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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1995-08 > 0808173307


From: "Rudolph A. Krutar" <>
Subject: Re: Empress Adelaide
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 20:35:07 GMT


(Jak King) wrote:
>
>
>The Cambridge Medieval History, Vol III, says that in =ECJanuary 1000=EE
>the Emperor Otto III made his last trip to Germany =ECwither the deaths
>of two great ladies ... called him.=EE
>
>The two ladies mentioned were the Abbess Matilda and =ECthe aged=EE
>Empress Adelaide. However, I have a date of death for Adelaide as
>December 1000.
>
>Is my date of Adelaide=EDs death incorrect? Or was she just really sick at
>the beginning of the year?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
At that time ecclesiastical year bgegan on March 25,
so January 1000 was the month following December 1000.
Prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in English lands,
January and February are often dual dated, so we would later
have referred to the date as January 1000/01, but the Medieval Germans
had not thought of January as the first month, but of September as
the seventh month, October as the eighth month, November as the ninth
month, and December as the tenth month. Also, February 29
fell at the end of the year, instead of its current awkward location.

Rudy Krutar, time wizard

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