The Second millenium

[Vince]

1180 just arrived!

In the southwestern US, Sunset Crater Volcano has its last major eruption. Pine trees and wildflowers now grow on its lava-covered surface.

Japan gets a new Emperor, and a five year civil war begins over which clan will control the Imperial Court.

Eleven year old Alexios II begins his three year reign over the Byzantine Empire. A puppet who was entirely controlled by his family, his reign is marked by a series of military defeats as power struggles crippled the Empire. When he was fourteen, his cousin assassinated him.

For the second year in a row, Portugal wins a naval victory over the Unitarians.

It is estimated that Hangzhou, the capital of China, becomes the most populated city in the world this year. China had lost the northern half of their country, and refugees had been streaming south for years.

 

[Vince]

1181

Lucius III begins his four year reign as Pope. Regarded as a villain by Christians today, he announced the excommunication of all rulers who would not stamp out Christians in their territories who were independent of the Catholic Church. He spent much of his time fighting with the Holy Roman Emperor, however, even refusing to crown the new one.

A supernova stays visible in the night sky for 185 days. It is one of only eight recorded supernovas.

France cancels all debts owed by Catholics to Jews and expels all Jews from Paris.

Jayavarman VII begins his successful 37 year reign over the Khmer Empire (modern Cambodia). The nearby Champa had seized much of Cambodia, even sacking the capital city. Jayavarman had expelled them, ended the political chaos in the capital, and then accepted the crown. He built over 100 hospitals, but he is most famous for improving cities and herding excess populations into them. Some of the Buddhist temples he built still stand.

Ouch! The Unitarians destroy a Portuguese fleet and control the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal's coast.

 

[Vince]

1182

The Massacre of the Latins—gripped by power struggles over the Throne, the Orthodox citizens of Constantinople massacre about 80,000 Catholics. Another 4,000 are sold as slaves to the Turks. Wealthy Venetians and other Italians had dominated the city's maritime trading and financial markets, choking out local businesses and causing widespread unemployment.

Talk about unorthodox tactics! The Crusaders dismantle seven warships, carry them overland to the Red Sea, and begin raiding Moslem ports.

There is a four year margin of error, but about this time, young Genghis Khan is enslaved by a rival Mongolian tribe.

Poland's Parliament has its first meeting.

 

[Vince]

1183

With civil war forcing his brother to abdicate, three-year-old Go-Taba becomes Emperor of Japan. Nine years later, Japan will establish its first shogunate, in which the Emperor becomes a figurehead while the military aristocracy rule the land. Forced to abdicate when he was eighteen, Go-Taba then became the real power behind the throne for the next 23 years before being deposed.

Saladin conquers Syria.

Andronikus I begins his two year reign as Byzantine Emnperor. Sixty-five years old, he rapidly turned to terror to end abuse of the poor by the nobility, and it worked so well that he didn't stop. He turned the Byzantine Empire into such a terror state that Sicily invaded in an attempt to stop him. He died during the invasion, and his successor drove the Sicilians out.

 

[Vince]

1184

In France, the Catholic Church begins the Inquisition. Pope Lucius III ordered the vigorous persecution of all Christians not under the authority of the Catholic Church. Usually relying on excommunication, interdicts, or imprisonment, the Church had rarely used torture or death up to this time.

A surprise civil war breaks out in north Africa, as Moslem rebels seize three cities from the Unitarians.

But the Unitarians launch three massive attacks on Portugal, blockading Lisbon with a fleet, besieging Lisbon by land, and recapturing a large section of southern Portugal. The Unitarian fleet had a ship so large that soldiers could get over the wall of Lisbon from the masts. I don't know how he did it, but a single Portuguese soldier swam to the ship and sank it; the fleet retreated the next day.

 

[Vince]

1185

Urban II begins a very unsuccessful two year reign as Pope. He vigorously opposes the Holy Roman Empire, which isolates him from both the north and south from the rest of the Church.
With the death of Alfonso the Bold, his son Sancho the Populator becomes King of Portugal. He will import foreign settlers to sparsely-populated areas of Portugal. He wisely gave up his wars over Galicia (the section of Spain that is north of Portugal) and concentrated on expanding southward into Moslem territory. His greatest failure was his capture and fortification of Silves, which he was forced to abandon when Catholic kingdoms in Spain attacked him. But he founded various towns and cities, strengthened the economy, fostered education, and did expand Portugal's borders.

There's a six-year margin of error in both directions, but the Holy Grail is first mentioned in a fictional story about Sir Percival. The legend grew over time into a noble search for the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper.

English King Henry II sends his son, John of England, to Ireland to enforce English rule. John rules so badly that the Irish unite in rebellion.

