There is nothing like a good history article to get my thoughts lost in the past. Sometimes I head over to Medievalists.Net to see what they think is a good topic and they usually have something pretty cool to read.
And then once in a while you come across little gems like the history of tavern signs, which is just an incredibly cool topic if you stop to think about it. We see tavern signs in movies and pictures of old Europe but how many people stop to learn the stories behind those signs?
One of the most famous taverns in science fiction and fantasy is the Eagle and Child because that is where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would go drinking with their buddies. It’s kind of a stop on the pilgrimage tour of science fiction hotspots in England. And they really do have a sign with an eagle and child on it.
There is so much history that we don’t look at. It is all around us, stories hidden away. Soon many of them will be lost forever because no one thought they were important enough to preserve. The Internet makes it possible to share that legacy without much effort. Maybe only 5 people will read your story this year but sooner or later it will be found and preserved.
And then one day when someone writes about the history of bell-making in the New World or something they’ll collect stories off the Internet and write a really fascinating book. Or maybe an ebook.