askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
The name of the Battle of Agincourt was decided on the same day by a group of heralds following both the English and French armies in order to make chronicling easier. Who organized and paid for these heralds? How common was this kind of formal information gathering across the Medieval World?	1323
How historical are the "traditional Chinese dances" practiced and displayed by the Shen Yun performing arts? They claim to be drawn from practices which are over 5000 years old.	1230
There is a common mythical trope which cuts across many cultures--human deforestation/encroachment onto nature engenders a hostile response from natural spirits. How old is this trope? Is it more contemporary than we think (i.e. a product of industrialization)?	295
Was Triumph of the Will (1935) really all that much of an innovation in film? Or is this idea itself an example of Nazi propaganda?	231
Was there any relationship between the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and the Residential School System in Canada? The Catholic Church was heavily involved in both, and has since been admonished for the many abuses which took place.	94
The Bayeux Tapestry has 58 numbered "scenes"... apparently these numbers have been added later, not by contemporaries. When were these numbers added? Who decided on this number of scenes, and why are there different interpretations?	73
Is it true that Red Army soldiers during WW2 received no home leave? Was this not absolutely awful for morale?	27
How much was the construction of great churches funded through willing community donations? Did people from all walks of life donate what they could, or was it really all from the aristocracy?	24
How did European anti-Semitism change following the widespread introduction of Christianity? Could we describe the New Testament as anti-Semitic?	14
We all know the archetypical Roman legionnaire--red rectangular shield, segmented plate armor, helmets with cheek guards, carrying a short-sword and pilum... when was this actually the predominant form of legionnaire? For how many centuries?	11

« < > »