 

[Vince]

Folks, so much happened in 1185 that we're gong back for a second look.

Recovering from their defeats in last year's surprise civil war, the Unitarians retake two of the African cities they had lost to rival Moslems.

Japan comes under the rule of the shogunate, a military government that keeps the Emperor as a figurehead. The shogunate will rule until 1333, when the Emperor is restored.

Having invaded the Byzantine Empire, the Sicilians sack Thessalonika. But after the Byzantine Emperor is overthrown, the Byzantines win a decisive battle and drive the Sicilians out.

Isaac II seizes the Byzantine throne when the people revolt against the cruelty of the Emperor. His ten year reign is marked by military defeats on every front, as the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Sicilians, and Holy Roman Empire take advantage of Byzantium's poor economy, frustrated military, and frequent revolts.

They had been around for a while, but Europeans begin building a lot of windmills. This free energy source was usually used for grinding grain.

 

[Vince]

1186

With the death of her son, Sibylla begins her four year reign as Queen of Jerusalem. Although well-proven to be a competent ruler, she and her armies could not withstand Saladin's military advances.

Divided by civil wars and invasions, the Byzantine Empire is forced to recognize Bulgarian and Serbian independence.

 

[Vince]

1187 is a year of turmoil for the Catholics Church. The good news is that they get two very competent Popes. The bad news is that they lose Jerusalem, and thus the Second Crusade is a failure.

Gregory VIII is elected Pope and dies two months later. Incredibly, he makes peace with the HRE and local Italian rivals, and orders a third Crusade after learning of the defeat of the Second Crusade.

At “The Horns of Hattin,” Moslems inflict such a massive defeat on the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem that they became the dominant military power in the Holy Land, seizing Jerusalem itself and other large areas. The victorious Saladin calls for Jews to resettle safely in Jerusalem, and many respond.

In late December, Clement III then begins his three and a half year reign as Pope. The new Pope rapidly solves the conflicts between the Papacy and the city of Rome, and he is able to reside in Rome without any trouble. He helps France and England finance the Third Crusade, makes the Scottish Catholic Church independent of the English Catholic Church, and settles some of the conflicts with the HRE.

In southern Mexico, the last of the Toltec Empire collapses...sort of. Depending on how you look at it, the remnants will later become the mighty Aztec Empire.

Wracked by invasions and civil wars, the Byzantine Empire still manages to defeat a rebel army attacking Constantinople.

 

[Vince]

It's not too great in 1188.

The Roman world is reeling in defeat from the fall of Jerusalem last year.

The defeated Crusaders get a break: Saladin attacks a major Knights Hospittaler fortress in Syria but is defeated. A mighty fortress indeed--it's still in good shape.

England enacts "The Saladin Tithe," Everyone must pay 10% of what he owns and is imprisoned if he disputes the amount. But if you enlist for the Third Crusade, you are exempt.

Even Wales get in on the act, with preachers enlisted Welshmen for the Third Crusade.

In a dispute over how to handle the Crusade, England and France nearly go to war, with Richard the Lionhearted rebelling against his father (Henry II, King of England) with French help. But the problem is solved quickly.

In an unrelated incident, Alfonso IX becomes King of Leon and organizes the first Parliament of Europe.

London builds Newgate Prison, which stays in use until 1902. Its list of famous "guests" include Casanova, Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe), Ben Johnson (famous author), Captain Kidd (famous pirate), William Penn (Quaker leader who founded Pennsylvania), John Walter (founder of "The Times" newspaper, which is still in print), and Catherine Wilson (the last woman to be publicly hanged in London).

 

[Vince]

I have to spend a couple of days in 1189. If I don't, an outlaw from Sherwood Forest might come after me.

Richard the Lionhearted begins his ten year reign as King of England. Banning all Jews from his coronation, he accidentally starts a massacre of Jews. When it is over, Richard hangs the leaders and forbids any further persecution of Jews, but it is not strictly enforced.

Richard had never learned to speak English, spent a total of six months in England as King, and strained the nation's economy to finance the Crusade he would lead next year.

History has not been kind to John Lackland, but literature has been even crueler. The youngest brother of Richard the Lionhearted, he watched as his older brothers were defeated in rebellions or died young, until only he and Richard were left. With Richard gone on the Third Crusade, John served as Regent and organized an unsuccessful rebellion in an attempt to seize the throne. Fortunately, Robin Hood stopped him (Or did he?) but he became King when Richard died in 1199. John actually won some battles, reformed the government, and administered justice to the poor. But the poor fellow gets excommunicated for disagreeing with the Pope. A petty, vindictive man, he is still a competent administrator and general. With England in financial chaos as a result of wars with France, as well as Richard's Crusade, the nobles rebel, and John is forced to sign the Magna Charta, which he does not obey. He remains a subject of undeserved ridicule and scorn today.

