End of winter troubadour poetry

Very happily, I begin to lovea joy from which I will have more pleasure;and, since I want to be back to joyI well ought to, if I can, aim for the best;since I love the best, without doubt,that one could see or hear.I (you know as much) should not bragnor dare I praise myself much;but if ever could one joy blossom,this one should above all take rootsand shine above all othersjust...

A thought on modern heraldry

This week there was an article in the National Post about how Canada's heraldic authority was producing some of the best and most imaginative modern heraldry around. The focus was on the supporters, the animals (usually) who support the shield with the arms proper on them.It was...

The Square (2013) – an intense look at the Egyptian revolution

The Square (meaning, Tahrir Square) is an Egyptian movie that follows several people from Cairo through their political journey through the  recent upheavals in their country. The filmmakers caught several eloquent and serious people to be their subjects, to show through their...

Wrapping up a seminar on chivalry

This year I once again taught a fourth-year undergraduate seminar on chivalry.  Since it is quite possible that I may never teach it again, I am glad to say that it was a particularly satisfying iteration of the course.  Below you will find one student's concluding thoughts....

Phil Paine reissues his "Meditations on Democracy."

My friend Phil Paine deserves some kind of designation as a great Canadian eccentricThe only thing preventing this is that the country is full of them.But really, this is inaccurate. Phil is a truly original thinker, the most original I have ever met. He and I have sometimes worked together, with him coming up with the unexpected insights and me reorganizing them into a form acceptable...

The meaning of chivalry

If you are a serious student of history, paid or unpaid, it sometimes comes as a shock to realize how little other people know about the problems and eras that you find fascinating, or the amazing misconceptions they sometimes have.This school year I have been teaching a fourth year seminar on chivalry, and I started out the course by asking the students to characterize or define...

Lawrence Martin on the history of Canadian democracy

Canada’s forgotten independence dayMarch 11, 1848, was the day when Canada’s united colonies got responsible government. You might go so far as to call it our independence day – the day real democracy arrived.It followed decades of struggle against British rule, the rebellions of 1837 and 1838 being foremost examples. Power passed from colonial elites to citizens when a Reform...

Somebody will be interested in this book post...

From The Medieval Review:Rouse, Richard H. and Mary A. Rouse. Foreword by Robert Somerville.Bound Fast with Letters: Medieval Writers, Readers, and Texts.Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2013. Pp. xvi, 570.$89.00 ISBN: 9780268040338.   Reviewed by Alexander Andrée        University of Toronto        alexander.andree@utoronto.caEighteen...