Good morning, we are winding down 1491: Before Columbus with an episode about indigenous architecture and urban design. After this there is one last episode, bringing the full series to eight episodes. I have concluded that the number downside of this series is that it was way too short. Yes, I am saying that eight episodes is too short for this series. It was a high-production series and very well done. On top of that, I am an incredibly curious person, so I would want to know more. So more documentaries on 1491: Before Columbus, please. The run time for this episode is 47:23.
The architecture and urban design reflected the indigenous environment, culture, needs of the nation, and purpose. Each place had a unique design. In the Arctic, you had ice houses. In the Southwest, you had pueblo buildings. There were tepees in the Plains. The designs had endured. Throughout the Americas, there were temples, markets, and central plazas. Architecture adapted to a changing environment and changing population. The first stop on this architectural journey walks about the Pueblo and the pit houses. These were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Eventually, maize was grown, leading to the Pueblo setting down into villages. The indigenous people of the American Southwest lived communally. The population grew and eventually more houses were needed. Everyone participated in building these structures. Multistory apartment buildings were eventually built into cliffs and housed hundreds of people. For 400 years these centers thrived, however, change was coming. What would happen to these centers? What would happen to the people who built these structures? The next civilization is the Inka civilization and the first discussion about the Inka’s roads. The roads were there before the Inka were there so they expanded on these roads. This road system connected thousands of people. These highways were designed to connect the people of the four regions of the Inka Empire. These highways covered a vast number of ecosystems and extended from Ecuador to Argentina. This highway was essential for armies, information, and goods. The engineers who had worked through mountains and rivers. It was a massive system that served the political, social, and economic needs of the rulers. This road created the largest empires in the world. Parts of the road are still in use. Caral was one of the largest and most sophisticated urban centers built in America. It was the most prominent city in the region. It consisted of pyramids, sunken courtyards, and temples. The people used quarried stone and sand. They transported this stone in reed bags. The area is prone to earthquakes and the engineer kept this in mind, carefully designing the walls to prevent walls from collapsing. Then there is a discussion on the Inuit people and their ice houses. This design was used for thousands of years. Additionally, there was a discussion of the Aztec civilization. Their civilization started off on an Island, this island was sacred to the Aztecs. This island was in the middle of a lake, and this lake had no outlet to it. The Aztecs had to manage the water in the lake. There was a large temple complex on this island and there were four causeways on this island. There was a large marketplace where people could buy and sell. There are artisan shops where craftspeople would do their work. How else did the indigenous people adapt their architecture? What can indigenous architecture tell us about the people? What about urban planning? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. The first little blip talks about the movement of people and trade goods through the empire. The civilization discussed include the Chinese, Roman, and Inka Road systems. The second little blip talks about the building of pyramids. Discussed in this section are the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Caral. This still continues to be an excellent series and one I would show in the classroom. I wish this series was longer because there were some civilizations that deserved their own episode. It left me thirsty for more knowledge about the indigenous civilizations before 1491. I am sure if I was left thirsty for more, the students will be left thirsty for more.
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Good morning we are continuing to explore 1491: Before Columbus. This time we are going to look at the history of science and medicine. The run time for this documentary is 48:04.
