Good Evening my wonderful little class!
Today's blog assignment is pretty easy...but, if you put a little effort into it, it can actually be pretty entertaining :)
I want you to do a little research on the Crusades..and what life would have been like for someone alive during that time..you can take the point of view of the Pope, the King (maybe Richard the Lion-hearted), a knight, a vassal, a peasant, a Muslim military leader (maybe Saladin), a Muslim soldier, etc...
Then, you are to create a postcard from the point of view of the person you chose...you are to write to a loved one, describing what your life is like, what daily struggles you have to face, what battles you have to survive, etc...for example, you can be a knight writing to your lady about what life is like on the battle field, or you can be a peasant describing the struggles you face with your country at war...the possibilities are endless!
I would also like for you to create a picture of your character (using any program you have available to you!) If you are not able to submit the picture on the blog, just submit your postcard and print your picture to give to me in class!
Good Luck!
HISTORY OF CRUSADES:
ReplyDeleteThe Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens. The term 'Saracen' was the word used to describe a Moslem during the time of the Crusades. The Crusades started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The Pope's preaching led to thousands immediately affixing the cross to their garments - the name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'. The Crusades were great military expeditions undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans. They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades. In addition there was a Children's Crusade. There were several other expeditions which were insignificant in numbers or results.
The reason for the crusades was a war between Christians and Moslems which centered around the city of Jerusalem. The City of Jerusalem held a Holy significance to the Christian religion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem commemorated the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and was visited by Pilgrims. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks and 3000 Christians were massacred starting a chain of events which contributed to the cause of the crusades.
LETTER FROM THE POPE:
Consider most dear sons, consider carefully that if any temporal king was thrown out of his domain and perhaps captured, would he not, when he was restored to his pristine liberty and the time had come for dispensing justice look on his vassals as unfaithful and traitors...unless they had committed not only their property but also their persons to the task of freeing him? ...And similarly will not Jesus Christ, the king of kings and lord of lords, whose servant you cannot deny being, who joined your soul to your body, who redeemed you with the Precious Blood...condemn you for the vice of ingratitude and the crime of infidelity if you neglect to help Him?
Again I say, consider the Almighty's goodness and pay heed to His plans of mercy. He puts Himself under obligation to you, or rather feigns to do so, that He can help you to satisfy your obligations toward Himself.... I call blessed the generation that can seize an opportunity of such rich indulgence as this.
Peasants in the crusades had a difficult, and often short life. They lived in one room huts, with dirt floors. These huts had no chimneys, which made them very cold in the winter. They had little or no furniture, and had huddle together to keep warm.A peasant village housed perhaps ten to 60 families. Each family lived in a dark, dank hut made of wood or wicker daubed with mud and thatched with straw or rushes. All the peasants worked to support their lord. They gave about half their time to work in his fields, cut timber, haul water, spin and weave, repair buildings, and wait upon his household.
ReplyDeletePostcard
Dear mother,
Mother the past years has been rough. Since I have moved from your home I have been facing a lot of difficulties lately. Due to the war and the bankruptcy of the economy I have very little money and have had to work extremely hard. I am sorry to say that I live in a house made of wicker daubed with mud and with straw and rushes attached. The bed I sleep in is a pile of dried leaves and straw. The hut has no chimney so I am very cold everyday neither does my house have any other furniture besides a bed. I work every day in fields I also cut timber, haul water, spin and weave and repair buildings. I have been getting awfully sick lately and there is this really bad disease going on right now.
picture will be presented in class