|
Training for Book Authors
|
|
|
Other Resources for Book Authors & Publishers
|
|
|
Please Support Our Advertisers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charlemagne Meets a Chinese Princess
Copyright (c) 2007-2023 K T Ong
Charlemagne was a powerful Frankish monarch of the late 8th and early 9th centuries AD who united virtually all of Christian Europe into a single empire which he defended vigorously against hostile foreign forces. He was also known to be a great patron of higher learning, and also improved upon the laws of the empire and their administration. After his death people started weaving colorful legends of all kinds regarding him and his paladins, raising them to the status of mythical figures along the lines of King Arthur.
The legends were eventually to be collected into long written works, one of them being the epic poem "Orlando Furioso" or "The Madness of Roland" (Roland/Orlando being Charlemagne's favorite nephew and also one of his paladins), composed by the Italian poet Ariosto in the 15th century. The 19th century American scholar Thomas Bullfinch also undertook a retelling of many of the legends in his "Bullfinch's Mythology: The Legends of Charlemagne". The stories range all the way from the British Isles to the Middle East and to China, even right up to the moon (!), and contain all sorts of stuff like angels, fairies, terrible monsters, fantastic creatures, sorcerers and sorceresses, fabulous cities and palaces, magical items and weapons, and, of course, great warriors and battles.
Now according to the legends, one day while Charlemagne and his men were feasting in his court he was visited by a Cathayan princess of dazzling beauty by the name of Angelica! :D Almost every man in Charlemagne's court lost his mind over her, including the king himself (I'm sure the queen would be fuming with rage :)); his nephew Orlando, in particular, was to fall so hopelessly in love with her that, upon discovering later that she had gone off with another man, he eventually went totally insane, destroying animals, houses and people wherever he went - hence the title "Orlando Furioso", the Madness of Roland. To think that some Frankish dude from medieval times could fall for a Chinese lady to such a degree! Another paladin, Astolpho, had to travel all the way to the moon to retrieve Orlando's lost sanity!
Now why would any princess from China want to visit Europe in the 8th or 9th century? According to the legends, Angelica's father, Galafron (it's hilarious what sort of names early European writers came up with for the Chinese), harbored evil intentions against Christendom, his daughter being precisely one of his main chess pieces! Well, it's seriously doubtful any Chinese emperor during Charlemagne's time (there were four successive emperors in China whose period of rule overlapped with his; one of them reigned for only one year if not less) would have known much of him and the Holy Roman Empire at all, let alone seek its downfall. What had China to gain? :)
Perhaps a more likely reason (relatively speaking) for any Chinese of royal parentage to embark on a trip to Europe during those times could be to establish friendly trade relations and to propagate Buddhism - which at that time was at the height of its influence in China - though that would still have been a most unlikely historical event as Europe was just too far away from China (and had little to offer that interested the Chinese, besides :p). Even if a missionary journey to Europe did take place, the Franks with their Christian mindset would probably have misunderstood Buddhism as an evil, pagan doctrine and viewed the Chinese accordingly as a threat to Christendom, as in the legends! One wonders what interesting events might have transpired in consequence!
While there would have been equally little reason for any European during Charlemagne's time to travel to China, this did occur in the legends, where the traffic between Cathay and Christendom was not exclusively westward. Thus we read that at one point Galafron, the king of Cathay, was besieged in his city, Albracca, by the forces of a hostile neighboring kingdom. Presumably, Albracca would be another name for Ch'ang-an, the name of China's capital city during Charlemagne's time! Learning of the siege, Orlando, Astolpho and other knights under Charlemagne were to journey all the way from their home turf to offer the Cathayans assistance in defeating the aggressors. Quite evidently Charlemagne and his men were an incredibly generous lot in dispensing military aid, to be willing to go to the trouble of traveling all the way to a remote, alien land in the East to lend a hand in fighting her intruders - especially considering just what the ruler of this land actually sought to procure from our heroes! One wonders, though: what magical, super-fast means of travel did they have at their disposal, considering how little time they appeared to have spent in their journey to Cathay (and back)? Indeed by what similar means did news of Cathay's predicament reach them in the first place? :)
Incidentally, the legends also had it that Angelica was escorted by four giants while visiting Charlemagne. Now in Buddhist mythology there were indeed four Diamond Kings of Heaven - T'ien-wang in Chinese or Lokapala in Sanskrit - who were charged with the task of defending the Buddhist Law, each one of them corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions and reigning over a special race or species of supernatural creatures. They were enormously popular in China as well during Charlemagne's time. Could they be the four giants? Was this a coincidence or did the medieval European authors actually know something of Buddhist mythology? :) Certainly the four Diamond Kings professed a serious interest in the propagation of Buddhism, and had that been indeed the purpose of the princess' visit they would naturally have offered her whatever assistance they could!
