The Bard-Multitalented Entertainer

 

A Renaissance Bard prepares to perform to a new audience of villagers, who will hopefully give him room, board and coin of the realm for their entertainment. The travelling bard was a common and looked forward to visitor to any Renaissance village or town. These multitalented performers were a combined newsman, storyteller, musician and singer. They travelled from town to town entertaining the populous with the latest news, gossip, songs and stories. Once the crowds, and money, dwindled as the townsfolk were sedated with his work, the bard would move on to the next village on his route, taking with him the latest news and gossip gained from this town to entertain and inform the next. As it might be as much as a year before the same bard revisited the same town, he was always welcomed with an attentive audience.

A Knights Warhorse Needed Armor Too!

From full plate protection...
to scale-mail... A Knight with an armored warhorse was a powerful opponent on any pre-modern firearms battlefield.

Renaissance Cannon - Death with a Bang

"Vive le Roi," (Long Live the King), cannon of the armies of the king of France. Note the fleur de lys design embossed on the barrels.

A deadly serpent ready to strike.

Ottoman splendor that brought death to the enemies of the Sultan.

Early bombards such as this spelled doom to the tall Medieval castles that had protected the nobles for centuries.

The development of artillery was a trial-and-error process.  Some ideas such as this early breech loading design were centuries ahead of their time (in other words, a good idea that couldn't safely work with the metallurgy of the era)

But some improvements were very successful as this improved bombard clearly shows.

The last sight any enemy would want to see, the mouth of one of the improved artillery pieces right before it goes BOOM!

Renaissance Armor-High Point of Personal Protection

From elite (and expensive) Imperial plate armour, ribbed for extra strength (don't worry about the open space between his legs-it and his bottom would have been covered by more flexible chain-mail armour),...

to common (cheap) leather and metal gorget (protected the throat and upper chest) ...

and simple brigantine (leather with metal studs), armor has protected warriors for thousands of years.  Here we have samples of the best of the Renaissance armor maker's work. These are but a few of the hundreds of full and partial suits found at the Musee de l'Armee at Hotel des Invalides.

One size did not fit all, quality suits of plate were tailored for the individual user, one reason for their tremendous cost.

Suits of full plate were even made for wealthy young boys for training as well as protection should they accompany their fathers onto the battlefield.

And let's not forget our four-legged friends, armor for them could cover as little as their foreheads...

our encase both them and their riders in complete metal protection.

Those that could afford the best, purchased full plate for both man and beast (at a cost in modern dollars of over a quarter million).

But an new technology was to soon be so effective as to render the wearing of expensive plate armor useless-the flintlock musket. Easier to use than previous weapons and deadly up to seventy-five yards through even the best armor of the day.

Reformation-Counter Reformation

Reformation-Counter Reformation, the Christian Church at War with itself!

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-Five Theses, complaints on what was wrong with the Catholic faith and leadership. The opening salvo of the Reformation had been fired. Reformer protested against the Roman Catholic Faith and soon refereed in general by the title of Protestants.  From 1517, to the end of the thirty Years War in 1648, Europe would be wracked by religious bloodshed.

Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder-1533.   A monk in Germany, Luther (1483-1546) found fault with many aspects of the Catholic faith, especially its basic theology, political and economic policies.  His Ninety-Five Theses, started a rift between those that supported the Roman Catholic faith and those that protested against the Pope and his followers-the Protestant movement to Reform the Christian Faith and Church had begun. The followers of Luther eventually formed Lutheranism which today is the Majority religion in: Denmark (Official National Religion), Estonia, Finland (Official National Religion), Greenland, Iceland (Official National Religion), Latvia, Namibia, Northern Germany, Norway (Official National Religion), and Sweden.

John Calvin by René Boyvin in 1562. Born in France, Calvin (1509-1564) became a leading theologian in the Reform movement.  His concepts formed the basis of Calvinism (aka Reformed Theology or Faith) and the Presbyterianism movements. Famous adherents of the concepts of Calvinism included the Pilgrims, Puritans, Huguenots, Scottish Presbyterians and the "Reformed Churches."

John Knox (1514-1572) from Scotland, a former Catholic priest, he was a major leader of the Reformation and was instrumental in the formalization of much of concepts of Calvinism into Presbyterianism.

King Henry VIII (1491-1547)-Church of England (Anglican). Mainly for political reasons, King Henry VIII established the Church of England (COE) in 1534, with the monarch as the head of the church with all the powers of appointment and ownership of all church properties under the ruler's control. Years of unrest during the Tutor Dynasty eventually resulted in the COE becoming the DeFacto national religion of England.

