1.
Chivalric romance
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As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Popular literature also drew on themes of romance, but with ironic, satiric or burlesque intent. Still, the image of medieval is more influenced by the romance than by any other medieval genre, and the word medieval evokes knights, distressed damsels, dragons. Originally, romance literature was written in Old French, Anglo-Norman, Occitan, and Provençal, during the early 13th century, romances were increasingly written as prose. In later romances, particularly those of French origin, there is a tendency to emphasize themes of courtly love. Unlike the later form of the novel and like the chansons de geste, the earliest forms were invariably in verse, but the 15th century saw many in prose, often retelling the old, rhymed versions. Many influences are clear in the forms of chivalric romance, the epics of Charlemagne, unlike such ones as Beowulf, already had feudalism rather than the tribal loyalties, this was to continue in romances. The romance form is distinguished from the epics of the Middle Ages by the changes of the 12th century. This occurred regardless of congruity to the material, Alexander the Great featured as a fully feudal king. Chivalry was treated as continuous from Roman times, historical figures reappeared, reworked, in romance. The entire Matter of France derived from known figures, and suffered somewhat because their descendents had an interest in the tales that were told of their ancestors, unlike the Matter of Britain. Hereward the Wakes early life appeared in chronicles as the embellished, romantic adventures of an exile, complete with rescuing princess, fulk Fitzwarin, an outlaw in King Johns day, has his historical background a minor thread in the episodic stream of romantic adventures. The earliest medieval romances dealt heavily with themes from folklore, which diminished over time, morgan le Fay never loses her name, but in Le Morte dArthur, she studies magic rather than being inherently magical. Still, fairies never completely vanished from the tradition, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late tale, but the Green Knight himself is an otherworldly being. In Italy there is the story called Il Bel Gherardino and it is the most ancient prototype of an Italian singing fairy tale by an anonymous Tuscan author. It tells the story of a young Italian knight, depleted for its magnanimitas, other examples of Italian poetry tales are Antonio Puccis literature, Gismirante, Il Brutto di Bretagna or Brito di Bretagna and Madonna Lionessa. Another work of a second anonymous Italian author that is worth mentioning is Istoria di Tre Giovani Disperati e di Tre Fate, some romances, such as Apollonius of Tyre, show classical pagan origins. Tales of the Matter of Rome in particular may be derived from such works as the Alexander Romance
2.
Charlemagne
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Charlemagne or Charles the Great, numbered Charles I, was the King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774 and Emperor of the Romans from 800. He united much of Europe during the early Middle Ages and he was the first recognised emperor in western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. The expanded Frankish state which Charlemagne founded was called the Carolingian Empire, Charlemagne was the oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon. He became king in 768 following his fathers death, initially as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I, carlomans sudden death in 771 in unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. He continued his fathers policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy and he campaigned against the Saxons to his east, Christianising them upon penalty of death and leading to events such as the Massacre of Verden. Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day at Old St. Peters Basilica. Charlemagne has been called the Father of Europe, as he united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire and his rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of energetic cultural and intellectual activity within the Western Church. All Holy Roman Emperors considered their kingdoms to be descendants of Charlemagnes empire, up to the last Emperor Francis II and these and other machinations led to the eventual split of Rome and Constantinople in the Great Schism of 1054. Charlemagne died in 814, having ruled as emperor for thirteen years and he was laid to rest in his imperial capital of Aachen in what is today Germany. He married at least four times and had three sons, but only his son Louis the Pious survived to succeed him. By the 6th century, the western Germanic Franks had been Christianised, Francia, ruled by the Merovingians, was the most powerful of the kingdoms that succeeded the Western Roman Empire. Following the Battle of Tertry the Merovingians declined into powerlessness, for which they have dubbed the rois fainéants. Almost all government powers were exercised by their chief officer, the mayor of the palace, in 687, Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, ended the strife between various kings and their mayors with his victory at Tertry. He became the governor of the entire Frankish kingdom. Pepin was the grandson of two important figures of the Austrasian Kingdom, Saint Arnulf of Metz and Pepin of Landen, Pepin of Herstal was eventually succeeded by his illegitimate son Charles, later known as Charles Martel. After 737, Charles governed the Franks in lieu of a king, Charles was succeeded in 741 by his sons Carloman and Pepin the Short, the father of Charlemagne. In 743, the brothers placed Childeric III on the throne to curb separatism in the periphery and he was the last Merovingian king. Carloman resigned office in 746, preferring to enter the church as a monk, Pepin brought the question of the kingship before Pope Zachary, asking whether it was logical for a king to have no royal power
3.
