Vikings Essays - Vikings, Norwegian Empire, Norsemen, Greenland

Vikings Essays - Vikings, Norwegian Empire, Norsemen, Greenland Vikings Some of the very first people to explore North America would have to be the Vikings. The Vikings were an adventurous lot, sailing the oceans in there ornately crafted longships. They frequently invaded many neighboring countries and islands. The actions of the Vikings shaped and changed many countries of the Europe. They invaded almost every western country of their time. England, Ireland, France, Spain, Russia, Greece, Arabia, And Africa all felt the impact of these marauders. The Vikings had a very important part of awakening Europe from the despair of the Middle Ages, because the challenged its people to rise and fight for what they believed in. The Vikings held honor for themselves and for their nation. A fallen warrior that fell bravely in defeat would look forward to the promised immortality of their pagan heaven called Valhalla. The Vikings inhabited the Scandinavian countries of Europe, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are very close the Arctic Circle. Norway and Sweden extend into the Arctic Circle, far from the advancements of civilization and Christianity. The Scandinavian countries are surrounded by long coastlines, bays, sounds, and vast rivers that extend far inland. The Norsemen used the richness of the sea to their advantage. They either fished the oceans or used it as trade routes for transporting valuables or agriculture products. The Vikings would had very few large cities and would occasionally spar over a disputed territory but most chose to live in southern Norway on the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark or in southeastern Sweden. The time period in which these men lives was between A.D. 800 to 1100, a long time they ruled the seas. The word Vikings means seaborne marauder, it possibly comes from the Scandinavian word vic meaning bay or inlet. The word now applies to sailors that would lurk along the coast attacking passing victims. It could also come from the Norse word vig meaning battle. The Norse lived as they did for almost a ten thousands years before they were known as the Vikings. The Vikings led strict rough lives, the climate was harsh the winters long and cold. The were skilled in many crafts. They built ornate ships decorated with intricate designs. Gold and silver was made into beautiful jewelry, inlaid with stones and gems obtained from trade with other countries. They were the most skilled weaponsmiths of their time, shields, axes, spears, and swords were all forged by master smiths. The weapons were then inlaid with gold, silver, and precious stones. Their weapons were often etched in runic inscriptions, of the bearers name or some message to ward of evil. They Vikings were fierce fighters, the best of their time. A tactic used by the Vikings seems simple but effective, many kings and chieftains had standards that were carried at the head of their army or patrol. One standard that was almost always carried was one that depicted a raven in flight. When the Vikings fought toward their goal, the raven would "fly" only if they moved fast enough to keep a s teady wind, if the troops stopped and hesitated then the raven would fall, signaling defeat to the Vikings. There was one sect of the Viking army that was separated from the rest, these were called Berserkers. They were rightly feared and held in awe by their enemies. The Berserkers, would fight with such ferocity that they would rip of their shirts and chain mail and fight with their bare hands ignoring all pain. Even with these insane fighters the Vikings were the best trained soldiers of their time, surpassing by far the English and French. The Vikings were the first to establish colonies in the New World, Eric the Red founded Greenland long before any English or Spanish explorer did. Leif Ericson discovered America as a new land before anyone else. His father was the local magistrate of Greenland when one of his subjects related to him this new land Lief at once went in search of this land. Lief made his voyage across the sea and saw many different lands. They found a land rich in the wood they treasure and soon began foresting it and building even bigger ships, soon searchers for gold and silver turned great

