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ARTICLES
Arthur, the Dark Age Warrior
Middle Ages Revisited
Arthurian Facts
The Crusades
Twelfth Night
Invaders of Ireland
Educational Research Links
Labrynith Medieval Netserf
Scriptorium The Orb |
The timeless legends of Arthur have great meaning for England, Scotland, and Wales. Each claim him as their own, affirm his birth, the lands he wandered, the treasured spots he left behind, and the elusive castle he ruled from. Such conflicts arose from the different quills of the writer's Sir Thomas Mallory who wrote Camelot was the town of Winchester England while William Caxton says it resides in Wales, and Scotland's poems and writers declare it is their lands he came from.
Most believe his life began in the 5th century where every generation since has added to those ancient myths molding him into something far greater than what any man could ever be in real life. I am equally curious and delighted how time itself has favored him above all others to become mankind’s most cherished king.
Today's writer's continue to search his history hoping to decipher some new truth, with each sharing a penchant for bestowing yet another name on him such as High King, Eternal King, Once and Future King, Starry King and more.
The first author to write him in any detail was the 12th century writer, Geoffrey of Monmouth. His book the ‘History of the Kings of Britain’ is credited with beginning the legends of Arthur and Merlin. As a professed historian he claims to have translated an ancient book written in early British tongue as his reference source, yet he never produced that book, and was labeled a writer of lies. It's nteresting note as well, his book writing was done while living in Wales.
Liar or not his manuscript was enjoyed in England and Europe and most cared little if there was a book to sustain his lineage of Britain's kings. Geoffrey began Arthur and Merlin's ideals, and what sources he used to write such stories can only be assumed, though it should not be doubted that every means available wasn't used, such as oral stories and what few histories were written then, nor should one ever forget they were colored by his own interpretations fashioned by his own time and settings.
Geoffrey’s Latin works were translated into Norman-French where Robert Wace added the Round Table, and the French poet Chretien de Troyes wrote a bold account of Arthur adding characters such as Gawain, Owein, Gilvaethwy. Yet it wasn't until the 13th century that the Crestician clerics of St. Bernard penned their eight volumes of the Lancelot Grail or the Vulgate Cycle. It was the first time Arthur was put into prose not verse, and in time he came to have over two-hundred warriors of unusual traits, as he himself was given unworldly attributes. But the most glorifying Arthurian tale came from the prisoner Sir Thomas Mallory who wrote ‘Le Morte de Arthur’. Thomas and Geoffrey's stories became the basis for thousands more, along with a manuscript by an unknown author who added the Holy Grail to Arthur’s quests.
But how could one persons deeds become so wide spread when only a few could read or write? That simple task fell to every country's Bards, Historians, Minstrels, and Troubadours whose only job was to tell a happening that needed remembering.
Tales were two-fold events then. They were the news and entertainment of daily life with centuries passing before the Church ordered it’s cleric scribes to record all oral stories for posterity. Those researching any tale, myth, or deed of glory had to assume each one must have some basis of fact, when Arthur's may not. How can that be? From the simple fact a human hardly repeats anything without changing or adding to it in some way, and the cleric's themselves should be viewed in the manner as well. There is no way of knowing if they ever sought out more than one Bard to judge if his story had a basis other than himself, or even if the few printed versions were compared to the clerick's own to see if his preferences had not been included. If they were this was called ‘Interpolation’ meaning he had altered or corrupted the original by inserting new or different material into an ancient manuscript, generally the margins, or ’Recensions’ meaning to revise a work.
And lastly the greatest influencing element that must be considered is the ‘embellishment’ factor. This was extremely important to all story teller's because their very lives depended on how entertaining their stories were. If their tale ever failed to please a King or Noble, he would be killed immediately for not living up to their status as an entertainer, and any story teller knew when he was admitted into a castle or manor it was solely to do exactly that.
