What were the Crusades?

Every so often I receive an email from a student looking for information pertaining to history or archaeology for a research paper. I’m not the expert let me assure you of that, but I appreciate history just as much as I enjoy archaeology.

The question is : What were the Crusades?

The crusades were an attempt by the papacy to demonstrate their influence over European society. It was a war between the godly followers and the infidels. Due to developments in the Islamic and Byzantine world, this gave rise to the new European civilization to expand their borders. As a new dynasty emerged, the demand for knights was answered leading to the first crusades which were precipitated by various religious aspects and conflicts, and tempted warriors to fight for their religion and engage in their favorite pastime-fighting.

After the division of the Catholic Church of the west and the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Byzantine Empire, the state of the empire was weakened. The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Michael Cerularius, refused to accept the pope as the sole head of the church which resulted in a great schism between the two branches of Christianity.

The Byzantine Empire was constantly open to external threats from the Turks, Normans, and the Pechenegs. So when a new dynasty was formed by Alexius I Comnenus, the leader turned to the west for assistance in a holy war, and his requests were positively answered leading to the crusades.

Christians were on holy pilgrimage to rid the world of infidels and unbelievers, those being the Muslims. So when the pope saw an opportunity to provide papal leadership for a great cause, they rallied the warriors in an attempt to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The pope promised knights remission of sins allowing for the knights, who died in battle against the pagans, to be absolved from sin through the power of God which the pope had been invested.

The knights of the crusade were initially tempted by religious fervor, adventure, and the opportunity to engage in fighting. Others believed they would gain more land and holdings, a title, and even salvation. Merchants believed the crusades would allow for greater trade opportunities in the Muslim Lands. It was simply a war to rid Europe of young nobles who insisted upon fighting each other, thereby turning the tables and giving them a new target.

The crusades were a massacre that brought about evil side effects that effected the society of Europe for centuries. The hopes of reviving more trade during the crusades would have had the same results without the murders of thousands of people. Not much as changed even today as Christians and Muslims lay in dispute over the Holy Land.

History of Libraries

Anytime I find myself at a library, I tend to migrate to the darkest, dungeon like area, filled with leather bound books and quiet enough to hear a pin drop. However, did you ever stop and wonder how those books surrounding you got there is the first place? The History of Libraries never really dawned on me until I checked out a book that hadn't left the library since 1956.

This particular article by Louise Baker about the History of Libraries Through the Ages is definitely the  most extensive history I've seen on the net, so for that, thanks Louise.

Archeologists have spent centuries pulling together bits and pieces of history about our past. As a result of their research, they have managed to find what seems to be proof of the first libraries located in ancient Egypt. Most of their conclusions were drawn from the information gathered by previous thinkers, philosophers and scientists who visited Egypt and were able to gather proof of documents found throughout the country in safe places equipped to store the documents.

In the paper, The Library in Ancient Egypt, Cairo University professor Dr. Abdel-Halim Nureddin explained that these safe places could only be described as libraries in that they required “classification, presentation and staff (librarians and many others)” just as modern libraries do today.

Read More:  History of Libraries Through the Ages By Louise Baker

Site: ZenCollegeLife
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Saint John's Co Cathedral

Saint John's Co Cathedral in Malta acted as the church of the Knights Hospitaller in Malta during the 11th century, protecting pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. The Saint John's Co Cathedral was commissioned by Grand Master himself Jean de la Cassiere and the cathedral was designed by Gerolamo Cassar, the same architect that designed Grand Master's Palace.

After the Siege of Malta in 1565, the facade of Saint John's was created, which in no way portrays the incredible artistry the site actually embodies inside. The Baroque interior of Saint John's Co Cathedral was designed by 17th century Italian artist Mattia Pretti. Of course, St. John's stone walls and skillfully painted ceiling and altars depict scenes from the life of John the Baptist.

Cachtice Castle: Famed Home of the Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory

Cachtice Castle is situated in the illustrious Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. Originally it was constructed as a guard post on the thoroughfare to Moravia. Cachtice Castle gained prominence when it became the home of Elizabeth Bathory, otherwise known as the “Blood Countess” or the “Bloody Lady of Cachtice”.

Originally, Cachtice was constructed in the Romanesque style during the 13th century by Kazimir of Hunt-Poznan, but was later renovated to both Gothic and Renaissance styles from the 15th to the 17th century. In the latter half of the 16th century, Ca...............

From: Cachtice Castle, Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the Murders of Vienna