Why do I Travel?

"Contemplate the fact that 'tourism' (the notion of travel for enjoyment) didn't exist until the Victorian Age. Before that time, travel was a chore only endured by armies, refugees, traders, emigrants, and religious pilgrims."

   - Rick Steves' Ireland 2013

These sentences struck me as I read them during my flight from Chicago to Dublin last week, and I've been mulling over them since then. First, I was struck with a slight pang of guilt at the idea of traveling "for pleasure." There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with the idea of leaving ones home and gawking at others' for enjoyment - or at least, that's the image that came to my mind. 

But then, I thought about it a bit longer and realized: I don't travel with the goal of "let's see how much fun I can have today." I travel to learn. I travel to experience things that shape cultures and to submerse myself in the amazing diversity and creativity that God put in this world - both human and natural. 

Dunguaire Castle, Kinvarra, Ireland.

I travel to walk among the remnants of times long past, as a student of history and literature, to gain a better understanding of what the context was really like for the events laid out in history books and legends. I travel so that I can write about my experiences and share them with people who cannot. I travel to gain perspectives far outside my own, to grow a better understanding of the world and the conflicts and complications therein.

But, I suppose I do find these things enjoyable; I love learning, I love writing about and sharing my experiences, I love connecting with people whose experiences are so vastly different from my own, I love widening my outlook on the world. I find those things pleasurable.

Okay fine. I guess I do travel for pleasure after all.


Why do you travel?
 

Erst

I wanted to start off by explaining the purpose of this blog, and as Erst (or ǣrest in Old English) is Middle English for "at the start," I thought it would be an appropriate title for my first post. The word can be found in the Prelude to the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf:

first page of Beowulf

Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under the welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he!

But, as awesome as Beowulf is, this post is about my blog. So let's get on with the explanation!


The name Annales Historiae means "Annals of History" and comes from the Latin titles of two Medieval books, the Annales Cambriae ('Annals of Wales') and the Historia Brittonum ('Hisotry of the Britons'). The Annales Cambriae was written no later than the 10th century AD at Saint David's, in Dyfed, Wales. It focuses on events in Welsh history, but also tells of Ireland, Cornwall, England, and Scotland. It is connected with Arthurian Legend, as it lists three battles pertaining to the story of King Arthur (which I will cover in a later post). The Historia Brittonum was composed around 830 AD and attributed to the Welsh monk named Nennius. It tells the history of the Brittonic people and is the earliest known work to name King Arthur and treat him as a real historical figure, extensively discussing his exploits (which I will also cover in a later post).

And, for a little bit about me, I just love history! I have loved studying history for as long as I can remember and I am now in the process of earning a degree in Medieval Studies. I am specifically interested in the history of the British Islands (and Northern Europe) from the Roman occupation through about the thirteen or fourteen hundreds, but I will gladly study other Ancient and Medieval subjects. I absolutely love a good tale of Robin Hood or King Arthur. I also seem to be drawn to historical conspiracy theories, so prepare to have your preconceived ideas about history blown away! There will be nothing boring or useless about what I share here. The ocean of history is overflowing with incredible adventure and I want to splash just a little bit of that awesomeness in your direction.

So, what do you think? What do you want to read about? Comment to let me know, and I hope you enjoy the stories which shall soon spew from the Annales Historiae!