According to medieval calendars, January is the time to take the month off to feast by the fire, so no farm chores this month, people; take some time to yourselves. You deserve it, after all that reaping, sowing, and slaughtering your livestock these last few months.
Notable dates in medieval history in the month of January include:
- January 2nd, 1492 — The last Moorish stronghold in Spain, the Emirate of Granada is reconquista’d.
- January 6th, 1066 — Harold Godwinson is crowned king of England. He doesn’t last the year.
- January 8th, 871 — Alfred the Great–then, just Alfred the Kinda Promising–defeats the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown.
- January 9th, 1431 — Legal proceedings against Joan of Arc are begun.
- January 13th, 888 — Odo becomes King of the Franks, succeeding the deposed King Charles the Fat.
- January 14th, 1129 — The Knights Templar are officially endorsed by the Church at the Council of Troyes, officially beginning Dan Brown’s career.
- January 16th, 1412 — The Medici become the official bankers of the Papacy. [Kids, insert your own credit liquidity crisis joke here. I would make one, but I’m too busy feasting.]
- January 20th, 1265 — The English parliament sets up shop in the palace of Westminster.
- January 23rd, 971 — The royal war elephant corps of the Southern Hans are defeated soundly by the crossbowmen of the Song Dynasty. Elephant-mounted troops fall out of fashion in China soon thereafter.
- January 28th, 1077 — Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire finishes his barefoot walk to Canossa.