To further my meaning let me give an example, if a Bard told a story about about a knight set upon by a robber and he killed that robber, that relayed a bit of news but nothing worthy enough to get him fed for the night. But if he told the same deed with the knight surrounded by a dozen robbers while battling a fierce dragon over head, then he would have everyone in the hall on the edge of their seat including the King, and be fed and housed for a week. And if that same Bard ingeniously added, “Sire, I have traveled many lands, and seen things fit only for thy ears to hear.” That phrase alone would have him fed, clothed, and housed for weeks.
While fanciful stories and verses of mystery were a delight the most sought after were those about a knight’s prowess, much like the action movies are for us today. The earliest mentioning of Arthur came from the quill of the 5th century monk Gildas and the 8th century monk Nennius. From them mentioning Arthur’s name his ideals have grown into what men from the 10th century onward have been viewed against and molded towards, and what today's reenactment Knight valiantly strives to uphold.
So, was Arthur real or merely a fictitious character?
Through the ages he has become a composite of what many author’s thought he should be, and even though historian’s see his myths and legends as having some truth, there has yet been no archeology proof he ever existed. All there is to Arthur are the writings from the 5th century monks to 12th century writer’s, and each one disputes the other in their dates making him a complete enigma.
Too many times the strife of the Dark Ages in England, Scotland and Wales had need of a hero the people could believe in, and various writer's came to aid that cause by adding another value to Arthur, making him a combination of all the great Kings who loved, honored, and protected their countries.
And as for me, I tend to believe his idyllic Camelot was real enough to bring an unwavering creed of truth, loyalty and honor for his fellow man to the forefront of those dark and dismal times.
Editor-in-Chief
Keefe Michaelss
THE MIDDLE AGES REVISITED
by
Keefe Michaelss
For a thousand years this period flourished as no other had or ever will again.
Amazingly, most of it was dedicated to chivalry and the knights who daily embraced its harsh existence, yet centuries would pass before historian’s would label it the Dark Ages, Medieval Times, Age of Chivalry, Age of Faith, High Middle Ages, or the Renaissance era.
It was an age consumed by the determination people poured into it to make life better, where constant new beginnings were a challenge, bolder-than-life men defended flourishing dynasties, and the latest church and those who kept reforming them had the need to govern even the mightiest of kings, with both calling on a knights bravery again and again. Here legends were formed and passed down, ancient beliefs were kept, wizards were an uncommon gift to anyone, magic was real, fears were capitalized on, stalwart traditions were a relief, and everyday guidance and progression was left to a king to insure, but more importantly than all this was the austerity and treachery that dominated each day.
Titles were an intricate and sought after part of life with China's emperor proclaiming only he was equaled to god while all other kings never saw themselves as anything less. And depending upon on a king’s momentary desire, or how many favors he secretly owed, titles for a Noble could number many.
The majority of the populace had to worry about the three classes above them; royalty, nobility, and the clergy, who kept their beliefs simple; god smote, kings ruled, and the latest church was sure to save one’s soul. While life itself formed many of those beliefs, fear also kept common sense at bay, along with the desolate fact there was no concept of an intimate family until nearly the ninth century.
When a family ranked high enough sons were finished with childhood by the age of seven when they were sent off to another household to train for knighthood. Turning fourteen he was raised to the rank of squire to learn heavy weapons, jousting, prayers, dance, poetry, etiquette, and Heraldry. If knighted at twenty-one his soul would be christened to god while his mortal body was dedicated to the protection of the church, king, country, and the less fortunate in that order.
Once knighted he was burdened with an invisible mantle of an earth-bound god, as his ranks outer appearance of a finely tooled leather belt, great sword, golden spurs, and painted shield all which awarded him instant homage and respect. If favored by his king he may also receive a warhorse and accouterments, and if his family had wealth enough the bestowment of the family arms, perhaps a suit of armor, or squire of his own.