 

[Vince]

A band of outlaws has brought us back to 1189.

Literature has been very kind to the beloved outlaw, Robin Hood. Earlier ballads and stories make clear that he was a commoner (not an earl who was cheated out of his land), had no use for any King (Lionhearted or not), did not rob from the rich and give to the poor, and was a devout worshiper of Mary and a protector of women. Every tale mentions John Little, a giant of a man who is quickly nick-named “Little John.” Little John's grave is in an English church yard, but there is no way to tell if it is genuine. Alas, our hero Friar Tuck was an outlaw from a century later who was woven into the legend. And, even worse, Maid Marian was a character in English plays who did not enter the legend until three centuries later.

But if you really want to hear about a guy who got bad-mouthed in literature, feel sorry for William de Wendenal. He was the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Anglo-Saxons didn't like him because he was a Norman, but Richard trusted him. But when Richard returned to England, he fired William, who then disappears from history.

Did Robin Hood exist? Remembering that the tales were not written down until centuries later, it appears that he is a compilation of actual outlaws and wide-spread fictional ballads. Catholic monks kept accurate records, and they make no mention of him actually existing.

 

[Vince]

This is our last visit to Sherwood Forest and 1189.


Before there was Lex Luther or Doctor Doom, there was Guy of Gisbourne. This epitome of evil enters Sherwood Forest to kill Robin Hood. Unsure of each other's identities when they meet, they agree to an archery contest, which of course Robin wins. Strangely, Guy is dressed in a complete horsehide, which suggests that he is based on a long-forgotten German myth. Stranger still is Robin's horror at the tremendous evil of Guy, suggesting that Guy was already a character in other forgotten ballads and that many of the early listeners would have known who he was. He might have been based on some sort of god or demon. Winning their sword fight, Robin cuts off Guy's head and slashes his face with a sword, and mounts it on his bow, which is unusual ferocity from a man who feasted his victims and released them unharmed.

Robin Hood is consistently a mild-tempered fellow who goes easy on his enemies, so this story is bizarre in more ways than one. Since a super-villain like Guy is actually possible, it makes a great Medieval horror story, yet there are no other stories about him that have survived. In fact, Guy is so horrible that Hollywood movies always tone him down. The single parchment that tells this tale might be a blend of two stories: it explains that Robin needed to rescue Little John from the Sheriff of Nottingham, so he needed to bring back Guy's disfigured face while he wore the horsehide outfit in order to deceive the Sheriff into thinking that Robin was actually Guy.

Like the rest of our characters, Guy of Gisbourne probably never existed.

And while researching this article I found the theme song to the 1955 Robin Hood TV show! Give it a few seconds for the music to start, and you'll hear a song that will take you to Sherwood Forest and back.
http://robinhoodtree.blogspot.mx/

 

[Vince]

1190 brings us to a world that is still reeling in defeat from the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin.

The Teutonic Knights are formed. Designed to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, the Knights only contained a small number of military men. They included priests, nuns, volunteers, and others. Still in existence, it contains only religious members today.

About this time, the Song of the Nibelungs is recorded. This epic poem tells of Siegfried the dragon-slayer and his adventures.

Lalibela, a pious King of Ethiopia, determines to build a new Jerusalem out of rock, because Moslems had captured Jerusalem. His magnificent city is formed by tunneling into rock to build eleven churches and other buildings, attempting to form a lay-out similar to Jerusalem's. Most of these buildings are still in use. He also designed a cross that is considered to be the most beautiful in the world. Stolen in 1997 but returned four years later, it is a treasured part of Ethiopian history.

Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Redbeard successfully invades Turkey, but soon dies and is succeeded by his son Heinrich VI. The Turks later demolish the German army he left behind.

A massacre of Jews occur in York, England. English Jews are first mentioned in 1070, but they had probably lived in England since Roman times. Conflicting records state that Richard the Lionhearted had brought Jews to England for needed skills, but the English resented his actions.

Richard the Lionhearted loots and burns Messina, Sicily, forcing the government to compensate William's sister for not letting her be Queen of Sicily.

 

[Vince]

We're still in 1190.

The Third Crusade begins. At first it is led by Frederick Redbeard, the Holy Roman Emperor, but he drowns. Richard the Lionhearted, King of England, and Philip II of France had actually started the Crusade, and they join in with their forces. Richard never loses a battle to the Moslems. He recaptures large areas of the Holy Land but cannot recapture Jerusalem. He finally signs a peace treaty with Saladin. The Third Crusade was largely successful, because it maintained a powerful Christian presence in the Holy Land and brought Saladin to a halt.

