Famous Men of the Middle Ages
By John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland (1904)
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland (1904). Unabridged Charlotte Mason living book edition for Form II History.
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Chapter 1: The Gods Of The Teutons
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 1
In the little volume called The Famous Men of Rome you have read about the great empire which the Romans established. Now we come to a time when the power of Rome was broken and tribes of barbarians who lived north of the Danube and the Rhine took possession of lands that had been part of the Roman Empire. These tribes were the Goths, Vandals, Huns, Franks and Anglo-Saxons. From them have come the greatest nations of modern times. All except the Huns belonged to the same race and are known as Teutons. They were war-like, savage and cruel. They spoke the same language—though in different dialects—and worshiped the same gods. Like the old Greeks and Romans they had many gods.
Woden, who was also called Odin, was the greatest of all. His name means "mighty warrior," and he was king of all the gods. He rode through the Page 8 air mounted on Sleip'nir, an eight-footed horse fleeter than the eagle. When the tempest roared the Teutons said it was the snorting of Sleipnir. When their ships came safely into port they said it was Woden's breath that had filled their sails and wafted their vessels over the blue waters.
THOR THROWING HIS HAMMER
Thor, a son of Woden, ranked next to him among the gods. He rode through the air in a chariot drawn by goats. The Germans called him Donar and Thunar, words which are like our word thunder. From this we can see that he was the thunder god. In his hand he carried a wonderful hammer which always came back to his hand when he threw it. Its head was so bright that as it flew through the air it made the lightning. When it struck the vast ice mountains they reeled and splintered into fragments, and thus Thor's hammer made thunder.
Page 9 Another great god of our ancestors was Tiew. He was a son of Woden and was the god of battle. He was armed with a sword which flashed like lightning when he brandished it. A savage chief named Attila routed the armies of the Romans and so terrified all the world that he was called "The Scourge of God." His people believed that he gained his victories because he had the sword of Tiew, which a herdsman chanced to find where the god had allowed it to fall. The Teutons prayed to Tiew when they went into battle.
Frija (free' ya) was the wife of Woden and the queen of the gods. She ruled the bright clouds that gleam in the summer sky, and caused them to pour their showers on meadow and forest and mountain.
Four of the days of the week are named after these gods. Tuesday means the day of Tiew; Wednesday, the day of Woden; Thursday, the day of Thor; and Friday, the day of Frija.
Frija's son was Bald'ur; who was the favorite of all the gods. Only Lo'ki, the spirit of evil, hated him. Baldur's face was as bright as sunshine. His hair gleamed like burnished gold. Wherever he went night was turned into day.
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Table of Contents
32 ChaptersEvery chapter below is pre-indexed for oral narration and easy 1-click scheduling into your weekly Charlotte Mason lesson plan.
Chapter 1: The Gods Of The Teutons
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Page 16 THE NIBELUNGS
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Alaric The Visigoth
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Page 36 ATTILA THE HUN
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Page 46 GENSERIC THE VANDAL
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Page 55 THEODORIC THE OSTROGOTH
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 6
Chapter 7: Page 61 CLOVIS
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Page 71 JUSTINIAN THE GREAT
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 8
Chapter 9: Page 80 MOHAMMED
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Page 93 CHARLES MARTEL, 714-741 A.D. AND PEPIN, 741-768 A.D
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 10
Chapter 11: Page 101 CHARLEMAGNE
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 11
Chapter 12: Page 112 HARUN-AL-RASHID
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 12
Chapter 13: Page 119 EGBERT
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 13
Chapter 14: Page 126 ROLLO THE VIKING
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 14
Chapter 15: Page 135 ALFRED THE GREAT
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 15
Chapter 16: Page 143 HENRY THE FOWLER
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 16
Chapter 17: Page 149 CANUTE THE GREAT
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 17
Chapter 18: Page 155 THE CID
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 18
Chapter 19: Page 163 EDWARD THE CONFESSOR
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 19
Chapter 20: Page 167 WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 20
Chapter 21: Page 173 PETER THE HERMIT
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 21
Chapter 22: Page 180 FREDERICK BARBAROSSA
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 22
Chapter 23: Page 185 HENRY THE SECOND 1154-1189 AND HIS SONS 1189-1216
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 23
Chapter 24: Page 198 LOUIS THE NINTH
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 24
Chapter 25: Page 206 ROBERT BRUCE
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 25
Chapter 26: Page 213 MARCO POLO
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 26
Chapter 27: Page 219 EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 27
Chapter 28: Page 226 WILLIAM TELL AND ARNOLD VON WINKELRIED
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 28
Chapter 29: Page 234 TAMERLANE
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 29
Chapter 30: Page 239 HENRY V
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 30
Chapter 31: Page 247 JOAN OF ARC
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 31
Chapter 32: Page 263 WARWICK THE KINGMAKER
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren & A.B. Poland — Chapter 32
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