Today's Flickr photo with the most hits was taken in Sicily: in the steep-sided Val d'Agro, where lies the Byzantine / Norman church of SS Peter and Paul.

#ValdAgro #sicily #byzantine #norman #church #architecture #brick #masonry

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I had less than an hour of sleep last night, which might explain why earlier this morning I found myself compelled to read obituary after obituary of British historians named Norman.

The one I enjoyed most was that written by Richard J Evans on Norman Stone.

" One of the specialities of the historian Norman Stone, who has died aged 78, was character assassination ," begins Evans, who then assassinates the assassin -- rightly so, considering the odious Stone's inflated reputation outside the academy.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/25/norman-stone-obituary?CMP=share_btn_url

I have to admit the name Norman brought to mind...

#Sleep #Fatigue #History #Historiography #NormanStone #RichardJEvans #Norman #Obituaries #Histodon

"Look, don't the wise LEARN from their enemies?"

https://piefed.social/c/historymemes/p/2010836/look-don-t-the-wise-learn-from-their-enemies

I dreamed I was in the British Parliament. There was a lot of turmoil going on, which seemed to be primarily around two factions: the Normans and the Saxons. I was puzzled (as I often am), since the Normans are effectively French and the Saxons are effectively German. Yet both claim to be English.

I've read books from both perspectives, where the Normans or the Saxons are the threat. How do the English work that out for themselves?

#dreams #dreaming #Britain #Norman #Saxon