Battle of Blore Heath - War of the Roses

Battle of Blore Heath - War of the Roses Battle of Blore Heath - Conflict Date: The Battle of Blore Heath was fought September 23, 1459, during the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). Armies Commanders: Lancastrian James Touchet, Baron AudleyJohn Sutton, Baron Dudley8,000-14,000 men Yorkists Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury3,000-5,000 men Battle of Blore Heath - Background: Open fighting between the Lancastrian forces of King Henry VI and the Richard, Duke of York began in 1455 at the First Battle of St. Albans. A Yorkist victory, the battle was a relatively minor engagement and Richard did not attempt to usurp the throne. In the four years that followed, an uneasy peace settled over the two sides and no fighting occurred. By 1459, tensions had again risen and both sides actively began recruiting forces. Establishing himself at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, Richard began summoning troops for action against the king. These efforts were countered by the Queen, Margaret of Anjou who was raising men in support of her husband. Learning that Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury was moving south from Middleham Castle in Yorkshire to join Richard, she dispatched a newly raised force under James Touchet, Baron Audley to intercept the Yorkists. Marching out, Audley intended to set an ambush for Salisbury at Blore Heath near Market Drayton. Moving onto the barren heathland on September 23, he formed his 8,000-14,000 men behind a great hedge facing northeast towards Newcastle-under-Lyme. Battle of Blore Heath - Deployments: As the Yorkists approached later that day, their scouts spotted the Lancastrian banners which protruded over the top of the hedge. Alerted to the enemys presence, Salisbury formed his 3,000-5,000 men for battle with his left anchored on a wood and his right on his wagon train which had been circled. Outnumbered, he intended to fight a defensive battle. The two forces were separated by Hempmill Brook which ran across the battlefield. Wide with steep sides and a strong current, the stream was a significant obstruction for both forces. Battle of Blore Heath - Fighting Begins: The fighting opened with fire from the opposing armies archers. Due to the distance separating the forces, this proved largely ineffectual. Realizing that any attack on Audleys larger army was doomed to fail, Salisbury sought to lure the Lancastrians out of their position. To accomplish this, he began a feigned retreat of his center. Seeing this, a force of Lancastrian cavalry charged forward, possibly without orders. Having accomplished his goal, Salisbury returned his men to their lines and met the enemy assault. Battle of Blore Heath - Yorkist Victory: Striking the Lancastrians as they crossed the stream, they repelled the attack and inflicted heavy losses. Withdrawing to their lines, the Lancastrians reformed. Now committed to the offensive, Audley led a second assault forward. This achieved greater success and the bulk of his men crossed the stream and engaged the Yorkists. In a period of brutal fighting, Audley was struck down. With his death, John Sutton, Baron Dudley, took command and led forward an additional 4,000 infantry. Like the others, this attack proved unsuccessful. As the fighting swung in the favor of the Yorkists, around 500 Lancastrians deserted to the enemy. With Audley dead and their lines wavering, the Lancastrian army broke from the field in a rout. Fleeing the heath, they were pursued by Salisburys men as far as the River Tern (two miles away) where additional casualties were inflicted. Battle of Blore Heath - Aftermath: The Battle of Blore Heath cost the Lancastrians around 2,000 killed, while the Yorkists incurred around 1,000. Having defeated Audley, Salisbury camped at Market Drayton before pressing on to Ludlow Castle. Concerned about Lancastrian forces in the area, he paid a local friar to fire a on cannon the battlefield through the night to convince them that the battle was ongoing. Though a decisive battlefield victory for the Yorkists, the triumph at Blore Heath was soon undercut by Richards defeat at Ludford Bridge on October 12. Bested by the king, Richard and his sons were forced to flee the country. Selected Sources UK Battlefields Resource Centre: Battle of Blore HeathWars of the Roses: Blore Heath

Edict of Milan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Edict of Milan - Essay Example So, direct or implied, the passage of the edict paved way to Art and Architecture with Christian themes. The Latin word Basilica originally referred to a public building in the center of town. The Roman Basilica, which looked like a large roofed hall, was used as a place for transacting business and other legal matters. The hall is divided by columns which made isles and arcade spaces. In these cubicles are the officials and scribes who attend to the transactions. On one or both ends of the hall is a propped up platform called an apse. This is for the seats for the magistrates. Some times, there are even seats for other people to watch the process of the legal activities. These basilicas looked like covered market places (New World Encyclopedia). This was exactly the purpose for the Basilica Porcia in Rome. After the edict, Christians, who now had a new found freedom, decided to build buildings and structures for their worship. Temples, although serves a similar purpose, does not suite the practices that are to be made. Temples for the pagan gods serves mostly as deposit boxes for treasures and figures of the gods. There is also the fact that worship practices are done outside of the temple under the open sky. Constantine I made use of the architectural concept of early Roman basilicas as a template for the grand place of worship. The new basilicas were shaped as long rectangles two stories high, with ranks of arch-headed windows one above the other. They also had a center nave with one isle at each side and an apse at one end. This apse is now known as the altar. The word Basilica had changed after the edict. It then meant as a place of Christian worship or a large church which was given a ceremonial blessing of the Pope (New World Encyclopedia). An example of this would be the Basili ca of Vitale in Italy. From then on, basilicas are no longer associated with commerce or politics but of spiritual refuge. Although the center of the city still houses the business and political district, the church is always found near. In fifteenth century Europe, the plazas of cities are considered the center and on opposite sides of the plaza are the church and the town hall. This maintains the concept of keeping the basilica at the center of the city. The edict of 313 has made a great impact in the architecture and usage of basilicas. But, at present day, both basilica formats are recognized; architectural basilicas are referred to the early Roman version where as the pos-edict basilicas are of the ecclesiastical kind. References: The Edict of Milan: Constantine Augustus and Licinius Augustus. University of Pennsylvania. Accessed: March 31, 2009. . Basilica, New World Encyclop