Indigenous people developed a complex writing system, an advanced calendar, and a calculating system. Plants were used for medicine. Brain surgery and the number “0” were concepts unheard of at the time. The first section discusses traditional medicine. Thousands of species of plants were used for a variety of purposes including sedatives, pain relief, and healing. They had a botanical repertoire at their fingertips. The indigenous people had a deep knowledge of how different plants interacted with each other. Each plant had different properties and could be used for different purposes. The Yarro Plant was good for healing and is good for blood clotting. Sweet grasses were used in ceremonies. Many modern pharmaceuticals can trace their development to Indigenous medicine. Salic acid comes from willow bark and it is used to treat headaches. A manuscript talks about the plants that were used by the Aztecs for healing. The indigenous people practice brain surgery. Thousands of skulls have been found with evidence of treatment. The operations were highly successful. Over 10,000 skulls were found and the evidence was clear that over 70% of the people survived. The skulls show evidence of healing, particularly from blunt force trauma. The Inka Emperor had six physicians carry his litter. They were all trained in skull surgery. The Aztecs performed surgery on compound fractures. How was this accomplished? The indigenous people used the skies to time their hunts. They had a great deal of knowledge of stars and the night sky. Lunar calendars were devised. There is a good discussion on how the indigenous people used the skies to plan out their year. They could travel and navigate their world by the stars. Star lore was created which gave the indigenous people a warning as to when not to travel. The Inuit people studied the stars carefully to determine day from night, this was important during periods when there was no sun. The Mayans developed the most advanced calendars. It first originated with the Olmecs and the Mayans refined it. They were able to calculate the number of days within a year to 365.2 days. They also had the Venus-based calendar, the sacred almanac, and the solar year. Each system was calibrated carefully. Venus played an important role in the Mayan culture. It was known as the “Wasp Star,” and was associated with war. The Mayans were also the first civilization to use the number 0. The 0 allowed them to create numbers that extended beyond the millions and into the billions. The Aztecs developed their dual calendar, there the lunar calendar and the solar calendar. These calendars determined when to plant for the people. The Indigenous people were able to plan for the future using these calendars. The Mayans had developed a writing system and it was recorded using different hieroglyphs. The North American indigenous people recorded their history verbally and passed it down through the generations. Mayan writing was written down on bark paper. They talked about battles, conquests, and day-to-day life. The Mayans wanted to preserve their history for future generations. It took time, but the Mayan hieroglyphs have finally been translated. In South America, a system of record-keeping was developed. The recording method was a combination of knots on a string. The Inka Empire used this system. An empire as big as the Inka would have needed to keep track of the population and production numbers of the empire. So what else was developed by the indigenous people? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. The first little blip talks about traditional medicines. The first country discussed is China and there is a discussion on herbal medicines used in treatment. South Africa talked about traditional healing as well. Plants and trees were used in North America. The second little blip talks about the development of writing systems. The Chinese, Egyptians, and the civilizations in Mesopotamia developed their own writing systems. This is still an excellent documentary series and would be something I would show in the classroom. So far the downside of this series is that there were too few episodes. Good morning, we are continuing our exploration in 1491: Before Columbus. This is episode seven in this series. Today we will explore the art and culture of the native communities. The run time for this episode is 46:40.
Creativity flowed through the generations, as did the stories. They worked with metal, ceramic, and wood. They have been creating art from bronze, silver, and gold. Some of their metal work was the most advanced in the world. The Inka is credited with developing metalworking in South America. They were the dominant society in South America. However, one thousand years before, there seems to be hints of metalworking technology. Gold objects were a status symbol. It was reserved for the elite; however, commoners were permitted to wear gold during religious ceremonies. The Inka were the most advanced creators in metallurgy. Skilled artists were conscripted from all over the empire and had to move to the Inka capital. Gold was identified with the sun, while silver was identified with the moon. There were a variety of techniques to develop combined metals. They also had access to mercury. To remove the impurities from the metal you needed mercury. The natives created platinum and did gold plating. The Inka had an efficient road system and trading took place over this vast road system. The Great Inka Road was a 40,000-kilometer highway that crisscrossed mountains, deserts, and forests. There was a messenger system that employed runners transporting messages and other goods to different cities. One recreating in this section shows a messenger running the roads. He runs to a house where the next messenger is waiting to continue on with this journey. They are transporting feathers to a craftsman for a headdress. Will the feathers get to the craftsman in time? Will the craftsman be able to create a headdress for their leader in time? Oral storytelling was also an art form that the First Nations passed along the generations. The stories were the memories of the people. It preserved First Nation cultures for generations. You could understand where you came from and where you would go. You could dream about these stories at night and see the characters from the story in your dreams. These stories also talk about how to care for the young, the old, and the environment. Each nation had its own creation story. In Haida culture, a crow discovered the people coming from a clamshell on the beach. A second group has stories