What would a medieval person think of us?

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Trippy Turtle

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May 10, 2010
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I think they would get used to it within a year honestly.
At first they would be shocked and confused but the customs and culture would be harder to adapt to then the technology, and people do that when changing country or something all the time.

I bet they'd like donuts though.
 

TKretts3

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Jul 20, 2010
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iDunno, I think they'd be pretty terrified that they didn't wake up in their own home, with their own family, and are now instead in some completely strange and unfamiliar place. They may be from 1015, but I'm pretty sure getting abducted was always a pretty sucky thing.
 

the December King

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Mar 3, 2010
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They would think we are wizards!

Over-fed, lazy, spoiled wizards.

I wonder what illnesses he or she would re-introduce to us? I wonder if anything in our environment would adversely effect their health, like chemicals? Or just getting hit by a roaring horseless iron carriage while crossing the street?

Oh- others have already talked about 'guns germs and steel', and took the fun out of it. Poo.

Trippy Turtle said:
I bet they'd like donuts though.
They ALL come around to donuts, Trippy Turtle!

S'a universal language, like maths, but glazed.
 

Cecilo

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Nov 18, 2011
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Well one, They would be wondering why everyone acts so entitled, to the point that you would think the majority of us owned land and a title to go with it, when you reply you have no land, or title they would then try to command you to get back to work like the dirty serf you are.

Edit - Unless they are themselves a Serf, in which case they would probably be thrilled to be in our time, also thrilled to hear their first born would probably live through the first years of its life, their wife won't die in childbirth, they won't die (Probably) to a plethora of diseases, and depending on where they are from question if Still rules in .
 

Rowan93

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Besides all the third-law-proving high technology, and the feats of engineering that, while conceivably not magical to someone from the 11th century, are still awe-inspiring, one other thing that's worth mentioning is how healthy we all are.

We're so well-fed that starvation basically doesn't exist, and the nation is plagued by obesity instead. In people who don't stuff their fat faces, this nutrition means we're taller and have higher IQ's than anyone in the history of civilization (although it's theorized hunter-gatherers were about as healthy as we are today).

With that fact about the population, I think on waking up in this world, they'd think they'd died and gone to the next world, and be surprised when they didn't see anyone with wings or halos walking about. Once it was explained to them that this world was made by "no gods or kings, only man" [http://youtu.be/JeNtHY8Igf0?t=3m19s], they'd probably become a medieval peasant style caricature of atheist stereotypes. Although possibly they'd eventually end up with communist politics instead of objectivist - ni dieu, ni césar, ni tribun [http://youtu.be/aZ731aR_SBY?t=1m5s]. Point is the shocking revelation of "humans did this!?"
 

Lurklen

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Feb 2, 2010
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I think everyone would be very surprised at how quickly they adapted. Many of the things we have today were imagined in some form or another long, long ago. What's more they were imagined to exist at the time just in a land far, far away. I think people are forgetting that though these were people who were incredibly uneducated by our standards and lived in a very different world, they were still people.

They weren't less intelligent than us, just more ignorant or very differently educated. Someone used an example above of thinking of them like an immigrant from a vastly different culture. I think that's the most appropriate way of looking at it. Would an immigrant from say a remote traditional African tribe or maybe the people of the Andaman islands act like an insane person running at cars and freaking out? I doubt it, more likely they would be curious and amazed and attempt to adapt in some way by trying to find something familiar to them. And theirs are cultures even more divorced from our own being hunter gatherer societies. A medieval person would recognize many things in our world, roads, shops, buildings, churches, modes of dress, animals, lights, even cars wouldn't be a foreign concept entirely. Though I'm sure seeing them move without animals would be a shock, their function would be pretty clear. Seeing so much light would be dazzling but it's not like they wouldn't get the point of it. I truly think they would simply believe they were in some foreign kingdom in their own time. It would be the most plausible explanation to them. Would they act like an insane person attacking people or running around breaking into buildings? No, because they came from a society of laws just like us, if very different laws.

Someone above said they would likely find themselves in trouble with the law. Possibly, but think about yourself in this situation. Would you do anything out of order if you were suddenly whisked away to some strange country? You'd probably try to stay as inconspicuous as possible, by doing as others do. It's still possible they might break a law by accident, though I can't think of too many laws that we have that they wouldn't be able to relate to in some way. Maybe jaywalking or public urination, though not seeing anyone relieve themselves anywhere might clue them in that such things aren't done. Even vagrancy had a form of existence in their time if only in the sense that people sitting around might be told to shove off by whoever owned the place they were sitting. Hell, even public parks were a thing, actually what would probably happen is they'd be arrested for bathing in a public fountain.

