The Age of Charlemagne

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The reign of Karl der Grosse, or Charlemagne, was a cumulative period in early medieval history (a period that covers roughly AD 476 to the ninth and tenth centuries). It marked an important turning point in western civilization, from the fall of the western Roman Empire and the “barbarian” migrations to the adoption of feudalism, from the missionary and evangelizing period of western Christianity to the establishment of a bond (for good or for worse) between secular and spiritual powers, from a time of relatively meager historical documentation to a time of tremendous written output. This forum is for all discussions pertaining to this period, unfortunately called the Dark Ages.

In reality the only thing dark about this period of history is a long shadow cast over the work of historians due to a lack of written documentation. For all intents and purposes, the Dark Ages was a time of growth, the establishment of political patterns that were to have lasting effects well beyond the medieval period and into the Age of Enlightenment and Reform, and a time of both heroic virtue and deplorable vice. During this time we see the flowering of the monastic movement in the west, especially the Order of Saint Benedict centered around the monastery at Cluny. Missionaries of great faith and fortitude sought converts in rugged, intemperate and unsettled lands, and then within only a few generations these converts were in turn taking their missionary zeal to other peoples. It was also a time of forced conversions and unsavory practices in the name of religion. We see the fire of Islam sweep across North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and the first of many battles between Muslim and Christian, fought, strangely as it may seem, at the very backdoor of France. The period saw the end of the Roman Empire, but the ascendancy of the “barbarians” who weren’t so barbarous as to neglect, and even reinterpret and reform, Roman law. The birth of a nation was initiated by the Saxon and Danish settlement of Celtic and Briton England, making way for legendary rulers such as King Alfred The Great. Viking ravages obscured the flowering of Scandinavian culture and society, and a people hearty enough not only to conquer a large portion of England, but to settle the steppes of what came to be known as Russia. It was time that saw the efficient harnessing of horses (something that sounds trivial, but something that had a profound impact on western civilization), and ingenious innovations in hydraulic power, glass works and metallurgy.

This period, from the fall of the western Empire and the “barbarian” migrations to the reign of Charlemagne is full of wonder, spectacle, depravity, faith, virtue and vice. Any topic relevant to the years between the fifth and tenth century is welcome in this forum, to include politics, culture, religion, military history, aesthetics, technology, or whatever. Topics about the rise and spread of Islam is just as relevant as topics about Anglo/Saxon England. It is understandable that a forum category such as this, which attempts to broach such diverse issues, may contain threads that pertain to one of the other forum categories under the title of Medieval Life. If a thread started here might have some bearing on another category, depending on the course of the discussion, the thread could be moved, or copied to the other relevant category. Because any division of historical epochs is artificial at best and often strained, it is understandable that in discussing this period of history it is often necessary to allude to, or even treat in-depth, questions that pertain to prior times, such as the Roman Empire, pre-Christian religions and cultures, or the early Church. Just as unavoidable are allusions to latter historical developments, epochs or peoples. While in general thread topics should remain focused on the title period, it may be beneficial to discuss with some depth topics that pertain to earlier or latter epochs as long as there is some reasonable reference to the period at hand. All view points are welcome, and even necessary. You don’t have to be a degreed historian to contribute (God knows, I’m not even close!)), and you don’t have to know all the answers or ask all the right questions. All you need is an interest in a time of old, very different from our own, but at times, remarkably similar. The first priority is to have fun, then to feed our curiosity, nurture our hobbies, pass on some information and maybe even learn something in the process.

-David :sheildsmile: