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 […]
Tag: Medieval
Prester John
Written on June 28, 2017 by ER at 3:47 PM | 0
Africa, ER, France, Germany, Italy, Northern Europe, Rest of the World, Southern Europe, Turkey
Africa, ER, France, Germany, Italy, Northern Europe, Rest of the World, Southern Europe, Turkey
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 […]
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 […]
Enrico Dandolo’s Revenge or The Fourth Crusade
Written on May 5, 2017 by ER at 4:03 PM | 0
Byzantium, ER, Italy, Rest of the World, Southern Europe
Byzantium, ER, Italy, Rest of the World, Southern Europe
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 […]
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 […]