about the killer whale. The Inuit had lived in the Arctic for thousands of years and they have one of the richest storytelling traditions. They were nomads, but they all share a common language with the peoples of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. There are stories of a stone man that was part of the Inuit tradition and may have been part of Finnish Tradition. Rock art is one of the oldest art forms in the world. The First Nations were able to carve stone and create petroglyphs. Why were these sites chosen for the petroglyphs? What was the purpose of those petroglyphs? There are petrographs all over the Western Hemisphere that offer a look into the world of the First Nations. Pictographs were also an art form that was used in art as well. In Argentina, there is a cave site that is covered with hundreds and hundreds of hand prints. The First Nations used ochre to create their pictographs. *Side note, you are probably very familiar with the use of ochre in Ancient Egypt!* These pictographs provide insight into the mind of the people who created them. How else did the First Nations express themselves through art and storytelling? Tune into the rest of the episode to find out more. One of the little blips featured metalworking, particularly working gold. The earliest manufactured gold in the world had come from the shores of the Black Sea. Egypt was the first civilization to mine and craft gold. The first evidence of metal art in South America came from Lake Titicaca. The second blip talks about rock art. This was a good episode discussing First Nations and their artwork. I enjoyed the section on storytelling, perhaps they could have had a separate episode on that aspect of First Nations art. So far, I will still recommend showing this episode to a history class. This particular episode because of the focus on art could have the potential for an art class. The discussion on storytelling could make this episode fit in an English class. Good morning, we are going to continue our exploration into 1491 and the First Nations before the arrival of Columbus. I am slowly accepting that I am going to be doing this series out of order. This time we are going to explore how the First Nations mastered their environment. The run time for this episode is 47:15.
The First Nations would have created significant changes to their environment when they settled in the Americas. The majority of the First Nations lived in cities and towns. They used a variety of tools to shape their environment. They built canals, used fire, and built terraces to help support their growing population. They did their construction projects carefully with respect for their environment. The first region discussed in this episode is the Amazonia Region. It holds 10% of the world’s birds, animals, and insects. It also had a native population that numbered in the millions. What you see today would have been a vastly different landscape. Two percent of the land lies within the Amazon flood plain and the soil is fertile. The majority of the soil is too acidic for extensive agricultural use. The first nations found a way around this and created their own soil. It was created out of pottery shards, plant waste, fish bones, and charcoal. Agricultural knowledge generation after generation. This soil has been found throughout the Amazonia region. Developing this soil was crucial for the survival of the first nations. This soil was rich and could be cultivated for many years to come. Villages were situated in rings and on the outside of the ring was where the plant wastes could be tossed. They cultivated and tamed the plants around them. The discovery of this soil creation was an accident and would have been developed over generations. The Ancient Amazonia had engineered soil that could help their people. Water Travel was important to the First Nations of North America. People knew how to travel and would rely on the water to get to places. The rivers of North America were a dependable highway for the First Nations. The canoe was the preferred method of transportation for the First Nations. The First Nations were excellent canoe makers and knew what to use to make canoes. There were different canoes for different purposes. There were canoes for travel, fishing, gathering food, and for making war. Inland travel required a different boat: these canoes were smaller and lighter to accommodate lake and river travel. They were tough enough to travel over the rivers and light enough to carry on their backs. The next culture discussed is the Mound builders. The mound builders lived on the Mississippi River and their largest city was called Cahokia. It took a lot of people to build the mounds. The mounds were places for the bones of the dead and had a ceremonial place. The mounds were gathering places for people to make their offerings and bury their leaders. There were indications that the people had realized that their area could no longer support a large number of people so they went their separate ways. It is here that the documentary explores mound builders and their places across cultures throughout history. Then the documentary focuses on the Andes and the terraces that were built for agriculture. The Andes Mountains would have been the least likely place for farming, however, the First Nations made it happen. The Inka would build terraces to farm. Terraces became larger and more structured. They were built from stone, sand, and soil. These terraces were designed to keep nutrients in the soil, and gravity-driven water, provide drainage, and keep the crops warm in the ground. In some places, the terrace system is still in use. So how else did the First Nations manipulate their environment to support their populations? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out. As I watched this documentary I had the strongest feeling that this could potentially be shown in a geography class. There were different regions discussed and how the First Nations used their environment to support the population. Additionally, I could see the application in an agricultural class for the same reason. This series is getting better and better with each episode, and I hope I am not saying that too early. Particularly after being disappointed in the Nations at War series, fingers crossed that this documentary series continues to get better. The series 1491 Continues with a look at the governance and trade of the First Nations. This episode might have been the fifth episode of the series, but for this blog, I will be doing it third. The run time for this episode is 47:29.
