Also complicated, the laws around who could marry whom. Apparently, you could marry your first cousin all day long but you could not marry your late brother's wife. I cannot recall when this changed.
That was the basis (officially, anyway) for Henry VIII wanting his first marriage annulled. Isn't that taken from a biblical law?
Yes. Except he was granted a dispensation to allow him to marry her none the less. It's interesting to note that both the dispensation and the annulment were actually rather common but for reasons that had little to do with Henry's request, how the church viewed the marriage, etc, it was denied.
Oddly enough, Biblical law allows one to have at least one baby with your brother's wife if she was childless at the time of his death. I'd have to look it up but I think Henry was pulling on an odd verse that suggested being sneaky about it. Other verses suggest it ain't that serious otherwise.
That was the basis (officially, anyway) for Henry VIII wanting his first marriage annulled. Isn't that taken from a biblical law?
Yes. Except he was granted a dispensation to allow him to marry her none the less. It's interesting to note that both the dispensation and the annulment were actually rather common but for reasons that had little to do with Henry's request, how the church viewed the marriage, etc, it was denied.
Oddly enough, Biblical law allows one to have at least one baby with your brother's wife if she was childless at the time of his death. I'd have to look it up but I think Henry was pulling on an odd verse that suggested being sneaky about it. Other verses suggest it ain't that serious otherwise.
And most importantly Catherine's nephew basically had the Pope under house arrest so pissing him off by granting the annulment was not something the Pope wanted to do. Hence why he hemmed and hawed and sent emissaries but then insisted on making the decision himself, etc.
I love when the board Anglo nerds get so feisty. <)
I poke fun, but its cool to see people really get going with their knowledge.
I know nothing about any of this, so it's super fun to watch. I did go on an Acts of Union/House of Stuart wikistumble this morning that made me late to work.
kapoentje the weirdest part for me when travelling in Flanders was the language thing. I speak (very little) French. And people seemed to speak French in Brussels. But in Bruges, Oostende, and out in the rural countryside? I had no idea what language to try to initiate conversation in, because I do not speak any Dutch (or Flemish) and I was afraid of offending people if I tried to speak French, and I'm ALWAYS afraid of offending people if I try to speak English off the bat. But then some restaurant menus would be in three languages!
I know how this feels.
But, most of the time, no Fleming will be offended if you start with French. They're used to it and they all speak it. That being said, you may get a more prickly response in Antwerp versus Bruges. French is absolutely a-ok and more or less expected in Brussels.
On my own, I usually start with my (very) basic Flemish then switch to French. And then, 85% of the time, I'll be promptly replied to in tidy English. THANKS BELGIANS.
Mostly, I just nod alongside H as though I know exactly what's being said. Which always works out great and never ever results in me embarrassing myself.
kapoentje the weirdest part for me when travelling in Flanders was the language thing. I speak (very little) French. And people seemed to speak French in Brussels. But in Bruges, Oostende, and out in the rural countryside? I had no idea what language to try to initiate conversation in, because I do not speak any Dutch (or Flemish) and I was afraid of offending people if I tried to speak French, and I'm ALWAYS afraid of offending people if I try to speak English off the bat. But then some restaurant menus would be in three languages!
I know how this feels.
But, most of the time, no Fleming will be offended if you start with French. They're used to it and they all speak it. That being said, you may get a more prickly response in Antwerp versus Bruges. French is absolutely a-ok and more or less expected in Brussels.
On my own, I usually start with my (very) basic Flemish then switch to French. And then, 85% of the time, I'll be promptly replied to in tidy English. THANKS BELGIANS.
Mostly, I just nod alongside H as though I know exactly what's being said. Which always works out great and never ever results in me embarrassing myself.
But how does Your H know what language to start with? Is it some sort of sixth sense they are born with?
I can't answer for her H but quite simply pick either or in Brussels, Flemish in the North and French in the South.
Lol. For some reason I was thinking there was some large in-depth system in play. I'm not sure why. It's not like I've never been there or anything (although I'd imagine that since I don't speak Flemish I've never needed to think beyond speaking French).