Once the seriousness of the Reformation was acknowledged in Rome, the Catholic Church began its own Counter Reformation to stem the tide of gains the Protestants were making among the Christians of Europe. A grand meeting, the Council of Trent (met from 1545-1563), to address many of the challenges and reforms were instituted. Friendly monarchs were encouraged to make war upon Protestant rulers to win lands and people back by the sword if necessary, and the dreaded Inquisition was given full authority to "root out heretics" by whatever means were necessary.

 One of the Catholics strongest forces in the Counter Reformation were the members of the Society of Jesus-Jesuits, a new order of highly educated priests. Established by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) to win back protestants through missionaries with educated argument guile.  Education was seen as a key to winning back converts so many schools and Universities were established under Jesuit leadership (in 2012 there were 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and more than 50 secondary schools in the USA alone). By the end of the 17th century the Roman Catholics had retained control of the following: Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Monaco (Official National Religion), Poland, Portugal, Southern Germany and Spain.

The Protestant vs Catholic Religious wars were largely over by the 1700's, but the division between the two Cristian groups would continue to grow and influence World affairs for centuries to come.

Results of the 14th Century Black Death

 

In what has been the largest pandemic percentage killings of humans in the last 2000 years, 1/3 of the population of Europe,  around 25 million,  died in just under five years between 1347 and 1352 as a result of the dreaded Black Death-the Bubonic Plague.

Estimated population of Europe from 1000 to 1352:

                                                                    1000-38 million,
 1100-48 million,
1200 59-million,
1300-70 million,
1347-75 million
1352-50 million

But out of death and loss a new World emerged-the rebirth of Europe was at hand,
the Renaissance

The huge death toll left a massive shortage in the labor force.  Over night serfdom began to disappear and a large middle class, something unknown in Europe since the Roman Republic of 100 B.C.E., began to emerge.  The plague aided the development of the Renaissance as men with talent were able to rise above their station of birth due to the more fluid social order.  The World would never be the same!

Machiavelli and "the Prince"

Niccolò Machiavelli 1469-1527,

In a time where most believed that "Good Moral" leaders were also "Good Political " leaders and ruled with the "Grace" of God, Machiavelli wrote a divergence view of the power of a leader and the State.  In his most famous work The Prince (Il Principe), he made the case that power, not the moral character, defines political action.  To be an effective leader, one must understand the proper use of power and its application to the control of and success of the State. Individuals of the State must be brought to obey this power thereby maintaining the success and security of the State and all its citizens.  In Machiavelli's eyes a leader that is respected (or even feared) for his power will be more successful than one who is admired for his "Goodness."

The Prince puts forth the belief that the goal of a leader should always be to “maintain his state” and to “achieve great things,” both of which require power and will increase the power of the ruler.  Many have interpreted his arguments as justification for the adage-"the ends justify the means" where upon rulers are allowed to do what they wish in the stated goal of protecting the State.  Others believe that Machiavelli was exposing the dangers and threats of single dictatorial rule.  What is clear is that many leaders have read and followed his teachings, to both the betterment and sufferings of their peoples and States.

(Other notable works by Machiavelli included Dell’Arte della Guerra [the Art of War], Ritracto delle cose della Magna [Portrait of the affairs of Germany] and Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio [Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livy])

Results of the Crusades

As in all major historic events, the results of the Crusades were varied, complex and open to discussion as to their true effect upon World History. That being said there are some very important historic trends that can be seen as stemming from the Crusades:

 Kingdoms of Europe are the now the norm, the chance of a United Europe under the leadership of the Church or single powerful leader is gone. Much of the wealth taken from the looting of the cities of the Middle East and new trade will pay for the growth of the more powerful of these kingdoms.

 Distrust, Dislike and Outright Hatred between Christian and Muslims is now common due to the acts of bloody massacre and intolerance, accomplished “in God’s Name,” by the warriors and leaders of each group towards their "Enemies of the True Faith."

 The Europeans desire for lost and new knowledge and Eastern trade goods, especially spices, is multiplied throughout Europe by the Crusaders hundred-year+ presence in the Middle East terminus of the Silk and Spice Roads.  This will lead to ever more expeditions looking for faster, cheaper and more profitable trade routes to “India and China.”  These trade routes will require save havens, “Colonies,” for the Europeans as they travel from the West to the East.