Each of the First Nations had its own systems of government and they communicated with each other through trade. They were divided into clans, then confederacies, and alliances. The First Nations even formed empires. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy has formed over 900 years ago and was the ancestor of the Iroquois Confederacy. It was one of the oldest representative democracies in the world. Before the confederacy, five nations were at war and these wars were violent on both sides. Human relations had broken down among the people. Everyone Chief engaged in retaliation and revenge. One particular chief was ruthless in getting revenge. He was known as a Serpent Chief. He would put live snakes in his hair. Legend had it he could control the wind and the waters. He was a very twisted individual both physically and mentally. A man known as the Peacemaker arrived at the Iroquois Lands. He traveled widely and talked about peace. He was a former warrior but had changed his way of thinking. However, the Serpent Chief saw this as a betrayal and had the Peacemaker’s daughters killed one by one. The Peacemaker left his community to isolate himself in the forest. The Peacemaker would meet up with another chief. Together they would promote peace among the five tribes. Women were important to the Iroquois so the pair went to a woman to try to promote peace. One tribe did not join up and this was the tribe led by the Serpent Chef. The woman they spoke to told them to gather four chiefs to come to him and to make him the keeper of the fire. The four chiefs met up with the Serpent Chief, but he continued to resist the offers of peace. The Serpent Chief did not want to lose all power. Would the Serpent Chief join the Iroquois Confederation? What would it take for him to join up with the four other Iroquois nations? The Inka Civilization was the next group talked about. They started off as farmers in the Andean Highlands and they established their empire 600 years ago. According to Oral History, the first Inka family left Lake Titicaca to look for the perfect location to establish a homeland. When the Inka people arrived in Cuzco, there were people living there. The Inka got rid of the original inhabitants and absorbed the rest. Cuzco would be the hub of political life for the Inka empire. It was home to twenty million people and was organized into four quadrants. Leaders from all over the empire were required to live in Cuzco for part of the year. The Inka Empire grew north and south. They recruited other leaders and those who resisted their alliance was punished. The next empire discussed was the Maya empire. The Mayans were made up of a series of city-states. These cities-states were dotted along the coastlines and were a trading empire. They traded basalt, turquoise, and other items. Everything was carried on their back. The Mayans now had access to Jade. Jade was moved through Mesoamerica. The trade happened by foot and by boat. One of the most important trade items was Maize. Maize was food and it fed the cities. At the same time, the Hopewell Exchange was transporting goods by boat and used the rivers to trade. Raw goods were transported and they were transformed to finish products. To continue to learn more about this Hopewell Exchange continue to watch this episode. What other forms of government were in place in the First Nations? Continue to learn more in this episode. The first little context episode talked about the Kingdoms of the Middle East and the city centers that had grown up. Then the last empire that was discussed was the Incan Empire. Another interruption dealt with the trading of food around the world. So far this has been an interesting series to watch and write about. This is another good episode to watch and there were quite a few government forms talked about. I would show this episode in a classroom as well. Good morning, we are exploring the First Nations before the arrival of Columbus. I am pretty sure I am doing these episodes out of order. The episodes are not numbered on the Timeline YouTube Channel, which would be helpful. This episode is called Origins and was probably the first episode of the series. The run time for this documentary is 46:56.
