Knowledge

Received ‘wisdom’ says that the people who lived before us, and particularly in the Middle Ages, knew far less than we do, but what stands out the most for me from my research is they were infinitely more knowledgeable. What we have is much more information at hand, most of it little better than trivia, but they had real, embodied knowledge of their world. They understood the chemistry of plants and minerals, how to make the most of it and what to avoid. They knew when and how to gather and prepare for food or craft. Their daily practical skills and self-reliance put us to shame, with our dependence on factory-made products that don’t need to exist.

~Joumana Medlej