 Europe is once again interested in the rest of the World, a concept that had lain dormant in the West since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.  More effort to understand the World, map the World and own their fair share of the World will consume the minds and energies of generations of European leaders, explorers, merchants and warriors.

 Europe will now step on to the road of World conquest, slow at first but increasing in effort and violence faster as the centuries roll on. This conquest will continue, eventually resulting in the massive colonial Empires of the 19th/20th centuries, causing political, social and economic problems that the World still faces in the 21^st century.

War of the Roses

After the defeat of the English in the 100 Years War, thousands of warriors returned to England just in time to join in a family dispute as to which branch of the Plantagenet Dynasty-Lancaster or York-should rule England. This civil war has been called the War of the Roses due to the color of rose each family supposedly chose as its de facto emblem.

From 1455 to 1485 England was wracked by the horrors of Civil War, kings were made, deposed, reinstated, deposed again and out righted murdered in the quest for control of the throne.

The followers of the House of the Duke of Lancaster were those of the Red Rose.

While the followers of the House of the Duke of York choose the White Rose.

For a time, the powerful Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick earned the title of "Kingmaker" during this war as he threw his support to different contenders.  At first, he supported the Lancastrian Henry VI (king from:1422-1461 and 1470-1471), then helped Edward IV of York (king from: 1461-1470 and 1471-1483) to the throne, after a falling out with Edward, he helped to put Henry VI back on the throne.  Before he could change sides again, he was killed in the Battle of Barnet in 1471, leaving Edward IV as king.

With the death of Edward IV, his young son Edward was proclaimed king, with his Uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester as "Lord Protector" of the boy king. The murder of Edward V (13 years old) and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York in 1483, left their Uncle Richard as the sole surviving adult male of the line and therefore king (there was an 8-year-old nephew, Edward, son of Richard's executed younger brother George. Edward himself would be beheaded in 1499).

Richard III (1483-1485) was unpopular, thought to be the murderer of Edward V and a usurper. It did not take long for his enemies to form an army and challenge him for the crown.

In 1485, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated Richard III (who died in the fight) at the Battle of Bosworth Fields. Through his marriage to Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV) and a distant claim of descendance from King Edward III (his mother was the great-great-granddaughter of Henry's younger son John), Henry VII of the House of Tudor is made King of England (1483-1509).

The Tudor Rose combines the Lancaster and York into one rose, one family and a new dynasty-the War of the Roses was over.

The Hundred Years War (the 117 Years War just doesn't sound right)

For more than a century (circa 1336-1453) England and France fought a ruinous series of conflicts (it was never one constant war-nor was there any true periods of total peace) over control of the land of France and the French crown.

Throughout the period the English and Welsh longbowmen were one of the key weapons in the English arsenal. With a range of up to 400 yards and the ability to fire up to six aimed shots a minute, the longbow was a fearsome weapon for the French to face.

In several battles (Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt being the most famous) the smaller English army was able to overcome greater French numbers through superior tactics and the massive firepower of the longbow.

English King Henry V of the House of Plantagenet (1413-1422) was the most successful of the English kings in the war.  Through the Treaty of Troyes, he was even able to force French King Charles VI of the House Valois (1380-1422) to proclaim Henry the rightful heir to the throne (upon the death of Charles).  Unfortunately for the English, Henry died first (of dysentery) and the French voided the treaty.

In 1429, the teenage Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc (burned as a witch by the English in 1431), rallied the French Army and broke the English siege of Orleans. The Victory revised French spirits at a time when the English were politically divided.  The final phase of the war had now begun.

The final battles were more and more dominated by the latest in warfare weapons, gunpowder firearms and cannons. The days of heavily armored warriors were numbered as was English control of France. In the end, the two countries remained independent of each other, but the animosity of a century of war lead to more than a dozen major other wars between the two over the next four centuries, with the Seven Years, American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars among the most important.

Renaissance Fashion-through the Eyes of the Painter

<><>One of the great hallmarks of the Renaissance was the breakthrough in the realistic style of painting of portraits. All of the greatest artists of the day tried their hand at this lucrative work in the process creating some of the greatest and most famous art of all time. </>

-da Vinci

-Durer -Holbien-Raphael -Titian-Botticelli- "Simonetta Vespucci"; Titian- "Caterina Cornaro"; Raphael- "Lady with a Unicorn," "Young Man with Apple," "The veiled Woman"; Holbien- "Edward(VI) Prince of Wales"; Durer- "Young Venetian Woman," "Self Portrait at 26"; da Vinci- "Portrait of a Musician," "Lady with an Woman" Ermine," "Portrait of a