The imagined (?) interaction of different cultures in history certainly can open up a whole wide world of fun and exciting possibilities. We have but touched on a few of these in the context of the Charlemagne cycle of legends. What other possibilities might there be, and what else besides the above did the creators of the Charlemagne cycle come up with? It is left to the reader to find out!
|
K T Ong lives in Singapore and is currently pursuing a PhD at the National University of Singapore. He loves art, music, books, toys and PC games, and is also trying to develop a figure like that of Steve Reeves. :p You might like to visit his Mall of Cthulhu a great treasury of lovely infoproducts. http://www.mallofcthulhu.com
|
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Education Articles || Related Categories: Arts and Entertainment Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by K T Ong
Most Recent "Education" Articles
Overcome Your Guitar Playing Problems With Speed Testing
Written by: Craig Bassett |
Distributed: 2010-07-27 |
Word Count: 1017 |
Page Views: 4810
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.40
A large number of guitarists make a number of mistakes when
they find that they have trouble playing something... They
try to improve their playing of something without doing a
few vital things... Read this article to get your guitar
playing technique back on track...
The Surprising History and Origin of Corn Flakes(r)
Written by: Aaliyah Ferris |
Distributed: 2010-01-29 |
Word Count: 402 |
Page Views: 38142
| Votes: 65 |
Rating: 2.58
Corn Flakes(r), the quintessential American-born
breakfast cereal complemented perfectly with strawberries, banana
slices and, of course, milk, has surprising origins.
Why 529 College Savings Plans Still Make Sense
Written by: Charles Montgomery |
Distributed: 2009-10-15 |
Word Count: 544 |
Page Views: 4369
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Discussion of saving for college and investing in 529 plans.
Answers the question, 'Is it safe to invest in a 529
plan?'
Does the Long Tail Work for ESL?
Written by: Jack Olender |
Distributed: 2008-11-18 |
Word Count: 550 |
Page Views: 4574
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.18
Do we - English language teachers - get more varied resources
satisfying the needs of niche learning groups?
Why Taking the GED Test Seriously is Crucial
Written by: Jennifer Charleston |
Distributed: 2008-10-21 |
Word Count: 796 |
Page Views: 6047
| Votes: 16 |
Rating: 2.81
The GED test is run by the American Council of Education and is
also known as the General Education Development test. The GED
consists of five main sections which are science, social studies,
language arts reading, language arts writing and mathematics. By
practicing your skills in each of the following subjects you
dramatically increase your chances of passing the GED test with
flying colors.
Gear Up For Thanksgiving With Fall-Themed Flowers
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-09-23 |
Word Count: 412 |
Page Views: 5335
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.15
The holidays are fast upon us and your florist is undoubtedly
beginning to display beautiful fall flower arrangements and
products just in time for Thanksgiving. And, since florists who
responded to a recent Society of American Florists (SAF) survey
chimed in to say that 27% of them had higher Thanksgiving sales
in 2005 than they did in 2004, you're bound to see an even
greater offering of autumn beauty than you did last year.
December Is The Month Of Christmas, The Poinsettia, And Britney Spears
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-06-30 |
Word Count: 463 |
Page Views: 5244
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.64
Born December 2, 1981, pop princess Britney Spears was born not
just in the month of Christmas, but also in the month of the
poinsettia, which is December's birth flower.
Online Education for Medical Assistants
Written by: Dr. Mark Stout |
Distributed: 2008-06-17 |
Word Count: 550 |
Page Views: 4466
| Votes: 6 |
Rating: 0.83
Distance education is a field of education that focuses on the
use of instructional systems designed to deliver education to
students who are not physically on site of a school campus.
Rather than attending courses in person, teachers and students
may communicate at times of their own choosing by exchanging
printed, electronic media or through technology that allows them
to communicate in real time.
Impacts On China - Green Tea And The Global Trade
Written by: Jon M. Stout |
Distributed: 2008-05-20 |
Word Count: 880 |
Page Views: 5715
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.11
5/19/2008 9:48PM China's love affair with green tea is believed
to have begun thousands of years ago. It took centuries for the
Chinese to share this secret with their neighbors in Japan and
even longer for the country to begin exporting this bountiful
crop to destinations all over the world.