Even if they did get in trouble with the law, most likely unless it was something serious they would be let off or given a warning as many police don't want to try to deal with an immigrant who doesn't speak the language and doesn't know the rules. I've seen this happen dozens of times. The officer will tell the person off, the person will nod a great deal maybe say "ok" or "yes" then the officer will speak slowly and clearly and let the person go and unless the person does it again right then that's the end of it.

So the person would do what any of us would do, try to adapt. Learn enough of the language to get by, resort to begging, look for ways to earn money or food and if from the christian world seek out a church, or a mosque or synagogue if of those faiths. Then live as best they can in their new world.
 

Thaluikhain

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Lurklen said:
I think everyone would be very surprised at how quickly they adapted. Many of the things we have today were imagined in some form or another long, long ago. What's more they were imagined to exist at the time just in a land far, far away. I think people are forgetting that though these were people who were incredibly uneducated by our standards and lived in a very different world, they were still people.

They weren't less intelligent than us, just more ignorant or very differently educated. Someone used an example above of thinking of them like an immigrant from a vastly different culture. I think that's the most appropriate way of looking at it. Would an immigrant from say a remote traditional African tribe or maybe the people of the Andaman islands act like an insane person running at cars and freaking out? I doubt it, more likely they would be curious and amazed and attempt to adapt in some way by trying to find something familiar to them. And theirs are cultures even more divorced from our own being hunter gatherer societies. A medieval person would recognize many things in our world, roads, shops, buildings, churches, modes of dress, animals, lights, even cars wouldn't be a foreign concept entirely. Though I'm sure seeing them move without animals would be a shock, their function would be pretty clear. Seeing so much light would be dazzling but it's not like they wouldn't get the point of it. I truly think they would simply believe they were in some foreign kingdom in their own time. It would be the most plausible explanation to them. Would they act like an insane person attacking people or running around breaking into buildings? No, because they came from a society of laws just like us, if very different laws.

Someone above said they would likely find themselves in trouble with the law. Possibly, but think about yourself in this situation. Would you do anything out of order if you were suddenly whisked away to some strange country? You'd probably try to stay as inconspicuous as possible, by doing as others do. It's still possible they might break a law by accident, though I can't think of too many laws that we have that they wouldn't be able to relate to in some way. Maybe jaywalking or public urination, though not seeing anyone relieve themselves anywhere might clue them in that such things aren't done. Even vagrancy had a form of existence in their time if only in the sense that people sitting around might be told to shove off by whoever owned the place they were sitting. Hell, even public parks were a thing, actually what would probably happen is they'd be arrested for bathing in a public fountain.

Even if they did get in trouble with the law, most likely unless it was something serious they would be let off or given a warning as many police don't want to try to deal with an immigrant who doesn't speak the language and doesn't know the rules. I've seen this happen dozens of times. The officer will tell the person off, the person will nod a great deal maybe say "ok" or "yes" then the officer will speak slowly and clearly and let the person go and unless the person does it again right then that's the end of it.

So the person would do what any of us would do, try to adapt. Learn enough of the language to get by, resort to begging, look for ways to earn money or food and if from the christian world seek out a church, or a mosque or synagogue if of those faiths. Then live as best they can in their new world.
Er...so you are saying that an illegal immigrant, if the were suddenly to arrive in a foreign country without any preparation, that didn't speak the language and where nobody spoke theirs, that new nothing of the local culture or technology would find it easy to adapt? That they wouldn't be picked on by law enforcement.

I find it more likely they'd be sent to some hellhole internment camp and forgotten about.
 

WinterSoul

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Charcharo said:
OK...
A medieval person from which century and which country?
You should include those 2 things in your question :p
1015 AD he said. And i think he means European continent ( Western or Central part)
 

Chessrook44

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I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned something that I think might also terrify and confuse them. Assuming that it's a standard medieval person from England, France or Germany? The presence of Asians, Blacks, Arabs, and potentially Native Americans walking around their own countrymen as if equals would probably confuse them, if not terrify them from simply EXISTING. Strange men with slanted eyes and skin dark as night? WHAT ARE THESE DEVILS?!
 

KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime

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Jan 12, 2010
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Well since this will either be magic or super high tech I have two things things I think would change right off the bat. One is that this person would be given an understanding of the language where they're going. The other is that they'd also cure this person of any contagious diseases before they arrive.

At first this person would be awe inspired by what people have done, and disgusted at what we've become. Then gradually over time both would fade, some one would probably educate this person, and they'd become just another schmuck in our modern day lives. Granted a schmuck with a a lot to tell us about our past, but still just another random average person.

People are surprisingly adaptable, this person would likely just adapt.
 

Lurklen

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Feb 2, 2010
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thaluikhain said:
Lurklen said:
I think everyone would be very surprised at how quickly they adapted. Many of the things we have today were imagined in some form or another long, long ago. What's more they were imagined to exist at the time just in a land far, far away. I think people are forgetting that though these were people who were incredibly uneducated by our standards and lived in a very different world, they were still people.

