Charlemagne and the Carolingian revival

A brief introduction to Charlemagne's military campaigns and the cultural revival that he supported. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

[@ines2420]

I need to watch this video for history course.

[@mistermessy735]

same

[@birdofparadise1027]

bible course

[@The_Reaper101]

Same

[@thewaywardpoet]

While history remembers him as a great emperor, he was, first and foremost, a scholar. This is why he worked tirelessly on reviving the best attributes of the preceding Roman Empire. He looked to the past with an open mind and drew from it the things he felt would improve, not just his rule, but also the people and lands under his authority. He truly was a forward thinker, a rare quality (sad to say) in many Western European monarchs of the time. An excellent presentation here. I learned more about Charlemagne here than I ever did in school.

[@bankzie]

Got to say as I knew nothing about Charlemagne I though this was great. Thank you :)

[@the_grass_roots_0fold_hick550]

Thank you. Excellent summary. And without political motive, so refreshing to just get the plain truth.

[@mjkelly9999]

Well done! My students loved it

[@janeaustenist]

Wow - succinct, informative, interesting. Thank you

[@elsafralves]

Yep. We needed one like him now!

[@sposada2000]

Great presentation. Please clarify how His important leggasy has to do with the interrogation mark

[@combatantezoteric2965]

I love you guys.

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Thanks for the kind words. It means a lot to us.

[@combatantezoteric2965]

@@smarthistoryvideos even as an art student, you are like the all life memorable professors I never had. Oh, and sorry for my english. Keep it up the awesome work! Hope I could support somehow your work...

[@tutorjulslee2357]

Loving this! Thank you!

[@erisdiscord1618]

So Lombard, is Germanic. That is interesting since Lombardo is an Italian last name. I love seeing where names derive from.

[@DomPatek]

That's right. Moreover, the original version of "Lombard" is actually "Langobard", a Germanic tribe known for their long (langaz) beards (bardaz).

[@phoenixphoenix1130]

They should do forensic facial reconstruction of all Carolingian's and Capetian's /Capetians's kings (3 D-scan of skulls)

[@freckleheckler6311]

Haha why would we do that?

[@robertcuminale1212]

Charlemagne was actively reforming the church, In 802 he had a letter written and copied to he churches and monasteries. Among his recommendations he included admonitions. In one that I read years ago he states: "It has come to our ears that there be Sodomites in the priesthood. Let it be that such things may not be heard by me again." I guess failed on that one.

[@jkovert]

The clergy were not the only target for greater literacy. There were those who were intelligent and able, but who were not destined for the cloth. These would become the bureaucratic class, only briefly mentioned in this video. So literacy was "trickling down," as we might say today.

[@onemexican1]

my my this is good...thank you...

[@willnonya9438]

Thank you for the overview. Defiantly a subject that is worth studying.

[@moonlightskier]

My fathers ancestor. Glad to find this info..nicely done.

[@fabe_na]

If you are here because of professor Bretter Zoltan then like this comment. :D

[@GreenOlive54]

he had held a sword and fought so long it was hard for him to write

[@roadwarrior2348]

History totally Rocks ..!!

[@pigsbay18]

A great ruler in European history.

[@Orbit_Corona]

Why isn't there a major film about Charlemagne and the 12 Paladins? Some have said Charlemagne's sword, Joyeuse, was imbued with holy power,. It is said to have metal from the spearhead that pierced Jesus on the cross.

[@Navili502]

Besides Excalibur and Perceval le Gallois, for some reason it's very difficult for film makers to produce anything watchable from the Matter of England, much less from the Matter of France which is relatively more obscure. My guess is that moderns have no idea what chivalry is nor do they know how to present it on motion picture.

[@marksinger2360]

@@Navili502 Chivalry was basically a campaign to try to keep uncouth knights from wrecking their lords' halls and using peasants for target practice. Fascinating stuff, but definitely an ideological construct that was an uneasy combination of the Church's and the warrior aristocracy's values seasoned with dollops of myth and folklore and, in many cases, a healthy dose of antisemitism and racism. (Read The Siege of Jerusalem, a fourteenth-century poem that is both as skillful and as noxiously bigoted as anything ever written.)

[@jerrymyintmyattun123]

good

[@letsrelaxwithtexts2114]

the amazing paradox is that the WISE MAN COULD NOT WRITE OR READ.

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

they sound like the Portlandia couple

[@StoredMars]

I hope a time like that can come back soon.

[@estelaponsmarti7301]

why were castles being built

[@Scott89878]

They never really said, but castles in that era of time, made a handful men many times stronger than the invaders outside the castle walls. The building of castles ended the age where barbarian tribes could invade. Yeah, the invaders could ignored the castles and the ravage the land, but the castle will have horsemen inside that will use hit on run tactics, where they run back into the castle after attacking. From what I got from this video, Charlemagne seemed largely responsible for turning Europe away from the dark age era and setting the stage for the high middle ages in 1000-1300. My guess is that he was largely responsible for the era of castles getting started.

[@daveandre2435]

He sounds like a dictator who forced the smaller tribes to worship a god who was foreign to them.

[@tomashize]

+Dave Andre That's very true from some perspectives for sure. History is mainly written by the big winners. Just couldn't quite Christianize those Vikings. Got them in the end but it took TIIIIIME.

[@allison9090]

+Dave Andre at that stage in history every man in power was a dictator. There was no democracy as we know it in modern times. Kings and emperors ruled the masses with absolute power. It was normal for the time. One could only hope that their ruler was a relatively kind and magnanimous person. If he wasnt there really wasnt much that could be done. Its not like they could vote him out. Murder him perhaps, but then who could count on the next king being any better?

[@noverdinho]

+Dave Andre Lol its funny of you comparing him to modern standards, of course waaaayyyyy different

[@daveandre2435]

+Aotearoa Seniores Interesting point. It's hard to know exactly what people were thinking at the time. However, you do have to take into account that if you're living in a tribal society, you certainly don't want some foreigners to come and force you into a new religion and king/ruler.

[@noverdinho]

Dave Andre Politics bro. If someone had the ambition of a caesar or basileios who wanted to create a political centrum rather than chaotic competition between smaller tribes or groups, conquest is unavoidable. Needs a dictator attitude to control such chaotic periods.

[@tomashize]

Let my armies be the rocks and the seas and the birds in the sky....