Do you have a trait, a skill, or good knowledge on certain thing that can make you quickly climbed up the ladder to a secure position in medieval time? This is the sort of things I think about sometimes. I don't think it's necessarily a knowledge that quickly takes the civilization a few hundred years forward, some of the ground-breaking goodness will only take you as far as a teaching position. At that time, teachers are basically the equivalent of a tale spinner standing in street corner. It has to be knowledge that can ensure your survival at a time period where knowledge isn't appreciated, family status, money, power, dominate over any scholar. Maybe with your case, you're good at selling that knowledge, (maybe you'd also make a good salesman?), or good at performing it like a magician, in that case, elaborate on how you'd employ it. It can be dangerous, especially when you approach someone with great power, it can be someone like Joffrey from Game of Thrones (ASOIAF). 2)What knowledge do you think would be easy to learn and use to profit in medieval time?
I'm an engineer. I understand some pretty advanced mathematics and physics, at least compared to medieval people. I could create and use technologies medieval people could not.
Even without skills like Minstrel's engineering knowledge, some very basic bits of modern knowledge would give you a serious leg up over the masses. Think what understanding the benefits if simple hygiene would mean as compared to your medieval counterparts. The simple of knowledge that boiling water before drinking it could quite easily be a life or death choice in times of plague or unhygienic conditions. A person with basic emergency care knowledge, CPR, etc. would be lightyears ahead of anyone called "doctor" in that time. An actual modern MD would pretty much be a wizard to them. Also, the simple knowledge of what is actually possible to do as compared with what is believed possible by the 'natives'.
Can you use the tools and things they had in general to recreate some of those engineering? Can you maybe give an example on the things you can build, I'm curious. I gotta start watching some CPR tutorial on Youtube, I don't know how I could put off learning CPR for so long yet read whole articles on theories of Hyperloop transportation.
I could be the court jester. If that doesn't work, I can help the king maintain power over his kingdom. I've read a lot of books on political theory and philosophy that essentially tell people in power how to remain in power (texts from the 18th century and beyond). I've also read books on crowd psychology that I think would come in handy. In return for my services, maybe the king can let me marry his insanely beautiful daughter.
Are you good at public speaking? It sounds like these traits would need public speaking in order to shine.
LOL Speaking of speaking, I'm a professional interpreter. Languages come easily to me. It's my innate gift. But more than simply knowing a few languages, I know the rules and tools that make for good interpretation. That would be the personal trait I would sell to those in power.
Joffrey doesn't seem like the kind of person who would appreciate my sense of humor. Now if Tyrion was king...
I can see you as a diplomat definitely, if there's at least 2 languages you speak that are countries in power at that time. This is impressive. Do you happened to know among the languages you speak, which ones were in power at that time period? If Tyrion was King, I wouldn't be afraid at all to go to his court and showcase my talent. He would likely be encouraging people to do so
Spanish and English were there from the start. The Russian, Polish and Czech were learned in a year and a half. I know that sounds impossible, but I went to a school where the curriculum was nothing but language, eight hours a day, five days a week. The DLIFLC. The attrition rate is huge, as much as 75% of the students don't even graduate in some of the harder languages. Those who make it to the end and graduate well (I graduated magna cum laude) leave the school fluent in their languages, and rather the worse for wear. LOL It's a tough school.
Medieval period? Eeek. *shudder* Stay away from populated areas because your gonna be dealing with the Black Death, which is not good. I would probably take advantage of the fact that I am living pre-renaissance and therefore have more knowledge regarding astronomy than any other living person. My name would listed among Copernicus and Galileo as a scientific genius.
Of course. Russian and English. I graduated from the DLIFLC a few years before the start of Desert Storm, at the tail end of the Cold War. I watched the Eastern Block secede from the USSR from a front row seat. I was in Berlin at the fall of the Wall. It was an epic party of mythological proportion. I have never cried with joy like the night of the fall and being out with the locals and having them hug you and kiss you and introduce you too all their friends as if they had just come to life that very night. There are no words.
Wow. Defense Language Institute, it sounds militaristic in nature. If you don't mind me asking, what is your job? I took some Linguistic courses in College, I'm generally curious of people with linguistic talent, would you say you've the skill to detect if the person's mother language is in English or other languages from their writing? Even if the person is highly efficient with this second language.
It depends on exactly where and when you're talking about. I could design and build water wheels, windmills, and other power systems. If there's a way of refining metals, I could design, build, and use steam engines. I could develop explosives both for mining and as weapons. I could develop hydraulic systems that would provide clean water to towns and take away sewage. Etc. I'm sure there are many ways a modern engineer could make himself useful if he were transported back to a medieval society. My own specialty is electrical engineering - if there's a ready source of copper available, I could design and build electric generators and motors (and lights!) and provide these medieval people with a level of technology that would look, to them, like magic.
It's sad that it probably will never happen. Most people in that world would prefer a mad king like Joffrey over a midget who is wise and kind. It's sad that it probably will never happen. Most people in that world would prefer a mad king like Joffrey over a midget who is wise and kind. Tywin would consider the possibility that their enemies from the North would easily revolt if they know Tyrion was King, some idiotic factor like this would keep Tyrion away from the throne. (Please don't spoil the story if you know anything I don't..) So far, you're probably the most valuable resource among the folks on this thread. People like me would be clawing and screaming to keep from getting suck into the time portal, for you it would be like...'meh.' How much time would you say it took you to gain those knowledge?
Starting from where? From being a small child unable to read and write? Starting from a knowledge of basic arithmetic? Starting from the modern equivalent of a high-school diploma? Are you talking about how long a medieval person would have to study to gain this knowledge? That would depend greatly on what aids are available. Are there competent teachers of mathematics and science? Are there accurate textbooks? Or does the poor soul have to discover everything himself?
I, too, am an engineer, and a scientist. For example, I could use my knowledge of chemistry to provide weapons, even with simple materials and equipment. I could even manage electrical detonators and batteries to power them with period materials. I have MacGyvered my share of problem solutions from simple materials.
Hmm, no. The whole point is to dominate and win the topic, so that's not the point. How much time would it take for someone like me, for example, to know how to build those things you mentioned, and how to make and fire up a light bulb. I have a degree in English literature. Basically I had a scholarship that allowed me to skip through anything that relates to math, physics, chemistry. My knowledge on things like math, physics, chemistry are the equivalent of a 9th grader.
