asia Minor. Most of the languages heard on Pentecost day were not written and did not survive to its centennial anniversary.

Q VII

What countries do not use the Gregorian calendar?
https://www.quora.com/What-countries-do-not-use-the-Gregorian-calendar/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

I suppose that countries with Islamic calendar use Gregorian as a parallel calendar, but Russia and Serbia use only Julian.

This means, basically same concept, but all years divisible by four, including all centurial years, are leap years and no ten days were retroactively scrapped either. The difference for since second "half" of 1900 up to first "half" of 2100 is thirteen days currently.

Possibly more countries, like Ukraine.

Bob Becksted

15h ago

To my knowlege, Russia and Serbia use the Western European Calendar (Gregorian) as the civil calendar. The Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches use the Julian calendar, as do all the Eastern Churches.

Very few countries do not use the Gregorian calendar for at least business purposes.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

Original Author

32m ago

Are you sure?

OK? You may be right .... that would be since Communism if so?

Hans-Georg Lundahl

Original Author

Just now

And, for Serbia since it became part of the Kraljevina, obviously (SHS)

Q VIII

Which Greek tribe was Sparta a part of?
https://www.quora.com/Which-Greek-tribe-was-Sparta-a-part-of/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

(Two other answers were given before mine)

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

I am seconding Dorians.

As for the Hebrew tribe of Dan it is a guess where it actually went.

Q IX

What did a farmer do in medieval times?
https://www.quora.com/What-did-a-farmer-do-in-medieval-times/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

In December he slaughtered Makhlouf* and in January he sat by a fire.

There are, actually, pictures of the farm activities, month by month, so one can get a fairly good overview.

They were cited in a book about the French Countryside of the Middle Ages that I was reading the other day. In another library than this one.

I saw one other answer stating this:

"They had to grow food not only for themselves but first, and foremost, for whoever was taxing them (usually the local lord, but sometimes also the local bishop or monastery)."

First of all, a bishop or a monastery's abbot was a lord.

Second, more importantly, since farmers were 95 to 98 % of the ones living back then (according to current estimates), if not 95 to 98 % at least 90 to 96% was for themselves.

It's ridiculous to imagine that a lord could eat much more than twice than each of his farmers, since his farmers actually ate fairly much. He (and burghers) arguably did eat much more meat, though. Not much more bread.

It's totally ahistoric to imagine a lord exporting wheat to a far off city while his farmers were starving. Middle Ages was not 1846 of Ireland, for instance, in the Middle Ages, both farmers and their lord were usually Catholics and in the Middle Ages capitalism was less developed.

* Yes, this is one of the answers to Mr. Siddiquee.

Q X

What is a dome structure?
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-dome-structure/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

I would have answered sth along the lines of a half sphere, but Gary Wheeler reminded me, you could also have 5/8 (the top ones) of a sphere, and that would also be a dome.

It's constructed a bit like a vault, except for one detail : in a vault, you need to keep a support until all of the vault is ready, in a dome, each tier of stones supports the one higher up (this also means, you can have domes with a hole in the top).

Q XI

What is the Greek word for belief?
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Greek-word-for-belief/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

Pistis, but it first means the virtue of faith, sticking to your engagement of being faithful.

Doxa or dogma when it comes to belief about one point.

Both have other than religious meanings to, like contractual fidelity for the first, as well as reliance on someone else's such, and like opinion for the other.

// You were redirected because the question What are the Greek beliefs? was merged with this question. //

The Greeks had more than one belief system.

Pythagoreans practised a kind of Feng Shui and believed in Reincarnation.

Homeric belief is a bit like Japanese Shintoism.

Platonic belief is a bit closer to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Aristotle modifies it, and if you go strictly with Aristotle you get something like Averroism.

Stoicism is a bit like Buddhism, Hinduism and Enlightenment.

Epicureanism is a bit like Materialistic Atheism and Enlightenment.

THEN came Christianity.

I have omitted exotic cults, like Isis worship or Orphicism (Egyptian and Thracian rather than Greek).

Q XII

What happened to Paris of Troy?
https://www.quora.com/What-happened-to-Paris-of-Troy/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

I would have looked it up, but Bottoni answered.

English uses more Latin like forms for two key words, namely Scaean Gates and Philoctetes, nymph and Heno.

Q XIII

What did Marcus Aurelius believe in?
https://www.quora.com/What-did-Marcus-Aurelius-believe-in/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

Ignore the answer by Eugene Kumarapperumena, please!

He was a Stoic and believed all is one. "God" and universe is one and doing the right thing brings you closer to the "God" you are.

This did not stop him from persecuting Christians, though.

Q XIV

Why do the numbers for years go down when dated B.C and then A.D. the numbers for years go up?
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-numbers-for-years-go-down-when-dated-B-C-and-then-A-D-the-numbers-for-years-go-up/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Answer requested by

Donna Rayne

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 22h ago

BC dates were invented for reference after AD dates.

People back in BC times had other and very various dating systems.

Q XV

What is the use of modern technology?
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-use-of-modern-technology/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 19h ago

That depends on which one.

Transport, labour saving, recorded sound, communication, these serve different purposes, and medicine is another one.

And so are new materials in clothes and equipment.

And services provided centrally (water, electricity, sanitation). This, with transports and labour saving would be the ones I have reservations about, since the two former put people out of business and the latter makes people dependent on big companies.