The First Nations started off as small populations. Each of the First Nations had its own origin stories. The stories talk about how they emerged. Some people believe that they walked across the land bridge. Others say that they paddled on ocean-going canoes. All these stories begin with a journey. Tens of millions were living in every part of the Americas before Columbus. Each of these nations had its language and way of life. It took thousands of years to come to this point. The record is not clear on when the First Nations arrived. All the First Nations have their own creation story and these form a powerful sense of identity for each of the First Nations. The first story comes from the Anishinaabe Nation and it tells the story of a great flood. A few animals clung to life on logs. They wanted to look for land to live on. A tiny muskrat dove and found mud to put on the back of the turtle. This turtle would eventually become North America. The Mayans’ creation story begins with the sea and the sky. The gods had populated the earth with animals but they could not worship the gods. So the gods made the first human out of mud, then wood, and then made humans out of maize. Another creation story came from the Warao people and in the beginning, the people lived in the sky. They only knew the birds and when a hunter went out to hunt he shot down a bird. When he looked for the bird he saw a hole in the sky. When he told the others they did not want to come. The hunter went down and shot a bird. Eventually, the hunters came down to earth. They were prevented from returning to the Sky by a woman. The initial theory as to how the First Nations was over a land bridge in Alaska. Evidence shows that there was a land bridge. The land was known as Beringia. Eventually, the ice would retreat leaving the ocean in its place. However, there were people living in North and South America before the land bridge closed. Another theory is that the First Nations traveled across the oceans. In the 1970s researchers proposed that the coastal routes were viable. The evidence seems to suggest that there were waves of people coming over. In all likelihood, both routes were used. Traveling would have been dangerous for the people. Why did they move? We may never know the answers. Once they arrived in the land, these first people would have found themselves in a strange land. They would have seen different animals and experienced new foods. They would have had to rely on the skills they had brought with them in order to better their chances of survival. It would have taken a lot of trial and error to learn to live in the North and South American continents. Soon people would have lived all over the Americas. They would have traveled through the water because land travel would have been difficult. Monte Verde is an ancient site. It was located in Chile and was discovered in the 1970s. It was occupied at least, 14,000 years ago and was preserved in its wet environment. About twenty or thirty people lived in twenty hunts. They would have collected plants and traveled widely to gather food and building materials. They also fished and were well adapted to the marine lifestyle. Another site discovered in North America was made in Clovis and it was the site of one of the oldest villages in North America. To continue to learn more about the origins of the First Nations continue to watch this episode. So far, so good with the second episode of the series. I enjoyed learning about the different creation stories of the First Nations, as well as a look at the ancient sights. This would be another good episode to show in a classroom. Good morning! At times, it feels like I have been bouncing around through history with his blog lately. Blame YouTube and the uploads for the history channels I follow. This documentary is called 1491: The Story of North America Before Columbus. Dr. Evan Adams narrated this documentary. The run time is 47:25.
The First Nations crossed oceans and settled on the North American Continent. The First Nations people navigated their world by the stars. They crossed mountains and rivers. They built a variety of trade networks. Their people built civilizations. In 1492 their lives changed with the arrival of Christopher Columbus. So what were the stories of the First Nations before Columbus? The first episode covers agriculture and hunting. Throughout time, people all over the world hunted and gathered. Over time, food would become part of the cultural identity of the people. Maize was central to the identity of the First Nations. For thousands of years, maize has become central to the First Nations, particularly to the Mayans. According to Mayan oral history, the gods created the first humans out of cornmeal. The Maize god was known as the first father and the Maize goddess was associated with fertility. Maize has nourished and inspired the Mayan people for thousands of years. The Mayans did not originate the Maize plant, but other indigenous farmers earlier developed Maize. Maize was a wild grass that had been cultivated over the years. It may have been the first experiment in genetic engineering in human history. Maize traveled to South America over ancient trade routes. Maize was easy to transport and store. It was traded for good among the indigenous population. The Mayans used the slash and burn method to cultivate maize. Other methods were used such as raised marshes and stepped terraces. Crop diversification also was used to regenerate the