His armors first importance was protection, but it also became an area to display his personal Coat of Arms, much the same as his banner or Flag of Arms did.
From a few bold strokes those personal identities became elaborate declarations, England's King Richard III in 1484 commanded the College of Arms be established to record, regulate, and preside over such identities. And it wasn't unusual for a mere cloth banner to win the loyalty and protection of many knights simply for the country or man it represented.
Females faired little better even though they remained with their parents until twelve or thirteen when their menses began. The moment it did they were married off to settle a debt, seal a bargain or better their parents estates. This overnight rush into womanhood had most dying during the first year of marriage due to childbirth. Children were a means to marry into Nobility or preserve ones lands, or if poor merely a valuable work source.
Unclean and harsh living prevented most females from reaching the old age of twenty, while war did the same for males, and if either were lucky enough to survive longer then they were very old and wise indeed.
Period colors were vibrant considering how they were achieved. Dyes were mixed by a master or mistress who collected them from different sources such as lamb or goat urine for yellow, berries or bugs for red, roots for brown etc. Sheep’s wool was dyed and woven into cloth or spun into thread that weaver’s made into clothing, tapestries, banners, horse trappings, tents and more. Tatter’s used fine threads to knit caps or embellish pillows, tabards, vests and gowns. Wool produced a natural beige color, making pure white or dark colors the hardest and most expensive to attain. Many times a color itself was given status when a king declared only the royal family could wear a blue, black, or purple, hence, such names as royal blue etc.
The castle or manor cook could produce filling meals for newly arrived knights out of freshly baked loaves of bread by cutting off the top, hollowing out the inside, and filling with stew. The top was then used to sop up the stew before pulling the bread bowl apart and eating it. and during a feast it was normal for a cook to set fully feathered bird before the king, which had been plucked, arranged sitting up on a platter, modestly baked and then painstakingly refeathered again.
Stone castles and cylindrical fortresses were cold and most chambers were built with a fireplace for warmth throughout most of the year. A clean castle would have the straw rush scattered over the stone floors picked up and changed every fortnight (two weeks), with an untidy one best not mentioned here. The bed chambers had relieving pots emptied by servants, or there was a hole in one corner of the floor that dropped everything into a basement chamber or water channel to carry it away.
Royalty and Nobility could afford several new outfits each year, while a peasant had to make do with one for several years, and makeup was not unheard of though it was berry juice that stained the lips and cheeks red.
Land meant everything and war was a way to gain it. War itself was viewed by everyone as glorious and exciting to an otherwise dull existence from the military men who devised its strategy, to the camp cooks and women who followed. It also meant spoils, and that was new clothes, boots, horses, weapons, and at times wealth and land of their own. The possibility of bettering oneself was a valid reason for giving up their lives so easily. Most wars were fought in the spring and summer months, halting in the fall to gather in harvests, which left the winter months to be endured.
Longevity played a strong part in one's existence while for most it was a miracle if they lived at all from the scarcity of food and no doctors for serious ailments. Infections and colds the body cured on it's own or was aided by old Wives tales or folk cures, and if really bad it would be accompanied by medicinal roots for pain.
Bards and Troubadours were the first story tellers of chivalrous deeds making some stories grow into legendary proportions. Strolling minstrels put tale to song not only in one version, but two; one fit for the delicacy of women or children, and the other more bawdy or filk version remained strictly for men. Strolling Minstrel’s spread tales, and human nature what it is, not one was ever told the same way twice. Accompanying the story teller’s interpretation of events was the fact one relied heavily on how much they valued their lives.
Here-say governed most villages, sometimes wars, and definitely kingdom affairs. Calling anything in the Middle Ages fact is risky, but that part of our history must be based on some fact. To make my meaning clearer let me recit a few examples from some of my own books about Sir Thomas Mallory. Each of the four versions lists his age, death and life achievements differently, appearing as elusive as Arthur himself. One says he was imprisoned for murder, another for rape and extortion, still another says he was a country soldier who refused to fight, and the fourth says he was a Baron accused of treachery. A secondary consideration is that every great story or historical event was translated from its original language into many, thereby possibly losing a significant portion of its true meaning.