Emir
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An Emir, sometimes transliterated Amir, Amier, or Ameer, is an aristocratic or noble title of high office used in a variety of places in the Arab countries and Afghanistan. It means commander, general, or prince, when translated as prince, the word emirate is analogous to a sovereign principality. Amir, meaning Lord or commander-in-chief, is derived from the Arabic root a-m-r, the word entered English in 1593, from the French émir. It was one of the titles or names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the monarchs of UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are currently titled Emirs. All members of the House of Saud have the title of Emir, the caliphs first used the title Amir al-Muminin or Commander of the Faithful, stressing their leadership over the Islamic Empire, especially over the militia. The title has been assumed by various other Muslim rulers, including Sultans, for Shia Muslims, they still give this title to the Caliph Ali as Amir al Muminin. Note that the title was held by Christians as well, the word Emir is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts. For example, the leader of a group of pilgrims to Mecca is called an Emir hadji, where an adjectival form is necessary, Emiral suffices. Amirzade, the son of a prince, hence the Persian princely title Mirza, the temporal leader of the Yazidi people is known as an Emir or Prince. From the start, Emir has been a military title, in certain decimally-organized Muslim armies, Amir was an officer rank. For example, in Mughal India Amirs commanded 1000 horsemen, ten of them under one Malik, Muhammad Amin Bughra, Nur Ahmad Jan Bughra, and Abdullah Bughra declared themselves Emirs of the First East Turkestan Republic. Amir is a name in the Persian language and a prefix name for many masculine names such as Amir Ali. Amir-i-Iel designates the head of an Il in imperial Persia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the female name Emira, often interpreted as princess, is a derivative of the male name Emir. Abdul Abulbul Amir, both character and song, wat Tambor in Star Wars, Episode II – Attack of the Clones took the title of Emir. In the Star Wars universe the title may relate to Tambors military command, Emir Karim, a character in Wild At Heart, a Latin American drama. Specific emirates of note List of emirs of Harar List of emirs of Kuwait List of emirs of Qatar List of Emirs of Mosul Emirate of Afghanistan
4.
Babylon Fortress
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Babylon Fortress was an ancient fortress city or castle in the Delta of Egypt, located in the area today known as Coptic Cairo. It was situated in the Heliopolite Nome, upon the east bank of the Nile, at latitude 30°N, near the commencement of the Pharaonic Canal and it was at the boundary between Lower and Middle Egypt, where the river craft paid tolls when ascending or descending the Nile. The Romans built a new fortress with typically Roman red and white banded masonry nearer to the river, within the fortress enclosure are the Coptic Museum, a convent, and several churches, including the Church of St. George and the Hanging Church. Babylon was originally the dominant city of Mesopotamia, but another possibility links the name to the ancient Pr-Hapi-n-Iwnw that was the deity Hapis dwelling in Heliopolis city, hapi was the divinity of the Nile. Heliopolis lay northeast of Memphis, on the east bank of the Nile, at latitude 30° N and it was the boundary town between Lower and Middle Egypt, where the river craft paid tolls when ascending or descending the Nile. According to tradition, the first fort was built by the Persians in about the 6th century BC. since then, the Niles course has moved some 400 metres to the north. In the age of Augustus the Deltaic Babylon became a town of some importance, in the Notitia Imperii, Babylon is mentioned as the quarters of Legio XIII Gemina. Ruins of the town and fortress are visible a little to the north of Fostat or Old Cairo, among which are vestiges of the Great Aqueduct mentioned by Strabo. The town was the seat of a Christian bishopric, a suffragan of Leontopolis, the names of several of its bishops are recorded. After the Council of Chalcedon, some are of those who accepted the council, no longer a residential bishopric, Babylon is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see. During the Muslim conquest of Egypt the fort was surrounded for seven months before finally falling in April 641 to the Arab general Amr ibn al-As. Coptic Cairo This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, richard Talbert, Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, p.74
5.
