Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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THE TATTLER stayed and fought with Saludin, the chief of the Mohammedans. Dissension among the allies prevented the capture of Jerusalem, so Richard mode a truce, by which pilgrims wore allowed free access to the holy places, and then returned to England. In the year 1202 the Fourth Crusade captured Constantinople instead of Jerusalem. The crusaders established a government of their own which lasted only n little over hnlf ft century when the Greek;; recovered Constantinople and held it until 1453 when it aguin fell into the hands of the Turks. Between the Fourth and Fifth Crusades a French shepherd boy named Stephen, went from place to place in France declaring that Jesus hail commanded him to lead a company of children to the Holy I,and to rescue the sepulchre of Jesu from the unbelievers. Thousands of chlldem joined and flocked in great numbers Another young leader in Germany named Nicholas arous ed German children, mostly under twelve years of age. to set out for the Holy Land. They hud neither weapon nor any thought of using them and expected the waters of the sea to divide so that they could pass over dryshod. They supposed that the walls of Jerusalem would fall at their coming and the infidels yield to them without striking a blow. The German crusaders. 50,000 in number, crossed the Alps where nearly all perished. About 3.000 marched down through Italy to the Mediterranean and sailed away never to be heard from again. The French children, 30,000 in number, set out for Marseilles where those children, who sailed, wore betrayed and uol J us slaves among the Mohammedans. The Fifth Crusade was led by the kings of Hungary and Cyprus, but its strength was waited and it resulted in nothing. Frederick II of Germany headed the Sixth Crusade and succeeded in securing the restoration of Jerusalem and some other cities from the Saracens. The Seventh Crusade was under King Louis IX of France and accomplished little. In the year of 1270 Prince Edward of England and King Louis IX directed the Eighth Crusade. Ix uis went against the Moor in North Africa where he died of the plague and his expedition was given up. Edward succeeded in capturing Nazareth and in compelling the sultan of Egypt to agree to a treaty favorable to the Christians. The crusades were a spur to travel, trade, and cliivalary. They awakened new tastes and desires to possess luxuries enjoyed in the East. Trade between the East and the West was greatly increased. Many industries were fostered by the needs of the crusaders, and their progress hastened. The crusaders later inspired Columbus, Vasco do Gama, and Magellan to make their famous voyages of discovery and thus helped in man's knowledge and conquest of the earth. • NORMAN CASTLES By LUCILLE ROSZAK The name castle, a word derived from the Latin, castellum, was a name first upplied to the fortified camps set up by Home in Gaul. Later the word was used to mean an edifice serving as a residence and a place of defense. The French people first built wooden blockhouse; on mounds of earth, around which they dug broad ditches and built palisades. Later, the Normans built castles of stone which were a great improvement over former fortresses. They introduced these castles and the feudal system into Kng-C os tics were usually built on places of advantage. One castle was built on an island which could only be reached from the sea by ships during high tide. To reach this from the land, one had to drive along a road or dike which land after they had conquered the island. was three or four inches under the surface of the water. This road made a sharp turn with which the inhabitants were familiar. Enemies, not knowing about this curve, would piunge into water six or sevon feet deep. Norman castles however, were usually built on rocky crags, at river fork.-;, or at some point at which the enemy found it very difficult or even impossible to reach. The one narrow road around the cliff’s to the castle was very well guarded. Main entrances to castles were always well guarded. Most of the castle , which were built on level ground, and evon on mountains, had a strong palisade of heavy stake set in the ground at their outer edge. These stakes wore driven into the ground ut an angle »o that the pointed tops slanted outward. As one entered the gate 19 3 4 Page twenty-seven

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THE TATTLER polled to substitute a coarse white dress for her Oriental garments. Sh - was conducted to a black chair near the pile of faggot and calmly waited for her champion, but as none appeared, u herald was aent to Rebecca by the Grand Master to inquire. Her reply was that she would not give up us she felt sure that her champion would come. At that instant, a Id ugh t, urging his spent horse to greater speed, appeared in the distance, and when he approached the gate, informed the herald that he was the champion for Rebecca, the Jewess, to combat against Lois de Guilbert who, he said, was a traitor, a murderer nnd a liar. When the Templar saw Ivanhoe, he refused to fight so that the Saxon culled him a coward. Thus stung, the Templar was forced into the combat. Soon, seeing ench one in his place, the herald read the rules of the combat. Then the trumpets sounded, and the knights charged each other ut full speed. Hois Guilbert reeled u his Middle, lost his stirrups, nnd fell in the lists. Ivanhoe, hastening toward him, leaped to the ground, and with his foot on his fallen antagonist's body and the sword's point at his throat, was about to snulT out his life, hut Hois Guilbert did not answer nor move. He was ha.