Bartering was payment for things like cloth, ale, food and seeds. Swapping one thing for another made life easier, if not people found things they were good at and used them to their advantage. They made do with what they had while trying to find something more to better their living conditions.
Near the fifteenth century pressure from the church and the people themselves who were tired of striving for life and owing food to feudal lords was taking effect. Ironically though it was these same people who steadfastly refused to do away with the monarchy all together by offering continued support in return for more freedom. One summation of this attitude could be they wanted their toiled efforts kept for themselves while maintaining a king to worry over the necessary safety of their lands and country. It was during those times of chaos and disorder gave way to a few outspoken men and women who began moving our forbearer’s towards civilization by creating social organization and rules.
The people of this age were impressive producing a vast well of majestic kings, strong willed pope’s, valiant and royal causes, chivalrous heroes, courageous lady’s and foreign cultures that constantly intermingled into each other's traditional courts to change the old into new.
Writer's today still feed on the allure and richness of this historical period, and no one should fear it will disappear. From the millions of people intent on keeping it alive. England is the foremost supporter of this time with America a close second, and Germany maintaining real jousting groups to this day. Throughout the world are dedicated clothing shops, games research venues, armorers, ancient cultures, and period businesses to feed and astound our desires for that part of our past.
Such are the times!
ARTHURIAN FACTS
by
M.D. Taylor
During the Dark Ages Arthur ruled a period of mankind that fought daily to survive, leaving many dead from lack of skills needed to defend life, home, and family.
We can thank Arthur’s legendary existence for those we value today spun during his short life. But what we value even more is the honor and chivalry attributed more to him than to any other in our past history, and it doesn’t matter he never lived to hear the word knight become a word or that he never knew his chivalry was so great he had a round table made so as not to sit above anyone when they sat conferring.
Today it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t know his legends most of us grew up with, savored, sometimes dreamed about, often defended, but mostly kept tucked in our hearts believing them real.
Whether he was real or a composite of a writer's quill, those of us fortunate enough to be knighted in his future times to continue to strive to embrace what is attributed to his knightly virtues.
The name Arthur can be matched to so many legends, myths, and facts its been extremely difficult to decipher which ones should be associated to him, yet does any of that matter more than the man himself? If you‘re thinking maybe, then you should know Arthur did exist, though which era he came from is unknown, nor if he was a warrior turned king, or born a king is still debated.
The confusion possibly begins with the 10th c. monks themselves who were assigned the task of transcribing the Anglo-Saxon legends onto paper which they may have Christianized too much, just as they did the earlier Celtic legends of England.
And it may have been Geoffrey of Monmouth himself who reading them became so inspired by their writings he continued their cause and took that single legend to a greater height.
Even after all the arguments for and against Arthur, what still makes him so enthralling is all the conflicting facts and myths about him. As a warrior of our history he is still a complete enigma other than his name, which scholars believe began as Roman Arturius and was Christianized by the monks to Arthur.
Its hard to ignore the 6th c. Beowulf and Arthur legends have near the exact same standards, or that there were several warriors or kings who existed in the 5th century, the mightiest of which was a red-headed bear of a man, or that there was a leader named Arthur who actually did lead a cohort of Sarmatian Knights into battles and never lost, as suggested in the King Arthur of 2006.
It stared Clive Owen and Kiera Knightly and declared it was the most historically researched and accurately made movie of his life, claiming they have proven exactly who Arthur was and how he became king.
The trouble with this Arthur and his knights is that they existed ‘two centuries’ before the King Arthur we know today, and he did it by the name of Lucius Artorius Castus. He was a Roman General, a DUX (commander of war) assigned to Britannia in 181 AD. to protect it by keeping the Caledonians, or barbaric Scots, on the other side of Emperor Hadrian’s Wall and out of the Roman territory.
