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The Peasants Revolt
The Black Death had swept through England taking out great swaths of the population with terrifying efficiency. The only silver lining to be found in this great expanse of death is that it left the survivors in the possession of more wealth and power than their forebearers. Men who had been scratching a living, suddenly became village elites with a bit of money and property as all the other heirs were carried off with plague. Labor for the harvests was scarce and food was scarcer, so those willing to toil were able to charge a wage and not be tied to land as defined by feudal law. However, the lords…
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Prester John
In the time of the crusades, Europeans were looking for any allies in their battles against the Muslims for the Holy Land. Medieval writings often feature a fabulously wealthy Christian king in the East. This was Prester John. He was believed to be a member of the Nestorian Church, which was an independent Eastern Christian church that did not fall under the purview of the patriarch in Constantinople. He was supposed to be an ally against the Muslims for the crusaders to take advantage of. The story of Prester John was first recorded by Bishop Otto of Freisling Germany in his Chronicon published in 1145. It was based on…
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The Eleanor Crosses
Edward I of England and his queen, Eleanor of Castile, were deeply devoted to one another. Their marriage, like most marriages at the time, was pure rooted in pragmatic politics. Henry III, Edward’s father, was having a dispute with Eleanor’s half brother Alphonso over claims to the duchy of Gascony. A deal was struck that Alphonso would cede his claims to his half-sister’s new husband after the marriage. They were married at Burgos in Castile in August 1254 in a lavish ceremony. Although the two had not known each other previously, there seems to be a real affection that grew up between them. From the time of the marriage, they…
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Enrico Dandolo’s Revenge or The Fourth Crusade
Enrico Dandolo had an ax to grind. At first, it seemed like he had a pretty good life. He was born in the early 12th century to an influential Venetian noble family. His father was Vitale Dandolo, who was a famous jurist and diplomat. His uncle, another Enrico Dandolo, was the patriarch of Grado, the highest ranking churchman in Venice. Young Enrico followed in his father’s footsteps and went on many diplomatic for the Republic. He was a shrewd politician and survived a disastrous mission Constantinople in 1171. The Byzantine Empire was the biggest kid on the block, and had seized the goods of thousands of Venetians living in the…
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The White Ship Disaster
On November 25, 1120 the newly refitted vessel the White Ship captained by Thomas FitzStephen White Ship sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur. Only one of those aboard survived. William Adelin, the only legitimate son and heir of King Henry I of England, his half-sister Matilda, and his half-brother Richard would be one of many to drown. Adelin’s death would lead to a succession crisis and a period of civil war in England known as the Anarchy. FitzStephen offered his ship to Henry I of England to use to return to England from Barfleur in Normandy. Henry had already made other arrangements, but allowed many…