History Of Green Tea
Written by: Jon M. Stout |
Distributed: 2008-05-20 |
Word Count: 988 |
Page Views: 5571
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.70
Green tea has a history that dates back thousands of years.
Although this particular type of tea is only now gaining major
notoriety in the West, it has been known to the Chinese and
Japanese for centuries. This type of tea is less heavily
processed than its counterpart made from the same leaves, but
despite this fact, it has not been a heavy export from Asia until
the past few years.
Most Viewed "Education" Articles
The Surprising History and Origin of Corn Flakes(r)
Written by: Aaliyah Ferris |
Distributed: 2010-01-29 |
Word Count: 402 |
Page Views: 38142
| Votes: 65 |
Rating: 2.58
Corn Flakes(r), the quintessential American-born
breakfast cereal complemented perfectly with strawberries, banana
slices and, of course, milk, has surprising origins.
The Importance Of Memorizing The Times Tables
Written by: Susan Jarema |
Distributed: 2007-12-05 |
Word Count: 824 |
Page Views: 29624
| Votes: 55 |
Rating: 3.15
Students who have mastered multiplication gain a solid foundation
in mathematics that will help them throughout middle school, high
school and beyond. The following are the answer to common
questions that parents ask in my multiplication workshops.
A Good Teacher Never Stops Learning
Written by: Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success |
Distributed: 2007-07-06 |
Word Count: 419 |
Page Views: 17732
| Votes: 49 |
Rating: 1.98
Think about the phrase, a good teacher never stops learning. What
does that phrase mean to you?
The Twelve Math Days of Christmas - Easy As Pi!
Written by: Susan Jarema |
Distributed: 2007-12-17 |
Word Count: 742 |
Page Views: 10878
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 1.86
The holidays are almost here, the kids will be at home and
families spending more time together. Here's your chance to make
your family time a learning time by incorporating math into your
busy holiday schedule. Math can be found in all sorts of
activities we do in this season. Learning to combine math in your
daily routine is one of the best ways to help your child develop
strong math skills. Here are 12 great ways to combine math in
your Christmas activities.
The Types of Fountains Found in Florence, Italy
Written by: Elizabeth Jean |
Distributed: 2007-04-09 |
Word Count: 833 |
Page Views: 9932
| Votes: 19 |
Rating: 2.05
There were two broad classes of Tuscan water fountains known in
the 1500's: the freestanding or "isolated" type, designed for
the center of a piazza, court, or garden; and the "engaged" or
wall fountain, placed against a wall at the end of a square or
courtyard.
Ancient Bible References to Date Palm Trees, Phoenix dactylifera
Written by: Patrick Malcolm |
Distributed: 2006-11-09 |
Word Count: 1485 |
Page Views: 9340
| Votes: 26 |
Rating: 2.35
References to Date Palms from the Bible.
Pi Day, March 14, Is Party Time for Math Fans!
Written by: Susan Jarema |
Distributed: 2008-03-10 |
Word Count: 579 |
Page Views: 8138
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.70
Susan Jarema, founder of Googol Learning always looks for ways to
make math more exciting for children. March 14, pi day, is also
Albert Einstein's birthday, which offers math lovers the chance
to discuss famous discoveries that have been proved through
mathematics.
Discover How Hollywood Met the American Old West in Real Life
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2008-01-30 |
Word Count: 1381 |
Page Views: 8047
| Votes: 20 |
Rating: 1.95
No matter how what they might call it, many look upon the
American Old West as a wild and dangerous place that existed in
the last half of the 1800's in the American Frontier, west of the
Mississippi River in the United States. This article explores
the history of the 101 Ranch Rodeo and Oklahoma's role in
the early history of the United States.
How to Study for a Math Test: A practical action plan that will help you prepare for math tests.
Written by: Susan Kruger |
Distributed: 2006-10-31 |
Word Count: 544 |
Page Views: 7490
| Votes: 29 |
Rating: 3.17
When I was a student and teachers would say, "Study for your
math test!" I would think, "How do I 'study' for a
math test?" I now realize that 'study' is the wrong verb.
You really need to 'practice' for a math test.
Homework: Multi-Tasking Or Distracting?
Written by: Susan Kruger |
Distributed: 2007-03-09 |
Word Count: 523 |
Page Views: 7122
| Votes: 15 |
Rating: 2.73
Learn how to reduce homework time by reducing distractions. A
high school student shares her tips on how she cut her daily
homework time in half.
