John Wycliffe

Today’s essay will be on John Wycliffe.

In 1320, in a village near Yorkshire, England, John Wycliffe was born. He received great education, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology from Oxford University. In 1374, he went to live in Lutterworth, staying there for the rest of his life.

John Wycliffe was a great teacher and preacher. However, he was known for disputing religious practices in his day. In his preachings, he stated that the Bible was the authority of the church, not the pope. He also preached against indulgences.

Not really a surprise, the Pope disagreed with these teachings. However, Wycliffe was a very popular figure in England at the time, so the Pope decided to not to take a stance too strong on the matter. Pope Gregory issued five bulls against John, however he did not excommunicate him initially.

Wycliffe made the Wycliffe Bible due to him thinking that it was important that everyone had a Bible in their language. Prior to this, all teachings of the church were in Latin. The church felt that the Holy Word shouldn’t be accessible for everyday use, however Wycliffe believed that it was more important to let everyone have access to it.

Wycliffe was assisted in the translation project by John Purvey. After Wycliffe died, Purvey continued on with the project and finished it, and it’s ultimately thanks to him we have the Wycliffe Bible today.

Wycliffe didn’t die the death of martyr. Instead, he died of a stroke in 1384. His followers, called Lollards, continued his work and spread his teachings. Their view ended up becoming the norm during the Reformation.

31 years after his death, the Council of Constance declared Wycliffe as a heretic. His works were burned and his bones burned. The church tried using this and many other methods to try to get rid of Wycliffe’s works and teachings, but this ultimately failed, as his message was remembered and spread for hundreds of years.


Pepin the Short

Pepin the Short was the king of France, as well as the son of Charles Martel. Charles was a great leader, but once he died, the Franks had no ruler for 4 years due to Charles never appointing a new king. However, his sons Pepin and Carloman split the kingdom in 741.

Pepin was a great general. He was able to see potential in dangers, and then make plans for them. He was able to adapt in battle, and had great powers as an administrator. Pepin also appointed Childeric III as king of France, but Pepin later became the ruler of France himself.

Pepin was crowned as king by Pope Zachary. Pope Zachary eventually crowned Pepin’s two sons; Charles and Carloman (different from the one mentioned earlier.)

Pepin was able to accomplish many things in his lifetime, even though he was never as successful as his father or son, he was considered a great mayor overall. Some of his accomplishments were being able to expand Frankish territory, being able to spread Frankish church in Germany, and contain Iberian Muslims, as well as preventing expansion.

Pepin died during a military campaign in 768. And again, although not being as great as his father or son, Pepin had unique abilities and accomplishments that made him a great ruler of the Franks.


Saxon Culture

Saxons were a tribe of people who inhabited Britain. Saxon culture contained of architecture, art, literature, etc.

Saxon buildings were quite simple. They were made mostly of wood, and the roof being made of thatch. They usually built their houses around agricultural sites. Also, the Saxons were very fond of wood, using it for cups and halls.

Saxon art was mostly comprised of jewelry. They have made several brooches, buckles, beads, and wrist-clasps, many of which were made of outstanding quality. They most commonly used gold and silver to create these pieces.

Saxon literature was written in Old English. They wrote Bible translations, riddles, chronicles, legal works, and more. Their works weren’t focused around rhyming, rather alliteration. Alliteration was basically repeated stressed vocals, sound, etc. At the start of the next line of a writing, there would also be a brief pause between sentences.


Why It’s Important to Study Other Religions

Why is it important to study religions, even if you disagree/don’t believe in them? Well, I give you a few reasons why.

For starters, it’s good to study religions so you know more about them, even if you don’t agree with them. This could help you understand points of view from the people with that religion better. And if you are in school, it could also help you with some essays or papers about that religion.

It is also important to study about religion (this mostly applies to larger religions like Christianity or Islam) because of how big they are. You cold be curious on what makes these religions so big, and that could be a driving reason on why you would want to study them


Early England and King Arthur (I’m Back)

The country of England was originally home to the Britons. However, a tribe called the Angles invaded England and took ownership of it. This was after the decline of the Roman Empire.

They gained all power over England in the 5th century. But then, another tribe attacked for power over England, and they were called the Saxons. The Saxons were a German tribe, usually living upon the North Sea Coast, which is now know as Germany (source).

The invasions of the Saxons and the Angles costed the Britons 12 major battles. Geoffrey of Monmouth is often credited with the history behind these battles. However, he is also credited with another piece of English history, King Arthur.

Whether or not King Arthur was truly existent still remains a mystery to this day. Since many cultures also happen to have a King Arthur, it’s hard to pin-point what he was exactly. Geoffrey was the one to start the tales of the great English King Arthur.

Supposedly, King Arthur managed to single-handedly slay 960 Anglo-Saxons in the Battle of Badon Hill. Again, we have no real proof that this is true or false. But whichever, Geoffrey’s history was very popular at the time.

King Arthur was then remembered as a figure or ancient chivalry, but was still remembered as a model figure. He has no proof to his leadership, bravery, or chivalry, but he still remains a popular figure nonetheless.


Hey everyone! Sorry for not being active as I promised, I’ve been writing essays, but I’ve never liked how they looked, so I never posted them. I still hope you enjoy this one though, I tried to sound more formal and professional. See you!

It Was So Good, There Weren’t Any Leftovers!

It really was!

Mom2Seven Makes Dinner

Dinner tonight was Harvest Apple Pot Roast with Tangy Sweet Potato Mash and Garlic & Olive Oil Green Beans. It was SO yummy!!! This recipe comes partially from Eat At Home Cooks.

1 beef roast
1 15-oz can of beef broth
1 med onion, sliced
1/3 cup of chunky applesauce
1 packet of Italian Dressing Mix
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

6-8 small sweet potatoes
1/4 cup of brown sugar
4 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup Orange Juice

1 can green beans
Olive oil
Garlic powder

Add roast to slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cook on high 5-6 hrs or low 7-8. Remove onions and roast to sit. Mix cornstarch and water in a cup, then whisk into juice on high.

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