Why Is Blood Red Horse Important

1656 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Medieval England

Blood Red Horse: An Accurate Source

The Medieval Ages were a time of chaos and war as rulers struggled to maintain a centralized power. The historical fiction novel Blood Red Horse by K. M. Grant takes place in Medieval England at first in 1185, and then moves toward the holy city of Jerusalem until 1193. It follows the journey of Sir Thomas’s sons, Gavin and William, and their inseparable bond of the invisible horse, Hosanna, as they leave their homeland of Heartslove to take part in the third crusade. The novel thoroughly explains their visits to the local Abbey, experiences as Christians in battle, and their encounters with the Muslims as they fight for their religion to take back Jerusalem. K.M. Grant’s Blood Red Horse strongly and accurately describes the lives and knowledge of Monks living in a medieval Christian monastery, military armour and weapons, and the English crusader’s significant battles with Muslim leader, Saladin. Medieval England was under great influence of the Catholic church, and there were many monasteries called Abbeys where monks could live with one another in …show more content…

As they read different ideas they could see what types of remedies really worked and what types were ineffective. They used local herbs and plant extracts to make combinations that would heal certain wounds or illnesses. On page 86 Ellie goes to Brother Andrew and he shows her new cremes and special ointments that he and the monks work on and try out. Monks would gain a reputation after a while if they were good with medicine, “Some monks gained such a reputation for being skilled healers that they were sought out by lay patients” (“Medieval Medicine”). Grant accurately depicted a real scenario that would have happened: a monk is known for being knowledgeable with special medicines, so a patient seeks him out for

Show More
Related

  • Athenian definition of democracy

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    - - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication

    Read More

  • The First Crusades Analysis

    1928 Words  | 4 Pages

    with the intent of widespread entertainment, elements of comedy and other aspects of entertaining film can, at times, cloud the message and content of the documentary. An anti-war advocate, Terry Jones’ presentation of matter so closely related to strong personal sentiments can also introduce a degree of bias in the presentation and approach taken to analyzing the events detailed in the series. However, the documentary incorporates the input and analysis of several highly-regarded medieval historians, including Jonathan Riley-Smith, Suheil Zakkar, Fikret Isiltan, David Lazenby, and Christopher Tyerman. This group of historians, all highly esteemed individuals in the field, are able to offer a balanced and likely unbiased account of what they believe to be true about the

    Read More

  • Why Henry VIII Closed the Monasteries

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    and I am going to evaluate the evidence about the stage of the monasteries at the time of their decision. Henry V111 and Cromwell had sent around people to report that the monks are not following the rules, for example: that the monks are playing dice and spent much money on gambling, monks are not answering the door and the prior of the crossed friar's monastery in London in bed with a woman. When Henry V111 had the evidence that the monks were not following the rules, he felt he could close the monasteries. This evidence may not have been reliable because inspectors were employed by Cromwell who wanted to please Henry V111 and look for negative thing about monks; Cromwell was protestant (probably employed protestant inspectors) so likely to be used against catholic monastery and might be good reason for women to be there (for example: sick) monastery might really be poor. Modern historian can use the benefit of hindsight to help them by looking at all the evidence and have a less biased opinion,

    Read More

  • warriors of god

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Warriors of God by James Reston Jr. is a non-fictional view of the third crusade. This particular crusade spanned from 1187-1192, containing many gruesome battles and a lot of intense moments between Islam and Christianity. Reston supplies the reader with a little background to the third Crusade when he talks about the first Crusades happening since 1095. Reston gives a fairly impartial view of this holy war. He discusses the battles, politics, and emotions of the Crusade as an outside party and if he takes any side at all it is with the Muslims. He often speaks badly of King Richard and he speaks well of Saladin, the sultan. He portrays Richard as a greedy, anti-Semite, who is intolerable of other religions, while he shows Saladin as tolerant to the Jews, reasonable, and an overall good leader. Reston wrote this book mostly to inform readers about the third Crusade but also to add some of his own insights. His thesis was a little unclear but he stated that the Crusades were the most violent event in history all the way up to Hitler’s rein. Reston did a good job in proving this when he told of battles and then analyzed them. He told of a time when King Richard had twenty thousand Muslims executed and when Saladin had Reginald of Chatillon beheaded along with many other Christian prisoners.

