As a Japanese person who barely knows my own country's geography, I somehow fell deep into the rabbit hole of 12th-century England. Anyone else obsessed with non-native history?
Out of nowhere, I’ve been ridiculously obsessed with 12th-century Europe for the past few years. Just the 12th century specifically. Ask me about other eras, and I only have a vague idea. Honestly, I don't even remember all the prefectures in my own country, Japan...
And yet, I somehow fell head over heels for the House of Anjou.
My favorite is (of course?) Richard the Lionheart, but Henry I is genuinely amazing too. The way he laid the foundation for Common Law and built a whole system to actually run it... incredible. And Robert de Beaumont, who helped execute it! (Fun fact: the Japanese Wikipedia doesn't even have an article for Robert de Beaumont, and searching for him is a pain because he shares the exact same name as his father lol).
Speaking of his father, the way he died was... painfully human. Like, did chroniclers really need to record that level of detail for posterity? But that's what makes digging into this era so fascinating. Send help, I’m sinking deeper into this rabbit hole every day. I just love reading about sheriffs, royal secretaries, itinerant justices, and the Exchequer...
Anyway, I just needed to vent this passion somewhere!
Have any of you ever gotten unexpectedly hyper-fixated on the history of a country that isn't your own? Who was the historical figure that pulled you in?