Q A. What do you think are the contributions of post colonial thinkers Essay

Q A. What do you think are the contributions of post colonial thinkers Q B. What quotes from the post colonial thinkers inspire you Q C. How can being of service make a difference in the world - Essay Example al forms of history and culture and the construction of new national identities based on specific local knowledges and histories.† This assertion led the colonized world to be conscious to reclaim the construction of true history and culture which was distorted by the colonizers. One of the prominent post-colonial thinker, Franz Fanon (1925-61) made it popular the branding of a certain type of people, the â€Å"Negro†, which were oppressed, discriminated upon which enabled postcolonial analysis to use a better and more accurate term â€Å"Ethnicity† which is â€Å"less reductive than the more physically based concept of race†. This lead to a more complex analysis and description of the struggle of a certain â€Å"ethnic† group reflecting and recognizing the social, cultural, and religious practices which helped to constitute the cultural identity and context of struggle of particular ethnicity. I find this important because this put ideas into proper perspective that not all colored skin monopolized racism and colonialism. The term â€Å"Negro† is bothersome because it homogenize everything that is colored and categorizes physical features as a marker of identity and it failed to recognize the diversity of cultures within the black community. B. What quotes from the post colonial thinkers inspire you? "explain:" Research two quotations from one or two postcolonial thinkers you have not mentioned in your previous discussion post. Interpret each of the quotes and what you have learned from these. "   ‘As I begin to recognise that the Negro is the symbol of sin, I catch myself hating the Negro. But then I recognise that I am a Negro. There are two ways out of this conflict. Either I ask others to pay no attention to my skin, or else I want them to be aware of it. I try, then to find value for what is bad - since I have unthinkingly conceded that the black man is the colour of evil. In order to terminate this neurotic situation, in which I am compelled to choose