Oberon
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Oberon is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeares play A Midsummer Nights Dream, in which he is Consort to Titania, Oberons status as king of the fairies comes from the character of Alberich, a sorcerer in the legendary history of the Merovingian dynasty. In the legend, he is the brother of Merowech, whose name is the eponym of the Merovingians. Alberich wins for his eldest son, Walbert, the hand of a princess of Constantinople, in the Nibelungenlied, a Burgundian poem written around the turn of the 13th century, Alberich guards the treasure of the Nibelungen, but is overcome by Siegfried. Huon, son of Seguin count of Bordeaux, passed through the forest inhabited by Oberon and he was warned by a hermit not to speak to Oberon, but his courtesy had him answer Oberons greetings, and so gain his aid in his quest. Huon had killed Charlot, the Emperors son, in self-defense and he succeeds only with Oberons aid. This elf is dwarfish in height, though very handsome and he explains that, at his christening, an offended fairy cursed him to dwarfish height, but relented and gave him great beauty as compensation. Alberich features as a dwarf in the Nibelungen, the height was thus explained. The real Seguin was Count of Bordeaux under Louis the Pious in 839, Charles lEnfant, a son of Charles the Bald, died in 866 of wounds inflicted by a certain Aubouin in the circumstances of an ambush similar to the Charlot of the story. Thus, Oberon appears in a 13th-century French courtly fantasy that is based on a shred of 9th century fact and he is given some Celtic trappings, such as a magical cup that is ever full for the virtuous. The magic cup supplied their evening meal, for such was its virtue that it afforded not only wine, in this story, he is said to be the child of Morgan le Fay and Julius Caesar. Shakespeare saw or heard of the French heroic song through the c. 1540 translation of John Bourchier, Lord Berners, in Philip Henslowes diary, there is a note of a performance of a play Hewen of Burdocize on December 28,1593. Oberon is the king of all of the fairies in William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream who is feuding with his wife Titania and they are fighting over a changeling child whom Oberon wants to raise as his henchman. Titania wants to keep the child because he is the child of Titanias mortal follower who died, because Oberon and Titania are powerful fairies, their arguments affect the weather. Titania describes what happens to nature when Oberon tricks Titania into loving Bottom, the flower was accidentally struck by Cupids arrow when he attempted to shoot a young maiden in a field, instead infusing the flower with love. Oberon sends his servant, Puck, to fetch the flower, furious that Titania will not give him the child, he puts juice from a magical flower into her eyes while she is asleep. The effect of the juice will cause Titania to fall in love with the first live thing she sees. Titania awakens and finds herself madly in love with Bottom, an actor in the Mechanicals whos head was just transformed into that of a donkeys, thanks to a curse from Puck
6.
Chanson de geste
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The chanson de geste, /ʃɑːnˈsɔːn də ˈʒɛst/ Old French for song of heroic deeds, is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this date from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, before the emergence of the lyric poetry of the trouvères. They reached their apogee in the period 1150–1250, composed in verse, these narrative poems of moderate length were originally sung, or recited, by minstrels or jongleurs. More than one hundred chansons de geste have survived in three hundred manuscripts that date from the 12th to the 15th century.1100. Three early theories of the origin of chansons de geste believe in the existence of epic material in these intervening two or three centuries. This theory was supported by Robert Fawtier and by Léon Gautier. At the end of the century, Pio Rajna, seeing similarities between the chansons de geste and old Germanic/Merovingian tales, posited a Germanic origin for the French poems. A different theory, introduced by the medievalist Paul Meyer, suggested the poems were based on old prose narrations of the original events, critics have also suggested that knowledge by clerics of ancient Latin epics may have played a role in their composition. Critics have discovered manuscripts, texts and other traces of the legendary heroes, the traditional subject matter of the chansons de geste became known as the Matter of France. The subject matter of the chansons evolved over time, according to public taste, alongside the great battles and scenes of historic prowess of the early chansons there began to appear other themes. Realistic elements and elements from the new court culture began to appear, other fantasy and adventure elements, derived from the romances, were gradually added, giants, magic, and monsters increasingly appear among the foes along with Muslims. The conflicts of the 14th century brought a renewed epic spirit, the poems contain an assortment of character types, the repertoire of valiant hero, brave traitor, shifty or cowardly traitor, Saracen giant, beautiful Saracen princess, and so forth. As the genre matured, fantasy elements were introduced, quite soon an element of self-parody appears, even the august Charlemagne was not above gentle mockery in the Pèlerinage de Charlemagne. These stanzas are of variable length, an example from the Chanson de Roland illustrates the technique of the ten-syllable assonanced form. The assonance in this stanza is on e, Later chansons were composed in monorhyme stanzas, Later chansons also tended to be composed using alexandrines lines, instead of ten-syllable lines. The following example of the twelve-syllable rhymed form is from the lines of Les Chétifs. The rhyme is on ie, These forms of versification were substantially different than the found in the Old French verse romances which were written in octosyllabic rhymed couplets. The public of the chansons de geste—the lay public of the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries—was largely illiterate, except for members of the great courts, thus, the chansons were primarily an oral medium
