What is your favourite period in British history ?

Oh how do I choose?

I think that England has a very facinating history no matter what time period it was. I like the many trials and tribulations that England faced to get where it is now. Europe is cool and I hope to visit it someday soon.
Ciao!

PS. I especially like the dresses of victorian England. :cool:
 
I'm going to have to go with Vikings for 500 Alex.

Seriously - Vikings.

Wow.

You may not want to meet a Viking, but wouldn't it be awesome to be one?

I'm sort of half kidding, but I did do some research once on Viking law and I found the entire thing to be completely facinating. In many ways they had a society that was much more advanced than various others in the world at the time. Also the dichotomy of their nature is interesting as well, peaceful and domestic at home yet fierce and brutal raiders when away.

I wonder how they managed to resolve such duality, its really amazing when you think of the trouble that modern soldiers have with post traumatic stress disorders.

Anyway, Britian has a very interesting history - what with it being basically the "stomp you in the ass" birthplace and all :)

Oh, I also clicked roman because thats another thing I always found intriguing. Even to this day they still unearth ancient roman artifacts in the UK. Quite enthralling :)
 
I am interested in it all (pretty much), but my vote was for the William Wallace era through the Victorian era.
 
Mal said:
I'm sort of half kidding, but I did do some research once on Viking law and I found the entire thing to be completely facinating. In many ways they had a society that was much more advanced than various others in the world at the time. Also the dichotomy of their nature is interesting as well, peaceful and domestic at home yet fierce and brutal raiders when away.

I totally agree. It is not wonder that Scandinavian societies are so egalitarian nowadays. In fact, it has been like that since early Medieval times. The Norse culture was one of the most democratic the world has ever known, easily better than the Athenian democracy, which had institutional slavery. Then it was not limited to one city-state but the whole of Scandinavia, divided in autonomous communities.

As brutal as they were with foreigners, the Vikings also created the first parliaments in the world (Iceland in 930, then the Isle of Man soon after...), and became the founders and rulers of two of the most powerful country the world as ever known : England (via Normandy and the Danelaw) and Russia (via the Principality of Kiev). It could also be argued that they left their blood in every royal families of Europe by intermarriage.

They were also the first European to reach the Americas (Vinland in New Found Land in 1000 CE, well before Columbus) and to settle Greenland, Iceland, the Shetlands and Faroe Islands.

More about the Vikings on Wikipedia
 
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Just goes to show you what a bit of sea power could do for a people willing to get off their asses and look around ><
 
Maciamo said:
In fact, it has been like think since early Medieval times.
Actually, even longer. IIRC, all early Germanic tribes were rather "egalitarian." An institution like the ting also existed in other Germanic tribes.

The Norse culture was one of the most democratic the world has ever known, easily better than the Athenian democracy, which had institutional slavery.
Your view seems a bit too positive, the Vikings also had slaves (usually some kind of POW) & unfree servants (thralls, born as such)

the founders and rulers of two of the most powerful country the world as ever known : England (via Normandy and the Danelaw) and Russia (via the Principality of Kiev).
Well, well, the term "founders" also can be disputed. England was unified for the 1st time ("founded") by the West-Saxon conquest of the Danelaw.

For Russia, I don't know, but the Normanist Theory is also disputed, albeit mainly by Russian (pro-Slav) historians. Whether the Vikings founded Russia, or not, their cultural influence is minimal, though.
 
the romanitico-barbaric is a personal fav. of mine
 
Maciamo said:
They were also the first European to reach the Americas (Vinland in New Found Land in 1000 CE, well before Columbus) and to settle Greenland, Iceland, the Shetlands and Faroe Islands.

.....My favourite outburst!!! "Vikings saw Americas before Columbus!!" :cool: Hehe...
 
.....My favourite outburst!!! "Vikings saw Americas before Columbus!!"

Long, long, long before Columbus!!!


Thread: “What is your favourite period in British history?”


-------- The 1960's. Ted's rule!
 
I'm with Bossel, I have always been interested and intrigued by the Brittanic Roman Period and the Anglo-Saxon Invasion. I have always wondered why the British held on to their language all through the Roman Period when almost all other Roman colonies adopted or integrated Latin into their language.
It wasn't until the Germanic and Danish tribes displaced many of the Celtic British into Scotland, Cornwall and Wales that the English language was born.
 
i can't vote, but if i had could, my choice would have been (woufff! the conjugation, my god!) the henri VIII times


cause since two weeks I watch passionatly a tv-serial call "the tudors" and it's amazing !


long live to queen mary and f.. cromwell :grin:
 
I agree with that sentiment 100%

Er...do I take it then that you dissent from the view that Cromwell 'reduced Ireland to civility'? Alright..I'll get my coat...:LOL:
 
Er...do I take it then that you dissent from the view that Cromwell 'reduced Ireland to civility'? Alright..I'll get my coat...:LOL:

I don't think nearly enough indignities were done to Cromwell's moldering corpse when they dug him up after the Restoration! :LOL:
 
I don't think nearly enough indignities were done to Cromwell's moldering corpse when they dug him up after the Restoration! :LOL:

Some feel the same way about Napoleon. I feel that way about Charles Aznavour, who committed atrocities with his voice in the name of France. :LOL:
 
Even though I tend to be an apologist of sorts for those who take rough action on behalf of their country, I have to side with those who feel that Cromwell has been treated surprisingly well by history. Not to balk at his trial and execution of the King - I would have probably done the same thing if I were in his place. My problem would be with his treatment of the people in areas in which his army operated.

My favourite (purposely spelled) period of England is that of Robert Walpole. His period saw the development of the office of Prime Minister. (Although the charge of making himself "sole and prime minister" was leveled at him by his enemies) Even though he was forced out, his work lived on. It was during his time that England truly became stable as well and powerful and I think that it was the first time that "Rule Britannia" was spoken.
 
I guess the only positive moment in the history of England were The Beatles.
Especially John Lennon.

Songs like...
Working Class Hero.
Give Peace a Chance.
Imagine.
The luck of the Irish.
 
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