Concrete changes in how you travel during the crisis (page 6 of 9)

And here we go, we😉 travel back in time, straight to the Middle Ages. I hope you're well-versed on the subject. You just keep stating your truths and counter-truths without any arguments. "Women have always had power"—small powers, and by proxy. In our towns, most street names are named after men—what does that tell you, in your opinion? Let me name a woman who had an influence on the history of Brittany and France: Duchess Anne of Brittany. Now it's your turn—name some others. They're not exactly legion.

"They were doing it massively"—do you have any figures to back up what you're saying, since it was clandestine and therefore, in my opinion, there are no figures?

Oh, why get worked up? Tatra’s just playing a game. The guy who acts like a clown at parties, spouting whatever nonsense makes him seem mysterious and different. The more absurd it gets, the harder he’ll push to defend even the most ridiculous theories.

You do the same as Tatra—I suggest we play along too. Here’s one of mine: Child labor: a guaranteed path to fulfillment and the ultimate cure for childhood obesity.

We’ll never top the original, but we can always try. Plus, there are some nights when I’m just bored too.

Hi Marie Anne,

It seems to me there’s no way to have a discussion with Tatra. In the end, we’re giving him more importance than he deserves, considering how little he knows about issues affecting women. His only arguments are clichés that have been repeated for decades. I never thought I’d read such nonsense on VF.

I agree with you—lack of openness to the world is terrible when you travel a lot and often. Not communicating with him anymore? No, because on certain topics, I won’t accept just anything. This is the second issue—the first being the lack of courage among Bretons, and this one concerning women.

I don’t get the feeling it’s all that mysterious, since he shares a lot about himself—you just have to read between the lines.

I’ll admit, this dinosaur is a bit much for me.

I bet he could come up with philosophical arguments about the best way to peel potatoes and prove it’s easier to do it with a dessert spoon than a knife 😉

What’s really serious is this discourse that puts women down, repeated over and over in posts—please address the issue.

I think giving him importance and getting worked up are his satisfactions, troll-style. He could argue learnedly that the wheel torture or being drawn and quartered would be preferable to a stay at La Santé. That the condition of a medieval serf or a slave in Egypt is preferable to that of a free man today. And it never ends.

Play his game and throw in your own arguments for fun, Brazilian-style, or just let it slide like we used to say back home. The good old days.

Women very often held a large share of power, in fact—even in the medieval world. I suggest this, for example.

Hi Michel,

The work you’ve shared focuses on the role of certain women in the medieval urban world, which was far less populated than the countryside at the time. For a fair balance, you’d also need to include studies on the status of women in rural areas during the Middle Ages. ;) In my humble opinion, throughout the history of our regions, the only woman who can truly claim to have enjoyed real power and an enviable status is the Celtic woman.

I’m quoting the name of a woman who had an influence on the history of Brittany and France: Duchess Anne of Brittany.

Yes, she notably helped civilize the French Court, which until then was still quite barbaric. She introduced women, music, and the art of dining—including cutlery for eating! Among other things.

From my region, I’d also mention Joséphine Pencalet and, behind her, the women of the factories—the Sardinières. For this era, there’s a song covered by two excellent Breton singers: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xih1ad

From the Roaring Twenties, there’s Berthe Sylva and Fréhel.

And for what Mariecurry mentioned 😉, there’s Boudicca, to start with.

Good evening,

Back already? :)

The studies you present focus on the role of certain women in the medieval urban world, which was far less populated than the countryside at the same time. For a fair balance, you should also offer us studies on the condition of women in rural areas during the Middle Ages. ;) In my humble opinion, throughout the history of our regions, the only one who can boast of having enjoyed real power and an enviable status is the Celtic woman.

I’m not so sure that the urban/rural distinction is such a relevant axis. The Celtic woman is the one about whom literature explicitly mentioned matriarchy—was she really an exception? To be seen. As I clearly said earlier, I’m not very familiar with Latin culture, and it doesn’t come naturally to me, neither in my memories, nor in my references, nor in my imagination.

Michel

Good evening,

Oh, why get worked up? Tatra is playing a game. The guy who acts like a clown at parties, spouting nonsense just to come off as mysterious and different. The more absurd it is, the more he’ll double down to defend even the most ridiculous theories. You too—play along like Tatra, and I’ll suggest one: Child labor: a guaranteed fulfillment and the ultimate cure for childhood obesity. We’ll never top the original, but we can always try. Plus, there are nights when I’m bored too.

I don’t need your indulgence or approval to work every day with an audience that’s more open-minded and less clingy to prejudices, all with the institution’s backing. I’m not bored—I just spend a little time on VF, which I really enjoy, for fun.

Have a good evening.

Michel

" they were doing it massively " do you have any figures to back up what you're claiming, since it was clandestine, so I don’t think there are any numbers in my opinion.

Women have been having abortions since antiquity, massively, using traditional medicinal plants or more invasive practices. Contraception has also been practiced forever; and you’d be surprised to know that Chinese women still have knowledge in this area that has been lost in the West. It’s estimated that in the mid-1960s, there were 800,000 abortions per year in France. Clandestine, of course; so what?

Michel

There you go, my poor Tatra, it was better before—because back then, you wouldn’t have been so vilified by all those hypocrites. These days, all it takes is stating a few obvious truths to get torched by the green-and-pink thought police, the ones wallowing in lies and making us all lose our minds.

Because you think that in the 1920s women were *that* happy in their jobs? Here’s an example: a young woman on her hands and knees polishing the floor. The boss had enormous power and enjoyed belittling them. Your "currently" makes me think you’re putting up with quite a bit.

... Back then, if a boss had a good employee, he’d pay her to stay and not ask for time off. And if there was any trouble, employees would leave *very* easily. From what I know, young Breton women at the time moved en masse to the city, where they found a better life, real freedom, and new opportunities. I’m not convinced that, all things being equal, the same holds true today.

Michel

cqfd my poor Tatra, it was better before—because before, you wouldn’t have been so vilified by all those hypocrites. These days, all it takes is stating a few well-founded truths to get torched by the green-and-pink conformists, the ones wallowing in lies and making us walk on our heads.

No big deal.

Michel

Back already?

Just dropping by to say hi.

I’m not so sure that the urban/rural divide is such a relevant factor.

This isn’t about setting up a showdown between city women and country women in the Middle Ages. It’s just pointing out that your response is biased from the start: the studies mentioned above focus on (some) women living in urban areas, while the vast majority of the medieval population remained rural.

I made it very clear earlier that I barely know Latin, and it doesn’t come naturally to me—neither in my memories, my references, nor my imagination.

? Didn’t get that.

You're assuming the urban/rural distinction makes sense when talking about medieval Europe. I don’t know. Do you?

I’m explaining that the Latin world is pretty foreign to me.

Michel

You're assuming the urban/rural distinction makes sense when talking about medieval Europe. I don't know. Do you?

It seems obvious when you've been digging around city centers / rural fields for 30 years. This distinction has made sense since the appearance of Celtic oppida. There you go...

What was the original topic of this discussion again? 😏

I’m responding in general terms here.

I don’t think there’s ever been a time when most people were truly happy.

And the 1920s were sandwiched between two devastating wars—so there’s that!

Maybe the *Trente Glorieuses*?

My grandparents never experienced unemployment; we talked about it. Their standard of living was rising, and so were social rights (my grandmother was a union activist). They felt sorry for my generation.

From my perspective, there were other problems back then.

I don’t envy any era, and I don’t have any faith in the future.

You just do what you can with the time you’ve got.