Narrative Argument About Education Religion Essay Example for Free

Narrative Argument About Education Religion Essay Considering the gift of computers Bill Gates bestowed upon libraries for students, I’m sure his intentions were for the students to excel and keep abreast of the ever changing world of technology, not to replace reading with surfing the web. I agree with Judith Levine when she stated, â€Å"It’s important for students to read books, magazines, newspapers, history, poetry, politics and listen to people who know what they’re talking about.† Reading books and other literature teaches students the past, present and future, not only for things happening in the world today but facts about things past. Dating myself, I think back to the days of the sixties and seventies when reading was fundamental to education. Literacy was important and the only choice we had was to read a book because there were no computers. Teachers took us to the library weekly, and we were required to check out at least one book and read it. There was also time set aside during class for us to stand up and read a portion of your book aloud. Most of our books had no pictures to stimulate the imagination, so you felt a sense of accomplishment when the book was finished. Teachers took education very serious, and they knew reading was essential to be successful in life; therefore, they made sure we took it serious as well. When we read a story for a writing assignment, our first resource was the encyclopedia, which was neatly stacked inside the bookcase in almost every home. There were no short cuts to obtaining information. Reading is more empowering than one-click learning; you develop increased discernibility and critical thinking skills. Computers are a great tool. I use one every day for my online college courses and I know how important it is to question everything I retrieve on the internet. Computers, however, have made students slack  and lazy. From a very young age children have developed the attitude of not liking to read and with computers supplying all the answers for them, they don’t have to. As I sit and look at my blank computer screen, and time is ticking away until my essay is due, I read my story once again. I also head for the web, but only to get ideas and something to assist me with my starting point. Nothing takes the place of old fashioned reading. I know my subject is education and my story is talking about computers, so I google education using computers. One site Using Technology: Ways to use Computers/Education.com catches my eye, but after accessing the site I soon find this is not the site or the data that’s going to help me prepare a creditable paper. So I reread my story and the instructions, put my critical thinking cap on and choose not to one stop shop for my assignment. I begin writing everything I can think of and soon the ideas surface. This is unlike inexperienced users, like our children and grandchildren, who rely heavily on data they retrieve from the internet without considering how much weight the site is going to hold, and what kind of argument the data will present to their readers who may feel they did not provide enough information about the topic. Our students have become accustom to presenting data found on the web as fact, giving no thought to how bias the information might be. Some even portray the data as their own, without verifying its validity. Parents need to share some of the responsibility, because we are not teaching our children the difference between working hard and hardly working. From a Biblical perspective Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 states: â€Å"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates†. This command from God explains why education is important, and why it is our responsibility as parents to educate our children, both academic and Biblically. My eighty-three year old Uncle Mike was a prime example of why getting an education is important. He only had about an eighth grade education and virtually no Biblical  knowledge. Because of his limitations, he was never able to make a decent living throughout his life. He also had no knowledge of who God was and expressed no desire to be saved. His soul was doomed to hell; however, I never gave up on Uncle Mike. I knew it was God’s will that everyone be saved, and on July 28th, 2013, his eyes were opened, and his heart soften as he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior two days before he passed away. In conclusion, computer use has caused us to no longer read books or utilize our critical thinking skills. Our students have become slack and lazy and collect unreliable data to present as facts. We must guide and teach them how to surf the web and to become better readers, which in turn, will make them better writers. References Levine, J, â€Å"I Surf, Therefore I Am†, in To the Point, Reading and Writing Short Arguments, 2nd, 222-224. Pearson Education, Inc. 2009 MacArthur Study Bible NKJV (1997) Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson Inc. Narrative Argument about Education Thesis/Outline Topic: Education and Computers Thesis Statement: The everyday use of computers has caused us to become slack and lazy. We no longer read or utilize our critical thinking skills. The inexperienced user collects unreliable data, and presents them as fact. Outline: I. Introduction Reading vs Computers II. Body Paragraphs A. Author argument B. Education Importance C. Alternative to Computers D. Biblical Perspective. Conclusion Computer use has caused us to no longer read or utilize of critical  thinking skills.

Julius Caesar: Background Knowledge Is Needed To Understand Play :: essays research papers

Julius Caesar: Background Knowledge Is Needed To Understand Play   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having a good background and knowledge of the history of Rome is very helpful to understand Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. The setting of this play took place hundreds of years ago, so if one knows a little bit of Roman history, it would help very much in understanding what is going on in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to know about the connection, or relationship that there once was between Caesar and Pompey. When Crassus died, Pompey and Caesar were left as twin rulers of Rome. As one could imagine, each wanted to be the only ruler, so a struggle broke out between them. Caesar defeated Pompey and his army in an important battle, and went on later to defeat Pompey's two sons. It is after that fifth and last triumph, at the time they are celebrating, when the play opens. To understand the play even better, one should be aware of Brutus' (one of the conspirators against Caesar) ancestors, the Tarquins. Nearly five hundred years before Caesar was even born, a cruel, unscrupulous leading family had seized the riens of power and had set themselves up as kings. From that point on, the people of Rome hated kings, and they bounded themselves together by a solemn oath never to tolerate a monarch, and it was formally enacted into law that if any man wish that the monarchy should be restored, he was to be declared a public enemy and be put to death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brutus and the rest of the conspirators had killed Caesar, but they made an error, which was letting Mark Antony, one of Caesar's friends live. Antony later united with Bepidus and Octavius, to go against Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators. At the battle of Philippi, in Thrace, Brutus and Cassius took their own lives when their army was destroyed. Just as Caesar and Pompey had struggled for the world when Cassus died, so now when Bepidus died, Antony and Octavius were left confronting each other. Octavius held Rome and Europe; Antony held the East. Antony allied with Cleopatra and were planning to rule the world from Alexandria, Cleopatra's capital. Their navies met Octavius' off the shore of Actium, in Greece. Octavius conquered decisively, and both Antony and