Highest Ranked "Education" Articles
How to Study for a Math Test: A practical action plan that will help you prepare for math tests.
Written by: Susan Kruger |
Distributed: 2006-10-31 |
Word Count: 544 |
Page Views: 7490
| Votes: 29 |
Rating: 3.17
When I was a student and teachers would say, "Study for your
math test!" I would think, "How do I 'study' for a
math test?" I now realize that 'study' is the wrong verb.
You really need to 'practice' for a math test.
Native Americans, the True Aboriginal Peoples Of North America
Written by: Eagle Vale |
Distributed: 2007-07-10 |
Word Count: 774 |
Page Views: 5017
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 3.15
For hundreds of years now, the Native Americans, indeed the true
aboriginal peoples of the North American continent, have
experienced multiple trials and tribulations at the hands of
those who first came to settle this continent. Everything that
they did throughout the harsh history of their relations with the
aboriginal nations, only stood to benefit European settlers, not
the First Nations of this great North American continent.
The Importance Of Memorizing The Times Tables
Written by: Susan Jarema |
Distributed: 2007-12-05 |
Word Count: 824 |
Page Views: 29624
| Votes: 55 |
Rating: 3.15
Students who have mastered multiplication gain a solid foundation
in mathematics that will help them throughout middle school, high
school and beyond. The following are the answer to common
questions that parents ask in my multiplication workshops.
An Apple for the Teacher; A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way
Written by: Susan Kruger |
Distributed: 2006-10-10 |
Word Count: 811 |
Page Views: 5300
| Votes: 20 |
Rating: 2.95
Developing a positive relationship with your child's teachers
will go a lot further than you might think. Discover how making
connections with teachers can dramatically improve your child's
education and learn simple ways to show your appreciation.
Why Taking the GED Test Seriously is Crucial
Written by: Jennifer Charleston |
Distributed: 2008-10-21 |
Word Count: 796 |
Page Views: 6047
| Votes: 16 |
Rating: 2.81
The GED test is run by the American Council of Education and is
also known as the General Education Development test. The GED
consists of five main sections which are science, social studies,
language arts reading, language arts writing and mathematics. By
practicing your skills in each of the following subjects you
dramatically increase your chances of passing the GED test with
flying colors.
Immigration Fuels Canada's Multi-Cultural Growth As A Nation
Written by: Marlon Harville |
Distributed: 2007-05-17 |
Word Count: 853 |
Page Views: 5454
| Votes: 16 |
Rating: 2.75
Immigration, the entrance of people into a country for the
purpose of settling there, has always played a central role in
Canada's history. In comparison to many other nations,
immigration into Canada has generally been viewed as being much
easier than in other countries. Canada as whole seems to be a
favorable place for immigrants to gain naturalization.
Homework: Multi-Tasking Or Distracting?
Written by: Susan Kruger |
Distributed: 2007-03-09 |
Word Count: 523 |
Page Views: 7122
| Votes: 15 |
Rating: 2.73
Learn how to reduce homework time by reducing distractions. A
high school student shares her tips on how she cut her daily
homework time in half.
No Need To Be Anglina Jolie To Find Treasure In A Tomb
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-03-28 |
Word Count: 346 |
Page Views: 4708
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.64
A recent discovery in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt proved
that you don't need to be Angelina Jolie's character in the
movie Tomb Raider to find treasure in a tomb. Archaeologists
began their excavation in Luxor hoping to find a mummy, but when
they opened the tomb they found a treasure of a very different
kind-a garland of flowers entwined with gold.
December Is The Month Of Christmas, The Poinsettia, And Britney Spears
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-06-30 |
Word Count: 463 |
Page Views: 5244
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.64
Born December 2, 1981, pop princess Britney Spears was born not
just in the month of Christmas, but also in the month of the
poinsettia, which is December's birth flower.
The Surprising History and Origin of Corn Flakes(r)
Written by: Aaliyah Ferris |
Distributed: 2010-01-29 |
Word Count: 402 |
Page Views: 38142
| Votes: 65 |
Rating: 2.58
Corn Flakes(r), the quintessential American-born
breakfast cereal complemented perfectly with strawberries, banana
slices and, of course, milk, has surprising origins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|
Article Statistics
|
Word Count: 1027
Total Views: 4874
Article Rating: 1.54 of 5
Votes Cast: 13
More Articles By Author:
Articles On This Website
Last Distribution Date:
2007-02-28 10:24:00
Internal ID: #4312
|
|
|
Home