I write science fiction stories and I am involved in science fiction role plays. Therefore several questions come to mind: How did you get there? If it's by technology based time travel, why aren't you able to return? What energy source did you use? Also, assuming you traveled back in time for a reason, did you prepare? Did you tell a fellow time traveler when and where you would be going and when you would be back? That is very important. Did you travel back in time alone, with a friend or with a group? If you did travel with a group, did everyone bring their own time machine in the event something happens to one of them? And, most importantly, did you have a working understanding of temporal physics before you traveled back in time?

One time a man and woman traveled to the ancient civilization of Atlantis. The woman was rescued but, because the man had no understanding of temporal physics, he erased himself from history.

Jeanette Isabelle

Your going to stand out from the first. Unless your uncommonly short, thin, undernourished, dirty, toothless and have very tough hands and feet your going to be a rare bird.

While there may be one or two as tall, assuming your only 6' or so, your going to tower over the crowd. Your likely to be far better in better shape than the average. More muscular and generally healthier. The peasants are strong in a bandy, wiry, enduring sort of way. Your also going to be far more sensitive to cold, dirt, pain, irritations, abuse and hunger.

Clean, well fed, even just relatively so, with teeth after the age of thirty, with soft hands and feet, and wearing shoes? That would make you an exception and pretty much resemble a noble or clergyman.

Modern mannerisms like looking directly at people, standing straight and walking with head held up also makes you look like someone with status. You might try to fol people into thinking you were from the church or a noble. But if the illusion falls through your dead.

In 1000AD it is a tight society. Clergy and nobles split, often contest, power. If your not one of the above or one of the few merchants your with the other 90% of the population, a peasant. Peasants have no rights. They have no recourse or opportunity to redress wrongs. In fact neither clergy nor noble could do any wrong to a peasant. Everything was allowed. Rape, murder, torture. That is unless the clergy or other nobles object.

As a serf your duty is to produce for the landowner and/or church. During any of the many minor and great wars your forced into service by the thousands where your duty is to wear out the main combatants sword arm by allowing they to swing their sword at your unprotected body. Technically your not even allowed to harm your betters on the other side. They were captured and ransomed. After the battle dead peasants weren't often counted. We have little idea of how many fought or dies in many major battles. Dead peasants were dropped into mass graves.

"...bowie..."

Gotta wait a few years for Davy to be born. A big knife you can probably get...

As far as fitting in with the royalty, if I recall my world history, if you ain't related, or don't kick their butts, you ain't gonna fit in...

I was assuming (a dangerous practice), that "we" got poofed there. No prep time, no BOB, no nothing, you are just suddenly "there"...

"...generally healthier..."

Did my BP meds, not to mention Viaga, make the trip with me? If not, I am SOL...

It is more likely you arrived by some technology. Therefore, if you are there, someone sent you or you did so by choice.

Jeanette Isabelle

Hell, at your age they consider you an absolute wonderment. Very few people made it to that age. And with most of your teeth and eyesight too. And walking without a stick. Near about a miracle.

And then the cry of 'WITCH!' was heard ... last thing you remember it was getting warm.

Actually, the way I understand it, you could likely pass for someone half your age back in 1000AD.

Besides I'm not too much younger.

Having some Viagra would be good. Anything that would allow the king to 'salute the queen' one last time would have real value. A small gold coin might represent a years wage for well off peasant family.

"...A small gold coin might represent a years wage for well off peasant family..."

Somewhere I have my "former" wedding ring, smashed flat with a hammer. Maybe I could trade it for a cup or ale, or grog or whatever...

This is as good place as any. You are with a group. You have your time line mapped out and a copy is with a trusted group. You have your time machine and a means of communication. You may be gone for a while, what do you bring?

Jeanette Isabelle

If I have my time machine, I'm not gonna be gone all that long. I might not come back to "here," but I'm not staying "there"...