Abstract
Seven short essays identifying and explaining the significance of varied phenomenona in Slavic Civilisation: the Slav's still debated Indo-European origins; the Bogomil heretical movement & its movement as gnosis/manichaenism; Kievan Rus; Muscovy; Ivan Grozny (the Terrible); medieval and modern origins of Belarus/Byelorussian society.

From the Paper
Seven Topics in Slavic History The Indo-European Origins of the Slavs The Slavic peoples have late Indo-European origins in keeping with the Celtic, Germanic, Balt, Italic, Greek, Thracian and Illyrian movements of people into Europe of more than a millennium, some much earlier. When tracing the arrival of the West Slavs, East Slavs and South Slavs in their present locations one is often referring to the 6^th and 7^th centuries as the Hun Empire declined and Germanic peoples retreated as left open places of which the Slavic tribes took advantage. The dispersion of the tribes through East, South and Central Europe is associated with the 6^th century

Tags:slavic hy, brief essays, exam

Abstract
This paper considers the period of c.1100 - 1215, which was an epoch that was marked by the Catholic Church's war against heretics. The paper first identifies the three different heretical movements and then reflects upon the means that the Church used to try and defeat these movements, religious groups, and apparent sects, In the conclusion, the paper attempts to determine the degree of success that was achieved.

Outline:
Introduction
Historical Heretic Movements
The Waldensian Heresy
Bolomilism, Paulicianism, and Manichaeism
The Cathars
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The Cathars, who mainly inhabited the Languedoc region of France, were also an alternative and popular movement that experienced spectacular success in attaining conversions. A phenomenon, such as had not been seen by the Roman Church since the early days of Christianity, the belief was rapidly expanding throughout and beyond the southern regions of France. The threat of this was so great that the Church offered "legally sanctioned dominion over conquered lands to northern French nobles and the King of France" (The Chronicle of William of Puylaurens, Introduction, 2003). Therefore, political and economic gain were important contributing factors, with royalty essentially behaving as Catholic mercenaries, who then received whole areas of France."

Tags:cathars, blood, libel, jews, bogomilism, crusades, witchcraft