Collective unconscious Essay

Carl Jung was born in Kesswyl, Thurgau, Switzerland on July 26, 1875. His father was kind but weak, while his mother was an insecure woman but with two personalities: (a) kind and loving (b) harsh and aloof. Jung was lonely at childhood making him introvert. In 1906 he published The Psychology of Dementia Praecox, a psychoanalytic treatment of schizophrenia. He first met Freud in 1907 and Freud regarded Jung as his son and they travelled and worked together that lasted until 1913. Freud and Jung had an argument that ended their friendship. Freud considered it as the â€Å"Great Loss†. Jung is the first president of International Psychoanalytic Society. Jung established his own school of psychology named â€Å"Analytical Psychology†. Jung begun the structure of personality and made the ego, personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. Dynamics of Personality Carl Jung conceived that the personality or psyche as being a partially closed energy system. Energy from the outside sources must be added into the system and the system will only be perfect and stabilized if it is completely closed. He called psychic energy as the energy by which the work of personality is performed. Psyche – refers to all psychological processes: thoughts, feelings, sensations, wishes, etc. It is also another term for personality. Principle of Equivalence – states that if a particular value weakens the sum of the energy represented by the value will not be lost from the psyche but will reappear in a new value. Principle of Entropy – states that the distribution of energy in the psyche seeks equilibrium and balance. Structure of Personality. 1. Ego – it is one’s conscious mind. It serves as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality. 2. Personal unconscious – the material in the personal unconscious comes from the individual’s past. It consist f experiences that was once conscious but have been repressed. 3. Collective unconscious – is the part of the collective psyche that is unconscious. It is the storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from one’s ancestral past. Archetypes – it is the universal thought form or predisposition to respond to the world in a certain way. It emphasizes potentialities; it represents different potential ways in which we may express our humanities. The Self – it represents the unity of all parts of the personality. It is the central archetype. Self Ultimate unity of personality (the central archetype) Persona Mask or Social Role Shadow Animal instincts or the opposite of Persona Anima Feminine side of male psyche Animus Masculine side of the female psyche. The Persona – refers to the social role that one assumes in society. It is a mask that one wears to adjust to the demands of society. The Shadow – encompasses those unsocial thoughts, feelings and behaviours that we potentially posses and other characteristics that we do not want to accept. The Anima – feminine side of the male psyche. The Animus – masculine side of the female psyche. Word association – a test used by Jung to detect complexes. The test is composed of a list of words; as each word is presented, the patient responds with the first word that comes to his or her mind. Complexes – an organized group of thoughts, feelings and memories about a particular concept that has power to draw new ideas into it and interpret them accordingly. Basic Attitudes Extroverted attitude: a standpoint characterized by an outward flowing of personal energy — an interest in events, in people and things, a relationship with them, and a dependence on them. Introverted attitude: characterized by an inward flowing of personal energy—a withdrawal concentrating on subjective factors. The Four Functions Thinking – gives meaning and understanding; actions are a result of an intellectually considered motive; life is based on principles. Feeling – a rational function that weighs, values, and attaches a proper value to things. Truth is seen as inter-subjectivity. Sensation – emphasis on perception through the senses. It is a reality functions because it yields facts and the representations of the world. Intuition – tells of future possibilities and gives information of the atmosphere which surrounds experience. Causality vs. Teleology For Jung both past and the future standpoints are important in determining the present behaviour. Teleology explains the present in terms of the future while causality explains the present in terms of the past. Individuation – process of restoring wholeness to the psyche in adult development. Transcendence Function – is capacity to unite all of the opposing trends of the several systems to work toward the perfect wholeness. Self realization – is process of development that involves individuation and transcendence. In the process, the systems of the psyche achieve their fullest most complete differentiation and harmonious blending of all aspects of a human’s total personality. Strengths Jung’s theory as the first to discuss the process of self actualization. He was the first to emphasize the importance of the future in determining human behaviour. He stressed the attainment of selfhood as the main motive in human behaviour. Weaknesses Jung’s method was not systematic and puts too much emphasis on occultism, spiritualism and religion. His theory was said to be unscientific, unclear, inconsistent and contradictory. His self actualization is only applicable to the highly intelligent, well educated and those who have plenty of time to reach a degree of individualism. Sources: Engler, B. (2006). Personality Theories: An Introduction. USA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Hall, C. , Gardner, L. (1975). Theories of Personality. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Burger, J. (2008). Personality. Belmont, California, Wadsworth Clonniger, S. (2004). Theories of Personality: Understanding Persons. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall Mitchell, G. Carl Jung & Jungian Analytical Psychology. Retrieved from http://www. trans4mind. com/mind-development/jung. htmlÃ'Ž