Two small points: Charlemagne had been dead for about two hundred years by the time of the battle. The Anglo-Saxon king was Harold II. William of Normandy wasn't actually French, he was Norman, a colony established by Viking raiders.
Charlemagne wasn't even French. He was King of the Franks, a Germanic Tribe, more properly called Karl der Grosser.
At the same time another Viking, Harald, led an invasion that conquered Aachen (an ancient walled city today, currently located in Germany, but it had gone all over as part of Belgium, part of
the Netherlands, part of France, part of Germany. I did med school at Aachen and practiced psychiatry there for a short time.
Aachen is unchanged physically since before the battle. He got Aachen as a consolation prize for failing to capture York in England, near the Scottish border.
Haha - small? Let's say I was paraphrasing history to make my point! I can count on you for this, I'm fascinated by the dichotomy of what most Americans think of as old history and what Europeans think of old history. How the Vikings became the Normans is yet another story of conquest and appropriation.
I recall the first time I was slapped in the face by the difference. I had told a taxi driver to take whatever route he thought best, he knew the city better than I. He renplied we'd take the New Bridge.
I had always liked his radio-play songs, but some others are over 10 minutes long! Not very user-friendly for some listeners. He researched for months and read over 50 books on WWII to prepare himself for those songs. That's pretty workmanlike.
Here's one I wrote about Black Sabbath making their Paranoid record
Wonderful and welcome as always.
Two small points: Charlemagne had been dead for about two hundred years by the time of the battle. The Anglo-Saxon king was Harold II. William of Normandy wasn't actually French, he was Norman, a colony established by Viking raiders.
Charlemagne wasn't even French. He was King of the Franks, a Germanic Tribe, more properly called Karl der Grosser.
At the same time another Viking, Harald, led an invasion that conquered Aachen (an ancient walled city today, currently located in Germany, but it had gone all over as part of Belgium, part of
the Netherlands, part of France, part of Germany. I did med school at Aachen and practiced psychiatry there for a short time.
Aachen is unchanged physically since before the battle. He got Aachen as a consolation prize for failing to capture York in England, near the Scottish border.
Haha - small? Let's say I was paraphrasing history to make my point! I can count on you for this, I'm fascinated by the dichotomy of what most Americans think of as old history and what Europeans think of old history. How the Vikings became the Normans is yet another story of conquest and appropriation.
I recall the first time I was slapped in the face by the difference. I had told a taxi driver to take whatever route he thought best, he knew the city better than I. He renplied we'd take the New Bridge.
- When was the New Bridge Built?
- Around 1650.
Digging this week's playlist! I don't think I've heard anything besides "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart in a long, long time.
I had always liked his radio-play songs, but some others are over 10 minutes long! Not very user-friendly for some listeners. He researched for months and read over 50 books on WWII to prepare himself for those songs. That's pretty workmanlike.
Here's one I wrote about Black Sabbath making their Paranoid record
Leadership Lessons from Metal Gods
https://riclexel.substack.com/p/leadership-lessons-from-metal-gods?s=w