What would your occupation be in 1200 AD?

tedwca

tedwca

Joined
Dec 10, 2005
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If you staggered into a wormhole tomorrow and ended up in the 13th century Europe what would you do for a living?

My 1st thought is to be a bouncer in a tavern due to my size, until I realized that probably everyone would be stronger and tougher than me due to the lifestyle back then (Meaning hard labor all day) and I'd probably get my bootie kicked all day long.

I have no skills that would translate that I'm aware of(ie. carpentry, theology, engineering, art, music, storytelling, medicine, blacksmithing, etc.)

What would you do?




Yes, it's 1:30am and I am reverting back to being nocturnal after a couple years of being in bed by 8pm and up at 4am. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not reverting with me.

Hmmm, I wonder how many people are really nocturnal, but are forced to be daywalkers by society? I know a lot of people who are night owls.
 
Since it's likely that the village idiot slot will already be filled, I'd likely be in the military.

If we retained our knowledge, there's all sorts of stuff we could do...magic to them, but pretty common knowledge.
 
Nasty said:
Since it's likely that the village idiot slot will already be filled, I'd likely be in the military.

If we retained our knowledge, there's all sorts of stuff we could do...magic to them, but pretty common knowledge.
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We would, of course, retain our knowledge of the future(our present) but the cell phone in your pocket wouldn't be to impressive without power. I can't build a car or a steam engine.

Would you get burned at the stake if you could do MAGIC(technology)?
 
I would teach hygiene to make sure that less people would die from diseases…..on a lighter note, give cooking lessons…..
 
Wassn't no AIDS back then. Maybe you just play the field for a while.
 
tedwca said:
Would you get burned at the stake if you could do MAGIC(technology)?
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3rdMusketeer said:
I would teach hygiene to make sure that less people would die from diseases…..
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That's not what THEY thought caused diseases. Are you some kind of wizard? (Burn him, burn him!)

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Depends on where I ended up. I could probably get my Latin up to speed pretty quickly. UNfortunately, I'd never make it as a priest.
 
Nasty is on to something, I think. I think I could find a way to live quite comfortably doing "magic" or healing the sick with my "powers" (i.e. washing a wound out as well as my grubby fingers before i stick them into said wound). However, I'm sure that i would screw something up and meet a bloody end. Such is life;)

Jake
 
I would become a traveling minstrel and see the world. Just move around, playing guitar and telling the news from place to place. Of course, in my case, it would be playing the bagpipes, but that would fit even better.
 
tedwca said:
...I have no skills that would translate that I'm aware of(ie. carpentry, theology, engineering, art, music, storytelling, medicine, blacksmithing, etc.) ....
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Me? I can do carpentry, theology, music, storytelling, and some medicine. As now, lots of folks in rural settings had more than one piece to their work, depending on the season or the need.

I'd prolly be a small farmer, and raise some sheep. Maybe build decent sailing boats for the fishermen, and teach some kids literacy and basic math. And yeah, meet a bloody end, one way or the other ... lots did.

t.
 
I am surprised no one said blacksmith. I guess I would try for military also. Anyone that remembered there history would be a great military strategist if they employed there knowledge of modern weaponry and modern technology. If you remembered your history real well you could probably profit greatly. I would open my mouth and say something they wouldnt understand and with my southern accent they would probably consider me a spy and kill me on the spot.
 
Mom now, Mom then.........guess it would be a pretty simple change. But living without a microwave.........I just don't know;)
 
FWIW, at http://www.octavia.net/, there's a whole lot about what life was like in the British Isles, more or less this period. Fascinating stuff in the various how-to or explanation areas ... and the on-line novels are not so bad either.
 
There would lots of unforeseen complications. Such as religion. No one was unreligious in that day and age, certainly not publicly. It was in the midst of the most religious time in western civilization. Non-conformity was simply not imaginable, let alone tolerable.

Remember, it isn't as if those people were technically incapable. They had a huge cadre of handworkers, with a strict system of apprenticeship. Guilds were strong and membership was mandatory. Society was highly stratified, and movement was dictated by your status as freeman, serf, nobility or religious affiliation.

It would have been nice to be a fly on the wall. No way I'd want to live back then.

Andy
 
I might give "medieval scribe" a shot. Only, while translating ancient texts, I would throw in a few twists to keep it interesting. :)

Eric
 
ashtxsniper said:
I am surprised no one said blacksmith.
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Blacksmith.

:D



I'd love to just quietly, humbly sneak my way into an apprenticeship..even better if I could go to India and pick up some "old school" techniques to bring back with me...that is part of the deal, right? :o
 
I asked a couple of friends at work what they'd do ... if they ended up where their ancestors actually were at the time.

One guy said he'd introduce anachronisms. A good single-malt distillery in Scotland. Catamarans as fighting warships in the British Isles. Rebuild Hadrian's Wall, to keep the English out. Introduce the magnetic compass.

The other guy said "Hmmm ... Iceland in 1000? Have to go with pillager.":thumbup:

t.
 
I'd probaly be a ranger of sorts. Traveling from village to village, hunting and living off the land. No home; just a pack a sword and a bow.
 
I'd probably be an artist for the church. Paint isn't my favorite medium so i'd go with sculpture or music. i'd get a head start on dunstable and steal his gig.

if not, philosopher like Anselm and Aquinas.

all else fails, pirate. good to have options, ya know?
 
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