LOL(lard)

What is a Lollard?  Probably not what you think...no, this is not some new leet term along the lines of noob or haxor; a Lollard is someone who practices - or practiced - Lollardy, a religious movement occurring from the 13-1500s. 

Three interesting Lollard facts for you:

First, the term itself most likely comes from a Dutch word (lollaerd) that means 'to mumble', which is exactly what the Lollards did.  They believed that no human intercession was necessary for communion with God, and apparently gained a reputation for walking around muttering prayers under their collective breath wherever they went.  True, there are some other suggestions for why Lollards are called Lollards - Wikipedia lists the Latin lolium, a type of weed; Lolhard, a Waldensian preacher from Cologne; and loller, Middle English for an idler...but I prefer the first explanation.

Next, Lollardy is based on the teachings of John Wycliffe of Oxford, an interesting guy in his own right who was heavily involved in the church, the school, and the state (before he suffered a stroke, died, was buried, was exhumed, excommunicated, burned, and thown into the River Swift).  Perhaps not as excellent a death as Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer, but pretty good nonetheless.

And finally (for now), Lollards were fairly decentralized in beliefs, but all agreed that the Bible ought to be translated into English.  Hooray!  For more Lollard thoughts, you can look into the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards...but as for me, I've got several schoolwork to do, so I'll let you do the research on your own.