The Scots finally succeeded in over running the wall in 185 AD.
And finally, it's interesting to note that Geoffrey of Monmouth who wrote the legend of King Arthur wrote extensively from Wales in the 12th century. Another interesting fact is that the name Artorius (became known in Welch as Bear) was never heard of in Britannia, only Scotland and Wales and then only after Lucius’ duty to Britannia was over and he returned to Rome. Of the 5,000 legions of men he ruled most were Russian and south Ukranian Sarmatian Knights.
SARMATIANS
This is an ancient name of a region in east Europe situated between the Vistual river in Poland flowing north from the Carpathian Mountains past Warsaw into the Baltic near Danzig, and the Volga river flowing from the Valdai Hills in the west Russian Federation east then south to the Caspian Sea. Their own folklore told of a warrior named Batraz who rode with an elite group of men called Natz who engaged in quests. He had a magical sword which was cast back into the waters just before his death. Sound familiar? When Lucius duty to Britannia ended and he returned to Rome many of the Sarmatian knight’s remained in England, settling in a Colonia, an established city for legionnaires and warriors, where their stories of conquest could have easily spread to the local Celtic people who retold them from their ideals and thinking.
www.unrv.com/provinces/sarmatia.php
ARTHURIAN POEMS
There are two early known references to Arthur in the form of odes or poems of those times. The first is documented and dated as fact was Aneirin's of ‘Gododdin’ and the second ode by Taliesin is merely believed to have been composed in 547 ad.
Annales Cambriae says Arthur was killed at the Battle of Camlann in 537
Chair of the Sovereigns refers to Arthur the Blessed
Chanson de Saisnes.
Gododdin by Aneirin 594 a.d. Welsh poem first one known one to mention ‘Arthur’
Historia Britonum 830 a.d. by Nennius second work by the Welsh monk says Arthur
was a leader of battles’, but never mentions him as a King. His 12 battles are also
mentioned ending with the battle of Mons Badonicus where by himself killed 900 men
Journey to Deganwy by Taliesin refers to the Battle of Badon with Arthur
Preiddeu Annwyn mentions Arthur's valor
www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cphone.stm
www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient
ARTHUR'S 5th CENTURY
Beyond how every tribe and country kept its own dates of time until England declared Januaruy 1st is the first day of their new year, this century itself must be understood.
Everything attributed to Arthur such as his gold crown, sword, and armor were lacking in this century.
High Kings of Ireland and even group leaders such as a War Lords lacked armor, metal crowns, and the
large great sword.
Leaders of any group or tribe did rule by the might of their sword which came to symbolize every leaders rule, but those swords were more likely short like a Roman's, and not the ling great sword Arthur is credited with wielding.
The CRUSADES
"Deus vult!
God wills it!
by Sir Edward Michaelss
From the time of Emperor Constantine the Muslim's rule of Jerusalem allowed anyone to visit the Holy Land without incident, but nearing the 11th century too many were entering the city and the Seljuk Turks took over Jerusalem and began preventing such pilgrimages. Those who made the pilgrimage were forbidden to carry arms and many were slaughtered for lack of protection.
When Pope Urban II of Claremont preached the first crusade in 1095 calling upon all European Christian princes to rescue the Holy Land from the Turk infadels, knights coming forward swore a vow/votus to protect any who wanted to go to Jerusalem and were granted a cloth cross/crux to be sewn onto their clothes. By ‘taking this cross’ it eventually became associated with the entire journey.
The above Crusader or Jerusalem Cross was worn by Godfrey de Bouillon who became the first ruler of Jerusalem after it was taken from the Moslems. The five crosses symbolically represented the five wounds Jesus received when crucified. It's motto became every Crusader's cry.