    Read More

  • Rape in Romanesque Art

    1928 Words  | 4 Pages

    Quinn, Patricia A. Better Than the Sons of Kings: Boys and Monks in the Early Middle Ages. (New York,

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    Concerns over the medieval people’s ability to faithfully endorse Christianity were echoed in medieval texts through Sir Gawain’s search for redemption. People were expected to demonstrate their unmoved faith, especially since the Church played a significant role in their lives. Sir Gawain embodies the impeccable role as an endorser of chivalry to inspire other knights which allow for open discussion about his flaws to ease iron-clad expectations. Sir Gawain is presented with a call to action in both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” in The Canterbury Tales which is delegated by higher powers. His representation of the knights, therefore, portrays the people’s own trial for penance as an individual

    Read More

  • A Story of Blood, Death, Loyalty and Honor Depicted in the Poem, The Song of Roland

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the poem The Song of Roland, the author relates the spectacular fight between King Charlemagne’s army, the Franks, and the Muslim Saracens. The poem tells a story of blood, death, loyalty and honor. Around 1095, the year in which the First Crusade was initiated, we find the first extant version of this great French epic. While there is truth deeply rooted in the poem, much was emphasized and embellished to attract followers in the crusades. Despite appearing as propaganda, the author succeeded in assembling thousands of volunteers for the launch of the crusades. In The Song of Roland, the author created the poem to gather troops through Roland’s character, the Good vs. Evil theme, and the theme of loyalty.

    Read More

  • Medicine in the Middle Ages

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people don’t believe in medicine at all. The most commonly used treatment is prayer. Ordinary people relied on methods their parents and grandparents used, such as lucky charms, magic spells and herbal cures. Some of the herbal remedies are quite useful. The monks who looked after sick travellers in the monasteries were very skilled in using herbs.

    Read More

  • The Crusades and the Israeli Palestine Conflict

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    "The Crusades (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Knights Of The Crusades: Hospitallers And The Templars

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    There were two well-known monastic orders that rose from the Holy Wars of the Crusades. These orders were a new type of religious order- a fighting force that remained devoted to Christian values, but fought as soldiers would in the Crusades. They were known as the Knights of the Hospital (or Hospitallers) and Knights of the Temple (Templars). Throughout the Crusading period both orders of knights played a large role in the protection of the Holy Land and its Christian pilgrims. Both orders were in fact a product of the Crusades and became a largely vital element in how they were fought. This essay argues that while the Hospitallers and Templars had similar origins in the Holy Land these

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation

    1843 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many bishops and abbots (especially in countries where they were also territorial princes) bore themselves as secular rulers rather than as servants of the Church. Many members of cathedral chapters and other beneficed ecclesiastics were chiefly concerned with their income and how to increase it, especially by uniting several prebends (even episcopal sees) in the hands of one person, who thus enjoyed a larger income and greater power. Luxury prevailed widely among the higher clergy, while the lower clergy were often oppressed. The scientific and ascetic training of the clergy left much to be desired, the moral standard of many being very low, and the practice of celibacy not everywhere observed. Not less serious was the condition of many monasteries of men, and even of women (which were often homes for the unmarried daughte...

    Read More

  • Was The Crusades Justified Essay

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Crusades are probably some of the bloodiest pages of history. The Christian states of Europe and the Muslims, also called Saracens at the time, were locked in near-constant warfare for two hundred years, from the 11th to the 13th century (“The Crusades”). These wars revolved around the Holy City, where the saviour Jesus trod, Jerusalem. In 1065, Turks took the holy city by force and killed 3000 Christians (“The Crusades”). This started a chain of events that led to the Holy Crusades. In order to fully understand this topic, one should explore the effects of the Crusades, how it impacted society, whether or not the conflict was resolved, whether or not it was justified, and what we can do to prevent such a horrible conflict from happening

    Read More

  • Paradise Lost and The Canterbury Tales

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 14th century, war, and violence were prevalent. The Canterbury Tales were written during the Hundred Years War, when the Catholic Church was dealing with the Western schism, and “Against the darkest period of his life…” (Bloom 14). The story is centered on a group of thirty pilgrims who are traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury (Bloom 14). The pilgrims are all focused on a theme which is backed by the story’s underlying tone of religion.

    Read More

  • Medicine In The Middle Ages

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    They only treated patients with herbs and natural products. In the middle age, medicine was not effective because they used natural resources, doctors were not dependable and social class depended on who you would go to when you were sick.

    Read More

  • Anglo Saxon Research Paper

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Their para-monastic form, capable of being endowed, adopted, or controlled by individuals or dynasties, was attractive to the kings and nobles of northern Europe, where the monastic sites tended to become nodes of interconnections based on familial and territorial structures”(Blair 49). In this para-monastic form, the bishops were important pastorally and to varying degrees administratively. This also provided infrastructure for the local churches. In all the complex religious sites, housing communities of a broadly monastic character became progressively more important. “…it proved enormously attractive to English kings too, though this only becomes apparent sometime after the initial conversions” (Blair 49). As a result, there rose long-term stability within Irish society where the emergent Anglo-Saxon communities helped forge a new Germanic and pagan identity. As they moved toward a more political and less tribal organization, they reoriented themselves towards the Christian world. “…the late Anglo-Saxon kings developed a highly advanced administration that functioned through a system of local divisions (shires) and royal officers (sheriffs)” (McKitterick 121). This system made the Anglo-Saxon kings’ will known throughout their kingdom by means of writs and allowed the direct levying of taxes. With this improved degree of communication, the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms survived

    Read More

More about Why Is Blood Red Horse Important

Open Document