29 September 1998
This is the first Medieval History paper I wrote in college. It's a rought draft, a very rough draft. Although the paper received a B, I think it's more around a C. But, who am I to argue with the teacher. The paper draws on human philosophy throughout time. By way of B.S., I connected Tacitus' Germania, "The Salic Law," and "The First Crusade." The text to which I referred was written by Geary. The name of the text and its publisher is in the works cited of the "Lay Investiture" paper. Enjoy.
ROUGH DRAFT
From Alexander to Alfred and Lenin to Lennon, the beliefs, convictions, and ideologies of people have guided their actions. These actions provide insight into the inner workings of the mind. To sacrifice one's life for pride, to steal another's sense of security for one's own security, to sanctify all pagans for God, are all actions taken in the eyes of thinkers, believers, and warriors. Wars fought over something so dear as family, security, and religion offer more than the luxury of land or power, but the fulfillment of the inherent human need of the defending of one's virtues. In Tacitus' Germania, the Germans are described as family oriented warriors whose honor proved to be more important than life. The "Salic Law" illustrates the loss of safety through anarchy. Fulcher of Chartres' accounts of the First Crusade uncover the religious position behind the crusades. The common thread between battles described in Germania, the "Salic Law, and "The First Crusade" is the need for people to defend what they believe by any means necessary.
The blood of the family flows thickly through the hearts of the Germans. Firstly, because the Germans were "a nation untainted by inter-marriage with other peoples" (Geary 66), no dissipation of culture occurred, leaving the Germans only themselves to rely on. The solitude of a people for such a span of time drives them together, not necessarily because of fondness, but because of isolation. To survive, it is necessary to form strong bonds amongst those around you. The Germans were geographically isolated, so amiable coexistence was made necessary due to proximity. And, given this social structure of the Germans, the family community provided unconditional acceptance. The connection to family was obviously held dear. This bond between family members proved to be the greatest influence on German society.
"The strongest incentive to courage lies in this, that neither chance nor casual grouping makes the squadron or the wedge, but the family and kinship" (Geary, 67). The image of the heroic and self-serving warrior was not the focus of the Germans. Even more important than glory is the view and respect of the family. The family supports the warrior to a great extent:
Close at hand, too, are their dearest, so that they hear the wailing voices of
women and cries of children. Here are the witnesses who are in each man's
eye's most precious; here the praise he covets most. The warriors take
their wounds to mother and wife, who do not shrink from counting the
hurts and demanding a sight of them: they give to the combatants food and
encouragement.
(Geary, 67)
The men's motivation came from the love and admiration of family. However, the fear of the consequences of failing or surrendering in battle also motivated the Germans to risk their lives in war.
The greatest shame is to have acted cowardly in battle. ". . . To have left the field and survived one's chief. . . means lifelong infamy and shame" (Geary, 69). The Germans stressed success in battle to a such a degree that even
death would be more honorable than retreating to save one's life. When a warrior acted cowardly, not only the warrior, but the family suffered lifelong infamy and shame. And, because of this, not even family would respect and love a coward. The German warriors lived through their family and died for them. To all honorable warriors, love and security was ever-present. Security was a standard for Germans, but during the reign of King Clovis (481-511), security was a luxury.
In the time of the "Dark Ages," security gave way and anarchy took the place of any form of central government. "Churchmen sought ways of ensuring peace in a society that had become more warlike than ever before. . . and it was out of the anarchy and tribulation which men and women of that generation suffered that a new Europe took shape. (Peters, 165)" The people of the time were experiencing a power vacuum giving way to rampant evil. Small groups of people joined together to find safety in numbers. Consisting of family and close family friends, these groups formed their own form of hierarchy, creating microcosms of kingdoms. The bond between those in these small groups was fundamentally based on security. Given the lack of government, let alone any sort of judicial system, and the worries on the part of the peoples, "The Salic Law" was created.
"The Salic Law" was amended as needed - from cases, came laws - and from laws came an end to "blood feuds." Because of the lack of exposure to culture and different people, the focus of the people, like the Germans, was on family. If a family member, or one in the family's group, was somehow wronged by another family, revenge was inevitable. To offend one of a different family, the only truly secure possession of the time, was an insult and a disgrace to the family's honor. Thus, "blood feuds" - a revenge cycle between families resulting in death, theft, etc. - raged and "the Salic Laws" were created.
"The Salic Laws" focused on monetary compensation for crimes committed to discourage feuding. The point being to shift the people's focus from revenge to money. If a family member could not afford the price given the crime, the
family and the friends would be asked to lend money so as to pay off the debt. A crime not only hurt the offender but the offender's family as well. Because of this, families would delegate what was acceptable; for, the monetary expense of committing crimes affected everyone. As a result, families were allowed the opportunity to disown a troublesome family member, and, a family member was allowed to disown a troublesome family. Security was obtained by fear of debt.
