Moncton Forum

When you first join us, you are settling in. History tells us it was not an easy task. In Canada one of the legendary settlers was Samuel de Champlain.

On July 3, 1608 Samuel de Champlain landed at the "point of Quebec" and set about fortifying the area against attack by building three main buildings and also a moat 15 feet wide. This was to become the city of Quebec.

The first winter was difficult for the settlers. Of the twenty-eight people who stayed for the winter only nine survived, most having died of scurvy and some of smallpox and some of the extreme cold weather.

As you get settled, its time for you to assume your first role. Since we don't know you yet, the only thing we can entrust you is being a Shepherd. Many famous people started as shepherds, including the Biblical King David. Here is a quote from the Bible that illustrated a life of a shepherd.

1Sam 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

After proving yourself as a Shepherd, you are allowed in to become a Villager. Life was hard in a European Medieval village. Here is the price of different food items based on the Capitulary of Frankfort, 794

C.4. Our most pious lord king has decreed, with the assent of the holy synod, that no man, clerk or lay, may sell his corn more dearly, in time of abundance or scarcity of the harvest, than the public muid brings according to recent decree. For a muid of oats one denarius, for a muid of barley two denarii, for a muid of rye three denarii, for a muid of wheat four denarii. But if he wishes to sell it as bread, he ought to give twelve wheaten loaves, each weighing two pounds, for one denarius; fifteen of rye of equal weight for one denarius; twenty barley loaves of the same weight, or twenty-five oat cakes of the same weight, for one denarius. As for the public grain of the lord king, if it be sold, two muids of oats shall be sold for a denarius, one of barley for a denarius, one of rye for two denarii, one of wheat for three denarii. And let him who holds a benefice from us see to it that, when he has given what is due to God, no serf belonging to that benefice die of hunger, and what is left after the necessities of the serfs have been attended to shall be sold according to the rates mentioned above.

As time progresses, you discover that your talents and zeal are popular amongst others. It is now time to move up the social ladder and become a Bard. William Shakespeare is probably the most famous bard in history. He is arguably the most cited author in the world, yet few know he is the author of his own epitaph:

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blest be the man that spares these stones,

But cursed be he that moves my bones.

Your eloquence is now well known, which makes you an ideal candidate for your next job, the Royal Guard. The power of negotiation was valuable in all times and places. As a Royal Guard you often came in close contact with historical figures of your day. Here is an extract from Einhard, The Life of Charlemagne:

He [Charlemagne, Emperor Charles the Great] was so careful of the training of his sons and daughters that he never took his meals without them when he was at home, and never made ajourney without them; his sons would ride at his side, and his daughters follow him, while a number of his body-guard, detailed for their protection, brought up the rear.

Your loyalty paid off. You have been knighted! Being a knight was the utmost prestige in the Medieval times. Knights earned their reputations through tournames and battles. In 1118 the Order of Knights Templar was founded. William of Tyre. The Foundation of the Order of Knights Templar:

In this same year, [1118] certain noble men of knightly rank, religious men, devoted to God and fearing him, bound themselves to Christ's service in the hands of the Lord Patriarch. They promised to live in perpetuity as regular canons, without possessions, under vows of chastity and obedience. Their foremost leaders were the venerable Hugh of Payens and Geoffrey of St. Omer. Since they had no church nor any fixed abode, the king, gave them for a time a dwelling place in the south wing of the palace, near the Lord's Temple. The canons of the Lord's Temple gave them, under certain conditions, a square near the palace which the canons possessed. This the knights used as a drill field. The Lord King and his noblemen and also the Lord Patriarch and the prelates of the church gave them benefices from their domains, some for a limited time and some in perpetuity. These were to provide the knights with food and clothing. Their primary duty, one which was enjoined upon them by the Lord Patriarch and the other bishops for the remission of sins, was that of protecting the roads and routes against the attacks of robbers and brigands. This they did especially in order to safeguard pilgrims.

Being a Knight did not satisfy your ego, your aspirations were grander. You knew that the only way for you to get to the top was to change the approach. After listening to wise people, and returning from a mysterious trip, you declared yourself an Alchemist!

