Miniature (illuminated manuscript) from: Liber choralis parvus continens missas vesperas et alia officia par S. Leonardi confes
Interesting Composer who would be fun to have cameo in first half of 13th century setting (i.e. wip):
Medeival music with Manuscripts
Farya Faraji -- not just medieval, but over all fascinating discussions of historically accurate performance, (though the following is close enough for current wip:)
244:3, Leaf from choir-book with initial S in red pen-work on green and blue ground depicting a dragon. Netherland. late 12th century, © V&A Museum
https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/museum-life/here-be-dragons-2
So, I have a character in 13th century France, who, like his contemporaries, thought dragons were all very well in illuminations and such, (like the above), and for making moral and allegorical points--but as living creatures, they might be considered as exotic, remote, and belonging principally to the past.
Until one shows up in his life. Then he turns to old books for answers.
But what would he have found historically? Some interesting stuff, actually, in ancient bestiaries: https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast262.htm
While the ancient sources included many fanciful details, even as they sought to be factual and comprehensive, their medieval successors had different aims, viewing the genre as an opportunity for making moral observations. Hence the solid association of the dragon with the devil, combining biblical sources with the ancient descriptions in these bestiary entries (such as those found in the Aberdeen Bestiary and many others).
For more information, and a fascinating overview article on dragons in the minds of Western peoples across the centuries:
Also, I skimmed through this article, which got me tracking in the right direction about bestiaries:
The title of a knight is Chevalier. A lesser Knight, ( eg son of a knight) is an Écuyer .
The title comes after the name when y whole name.
Eg “Richard de Longeville, Chevalier”
Or “Jean de Longeville, Écuyer”
To be a Chevalier, you had to be a member of an “Order of Knights”
When speaking to a Knight, he would be addressed as “Mon Seigneur” (My Lord)
From which derives the modern day word Monsieur.
There were other titles for Knights who had land posessions;
Duc, Prince, Baron, Marquis. Compte. Viscompte
In English , Seigneur became anglicised into “Sir”
You want the details in action to be relevant and right, so I was doublechecking the kinds of sounds swords make (when drawn, when clashing, etc.) and found this neat article in The Scientific American:
The Science of Swords: The Sound of Approaching Doom
Fascinating stuff, considering swords of various types, aerodynamics, and slicing technique among other things.
For developing 3-dimensional characters, there are all kinds of charts and sheets and personality tests, so I'm assembling a few here for order's sake:
Color code personality test (of four types--seems similar to 4 Temperaments)
Myers-Briggs 16 Personalities test
and this more general list of traits (including background, social, physical, etc--pretty extensive).
http://faculty.trinity.edu/sgilliam/principles/COSTUMEUNIT/karjala.html
And the list given by Lajos Egri in his The Art of Dramatic Writing (great book, even if you're not writing a play), and which I have saved as document somewhere shareable:
Lajos Egri Character chart
Physiology:
1.
Sex:
2.
Age:
3.
Height & Weight:
4.
Color of hair, eyes, skin:
5.
Posture:
6.
Appearance (good-looking, over- or
underweight, clean, neat, pleasant, untidy. Shape of head, face, limbs.
7.
Defects: (deformities, abnormalities,
birthmarks. Diseases.
8.
Heredity:
SOCIOLOGY
1.
Class: (lower, middle, upper)
2.
Occupation: (type of work, hours of work,
income, condition of work, union or non-union, attitude toward organization,
suitability for work).
3.
Education: (Amount, kind of schools,
marks/grades, favorite subjects, poorest subjects, aptitudes)
4.
Home life: (parents living, earning
power; orphan; parents separated or divorced, parents’ habits, parents’ mental
development, parents’ vices, neglect. Character’s marital status).
5.
Religion
6.
Race, nationality
7.
Place in community: leader among friends,
clubs, sports.
8.
Political affiliations
9.
Amusements, hobbies:
(books/newspapers/magazines they read)
PSYCHOLOGY
1.
Sex life, moral standards:
2.
Personal premise, ambition
3.
Frustrations, chief disappointments
4.
Temperament: (choleric, phlegmatic/easygoing,
pessimistic/melancholic, optimistic/sanguine)
5.
Attitude toward life: (resigned,
militant, defeatist)
6.
Complexes: (obsessions, inhibitions,
superstitions, phobias)
7.
Extrovert, introvert, ambivert
8.
Abilities: (languages, talents)
9.
Qualities: (imagination, judgment, taste,
poise).
10.
I.Q.
Alternate History:
Considering what might have changed had William of Normandy lost the Battle of Hastings...
There are various ways William could have lost during the battle:
Now, if William dies, then his eldest son Robert Curthose is too young (not to mention incompetent) to rule Normandy. I see trouble for the Duchy. How much trouble?
Conan II, Duke of Brittany, legitimate heir to Normandy, who is already leading an exceedingly powerful army, seizes Normandy in a lightning campaign in October 1066.
In our timeline, Conan attacked northern Anjou first and took its supposedly impregnable frontline castles before he marched into Mayenne and allegedly died of poison before he could reach Normandy.
In the “William dies” scenario, Normandy is in turmoil, dissension and civil war, and most Norman citizens welcome Conan as the strongest candidate for Duke and the one most likely to restore order.
Conan is descended from Alfred the Great through the Carolingian king Louis IV of France. He has great credentials, and the power, to rule both France and England.
Breton government has a light hand and a penchant for wealth creation, its officials being jurists and merchants. They are also keen on scientific teaching and learning.
Consequently, a cross-Channel empire is formed, like Henry II’s a century later, but larger, stronger, richer, better educated and definitely popular.
Expect accelerated political, social, economic and technological progress, creating a modern world without the intervening oppression, fanaticism and civil wars.
