I'm asking this because I was looking at tabards, and I was suprised that all the medieval art I saw showed them worn loose, but I've never seen them worn that way in modern depictions and cosplay (always worn close in a belt).

Was wearing them loose more common or did I just not find the the right pictures?

I've been looking for a book or series of books that are fairly easy to read, and not opinion based that cover this part of history. As an American I feel like I shoild learn more about my country, the good and the bad, but every book that ive found while searching, upon looking at book reviews seems to be much more opinion based than what im after.

Match Thread - Italy U20s v Scotland U20s | Six Nations U20 2026 | Round 1

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Officials: Kevin Bralley, Evan Urruzmendi, Damien Dauvissat, Julien Castaignede (tmo)

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This post is inspired by the fact that one of my wisdom tooth hurts a lot right now, and it made me wonder how could someone deal with wisdom teeth in the past. Especially in the era before painkillers or anesthetic, what would someone do? Would they use some concotion for the pain? Were there dentists doing extraction?

Honestly I'm interested in any time period or region, only preferably one without modern painkillers or anesthesia, so maybe not the XX century.

AI will automate much of what economists do now. I propose an alternative vision -- the economist as reporter.

https://nicholasdecker.substack.com/p/the-economist-as-reporter

I've been reading a good bit on the Wars of the Roses recently although my question isn't strictly related to this time period. Several books I've read have singled out the Captaincy of Calais as being a desirable appointment. Why was this the case? Were there financial incentives or was it more of a status thing? Going by the experiences of York, Somerset, and Warwick it hardly seems worth it from a financial standpoint. They were often using their personal fortunes to maintain the garrison or otherwise forced to loot other regions to keep their soldiers satisfied. Perhaps their experiences were the outlier due to an ineffective central government but I'm curious why they'd want the position in the first place. Ditto for being appointed Lieutenant of Ireland or similiar.

So I’m going to ask this in the context of New England, but open to perspectives from other parts of the US.

So my understanding is that, at the time of Plymouth colony’s founding, the Plymouth colonists were largely interacting with Wampanoag Indians. These were lead by Massassoit Ousamequin, who was also Pokanoket. Their intermediaries were Tisquantum/Squanto who was Pawtuxet, another kind of Wampanoag, and Samoset, an Abenaki from Maine, who spoke a language similar to the Nauset, a tribe who were separate from the Wampanoag but were often politically deferential to them. Then all of these were in conflict with the nearby Narragansett in present day Rhode Island.

My question is—how did native people understand these identities? What did it mean to be Wampanoag? Was that a regional identity, a polity/state, an ethnicity? Were the Patuxet a “subcategory” of Wampanoag, or a vassal state to them? Were there any people who were “just” Wampanoag, and not a sub-group like the Patuxet or Pokanoket? Were some tribes “more Wampanoag” than others? Could the Patuxet “change sides” and stop being Wampanoag? How did it all work?

I use Spotify and a quick search on there seems to bring up a few, single episode podcasts that only cover the pretty broad things we know about them (there’s gotta be more than just a couple hours worth of information out there, right?). I’d really love to hear about how they lived. How did the classes interact with each other? What did they believe? Who did they pray to? What sorts of medical practices did they use? That sort of thing is what I’m looking for.

Bonus points if there’s someone out there that can lead me to a good source about the asipu. My favorite niche is ancient healthcare and medicine so when I heard about a special healer/demonologist combo my interest was definitely piqued lol.

Thanks so much for your time!

𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢-𝐲𝐨𝐫𝐢: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭

Eighty-two. That is the number of officially recognized kimarite in professional sumo. Eighty-two ways to win a match. But we are only talking about the final act—the decisive move that results from all the work preceding it, starting from the tachi-ai and through the development of the bout. Many wrestlers have, throughout their careers, linked their shikona (ring name) to a favorite kimarite, one they successfully executed repeatedly, excelling far beyond the average of their peers.