They weren't less intelligent than us, just more ignorant or very differently educated. Someone used an example above of thinking of them like an immigrant from a vastly different culture. I think that's the most appropriate way of looking at it. Would an immigrant from say a remote traditional African tribe or maybe the people of the Andaman islands act like an insane person running at cars and freaking out? I doubt it, more likely they would be curious and amazed and attempt to adapt in some way by trying to find something familiar to them. And theirs are cultures even more divorced from our own being hunter gatherer societies. A medieval person would recognize many things in our world, roads, shops, buildings, churches, modes of dress, animals, lights, even cars wouldn't be a foreign concept entirely. Though I'm sure seeing them move without animals would be a shock, their function would be pretty clear. Seeing so much light would be dazzling but it's not like they wouldn't get the point of it. I truly think they would simply believe they were in some foreign kingdom in their own time. It would be the most plausible explanation to them. Would they act like an insane person attacking people or running around breaking into buildings? No, because they came from a society of laws just like us, if very different laws.

Someone above said they would likely find themselves in trouble with the law. Possibly, but think about yourself in this situation. Would you do anything out of order if you were suddenly whisked away to some strange country? You'd probably try to stay as inconspicuous as possible, by doing as others do. It's still possible they might break a law by accident, though I can't think of too many laws that we have that they wouldn't be able to relate to in some way. Maybe jaywalking or public urination, though not seeing anyone relieve themselves anywhere might clue them in that such things aren't done. Even vagrancy had a form of existence in their time if only in the sense that people sitting around might be told to shove off by whoever owned the place they were sitting. Hell, even public parks were a thing, actually what would probably happen is they'd be arrested for bathing in a public fountain.

Even if they did get in trouble with the law, most likely unless it was something serious they would be let off or given a warning as many police don't want to try to deal with an immigrant who doesn't speak the language and doesn't know the rules. I've seen this happen dozens of times. The officer will tell the person off, the person will nod a great deal maybe say "ok" or "yes" then the officer will speak slowly and clearly and let the person go and unless the person does it again right then that's the end of it.

So the person would do what any of us would do, try to adapt. Learn enough of the language to get by, resort to begging, look for ways to earn money or food and if from the christian world seek out a church, or a mosque or synagogue if of those faiths. Then live as best they can in their new world.
Er...so you are saying that an illegal immigrant, if the were suddenly to arrive in a foreign country without any preparation, that didn't speak the language and where nobody spoke theirs, that new nothing of the local culture or technology would find it easy to adapt? That they wouldn't be picked on by law enforcement.

I find it more likely they'd be sent to some hellhole internment camp and forgotten about.
Well considering their are hundreds of immigrants that do just that every day in the US, Canada, most European countries, large parts of Asia and Australia without ending up in internment camps, yes I think it's possible. Would it be easy? Of course not but people do what they have to, including begging on and sleeping in the street or getting help from the church or some other organization. Also in my country and city at least, most of the time a cop wont bother finding out the status of an immigrant unless they have to, like in the event of a serious crime. Most people figure if your here they must have let you in at the border. All I'm saying is this person would likely adapt quicker then most people would think, though life would of course be very difficult for them.
 

sageoftruth

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Redlin5 said:
I would say that they would be bewildered by our technology and lack of faith in God.
Would they even call it technology? I think to them it would be sorcery, since any phenomenon that wasn't already common knowledge was undoubtedly an act of sorcery. If a cave man saw a medieval blacksmith smelting iron, he'd probably call it "magic" as well.
 

Vicarious Reality

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Assuming they wake here in my small rural swedish town, they would first wonder why there are metal signposts and carts moving on their own outside
Then they would probably shove firewood in my oven
Then they would insult me for pronouncing everything wrong
Then they would ask what this bent yellow root on my table is called
Then they would wonder how i use the glowing box that plays scary music

 

WinterSoul

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Dec 24, 2014
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Charcharo said:
WinterSoul said:
Charcharo said:
OK...
A medieval person from which century and which country?
You should include those 2 things in your question :p
1015 AD he said. And i think he means European continent ( Western or Central part)
So the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus are out ?

And 1015 :p :p

Maybe then their society status or occupation is also important?
 

Padwolf

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Sep 2, 2010
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I think they would be shocked at the amount of people we don't just behead. That, and that we are incredibly noisy with our metal death traps and such. Also probably incredibly shocked and wanting to burn us all for the lack of faith in god.
 
Jan 27, 2011
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They'd probably think we're all insane sorcerer heretic people.

"Oh me garters! You just made the room light up without a candle! HERESY! BLACK MAGIC!!".
"Dude, it's a light switch".

XD