<
https://theconversation.com/from-luna-park-to-neo-nazis-why-the-middle-ages-still-matters-to-middle-australia-214246>
"The medieval is part of the mosaic of modern Australia. Our nation’s heritage
on this island continent is full of it: in aesthetics, institutions, laws,
languages, identities, moralities. Indeed, the very idea of a university is
medieval – a concept developed by the Catholic Church around the year 1100.
We have a crown and common law because of old-time kings called Henry. Sydney
suburbs called St Ives, St Clair, St Leonards, St Marys reflect medieval
England’s big-name saints.
Melbourne’s Luna Park has a giant gaping mouth you walk through to the
amusements. Why? Because a medieval design mediated over centuries showed the
gates of Hell this way.
All this is part of why the Australian Catholic University’s recent decision to
axe dozens of humanities jobs, with the medieval and early modern studies
program entirely disbanded, is so controversial.
People sometimes say the Middle Ages don’t matter in this bright new modern
age. They were a time of backwardness, violence, racism, homophobia,
witch-burnings and so on. Nothing like modern Australia!
There’s no point in taxpayer dollars being spent studying a bunch of lords and
peasants and weird men in dresses. If we want to know about that, why not just
watch
Game of Thrones?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
