Back to 1312

My friend John has picked up on my "Stench and stained glass" post from earlier this month and come up with an interesting question.

If I were to be transported magically back to 1312, what five things would I take with me?

John had some interesting ideas. I'll get to them in a bit.

I've been pondering the question for a few days. Would I adopt the "Star Trek" prime directive? Those of you who were fans of the TV series in the 1960s will remember that one of the major rules for the Enterprise crew was that they should not do anything to substantially influence alien cultures. It's an outgrowth of the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm.

It's a good guideline. But I'm sure I'd violate it somehow, sooner or later.

John also decided that, for the purposes of his question, the length of stay would be a year.

That sent me scurrying to Wikipedia to see when the Black Death first appeared in Europe. Well, that was a relief: The first wave peaked between 1348 and 1350. (It popped up again and again until finally disappearing from Europe in the 19th century.)

John also assumed that he'd be safest if he remained undetected and hid out in a forest glen. I'm too curious to do that. I'd want to get to know the people and how they lived.

So, by adapting John's suggestions and adding a few of my own, here's what I'd take with me to 1312.

1: A good supply of broad-spectrum antibiotics. I might not encounter the Black Death, but even a small cut can be fatal, and I suspect I'd be walking barefoot at some point through soil contaminated by heaven only knows what bacteria for which I have no natural immunity in my 21st-century body.

2: A digital device of some kind, loaded with encyclopedic software, including a few good treatises on folklore medicine, and enough long novels to last a year. I think I'd also load my digital device with music and spoken-word recordings. Being able to produce sound seemingly from thin air and to record and play back the voices of those I met would make me seem like some sort of wizard or minor god. That could have its benefits.

3: Some sort of hand-cranked power generator or solar device to recharge batteries.

4: Some seeds. This was one of John's suggestion that hadn't occurred to me. He thinks that introducing 21st-century hybrid crops could, indeed, change the course of history. Present-day standards of crop rotation and irrigation could also transform agriculture.

5: John suggested a weapon, either a firearm or a bow. I'm not keen on introducing modern weapons into 1312 Europe. A bow would be helpful, but archery was already established in 1312, so I could probably pick one up. Instead, an LED flashlight is what I'd pick. Light up the night. Amaze the natives.

This is, after all, just a frivolous exercise, but an interesting one. What would I really miss most if I were transported back 700 years? I don't know. My most valuable asset would probably be my own 21st-century mind. What I'd miss most would probably be the last thing I'd think about.

I'd hate to live in a world without TiVo and Netflix and computers. I'd definitely miss them. But perhaps what I'd really miss would be something as simple as a pencil and paper.