However, security was not guaranteed. The hurting of one's honor was considered an utmost insult and was not tolerated. Either "the Salic Law" would take effect or personal vendettas would be carried out by all those related to the offended. The importance on family was so great because of the need for security at the time. People felt unsafe and bonded through fear. As time passed, "The older Carolingian landscape of densely populated settlements. . . gave way to a more regularly developed landscape devoted in greater proportion to agriculture, the founding of new villages and monasteries, and the appearance of local fairs" (Peters, 166). This growth slowly established a government and enforceable laws. However, the belief in laws is not as strong as the belief in God.
In Fulcher of Chartres' "The First Crusade," the reasoning behind the widespread persecution of "pagans" is explained through biblical terms. Pope Urban II "saw faith of Christendom excessively trampled upon by all. . . and peace totally disregarded" (Geary, 386). The pope called upon all Christians, "to resume the powers of their faith and arouse
in themselves a fierce determination to overcome the machinations of the devil, and to try fully to restore Holy Church, cruelly weakened by the wicked, to its honorable status as of old" (Geary, 386). The pope believed the crusades to be of "divine admonition" and justifiable through scripture. "You are the salt of the earth [Matth. 5:13]. but if you fail how will
[the salting be accomplished? Oh how many men must be seasoned! [Matt. 5:13; Marc. 9:50]" (Geary, 387). The pope decreed the crusades to be holy wars to convert the pagans and save their souls. But their intention was not all philanthropic.
"It is evident that because a good intention brings about the accomplishment of a good work, a good work brings about the salvation of the soul. . . Therefore it is best to lay up a store of good works so that through worthy deeds one acquires nourishment for the soul" (Geary, 389). The motivation to conquer those of other religions and force them to convert was not entirely a giving act. The crusades were believed to not only save the souls of the pagans, but the souls of those converting the pagans. This was pivotal in a time when the pope believes that even the clergy of the time is subject to the powers of the devil. However, instances relating to God's supporting the crusades were - by human nature - accepted on a grander scale, such as the finding of the lance believed to pierce the side of Jesus and the native rock in which "the Ark of the Lord's Covenant along with the urn and the tables of Moses was sealed" (Geary, 394). The Christians believed only that they believed and that their spreading of that faith was correct and proper. Every action, every attack, every death that followed was justified in one thing: belief.
Belief is the source of all our actions. The way we live is dictated by our faith. In the case of the Germans, the family was of utmost importance. Family was important enough to die for. The love and unconditional support from family made them so dear that to disgrace them was considered worse than death itself. During the time of "The Salic Law," the
sense of security, even in one's own house, was threatened. To threaten one's security was to lose your own. The battles were fought not because people wanted to, but because people had to for their own security. The Crusades were carried out by people of extreme faith. The conversion of pagans was considered a soul saving action, on both parts. The lives of these people are alike in one thing: their battles are not battles of anger or fear or hatred, but of faith. Their faith is a battle within itself.
See what I mean. I don't think it's that great, but it got me a B, so I don't care. If you're interested in Medieval History, the texts by Geary and Peters - both fully noted in the "Lay Investiture" Paper's works cited - are excellent. The most important thing to do in history is to make connections. For example, what would happen, given a relatively uncentralized nation based mainly on agriculture, rather than trade, if the temperature rose only two degrees and remained at this elevated temperature for a full year. Think about what temperature affects and then think about what those things affect. This DID happen in the medieval time period. This simple issue affected the society greatly. The rise in temperature allowed for longer periods of harvesting. Because of that, people were eating better. Because they were eating better, people were healthier. Because people were healthier, more babies survived childbirth. Because of that, there was an increase in population. Years later, this boom of babies would provide more than enough people in the work force meaning that this mainly agriculturally supported people would be able to spend more time trading, learning, and making things. Because people had more time to themselves, they may develop a more centralized nation. This centralized nation may support such projects as developing infrastructure, irrigation, and construction. This would help the military and make trade much easier. This is all because of one issue, a slight rise in temperature. So, when you read a history text, look for connections.
Remember, look for connections. Also, look for biases. For example, if you read the Joan of Arc Testimony in Geary - which is a book of primary sources - and keep a soley objective outlook, she sounds crazy. A tree that fairies frequent, God's telling her to dress like a man, and many other things she swears occured, are not common to sane people. However, because the French won the war and the English did not, the court is seen as crazy for not having believed her and she is seen as a hero. If the French had lost, she'd be remembered in a much different light. If you're not familiar with Joan of Arc, think of how history texts would read if the British won. Would Benedict Arnold be the traitor or the hero? I'm just some college kid with a computer.
(C) 1998 RIGHTINGS