soil. Oftentimes, beans, chili peppers, and squash were grown together. Besides supporting the Mayans, maize cultivation led to the development of the Pueblo, Inca, Aztec, and other indigenous cultures. Maize was a consistent feature of all indigenous civilizations. Maize could be ground into flour that could feed the people. Another food that had an impact on the people of North America: is the potato. The potato was a stable source of food for the people of South America. The potato could grow at high altitudes. It can be left in the ground for a year or more. Lake Titicaca was where the potato was first cultivated. Over five thousand varieties were created, and each had a different flavor and color. Each type of potato had a different cultural role. The Andean cultivation terraced the mountains to grow potatoes. Eventually, the potato would make its way to Mexico and even to Alaska. The potato ended up in Washington and Oregon. In South America, the people lived in small villages along the coastlines and rivers. The population numbered in the millions. They would experiment to domesticate plants and these plants would prove to be high yielding. For thousands of years, the people in the Amazon implemented agricultural methods that did not require the intensive methods of slash and burns. They used the forest for their farming and were highly successful in their farming methods. So what is the story of agriculture and the indigenous nations before the arrival of Columbus? How did farming have an impact on the indigenous people? What other farming methods were used by the first nations? How were these foodstuffs traded throughout the North and South American continent? Continue to watch this episode to find out more. Wow, wow, wow! This was an eye-opening episode and was a good start to this series. It was better than the Nations at War series. I wish the narrator of that series narrated this series. There were interruptions between the segments highlighting insight into the global world. This would be a good episode to show in a geography class as well as food history class. This episode was fairly in-depth went it came to the foods that the indigenous people grew. Overall, it had a good flow to the episode and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this episode. I would highly recommend showing this first episode to the classroom. Good morning, we are going to continue learning about Charlemagne and his life. In the previous episode, he conquered the Lombards and was crowned the King of the Lombards. He had his nephews kidnapped from their mother. The Saxons were trouble and Widukind vowed revenge. The Frankish people grew tired of war, while Charlemagne hoped to expand his kingdom into Spain. Widukind took advantage of Charlemagne’s absence and rebelled. Charlemagne would soon be out for revenge. The run time for this episode is 51:56.
The Saxon leader Widukind kept escaping and was becoming Charlemagne’s nightmare. Capturing him would help break the Saxon resistance for good. The episode starts with Charlemagne holding vigil over his mother’s deathbed. Charlemagne also lost his wife in the same year. He also named a new heir to his throne. His oldest son, Pepin, known as Pepin the Hunchback, was passed over in favor of Charlemagne’s children from his second marriage. Scientists examined the remains of Charlemagne while his sarcophagus was undergoing restoration in 1983. Original examinations showed that he was a tall man and that he died at 60-70 years. His skeleton was in good condition for his age. He was an athletic man who was above average height. Charlemagne’s skull was also examined. It showed that he exceeded the lifespan of the average frank. So what else did the scientist conclude about Charlemagne? He was tall, but not abnormally tall for the time. He was athletic. His bones were healthy for a man of the time. He was in good health. Three months after Charlemagne’s wife had died, he remarried a third woman. She was a Frankish noblewoman. The Saxons were also rebelling. However, Charlemagne was contemplating the final judgment. He, like many of his contemporaries, was afraid about what would happen after death. So he wanted to get right before he met his maker. Eventually, Charlemagne would face his mortal enemy once again: Widukind. Widukind would surrender to Charlemagne and would agree to be baptized. Charlemagne was his godfather. The Saxons were similar to the Franks apart from religion and not having kings. The Franks and the Saxons understood each other and had a similar material culture. Widukind’s price for peace was high, but Charlemagne paid it even though the state treasury was empty. Widukind was able to get his estates back when he converted. The Saxons and Franks cemented their alliance in a peace treaty. The Saxons gained influence in the Frankish kingdom. Widukind eventually built an abbey in Westphalia, where he would eventually be buried. The Saxon Wars exhausted the realm. Charlemagne would brutally put down the rebellions. The Frankish Empire expanded as well and would be considered a superpower. Charlemagne was always on the go. He had to keep in touch with his kingdom. His wife would remain behind and run the court. She would take care of the business of the kingdom. He would have never given the business of the Kingdom to either of his previous wives. She was older and more politically important to him. Chroniclers at the time blamed her for the rebellion of Charlemagne’s oldest son Pepin the