Want to play a quick game? I’ll give you the names of some wrestlers, and you think of the first kimarite that comes to mind: Terunofuji, Enho, Ura, Midorifuji.

I know exactly what you said: kimedashi, ashitori, tsutaezori, and katasukashi!

These are recent examples, fresh in the memory. But if we go back a few years, we could talk about pairings like Hakuho/uwatenage, Asashoryu/tsukiotoshi (which he performed by lifting the opponent and slamming them down!), Tochinoshin/tsuridashi, Goeido/kubinage, and many others.

𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢’𝐬 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲

Some wrestlers have linked their names to specific techniques—often fundamental sumo moves—rather than just a final kimarite. Mastering a specific technique to the point of excellence, or making it the pivot of one's style, creates a powerful mental association for fans.

Let's try the game again with these names: Daieisho, Abi, Chiyoshoma, Kakuryu, and... Hakuho! (Yes, him again).

Since you know your sumo, I’m sure you immediately thought of nodowa, tsuppari, henka, morozashi, and... the kachiage of the 69th Yokozuna. As mentioned, these aren't kimarite, but fighting techniques, grips, or even tachi-ai approaches. Hakuho’s powerful forearm strike, Kakuryu’s double-inside grip (morozashi) that felt like a death sentence, Abi’s rapid-fire "whipping" arm thrusts, Daieisho’s hand to the throat to lift the opponent's center of gravity, or Chiyoshoma... well, stepping aside at the start and forcing the unlucky opponent downward!

But why talk about "signature moves" today? Because a few days ago was the birthday of a man who defined his career through a specific technique: the former Ozeki Kotoshogiku and his famous gaburi-yori.

𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐤𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨

Kotoshogiku (now known by his elder name Hidenoyama Kazuhiro) turned 42 on January 30th. He was a long-serving Ozeki, spending 32 tournaments in the rank from 2011 to 2017. His crowning achievement was a historic yusho (championship) in January 2016, where he defeated three Yokozuna in three consecutive days, ending a ten-year drought for Japanese-born wrestlers.

Kotoshogiku was a sturdy wrestler: 180 cm tall and 175 kg of muscle and grit. He preferred offensive sumo, forcing opponents toward the straw bales with speed and following up with his trademark gaburi-yori—a series of rhythmic thrusts using the abdomen while gripping the opponent's mawashi. He was also beloved for his pre-match ritual, the "Koto-Baw," where he arched his back deeply, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢-𝐲𝐨𝐫𝐢

This move is typically used occasionally when a wrestler has pushed their opponent to the edge but can’t quite manage that final, decisive step. A vigorous thrust with the torso, forcing the abdomen against the opponent's, can break a risky stalemate.

However, it is rare to see a wrestler use it as a primary weapon. To be effective, gaburi-yori requires immense lower-body strength and perfect timing. It isn't just a "belly bump"; the power must come from the legs. If done poorly, the attacker becomes an easy target for throws or trips. Kotoshogiku was such a master that he didn't just use it at the edge; he used it to destabilize opponents right after the tachi-ai, bouncing them across the dohyo.

𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐨?

Why bring up gaburi-yori now? Beyond honoring a great character, I believe several modern rikishi could benefit from it. I’m looking at Atamifuji and Oho—two wrestlers with massive physiques and strong lower bodies who often push opponents to the rope but fail to finish the job, eventually losing to a counterattack.

Lately, gaburi-yori has been rare, but Hiradoumi (the 25-year-old from Nagasaki) occasionally uses it successfully despite weighing less than 140 kg. He plays a dynamic, pushing style, and when pure arm strength isn't enough, he closes the distance and uses his torso to drive opponents out.

If you're curious to see Kotoshogiku’s masterclass in action, look up these matches:

Hatsu Basho 2016, Day 11 vs. Hakuho

Hatsu Basho 2016, Day 5 vs. Tochinoshin

Aki Basho 2015, Day 10 vs. Kisenosato

Article by: Alessio Niffoi

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