During the Middle Ages gold became the great motive power, the supreme deity alchemists spent their lives in search of the magistery which was to produce it, the idea of possessing it inflamed the minds, in its name all kinds of cruelties were committed, the thirst of riches laid hold of all souls; later on, for Cortez and Pizarro, the successors of Columbus, the conquest of America meant the conquest of gold.

From: Bernard Lazare: Antisemitism: Its History and Causes, 1894

Nobody knows exactly how it happened, but one day it was announced that the mysterious Alchemist became a part of the Royal Family. Congratulations, you are now a Royalty! One of the greatest advantages of having power is having access to information. Below is the extract from De Bello Gallico by Caius Julius Caesar:

I.-The following winter (this was the year in which Cn. Pompey and M. Crassus were consuls), those Germans [called] the Usipetes, and likewise the Tenchtheri, with a great number of men, crossed the Rhine, not far from the place at which that river discharges itself into the sea. The motive for crossing [that river] was that, having been for several years harassed by the Suevi, they were constantly engaged in war, and hindered from the pursuits of agriculture. The nation of the Suevi is by far the largest and the most warlike nation of all the Germans. They are said to possess a hundred cantons, from each of which they yearly send from their territories for the purpose of war a thousand armed men: the others who remain at home, maintain [both] themselves and those engaged in the expedition. The latter again, in their turn, are in arms the year after: the former remain at home. Thus neither husbandry nor the art and practice of war are neglected. But among them there exists no private and separate land; nor are they permitted to remain more than one year in one place for the purpose of residence. They do not live much on corn, but subsist for the most part on milk and flesh, and are much [engaged] in hunting; which circumstance must, by the nature of their food, and by their daily exercise and the freedom of their life (for having from boyhood been accustomed to no employment, or discipline, they do nothing at all contrary to their inclination), both promote their strength and render them men of vast stature of body. And to such a habit have they brought themselves, that even in the coldest parts they wear no clothing whatever except skins, by reason of the scantiness of which a great portion of their body is bare, and besides they bathe in open rivers.

During your reign, peace and prosperity returned to the debate-torn Topix Forum. Your rule was marked by technological breakthroughs, discoveries and intellectual achievements. Your legacy will outlive your times. You have become a Legend!

One of the most famous legends in history is that of the Atlantis. First mentioned by the Greek philosopher Plato, Atlantis was described as an island that was engulfed by an earthquake over 10,000 years ago. Below is an excerpt from Plato’s Timaeus translated by B. Jowett:

Observe again, what care the law took in the pursuit of wisdom, searching out the deep things of the world, and applying them to the use of man. The spot of earth which the goddess chose had the best of climates, and produced the wisest men; in no other was she herself, the philosopher and warrior goddess, so likely to have votaries. And there you dwelt as became the children of the gods, excelling all men in virtue, and many famous actions are recorded of you. The most famous of them all was the overthrow of the island of Atlantis. This great island lay over against the Pillars of Heracles, in extent greater than Libya and Asia put together, and was the passage to other islands and to a great ocean of which the Mediterranean sea was only the harbour; and within the Pillars the empire of Atlantis reached in Europe to Tyrrhenia and in Libya to Egypt. This mighty power was arrayed against Egypt and Hellas and all the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Then your city did bravely, and won renown over the whole earth. For at the peril of her own existence, and when the other Hellenes had deserted her, she repelled the invader, and of her own accord gave liberty to all the nations within the Pillars. A little while afterwards there were great earthquakes and floods, and your warrior race all sank into the earth; and the great island of Atlantis also disappeared in the sea. This is the explanation of the shallows which are found in that part of the Atlantic ocean.'

Since this description by Plato Atlantis became a fascination of archaeologists, historians and myth hunters. Moncton.Net will join them and suggest its own theory of the Atlantis. Could it be the continents of America that the ancient Greeks discovered? Remember, as Plato suggests, the land was as vast as Asia and Lybia put together? And the earthquake was suggested to explain why they couldn’t find it again.

One thing is certain, without legends, half of geographic and scientific discoveries of today would not have happened. Just like without the legendary posters of the Moncton Topix Forum, the Forum would not have become what it is right now.