A campaign or crusade was a Holy War launched by Christian states against the Saracens. There was little difference between either name for both were dedicated efforts to eliminate a particular something. The main objective of a Crusade war was to release Jersalem's Holy Land, but in time that ideal spread to seizing Spain from the Moors, removing the Slavs and Pagans from eastern Europe, and retaking the islands of the Mediterranean.
To form the needed armies a King would offer a knight ‘Crusade Privileges’ with each country devising their own, such as the King of France offering knights the honor of the Albigensian Crusade if they eliminated the heretic group of Cathars in his country. While a more significant privilege was crossing the feet of a knight after he died to show he had been in a crusade war, uncrossed feet a knight was never went on a crusade.
A 'Crusade' was not known by this word but more so by what each stood for such as, Fideles Sancti Petri---Faithful of St. Peter, or Milites Christi---Knights of Christ. With the term 'Pilgrimage' better suiting the later crusades during the Middle Ages.
The word ‘crusade’ is the English interpretation from the French word ‘croisade’. The Italian word for crusade was ‘crociata’, and the Portuguese ‘cruzada’ all helped in developing it. Today it means more a ‘righteous war’.
Crusades from the 12th centuries from Central Europe and Baltic nations were mostly Germans continuing as such untile the 16th century.
www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html
1st CRUSADE 1095-1099
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I called for help in defending his empire. Pope Urban II called upon all Christians to join in the war against the Turks to liberate the Holy Land from the Seliuks and safe guard pilgrims and routes to the Holy Sepulchre.
2nd CRUSADE 1147-1148
Bernard of Clairvaux called for a new crusade when the town of Edessa was conquered by the Turks, French and German armies.Louis VII Prepared to attack Damascus and Pope Eugenus III to aid crusader states who followed Muslim conquest of Edesssa.
3rd CRUSADE 1187-1192
Saladin recaptured Jerusalem and Pope Gregory VIII preached a new crusade was needed. It was lead by Richard I of England, Philip II of France and Frederick I the Holy Roman Emperor who gained only a true with Saladin.
4th CRUSADE 1198
Initiated by Pope Innocent III to invade the Holy Land through Egypt, the Venetians took control and diverted the troops to Constantinople in hopes of placing a Byzantine exile on the throne.
ALBIGENSIAN CRUSADE 1209
Designed to eliminate the ‘Cathars’ from France.
CHILDRENS CRUSADE 1212
A twelve-year old peasant boy Stephen of Cloyes, claimed he had visions to lead an army of children to fight in the Holy Land. They left Marseille, but never reached their destination, possibly sold into slavery in Egypt or died of hunger.
5th CRUSADE 1215
The Fourth Council of the Lantern planed to recover the Holy Lands using a force from Austria, Bavaria and Hungary they captured Damietta in Egypt but wound up foolishly attacking Cairo and had to surrender or be destroyed.
6th CRUSADE 1228
Emperor Frederick II sailed for Syria. He successfully negotiated Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem delivered to the Crusaders for the next ten years. It was the first crusade not initiated by any Pope due to Pope Innocent III six year truce expiritng with Egypt. He married heiress of Kingdom of Jerusalem.
7th CRUSADE 1248-1254
Louis IX of France organized a crusade against Egypt after the Templars representing the Papal enraged a conflict with Egypt in 1243.
8th CRUSADE 1270
Louis IX of France accompanied by Edward I of England sailed from its Aigues-Mortes port to aid the remnants of the crusader states in Syria. His crusade was diverted to Tunis though and two months later Louis died.
9th CRUSADE 1271-72
King Edward I of England returned but accomplished nothing in Syria retiring home the next year after a truce was called Mameluk’s conquest of Arsuf Caesarea, Haifa in 1265, and Antioch and Joppa around 1268.
THE CHURCH’S CODE of CONDUCT for the CRUSADES
1. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches and shall obey all her commandments.