As if the Byzantine Empire doesn't have enough problems, they lose another major battle to the Bulgarians.

A Moslem offensive in Portugal fails.

Ibn Rushd was a Spanish Moslem scientific and philosophical genius. His attempts to blend European and Moslem thinking were more successful with the Catholics than with the Moslems, and he is considered a leading philosopher in Europe. This year he publishes "On the Harmony of Religions and Philosophy."

 

[Vince]

Welcome to 1191.

Celestine III, a deacon who is quickly made a priest, begins his seven year reign as Pope. The next day, he crowns the new Holy Roman Emperor, later excommunicating him. He excommunicates quite a few rulers, in fact. Near death, he wanted to appoint his own successor and resign, but the cardinals wouldn’t let him.

In India, Hindus defeat a massive Moslem army, but allow it to escape. Next year, they'll regret that mistake.

Richard the Lionhearted captures Cyprus, a large island in the eastern Mediterranean which controlled supply routes for the Crusaders. He then lands in the Holy Land, quickly winning some decisive victories. The capture of Cyprus will prove to be a massive Crusader victory, as it is used as a troop depot and supply base for the various Crusader kingdoms in the Holy Land. Richard also captures Acre from the Moslems and wins a third major victory at Arsuf (killing 7,000 Moslems and losing 700 Christians) and the Crusaders now control the entire coastline of southern Palestine.

Henry VI begins his successful seven year reign as Holy Roman Emperor. By the time he's done, he's the most powerful ruler in Europe and the Mediterranean.

 

[Vince]

Let's take a view of 1192.

After last year's defeat, the Moslems gather an even larger army and invade India again. Attacking during a truce, they capture Delhi and rule it until 1857. However, despite controlling most of northern India, they cannot get past the united Hindu kingdoms that hold the rest of the country.

Despite his victories, Richard the Lionhearted cannot capture Jerusalem, so he invades Egypt. This doesn't work, so he is forced to sign a truce with the Moslems and his Crusade ends. While traveling through the Holy Roman Empire on his way back to England, Richard is arrested the day before Christmas.

China completes the magnificent Lugou Bridge, which still stands. Almost five hundred lions are carved into the structure. Marco Polo praised the bridge so much that it came to be known as the Marco Polo Bridge. In the twentieth century it became an important railroad bridge. And according to the Asian viewpoint, World War 2 began on July 7, 1937, when Japanese forces seized the bridge.

On January 7, Venus passes in front of Jupiter. Nothing happens, and most people didn't know about it.

 

[Vince]

1193

Saladin dies, and his empire is quickly divided up among his family.

Moslems destroy Nalanda, India's greatest university. Attracting scholars from Greece, China, Iran, and Tibet, the university included a vast library, all of which was destroyed.

It doesn't take place on one day, but about this time, various small Indian tribes in central Mexico unite to form the Aztec nation. It will take time, but they will grow into a mighty empire.

 

[Vince]

Welcome to the year 1194 AD!

Defying the Pope, the Holy Roman Empire conquers all of southern Italy, ending the Norman Kingdom of Italy. They next invade and conquer Sicily.

Receiving an enormous ransom, the HRE frees Richard the Lionhearted. Richard quickly returns to England, stays a month, and then heads to Normandy to start a war over territories he claims. He quickly wins some victories.

In China, the Yellow River is the sixth longest river in the world. It keeps depositing silt in its own riverbed, causing rapid, major course changes and massive flooding. It happens again this year, as the Yellow River changes course for the next 700 years.

At their height, the Seljug Turks controlled most of Turkey, large parts of Arabia, and much of western Asia. They had gotten much of their territory from the Byzantine Empire. Their success was a major cause of the First Crusade. This year they collapse and are replaced by a different Turkish dynasty.

 

[Vince]

1195

Alexos III seizes the throne of the Byzantine Empire from his younger brother. He blinds his brother and keeps him prisoner, thus uniting much of the population against him. He gives away large sums of money to buy loyalty and soon cripples the Byzantine treasury, forcing him to reduce defense spending. He loses territory to the Turks, Bulgarians, and others and is eventually forced to flee into exile by the Fourth Crusade.

Georgia, a Christian kingdom in Asia, wins a major victory over the Moslems.Taking a large amount of loot and prisoners, the Georgians are able to continue to seize territory from the Moslems.

The Unitarians launch an invasion into Catholic Spain from Africa, capturing three cities from Castille.