Hunchback. Aachen had become the main royal residence for Charlemagne and his family. Here was where Charlemagne surrounded himself with scholars. Charlemagne worked to bring scholars to his court. He wanted to implement education reform in the Frankish kingdom. He wanted to educate the Frankish people. Charlemagne’s father started educating the people, and now Charlemagne took on that mantle. He also worked to make sure that he could send his decrees out in a simple, legible alphabet. The Bible in the Carolingian language was produced in his period. Then there was a dictionary of church terms created. What else did Charlemagne do for the Frankish Kingdom? What other reforms did Charlemagne implement? Continue to watch this episode to find out more. Overall, this has proven to be a good series on Charlemagne, even if the descriptions were click-baity at times. The title for this episode was known as Charlemagne’s Bloody Rampage to Defeat His Arch Enemy Widukind. However, this episode went beyond Widukind and talked about Charlemagne’s reforms in education. This would definitely be a documentary to add to a teacher’s arsenal of documentaries. Good morning, we are looking at the story of Charlemagne. There will be a struggle for the throne between Charlemagne and his nephews. His brother was dead. Who will come out on top? The run time for this documentary is 51:14.
After Carloman died, Charlemagne declared himself the sole emperor of the Franks. Carloman’s wife and children fled to the Lombard court. So Charlemagne declared war on the Lombards to protect his throne. However, instead of invading Lombardy, he turned his attention to the Saxons. It would provide the Frankish Empire with quick plunder. Immediately the Franks invaded the Saxon villages. However, victory was not quick so he had to alter his strategy. Charlemagne reached the Saxon’s most sacred site: a tree that bore the weight of the world. It was the Saxons’ direct connection to their gods. He would order the tree to be burned down. Nothing would put him off burning the tree down. He would make the Saxons follow the pope. The Saxons’ Sacred Tree was burned. He continued to work on destroying the images of the Saxon religion. In a cave, he found the riches of the Saxons. This would give him a quick influx of cash to get his nephews back from Lombardy. In the meantime, a decision was made regarding his nephews. The Pope declared that Charlemagne was the legitimate Frankish emperor. The King of the Lombards did not agree with this decision and threatened the Pope’s security. Charlemagne’s father Pepin had already waged war against the Lombards. The Pope reached out for Charlemagne’s help to invade the Lombards. Would the Lombard King invade Rome and attack the pope? However, raising an army to attack the Lombards would not be easy. After all Charlemagne’s sister-in-law was sheltering in Lombardy with her sons. They had a following among the Franks. There would have been some risk in invading Lombardy. Charlemagne would seek help from the church in trying to decide to invade Lombardy. The complication of invading Lombardy came in the form of his nephews living in the Lombard court. Charlemagne was advised to play into the Lombard king’s weakness. The man had a great deal of pride. The plan was for Charlemagne to march over the Alps and negotiate with the King. Charlemagne was to pretend that he was afraid of the Lombard King. Pretend that he wanted to avoid battle. If the king refused the offers of peace, then that opened the door for invasion. Charlemagne then invaded Lombardy. The men numbered 3,000 and one thousand courtiers joined them. The Queen accompanied on Campaign. She was heavily pregnant at the time of the invasion. Crossing the Alps would have been a challenge during Winter and only a miracle would save the Frankish Army. The Lombards rejected the offer of peace, playing right into Charlemagne’s hands. The battle begins and the Lombards did not surrender. Charlemagne and his army soon siege the castle. A winter siege was going to be a challenge for the Franks. To keep morale up, he threw parties. In the meantime, his wife was battling a fever. Her brother was at her side and he challenged Charlemagne’s behavior. Contemporaries wrote about how many mistresses he had and they even went so far as to say that Charlemagne was in hell. During the siege, Charlemagne went to Rome to see the pope. It was the first time that Charlemagne had seen Rome. The pope was surprised to see Charlemagne. He was seeking a miracle to help break the siege in Lombardy. The pope took Charlemagne on a tour of St. Peters. Charlemagne wanted the Pope’s blessing for the siege and gave the Pope a generous donation. Charlemagne also promised to give the conquered territories to the Pope. When Charlemagne returned to the campaign, he saw that the Lombards had surrendered. The Lombard king was forced to surrender and was forced into exile. So what would happen to the children of Carloman? How was he able to style himself King of the Franks and the Lombards? Tune into the rest of the episode to find out more about Charlemagne. Okay, this is getting good. I enjoyed getting learn more information about Charlemagne. After two episodes, I would very much consider showing this series to a classroom and using it for research purposes. Good morning, we are going to explore the story of Charlemagne. This is a German-produced documentary series with English subtitles. This episode has a run time of 50:42.