2. Thou shalt defend the church.
3. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
4. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
5. Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
6. Thou shalt make war against the infidel without cessation and without mercy.
7. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
8. Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.
9. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
10. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good.
CHIVALRIC ORDERS
Order of BANDA
Founded 12th c. by King Alfonso XI of Castile ‘Wise’
Order of BATH
Instituted by Henry IV in 1399, revived by George I in 1725. Names derives from the fact candidates had to bathe the night before their investiture.
Order of ELEPHANT
Danish
Order of the GARTER
Founded 13th c. by England’s Edward III as a fellowship and college of knights.
Order of the GOLDEN FLEECE
Founded 14th c. by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. French language, originally 'Noble burgundian French'
still used by Archduke Otto..
Order of GUELPHIC
Founded 1815 by George IV England, while still Prince Regent.
Order of the Austrian Star
Ritual admission with dubbing by sword and solemn oath. The monarchy ended in 1918 with Emperor Charles I (1887-1922), but is recognized as a Habsburg family order by the Austrian republic allowing it to continue by decree of September 1953.
Order of the STAR
Founded in France by John the Good’s whose reign banded together the fragmented knights of the land. Around 500 knights were admitted with its charter staing that ‘no knight shall flee more than 100 arpents from any battle’. This command resulted in every knight getting killed at the Battle of Mauron or Pointiers.
Order of the Spanish STAR
Recognized only by France originally, it became a civil royal order by an 1847 decree, even accorded to non-Catholics at times.
MILITARY RELIGIOUS ORDERS also known as Crusading or Equestrian orders.
MONASTIC MILITARY ORDERS also known as Religious such as the Alcantara formed to defend
the Iberian realms against the Moors.
Order of Chivalry
1. Truce of God, or the formation of Knighthoed.
2. The Crusade years or the Golden Age of Chivalry.
3. The Military Knight.
4. The Secular Age of Chivalry, the most chivalrous was England’s Black Prince.
5. The Knight of Courtly Love.
RELIGIOUS ORDERS of KNIGHTS
Knight Hospitalers/Order of Saint John of Jerusalem founded 1048, military monks who administer to the sick, expanded to defend Christendom.
Knight Templars-----------Military and Religious order founded 1118 to protect pilgrims to Holy Land. They were mostly French who took their name from King Baldwin II’s gift of Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, wearing white tunic with red cross and white linen belts for their swords. Abolished 3-3-1314.
Order of the Dragon-------Created by King of Hungary to fight Turks.
Teutonic knights----------Founded 12th c. to serve sick and pilgrims to the Holy Lands. Restricted to Germans who split from original Hospitaler's.
Of the Hospital wore white cloaks with black crosses, tried bringing Christianity to Germany,Prussia etc.
The Blessed Virgin
MILITARY ORDERS
11th century
Knights of St. John/Order of Knights of Hospital of St.John of Jerusalem beoming Knights of Rhodes and Malta
Knights of St. Lazarus
Knight Templars
Order of Calatrava
Order of Santiago
Castilian Order of Montijoie/ later absorbed into the Order of Calatrava
Portuguese Order of Aviz/ Branch of the Order of Calatrava
Teutonic Order
12th century
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Order of Dobrin/Bracia Dobrzynscy later absorbed by the Teutonic Order
Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Order of the Santa Maria de Espana
Order of the San Jorge de Alfama/Order of St. George of Alfama
Order of Montesa
13th century
Order of Christ started from members from Order of Calatrava and KnightTemplar assets
14th century
Order of our Lady of Bethlehem.  January 5
Epiphany
New Years
by James Joyce
The word ‘CHRISTMAS’ comes from Middle English meaning ‘Christ's Mass. By the 6th century the forty
days of Advent were added to the celebration of Christ’s day.
The English held three masses for Christ’s day beginning the eve before with Angel's mass at midnight, and
the morning after break fast everyone returned to the chapel or church to commence the day with the
Shepard’s mass, followed late in the day with the Divine Word mass.
