>Me>The groups you mention weren't really effective politically as
> >Bohemia was the (rather mainstream) Hussites while Muenster
> >was caused by fringe Anabaptists.
>Considering that they were usually extremely poorly equiped and
>badly led, the (admittedly short term) successes of groups like
>the Anabaptists and the Taborites are startling, both to me and
>the powers of their day.
I don't see how you can dismiss the Taborites as "extremely poorly equipped and badly led" considering that they fought in well-equipped wagon fortresses-laagers and were ably led by one Zizka Hus, a distinguished knight.
As for the Muenster Anabaptists, they managed to seize control of the city after which the local bishop retook after besieging it for a year. While they may have been poorly equipped and badly led (insofar as Jan Beuckelzoon attempts to relieve the siege by charging out with only twenty men), I don't consider their success to be overly startling, considering they never managed to raise much support from Anabaptists elsewhere in Germany.
>The
>speed and ferocity of these movements say a lot about the anxiety
>and dissatisfaction of Medieval Europe, even during the "high water"
>period of the crusades.
I don't think so. All it indicates to me is that the spirituality of the medieval community which was normally channeled into supporting the social could be extremely destructive if directed against it. I don't see why a malkioni/christian who supports the ruling order or follows an orthodox practice (like the Whyte Wyzards) should be seen as less religious than one who follows a condemned creed (like the Perfecti).
>However, these urges [for the restoration of the Autarchy] could
>translate to the poor, especially the anxious poor (displaced peasants,
>urban paupers), as a longing for the original Kingdom of Logic (however
>that place is spelled) or,
I have doubts about this for Safelstran religion is centred upon Arkat rather than the Kingdom of Logic. Longing for the Kingdom of Logic makes as much sense as Christians longing for King Solomon's time.
>The cults that formed around Frederick II
>("he's not dead, he's sleeping under this mountain") are possibly
>a fruitful source of ideas: this is, more or less, what the Proven
>Appearance of Arkat is about, right?
It may be. My conception was that Erengazor summoned Arkat forth to unify the warring Arkati of Safelster behind her. But now it has been exposed as a cruel illusion.
>On the other hand, I don't want to spend a lot of
>time thinking about, say, Flagellants in Ralios if it's already been
>decided that they don't exist.
Well, they do AFAIK as the World of Losers movement.
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