Heroic Dreams - All Things Medieval

The Dark Ages were a period of great upheaval, constant war, horrendous plague, and stagnant cultural growth. But through these difficult centuries new ideas and a new culture was born. And in today’s world we still feel the effects of these changes that were brought about during these Dark Ages.

The Dark Ages is a period that is generally accepted as having begun in the year 410 with the fall of Rome and ending in 1095 with the launch of the first Crusades. The fall of Rome sets a good understanding for what the Dark Ages were all about because for centuries the Roman Empire was a unified force that brought stabilization to most of Europe. It had a vibrant trade and commerce industry that supported a reasonably secure lifestyle for millions of people. When Rome fell, this network of trade and commerce collapsed and the European World was set into chaos. It took seven hundred years of wars, plague, and poverty before the continent came out of it and was moved into the Renaissance.

Medieval Warlords and the struggle to be emperor

Before it fell, Rome had been the center of the European world for seven hundred years. The emperor ruled over everything and when this all fell the concept of one man ruling the world still remained. It was this aspiration to rule over everything that perpetuated the darkness of the times. Lords from all over Europe were engaged with each other in battles for land and power. This battling lasted literally centuries and it meant a constant drain of resources and a standstill in cultural growth.

Outside Forces make it worse

This constant struggling for power within the continent of Europe made it very easy for outside forces to penetrate into the continent and further wreak destruction and drain wealth and resources. From the north Vikings constantly invaded and plundered and from the south Moorish invaders brought war and the word of their prophet. The whole continent was under the constant pressure of three points of attack –from within and from both the north and south.

The Plague negates all progress

Throughout the first century of the Dark Ages Europe made slow but tangible progress and Emperor Justinian was on the verge of reuniting the continent when the bubonic plague hit and killed tens of millions of people. This destroyed all hope of reunification and kept the continent in chaos for several more centuries.

The Force that brought us out of the darkness

Christianity was an ideal that rose to power during the dark ages and many warlords of the time embraced it. This had a unifying force on the entire European continent and even though there were many kingdoms they all swore allegiance under the pope. This brought an end to the internal fighting that had been going on for centuries and this unification was solidified with the launching of the Crusades beginning in 1095. This gave all the various warlords and kings a common religious goal and a foe they could join together and focus on.

The Crusades, while being for the most part a failure in that they held very little of the land they attempted to conquer, were a significant factor in the rebirth of Europe in that Europe was reunited under a common religion and returning crusaders brought back with them to Europe a wealth of new information in architecture, medicine, philosophy, mathematics and many other areas. This infusion of ideas, paired with the end of constant war within Europe set the stage for the Renaissance.

The Dark Ages were an extraordinarily difficult period in the story of humanity. It is estimated that 100 million people died at the hands of war, poverty, and plague. But during this time new ideas and ideals were born and much of the groundwork was laid for the world we know today.

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A web visitor passed me some interesting links that he thought I should take a look at. He was right, they are interesting! I am passing them along for you to look at.

Morgane’s Medieval Download Haven - Nice collection of screensavers, clip art and other medieval related art - Only for private use, not for publication to websites without express consent from them.

Raising a Modern Day Knight - really interesting site for fathers and sons . All about raising a boy to be a modern day knight. Not a fiction site, a parenting site. I really like this. They offer a comprehensive program.

Paladin Press - Home of the Action Library They have a best selling book entitled: Medieval Swordsmanship

Medieval Sword Resource site: Nice, no frills, no sell site with lots of information on swords.

Sword and Weapon Sales sites

http://www.swordsdirect.com/ accepts visa and M/C

http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/  Newsletter sign-up, most popular items purchased listing, has lots of “new” items.

http://www.a2armory.com/swords.htm?agent_camp=19143001 very simple layout, better business bureau logo and other secure icons, savings displayed and a toll free number.

http://www.by-the-sword.com/ “official replicas movie props” I have always wanted to know if I could get something that was in a movie. They have the visa m/c discover thing as well.

http://www.medievalswords.net/ very simple, I like the “officially licensed movie swords on sale now” with Frodo and sting.

http://www.mwart.com/ this site addresses the faire goers, collector, re-enactment people and the enthusiasts which is just about everybody (I think). $5 off first order if you sign up for email.

A big thankyou to my web visitor for sending me this stuff.

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Swords have grown in their stature to represent more than just a weapon. They have taken on a variety of characteristics with deep emotional meaning and symbolic significance. Here is a look at some of the symbolism of swords.

In the Middle Ages and in particular the early Middle Ages, owning a sword was not something everyone could do. They were scarce and expensive. This rarity bestowed upon the owner a certain aura. But this alone wasn’t enough to make swords into the something more than a sword that they have become.

As the Middle Ages developed and the technology and resources to mass-produce swords came about the art of sword making changed. There were swords and then there were swords that were something more. The common soldier or guard had a sword and the noble or knight had an altogether different kind of sword -A sword of superior quality that meant all the difference in combat. It was in this distinction that swords began to take on individual meaning.

The Sword as Symbol of Power

Excalibur – This is the definining sword in the world of symbolism. It takes the concept of special sword to its pinnacle. There is truly no other sword like Excalibur because whoever wields it will rule the kingdom. The parallel between the man and the sword is easily followed – the better the sword, the better the man.

The Sword as Protector

In the Lord of the Rings there are many swords but the one most important sword is the one wielded by Frodo. It is called sting and it is just a small sword. But it has the unique characteristic of glowing whenever there are Orc’s nearby. Hobbits in the story are small creatures that cannot defend themselves well against many of the large and ferocious creatures of Middle Earth. In the story Sting takes on the role of protector.

The Sword as Story and Prophecy

This is a symbolic variation that is often seen with swords and Excalibur is a good example of this. Whoever can remove the sword from the stone shall be king. This is the prophecy of Excalibur. Often times prophecy is conveyed in either the breaking or the remaking of a sword. If a sword is broken it represents the end of a kingdom and if it is remade the kingdom will be remade.

The Sword as symbol of its wielder

This is a very common symbolic connotation that many swords have. The sword itself visually or even spiritually will often have the same characteristics, sometimes amplified and sometimes subtler, as its wielder. This concept is well shown in the evil swords that the Nazgul wield in the Lord of the Rings.

There are as many symbolic representations of swords as there are fantasy books with swords in them. Swords, in books, and movies have through symbology, taken on a life and character of their own.

Abou the Picture in this post: Magical Color Dragon Dagger It is Available from Amazon.com

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