-itily examined, and bis spirit was found to hnvc tied before Ivanhoe bad had a chance to slay him. Thus the trial of Rebecca was ended with Ivanhoe the victor of the comhnt, for apparently God in His wisdom hud seen fit to smite down the proud, haughty Templar, and free the innocent Rebecca. • THE CRUSADES By WALTER REUTER From the early days of Christianity it was the custom in all parts of Christian Europe for people to make journeys to the Holy Land and worship where Christ hud lived nnd died. This was thought to la; a very pious and meritorious act and one that secured for the pilgrim the blessing of Heavcn.But the Mohammedans of Asia Minor secured possession of Palestine and persecuted the pilgrims. They destroyed churches or turned them into stables. The people of Western Europe wished to rescue the Holy Land from the infidels and so undertook military expeditions to Palestine for that purpose. These Crusades covered u period of nearly two hundred years. In the year 10! f» the Pope commissioned Peter the Hermit of France to prench a crusade against the infidels. The idea spread like wild fire. Many thousands, without waiting to gather supplies or to form an nrmy, marched under Peter the Hermit and a poor knight called Walter the Penniless. The crusaders knew nothing of the country to which they were going, and but little of the road by which it should be reached. They made no provisions for fighting the Turks or to protect themselves. On the way thousands perished from hunger, sickness and lack of shelter and when they crossed the Bosporus into Asia almost all were slaughtered by the Turks. The main body of the First Crusade hud better leaders and along the way many armies were ndded until the expedition numbered 300,000, but when they reached Jerusalem, only about 20,000 remained. At Jerusalem a battle was fought and many infidels were killed. The crusaders succeeded in capturing the city and established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, loiter some went home while the rest remained in the Holy Land. In the year 114f« the city of Edesmi was tuken by the Turks anil the population was slaughtered or sold into slavery. The Second Crusade wns then formed under the leadership of the Kings of France and Germany but accomplished nothing. Fifty yeurs later the Third Crusade wus caused by the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt. Frederick Barbu rossn of Germany. Phihip Augustus of Franco und Richard I of Eng.und took the cross, that is they vowed to engage in a new war against the Turks, and set out, each at the head of a large army, to recover the Holy City. Richard 1 raised all the money he could und gathered a large fleet to go to the Holy Land. While the German army under the Emperor Frederick was crossing a swollen stream, the emperor was drowned. The nrmy, discouraged at the loss of their leader, returned to Germany. The English and French armies finally reached Acre which they captured. I ater Philip of France nnd Richard I of Englund quarrelled and Phillip returned home leaving his army in Palestine. For more than three years Richard 19 3 4 Page twenty-six

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THE TATTLER in the palisade, the outworks, n wall made of two rows of heavy timbers between which earth had been filled in, could be seen. Then one could see a deep ditch or moat filled with water surrounding the entire castle. Across the moat there was a drawbridge, which could be lowered to allow friends to enter, or raised to koep enemies out. Inside the moat stood the outer wall of the castle about five or six feet thick und sixteen to twenty feet high. Along the top of the wull were frowning battlements, und rounded towers at intervals, with loopholes through which the men might fire ut or watch enemies. After one crossed the drawbridge, he was confronted with a heavy wooden door which burred the entrance to the castle. Usually the muin entrance was guarded also by a portcullis. This was un armored gale or heuvy iron grating which could be raised to allow free passage or lowered to bar the way completely. After passing through these entrances, one found one’s self in the open courtyard. On entering the gate at Torquilstono Castle, where Rowcnu and Rebecca were held prisoners, one could see the soldiers’ quarters on either side. Before him stood the mighty donjon or keep. It was several stories high nnd was the strongest part of the castle. The donjon served as a residence for the lord and his family, and was fifty or sixty feet high. It was honey-combed with passages to ull parts of the castle und sometimes beyond the outer walls. The wulls of the donjon or keep wore of stonework from eight to ten feet thick, and there were loop holes in its sides where skilled arches stood guurd. The entrance to this keep led to the second floor by a drawbridge which protected those inside. In the lower part of this building were dungeons in which traitors and other prisoners were kept. The walls in this keep were slimy and dripping, and overrun with vermin. There were no win- dows to let any light in, nnd the walls were so thick that not a sound could be heard by thoxo who were locked in this prison sometimes for months. On one side of the huge donjon, one could boo two buildings of a smaller site. One of these was the stable where the lord of the castle kept his horses. The other building was the servants' quarters. As one went around the donjon, he came to another building which was the kitchen. Here, the food for all the villagers and the lord was prepared. Large ovens in which the bread was baked, could be seen. As one went on, he came to the dining room which was situated almost in the center of the reur end of the donjon. This great hull was the center of life in the pnlnce. Great dinners were served nnd knighting und wedding ceremonies were held there. Walking further, one passed another drawbridge leading to the keep. This drawbridge or passage was used chiefly by the lord und his family. In front might be seen again two buildings close together which were used a storehouses for the gram. Nearby, stood the chapel which was located in one corner of the yard. Here, the lord of the castle and his family attended dnily mass. As one came out he found himself in the place where he started his tour of the castle. There was but one more interesting thing. In a corner was the huge tUtyard. There the tournament took place and, there also, the horses were exercised and the young men had their dnily drills und contests. The invention of gunpowder made castles useless os a protection. Though many castles were built luter, they were no longer regarded as strongholds. In many parts of Europe, one may see the ruins of castles. A few have been kept in a habitable state. These now merely serve as objects of curiosity to tourists who must pay u small fee to see them. • ■ • KING RICHARD AND HIS REIGN By EDWARD AUSTIN King Richard I, one of the most noted kings of England, succeded hi» father, Henry II, to the throne in 1189. Richard 1 was the second son of Henry II. The first son having died, Richard thus became heir to the throne. He was an English king but spoke the French tongue. Fear was unknown to Richard. He was fam- ous for his bravery in war. He was like a lion when it came to fighting and was called Richard, the Lion Hearted. An old chronicler nays Richard Couer de Lion, which means Richard the Lion Hearted, got his name from an imaginary adventure he once had with a lion. It » said the lion attacked him, and as he had no weapons, he thrust his hand down the lion's 1'age twenty-eight 19 3 4