That evening Christ's holy day began with a banquet and festival that ended twelve days later, aptly called
Twelfth Night. This celebration continued until well after the great Reformation of the 16th century where St.
Nicholas became Santa Clause.
Every religious King, Noble and Lord dressed in their finest silks and brocades with trim, jewelry, and fur
each night during this celebration, and sometime before or after the celebration began they would reward servants for their long year of work with a bonus of food, clothing, or firewood.
Servants would decorate the banquet halls with ribbons and ivy, along with bows of evergreens entwined
with mistletoe called a Kissing Bush. It was hung from the ceiling and family and guests placed presents
beneath it to exchange later. Tradition said anyone passing beneath it had to kiss the person nearest them,
and everyone made sure they were kissed twelve times before the evening had ended.
Holly branches were laid down the center of the hall's long trestle tables and set among their bright greenery and red berries were twelve candles and twelve oranges stuck with cloves to scent the hall with a sweet aroma.
A Green Line was drawn in front of the head table, and no one dared to step over until ‘Lucky Foot’ did. The male chosen for this was never be red-headed since they believed Judas had red-hair. He would arrive dressed all in green with bells around his ankles and when he stepped across the line it meant he brought everyone in the hall good luck and Christmas joy, but more importantly it signaled the celebration had begun.
The Yule log, which was big enough to burn for twelve days, was then lit with a handful of tinder from last years fire. The servants would then lite the Yule candle, which had been under construction the entire year which
also contained wax from last year’s candle. When both were burning carolers would then enter singing the
Wassailing or Welcoming songs.
Every banquet remove entering the hall did so with fanfare or music, and between each one games were
played with the first one always the ‘King of the Bean’, where a small bean was baked inside a bread or
cake and whoever found would be King of the holiday feast.
These special holiday removes would include Frumenty, a wheat boiled with milk, eggs, honey and spcies,
and Posset, a spicy hot milk drink of eggs and nutmeg, There would also be Gingerbread dolls, Plum pudding and
Elderberry wine. But before the last remove entered bells would ring signaling the arrival of the stuffed boards head and everyone’s favorite Humble pie, or what we known today as tripe.
When the master of ceremonies called for lights out, a guest dressed as an angel announced the play called
the Three Shepherds would commence, after which bells rang the Holy Child’s birth and eleven days later on the actual Twelfth Night the Christmas revelry would end with a masked ball of costumes and games.
New Year's added to the festivities, and 'First Gifts' were often exchanged on this day as well.
The first Monday after Eipihany was called Plow Monday, and all freemen in the village were allowed to
participate in the plow race that began the cultivation of the town's common plot of land. Each man would
furrow as many lines as possible becasue these rows were his to plant food for his family. Children also had their
own game called 'Fool Plow' where they went from house to house begging for pennies. Those who refused would find the ground in front of their door plowed up.
Invaders of the Emerald Isle
by
N.B. Joyce
For many whose lineage springs from the ancient sod of Ireland both the date 1169 and the ode of Dermot will
undoubtedly be known. Written by an unknown monk in the thirteenth century, it casts no doubt who caused
Ireland her life and freedom.
A dozen traitor's in plan together could never have done in the Irish way of life so completely as the king of Leinster, Dermont MacMurrough, whose single-handedness did.
As a small provincial king cast from his kingdom by his own people, he fled to England to appeal his plight to
King Henry to get his kingdom returned. In exchange he promised to be forever be Henry's ally and liege man while
acknowledging him as his own king before all his own Barons.
And Henry came with his Norman invasion, killing and ousting nearly every Irish clan chieftan or king and giving their
rich lands to those favorite Barons he brought with him. What few Irish kings submitted to Henry by oathing their loyalty were eliminated by the Baron's as soon as Henry returned back across the Irish sea to England.
Irish freedom and life were and have never been the same since.
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