History initially was learned by being passed down through the different generations by the use of stories and songs. This was necessary because the majority of people were uneducated, and in order to pass on information it had to be done verbally. Stories and songs during the crusades not only told of past events but it also evolved into a way to illuminate the Christian religion as a just cause against the pagan Muslims. This religious fervor at the time birthed many famous tales with one of them being The Song of Roland.
The Song of Roland is a tale of the attack on Charlemagne’s army while withdrawling from the Pyrenees into Francia. It depicts Charlemagne as a 200-year-old “godlike conqueror” that is in the throes of a heroic battle between a rival faith, which is Muslim (Bennett, 2011). Even though the original battle was actually against the Christian Basques the story was changed when written down in the 11th century to give a rousing tale of Christendom, “brave men, true friends, and loyal warriors” (Bennett, 2011).
At the time the song begins King Charlemagne has been in Spain for seven years conquering all the lands once governed by Muslim King Marsilla. Marsilla is at Saragossa (his last undefeated province) and realizes that he is outnumbered against Charlemagne and is now looking to his noble men for any suggestions. Blancandrin who is seen by the author as “Among the wisest pagans” suggests a truce in which Marsilla gives many treasures, livestock, noble hostages, and Marsilla’s pledge to convert to Christianity in France. Marsilla agrees to this ploy and sends Blancandrin to Charlemagne with all the offerings along with Blancandrin extending an olive branch to signify peace (Harrison, 1970).
Charlemagne listens to ...
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... trusted men and Ganelon to discuss King Charlemagne. The author at this point references to Marsilla once by his name, then by “The Pagan”, and finally as “The Saracen” making it clear that he is still the inferior Muslim.
Ganelon then convinces Marsilla that in killing Roland, King Charlemagne would give up his crusade and there would be peace again; “If someone were to cause the death of Roland, the Charles would lose the right arm from his body; the awe-inspiring host would cease to be; no more would Charles assemble such a force, and Tere Majur would then be left in peace” (Harrison, 1970).
Upon returning to King Charlemagne Ganelon tells the king of Marsilla’s acceptance of the treaty and also tells Charles that a very large portion of Marsilla’s army and his caliph all have perished at sea. That night while Charles is sleeping he has two prophetic dreams: one
The Crusades were an outlet for the intense religious tension between the Muslims and the church which rose up in the late 11th century. This all started because the church and the Catholics wanted the Holy Lands back from the Muslims. Around this time the church was the biggest institute and people were god-fearing. Pope Gregory VII wanted to control more lands and wanted to get back the lands that they had lost to the Muslims (Medieval Europe). So in order to get back these lands he launched The Crusades which he insisted to the peasants was a holy war instead.
Although there was no compassionate relationship between the “eastern and western branches of Christianity,” Pope Urban II of Europe was aware of the Islamic threat to the Byzantium Empire and was subject to support the eastern branch after he heard about the oppression forced on his fellow Christians. In November of 1095, Foss Claims, “Pope Urban II was determined to save the honour and the soul of Europe.” Throughout his book Foss identifies the persuasive speech at the Council of Claremont, the siege of Antioch, and Capture of the Holy
The Mongols, or as the Western Europeans called them, the Tartars, were a nomadic, militant people that dominated the battlefield during the pre-industrial time period (“Tartars” 7). Over the span of the 13th century, from the Central Asian steppes in the east to the Arabian lands to the west, the Tartars subdued the unfortunate inhabitants and expanded their empire vastly. To the fear and dismay of the Western Europeans, the Tartars desired to triumph over all of Eurasia; therefore, the Western Europeans were to be conquered next. News of the imminent Tartarian attack rapidly spread through West Europe like a wildfire, and the powerful Holy Roman Church contended to prepare a strategy against the onslaught. In the year 1245, Pope Innocent IV, the head of the Church at the time, sent a group of Friars led by Giovanni da Pian del Carpini to gather some knowledge about the Tartars. It was a dreaded mission, one that would probably end in a terrible death, since the Tartars were a cruel people towards outsiders. Nevertheless, Carpini valiantly ventured into the unknown darkness, and returned to his homeland with valuable information about the Tartars. Through the insight he gained during his travels, he wrote his account of the Tartars in a report called the “Historia Mongalorum” (“Tartars” 19), which is known today as “The Story of the Mongols Whom We Call the Tartars”.
The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded.
Among some of the largest conflicts in the world stand the Crusades; a brutal conflict that lasted over 200 years and was debatably one of the largest armed religious conflicts in the history of humankind. Since this is so clearly an event of importance, historians have searched vigorously for the true answer as to why the crusades began. Ultimately, because of accusatory views on both the sides of the Christians and of the Muslims, the two groups grew in such hatred of each other that they began to act in deep discrimination of each other. Moreover, Christian motives seemed to be driven mostly by the capture of Jerusalem, the dark ages of Europe and the common-folks desperation for land, wealth, and a spot in heaven. What seems to be continually
We see that Bertilak perceives Gawain’s fault, his love of life, and irrespective of it, loves Gawain. Despite having sinned, Bertilak sees in Gawain a first-rate knight, far superior to his peers in Camelot, who, faced with the spectre of death, grew silent with cowardice, as the honor of the King lay unguarded.