Charlemagne was the most important Emperor of the Middle Ages. The story begins with a monk gathering wood for a fire. He was a scholar in Charlemagne’s court and was his friend. He is the narrator of Charlemagne’s story. He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day. He was the most powerful ruler of his time. Even the pope was intimidated by him. He was superhuman. However, what is a myth, and what is reality? The story continues with King Pepin, he wanted to be the King of the Franks. Pepin was ambitious for a son and wanted to establish a dynasty. Finally, his wife gave birth to a son. It had taken years for his wife to have a son. The Frankish kingdom was made up of a variety of communities. Pepin wanted to unite the people under one leader: him. Under Pepin, the territory was expanded and had become a major power player in Europe. Pepin sought the blessing of the Pope for his crusade for power. Pepin would promise the Pope that he would defend the faith. Additionally, he allowed Charlemagne and his brother Carloman were anointed by the pope. Charlemagne and Carloman were joint heirs to the empire. They were bitter rivals rather than brothers. On Pepin’s death bed, he made his will. The empire that Pepin had built would be divided equally between them. The division was strange: Charlemagne’s lands encircled Carloman’s lands. What was the reasoning behind this arrangement? Did Pepin want to force both his sons to get along? However, he could not foresee the consequences that this would have. Both boys were crowned the same day, however, they soon started fighting for dominance. Carloman was planning a marriage in order to strengthen his empire. Their mother tried to make peace between the boys, but she had a clear preference for Charlemagne. Soon, there was a rebellion on the borders. Charlemagne marched, and Carloman was supposed to help him put down the rebellion. Carloman did not show up at the agreed meeting place. The sources are unclear as to why Carloman did not assist Charlemagne. Charlemagne went to battle on his own. With advances in technology, Charlemagne was able to put down the rebellion without his brother’s help. While putting down the rebellion, his wife had a son. He then declared all of Aquitaine his, taking over his brother’s portion. Charlemagne legitimized his reign with a victory in battle. What did Carloman think when he heard of Charlemagne’s victory? Charlemagne’s mother made her way to Lombardy. She was looking to seek an alliance. It is clear from the sources that Charlemagne’s mother was a political force in her own right. She was arranging the marriage between Charlemagne and the King of Lombardy’s daughter. This marriage would surround Carloman’s empire on all sides. The Pope was skeptical of this marriage. He wrote to Charlemagne, begging him to not marry the Lombard Princess. Charlemagne divorced and banished his first wife and then married the Lombard Princess. It would seem that Charlemagne’s mother would win out. It would be Carloman’s move and he would request that the Pope himself would baptize his second son. However, this would not happen and Carloman was so angry he wanted to march on Rome itself. Would Carloman march on Rome? Would Charlemagne and his brother finally get along? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. I was a little bit skeptical when I saw this documentary pop up on as newly published. I had made the mistake of skimming through some of the comments and I did not like how Chronicle had titled it. Chronicle did not have to title it in the way they did because I am still working on building up my Middle Ages collections. It could have been titled Charlemagne and it would have gotten my attention. Now that I have that business out of my way, wow. I was really impressed with this first episode. It was interesting to see the relationship between Carloman and Charlemagne. The monk’s perspective was good and the explanations of the historians were good. So far, this could turn out to be a good series to show in a classroom. If you have a biography project for students and they are researching Charlemagne, this could be a potential start. |
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |