Medieval History Lesson Five: and the Cultural Campaign New Laws, Education, Culture and Art

Goals:

 Video: Illuminated Manuscripts o Why did these incredibly detailed books become THE symbol of the Middle Ages?

 Activity: o What do my clothes say about me, anyway? o Illuminated Manuscript Letter

 Lesson: o Putting Charlemagne on the Map o Timeline of Carolingians o Cause & Effect: The Legacy of Charlemagne

 Review: Placemat Activity

 BONUS: o Crusades: How they changed everything o The Song of o Nobles, Knights and Chivalry

VIDEO LESSON: How books changed everything…

More for this Chapter:

What do my clothes say about me, anyway?

Can you find the symbols in this portrait of Charlemagne. Before the invention of the World Wide Web, paintings were the way that people researched and understood their leaders. What do the symbols Charlemagne had incorporated into his portrait say about the man, the myth, the legend?

crown mace

gothic cathedral

sword

colours of symbols on the robe armor

details in the landscape

Putting Charlemagne on the Map

The Franks established the largest of the new Doodle Bar Germanic Kingdoms. Charlemagne became king of the Franks in 768. He expanded the Frankish practice of giving land to his nobles in exchange for their promised of loyalty and service. At the same time, the nobles gave land to those below them in exchange for similar promises. Peasants put themselves in service to their local lords for security. Charlemagne expanded the Frankish Kingdom to include present day France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and northern Italy. He resisted the further expansion of the Muslims who had conquered Spain. In 800, he was crowned Holy roman Emperor by the Pope. Although his empire did not last, Charlemagne established the social, cultural and political foundations for much of Western Europe for the next several centuries.

Did you know…

The Dark Ages was named for a time in history when it seemed like people were mostly killing one another, fighting over who was more powerful, and causing general chaos. Yet Charlemagne’s reign could be seen as one of the brightest times in Medieval History. The guy was serious abut making his kingdom and his subjects the best, brightest, most looked after people history had ever known. Charlemagne was serious about education; he wanted to obliterate illiteracy. He believed that educated citizens were strong citizens. Accomplishments:

 abandoned the gold standard in favour of silver currency throughout Europe o trade becomes easier o peasants can participate in commerce

 CONTINENT PROSPERS!

 changes laws and legislations to prevent nobles from getting away with corruption o local regional governors subject to inspection

 LOWER CLASS NO LONGER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF!

 encourages schooling throughout the kingdom o opens schools and university o promotes literacy o lingua fraca, Latin, adopted as school language

 PEOPLE CAN COMMUNICATE INTELLIGENTLY sooooo PEACEFUL TRADE NETWORKS ABOUND!

 promotes Christianity throughout Europe o Charlemagne crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III o first Emperor to rule the continent since the fall of Rome

 SEEN AS A POWERFUL RIVAL TO THE BYZANTINE EMPRIRE! History Timeline: The Carolinians

450-850 AD

486 France is united by

Clovis

751 Pepin, the first

Carolingian king

768 Charlemagne becomes

Carolingian king

782 Charlemagne defeats

Saxons

800 Pope Leo III crowns

Charlemagne Roman

Emperor

814 Charlemagne dies

843 Carolinian Empire

divided into three parts

BONUS ACTIVITIES

Crusades: How pilgrimages to the Holy Land changed Europe

The Crusades were religious, political and social events. While the Crusades were mostly inspired by medieval Christians wishing to secure a place in heaven for themselves, others hoped to become medieval heroes through their courageous deeds. In the end, Europe lost the long-term goal of conquering Jerusalem, but the discoveries they made changed Europe’s economy and way of life forever.

Below are a series of major changes caused by the Crusades. Your job is to convince the people of Europe that even though the Crusaders never really conquered the Middle East or its’ people, they have gained other things. Make a poster advertising one of the changes that resulted from the Crusades:

Wanna make some New Friends? Support the Crusades, where nations come together and new friendships are made!

Hi. I’m Rick. Are those I LOVE PANTS! your tunic! People Self • Nationalism began, especially in England, France, • Codes for sea behavior were Germany, and Italy instituted • Town merchants benefited from increased trade and • Cosmetics: rouge, henna, glass loaned money mirrors • Military knowledge increased; Supreme commander concept, sapping, mining techniques.