Q XVI

Why doesn't the Bible mention David's mother?
https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-the-Bible-mention-Davids-mother/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 19h ago

It does:

http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=9&ch=22&l=3#x

Q XVII

Did the Spanish Inquisition ever pardon its victims?
https://www.quora.com/Did-the-Spanish-Inquisition-ever-pardon-its-victims/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 19h ago

You could be either acquitted or pardoned at a much higher rate than burnt.

St. Ignatius of Loyola was suspect of being an Alumbrado (loosely speaking : a near Catholic Quaker or Catholic Culture Quaker) but was acquitted when he agreed to study theology (he also became a priest and founder of the Jesuit order) before next time giving advice distinguishing venial from mortal sin.

To get pardoned, it was sufficient to repent of, for instance imagined compacts with the Devil, or abusing a holy word and agree to do the penance (a popular one was the road to Santiago - both with Inquisitors imposing the penance and with penitents doing it).

In the case of blasphemy or profanation, many calculated on doing the penance of going to Santiago in order to get a hearing from Inquisitors who were fairer than secular courts, if they had a problem, for instance with a landlord.

Q XVIII

What is a medieval shoemaker?
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-medieval-shoemaker/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 17h ago

I think "shoemaker" is a good translation for "cobbler".

Q XIX

How reliably can we know how people in the Middle Ages actually spoke?
https://www.quora.com/How-reliably-can-we-know-how-people-in-the-Middle-Ages-actually-spoke/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 17h ago

We can very reliably know how they wrote.

Medieval manuscripts are a thing.

English is a language where spelling these days does not give too many clues (apart from special lessons!) on how you pronounce the words.

However, this is mainly because English has kept most of its spelling since times when it presumably was as phonetic as Finnish or Serbian orthography these days.

This is the case for French too.

German has reshaped its spelling considerably, probably in tandem with or some delay after sound changes.

So, through reliably knowing how they wrote, we can fairly reliably know how High / Classic and Late Middle Ages spoke.

Back when budding Romance languages were approximately spelled as Latin, we are somewhat less sure, except that St. Gregory of Tours was arguably not using the Classic pronunciation, nor the one introduced in 800 in Tours by Blessed Alcuin. He was using a Latin spelling from centuries earlier to denote words he pronounced centuries later, a bit like English is doing today.

Q XX

Do you know what inspired Tomas de Torquemada to instigate the Spanish Inquisition?
https://www.quora.com/Do-you-know-what-inspired-Tomas-de-Torquemada-to-instigate-the-Spanish-Inquisition/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

[not linking yet:] https://www.sfarad.es/quien-fue-arcediano-de-ecija-y-cual-fue-su-papel-contra-los-judios/

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 16h ago

One possibility was, protecting Conversos from lynchmobs deciding without evidence they were dangerous crypto-Jews : his uncle, cardinal Turrecremata (Torquemada in Spanish, but the cardinal is cited in Italian because he was part time stationed in Rome) had stopped on such lynchmob.

As their not too far off origins were also Conversos, they would have had an interest in exonerating Conversos who were not Judaising, but were bona fide Catholics.

After seeing the link:

Obviously the Torquemadas were a far cry from Ferrán Martinez, if he is correctly described (which I cannot guarantee in advance).

[IN fact, I haven't read all of it, I just skimmed on top.]

Q XXI

Before the advent of the Anno Domini dating system, how did Romans assign years to events that took place before the founding of Rome?
https://www.quora.com/Before-the-advent-of-the-Anno-Domini-dating-system-how-did-Romans-assign-years-to-events-that-took-place-before-the-founding-of-Rome/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University

Answered 1h ago

Before the Founding of Rome, Olympiads and before that you have the Fall of Troy.

Before the Fall of Troy ... well, that would be difficult for Pagans, but the first centuries of official Christianity were not yet using the AD system, so, I think the Roman Martyrology for Christmas day would clear up a few things.

One thing is sure, they were not systematically using minus years for anything.

Here is my translation from the Latin of the earliest version from 1490's:

Year from Creation of the World, when in the beginning God created Heaven and Earth, five thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine, which number of years was completed in the following year of March, in the 20th day of same month, for in that day the world was created. But from the Deluge, the two thousand nine hundred fifty seventh year, which number was completed seventeenth day of following April. From birth of Abraham, the two thousand fifteenth year. From Moses & the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt, the thousand five hundred tenth year. From the ruin of Troy, the thousand hundred seventy-ninth year. From the anointing of David unto king, the thousand thirty-second year. In the hundred ninenty third Olimpiad, and in the eight hundredth year from the first Olimpiad. From the founding of the city of Rome, the seven hundredth fifty second year. The sixty-third week, accorting to the prophecy of Daniel, that is the four hundred fortieth year or thereabout. Year of the rule of Octavian, the forty-second. Sixth age of the world, gates closed, all world composed in peace, Christ Jesus eternal God, and Son of the eternal Father, wanting by his most tender advent consecrate the world, conceived by the Holy Ghost and nine months gone through after conception (here it is said in high voice) is born in Bethlehem of Judah from the Virgin Mary, made man; (here higher voice and in passion tone:) Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Here is where I discuss where it comes from (and also give the Latin official original):

Φιλολoγικά/Philologica : Background to Christmas Martyrology
http://filolohika.blogspot.com/2019/02/background-to-christmas-martyrology.html