Unfortunately, the role of ignorance and jealousy combining to breed fear and hatred is a recurring theme in history ultimately exhibiting itself in the form of prejudice. As demonstrated through the altering of historical events in The Song of Roland, the conflict between the Christian and Islamic religions takes precedence over the more narrow scope of any specific battle and is shaped, at least in part by the blind perception of a prejudice born of the ignorance and envy Christian Europe had for representatives of the non-Christian world. To fully see this prejudice and its effect on the participants, it is necessary to recognize the circumstances of the "real" battle along with the altering characters and settings attributed to its later writing, understand the character and beliefs of the participants, and carefully examine the text itself to see how prejudice comes into play.
The Christian identity in The Poem of the Cid is one of complexity and war. As demonstrated by Cid’s military campaigns God can be on both the side of Muslims and Christians, “The Moors called on Muhammad and the Christians on St. James” which leads one to believe that the monetary value of raiding and plundering villages was what led these men to band together against a common foe (The Poem of the Cid 63). Moreover, as Cid continues his adventures he clearly gains the respect of the Moors who join him against the Count Ramon of Barcelona, so perhaps one could assume it was all for monetary gain. Regardless, Cid’s story is one of conquest, glory, and honor that parallels the stories of the crusaders and parades the idea of gaining wealth through war to the populace of Iberia.
Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe, “By the sword and the cross.” (Compton’s 346) As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A.D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had all but forgotten the great gifts of education and arts that they had possessed at one time. Charlemagne solidly defeated barbarians and kings in identical fashion during his reign. Using the re-establishment of education and order, Charlemagne was able to save many political rights and restore culture in Western Europe.
Since this paper is my reflection, I will be honest by stating that I am nineteen years old, white, a male, and have been raised in a Catholic family just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Now why is this important? This is important because the only viewpoint of the crusades that I have studied, prior to my experience with Maalouf, has been from the Christian point of view. Until now, I have yet to place myself in the shoes of those on the opposite end of the sword, shields, and Jihad. History is a touchy subject for me because I have come to learn there is always another side of the story to learn from. This fact leads to the first main thesis of Maalouf’s adventure.
When comparing the epic poem of The Song of Roland to the romantic literature of Ywain, the differences between the early medieval period and the high medieval period become evident. Both The Song of Roland and Ywain depicts the societies from which each story derives its fundamental characteristics. Through close observation, one is able to see the shifts in customs and mentality that make the move from the epic to the romance possible. In his chapter 'From Epic to Romance', R.W. Southern shows how this transformation manifests itself through changing ecclesiastical and secular thoughts and feelings.
"Charlemagne." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. 19 May 2015.
Both The Poem of the Cid and The Song of Roland were written in a time period where great new developments were occurring in Europe, but none more crucial than the beginning of the Crusades and the ethnocentric viewpoint they propagated and were propagated by (Quinn). Of great interest is the manner in which both works deal with the nature of pluralism in European history. For the sake of this essay, pluralism will be defined simply as a state of more than one. Both works, written at approximately the same time (1130-1170 for The Song of Roland and approximately 1207 for The Poem of the Cid, as per the book's forewords) have astonishing similarities and stark contrasts, which when put in context are incredibly revealing of their respective author's/culture's attitudes about economic, cultural, and religious pluralism.
The collection Two Lives of Charlemagne contains two different biographies of Charlemagne who was a king of the Franks and a christian emperor of the West in the 8th century. The first biographical account was written by his courtier Einhard who knew him personally and well. On the other hand, the second account was penned by Notker the Stammerer was born twenty-five years after the king’s death. Even though these two versions indicate the same king’s life, there were many differences between the two. Einhard’s writing focused on the emperor’s official life and his military campaign. However, Notker provided more of a perspective about the king’s legacy and seemed more hyperbolic as well as mythical. This paper will compare and contrast the
...ia paper on him and the Battle of Tours. Even though the Battle of Tours is remembered as one of the most important battles in history not many people know of its’ consequences and how it effects most everyone who now lives in the Western World. More importantly who knows if Christianity would have survived at all if Charles did not stop the Moors at Tours, considering how early in history the battle took place and how both Christianity and Islam were growing at the time. Given that I learned a lot about Charles Martel and about the Frankish people as well as how history forces contribute to almost if not all of the major things that have happened throughout history. More than one of each are usually involved and knowing about them have really helped me better understand why certain things throughout history have happened and why they happened the way that they did.