Nature Picture • Europe united itself as a geographic entity • Heraldic emblems were copied • Geographic knowledge increased through travel of from the Muslims Crusaders and map acquisition. • Art: mosaics, stained glass • Tree grafting was introduced to agriculture windows, figured brocades, • Herbs and spices: cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, ecclesiastical art saffron, and pepper • Precious goods: pearls and ivory • Food: sugar cane and syrup, lemons, apricots, plums, dates, rhubarb, almonds, shallots, and watermelons

Word Music • University concept was introduced and strengthened • Music: the guitar and the violin based on Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba models. introduced • The cotton paper-making process replaced importing • music becomes more complex as parchment; the amount of writing increase. melodies are invented by laying • Literature imported Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the voices. Forty Thieves, Aladdin • New Words: cotton, sofa, mattress, barracks, magazine, arsenal, admiral, tariff, algebra, alcove, crimson, lilac, azure Logic Body

• Alliances were formed of former rival nations • Shipbuilding and navigational • Coined money increased in use skills increased • Town merchants benefited from increased trade and • Concentric castle designs were loaned money introduced to architecture for • Papacy consolidated its systematic dominion better defense • Gold standard was established in Europe. • The handkerchief was introduced • Mathematics: Arabic numbers, decimals and spherical to Europe trigonometry, algebra, sine and tangent • Clothing materials: silk, linen, • Science: physics and astronomy, the pendulum, optics cotton, and velvet and the telescope

The Song of Roland

For seven years, the valiant Christian king Charlemagne has made war against the Saracens in Spain. Only one Muslim stronghold remains, the city of Saragossa, under the rule of and Queen . Marsile, certain that defeat is inevitable, hatches a plot to rid Spain of Charlemagne.

He will promise to be Charlemagne's vassal and a Christian convert in exchange for Charlemagne's departure. But once Charlemagne is back in France, Marsile will renege on his promises. Charlemagne and his vassals, weary of the long war, receive Marsile's messengers and try to choose an envoy to negotiate at Marsile's court on Charlemagne's behalf. Roland, a courageous knight and Charlemagne's right-hand man, nominates his stepfather, . Ganelon is enraged, thinking that

Roland has nominated him for this dangerous mission in an attempt to be rid of him for good. Ganelon has long been jealous of Roland, and on his diplomatic mission he plots with the pagans, telling them that they could ambush Charlemagne's rearguard as Charlemagne leaves Spain. Roland will undoubtedly lead the rearguard, and Ganelon promises that with Roland dead Charlemagne will lose the will to fight.

After Ganelon returns with assurances of Marsile's good faith, Roland, as he predicted, ends up leading the rearguard. The twelve peers, Charlemagne's greatest and most beloved vassals, go with him. Among them is , a wise and prudent man and Roland's best friend. Also in the rearguard is the fiery Archbishop Turin, a clergymen who also is a great warrior. At the pass of Rencesvals, the twenty thousand Christians of the rearguard are ambushed by a vastly superior force, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Oliver counsels Roland to blow his oliphant horn, to call back Charlemagne's main force, but Roland refuses.

The Franks fight valiantly, but in the end they are killed to the man. Roland blows his Oliphant so that Charlemagne will return and avenge them. His temples burst from the force required, and he dies soon afterward. He dies facing the enemy's land, and his soul is escorted to heaven by saints and angels.

Charlemagne arrives, and he and his men are overwhelmed with grief at the sight of the massacre. He pursues the pagan force, aided by a miracle of God: the sun is held in place in the sky, so that the enemy will not have cover of night. The Franks push the Saracens into the river Ebro, where those who are not chopped to pieces are drowned.

Marsile has escaped and returned to Saragossa, where the remaining Saracens are plunged into despair by their losses. But , the incredibly powerful emir of Babylon, has arrived to help his vassal. The emir goes to Rencesvals, where the Franks are mourning and burying their dead. There is a terrible battle, climaxing with a one- on-one clash between Baligant and Charlemagne. With a touch of divine aid, Charlemagne slays Baligant, and the Saracens retreat. The Franks take Saragossa, where the destroy all Jewish and Moslem religious items and force the conversion of everyone in the city, with the exception of Queen Bramimonde. Charlemagne wants her to come to Christ of her own accord. With her captive, the Franks return to their capitol, Aix. Ganelon is put on trial for treason. , Ganelon's kinsman and a gifted speaker, nearly sways the jury to let Ganelon go. But Thierry, a brave but physically unimposing knight, says that Ganelon's revenge should not have been taken against a man in Charlemagne's serve: that constitutes treason. To decide the matter, Pinabel and Thierry fight. Though Pinabel is by far the stronger man, God intervenes and Thierry triumphs. The Franks draw and quarter Ganelon (tie each limb to one of four horses running in opposite directions, which tears the victim to pieces). They also hang thirty of his kinsmen.

Charlemagne announces to all that Bramimonde has decided to become a Christian. Her baptism is celebrated, and all seems well.

But that night, the angel Gabriel comes to Charlemagne in a dream, and tells him that he must depart for a new war against the pagans. Weary and weeping, but fully obedient to God, Charlemagne prepares for yet another bloody war.

CHALLENGE: create one or two graphic novel pages from the legend: