Stewart Binns: Crusade

A small streamer-like flag flown at the top of a knight’s lance to signify his status. It would have a combination of one, two or three colours to identify him, his origins or the lord he served.

Otherwise known as ‘plainsong’, the monophonic melody sung by monks from as early as the eighth century is more popularly known as ‘Gregorian chant’.

A term that came to describe the office of Emperor of Byzantium, derived from the imperial purple cloak worn by Byzantine emperors and their Roman predecessors.

One of the many names – others include slow/camp/ship/jail fever (it flourishes in overcrowded human environments) – for epidemic typhus. The name comes from the Greek ‘typhos’, meaning hazy, describing the state of mind of those affected. Symptoms include severe headache, a sustained high fever, cough, rash, severe muscle pain, chills, falling blood pressure, stupor, sensitivity to light, as well as delirium. During the second year of the Peloponnesian War (430 BC) Athens suffered a devastating epidemic, known as the ‘Plague of Athens’, which killed, among others, Pericles. The plague returned twice more, in 429 BC and in the winter of 427/6 BC. Epidemic typhus is thought to have been the cause in each case.

The missile of a crossbow, sometimes referred to as a bolt. Generally shorter and sturdier than an arrow, its name derives from the old French for ‘square’, arising from the fact that the tip of the quarrel was often made square in order to maximize its killing power. More cumbersome, slower and more difficult to load than a longbow and only effective at short range, it was nevertheless a much more powerful weapon and could penetrate even the thickest medieval armour.

The Quran, literally ‘a recitation’, is also transliterated as Qur’an, Koran, Qur’ãn, Coran, Kuran and al-Qur’ãn. It is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God (Allah) and the Final Testament, following the Old and New Testaments. It is regarded as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language. The Quran is divided into 114 suras of unequal length which are classified either as Meccan or Medinan depending upon their place and time of revelation. Muslims believe the Quran to be verbally revealed through angel Jibrı-l (Gabriel) from God to Muhammad gradually over a period of approximately twenty-three years beginning in 610 AD, when Muhammad was forty, and concluding in 632 AD, the year of his death. Muslims further believe that the Quran was precisely memorized, recited and exactly written down by Muhammad’s companions (Sahaba) after each revelation was dictated by him.

The Seljuk Turk Islamic Sultanate of Rum held sway over most of Anatolia in the years after the disaster of the Battle of Manzikert and the end of Byzantine control of the area. The name ‘Rum’ was chosen by the Seljuks to signify their inheritance of the legacy of Ancient Rome.

A short, stabbing sword.

Now known as the Battle of Hastings, the decisive battle of William the Conqueror’s Norman Conquest of England was fought on Senlac Ridge, also called Senlac Hill, at a place now known as Battle, seven miles north of Hastings, on England’s south coast. Known in Old English as ‘Santlache’ (Sandy Stream), in Norman French it was adapted to ‘Sanguelac’ (Blood Lake), which was then shortened to Senlac. The ridge was probably higher than it is today, the very top of it being levelled in the building of Battle Abbey.

See Muslim.

‘Sous’ evolved as a French word from the Roman coin ‘solidus’, which mutated to ‘soldus’, then ‘solt’, then ‘sol’ and finally ‘sou’. No gold solidi were minted after the Carolingians adopted the silver standard; thenceforward, the solidus or sol was a paper accounting unit equivalent to one-twentieth of a pound (librum or livre) of silver and divided into 12 denarii or deniers. The monetary unit disappeared with decimalization and the introduction of the franc during the French Revolution (First Republic) in 1795, but five centimes, the twentieth part of the franc, inherited the name as a nickname.

A commander (general) of a theme (division) in the army of Byzantium (see also ‘ theme’ below).

Second in the land; only a king would take precedence over him.

See Muslim.

A long cloth coat, like the long dress of female clothing, worn over a knight’s armour. It would often be embroidered with the knight’s colours or his heraldic symbols.

A series of city states of the eleventh century, including Zaragoza, Cordoba, Seville and Valencia.

A local village chieftain of Anglo-Saxon England. Not a great landowner or a titled aristocrat but the head of a village. Thus, thegns formed the backbone to the organization of Anglo-Saxon life. While serving with the army, usually as part of their service to the earl of their province, they formed a large part of the king’s elite fighting force, the housecarls.

The Byzantine Empire was organized into military districts or themes, which reflected its different nationalities. Themes were responsible for generating their own regiments for the Emperor’s army. In turn, retired soldiers were granted lands in the military theme from which they served. By the end of the eleventh century, there were 38 themes in the Byzantine Empire, each composed of between 4,000 and 6,000 men, giving a standing army of approximately 200,000 men.

A roped-off field used for tilting (jousting). It was also called ‘the lists’ or ‘list field’. Later in the Middle Ages, enclosed spaces were built (tiltyards) and the tilting become a sport as well as a form of military training.

Tax owed to a superior in the hierarchy of the feudal system of the eleventh century and later. For example, from a tenant to his lord or the Church, or from landowners to the king.

An Ancient Greek galley with three rows of oars, each above the other. A vessel of war on which the oarsmen’s strength could produce a ramming speed of significant impact.

A lyric poet composer in a tradition that began in south-west France (Aquitaine, Provence) in the Occitan language in the eleventh century. William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, was the first well-known exponent. Some of his songs have survived. The songs extolled the virtues of Courtly Love, a mix of erotic and heroic sentiments between a knight and his love, a woman who wasn’t necessarily his wife. Troubadours came from all walks of life, some of whom were professionals who made a living as strolling minstrels.

The elite bodyguard of the emperors of Byzantium for several hundred years. They were extremely well-paid mercenaries who also shared in the booty of the Emperor’s victories, thus the Guard could attract the finest warriors. Most were drawn from Scandinavia and were often referred to as the ‘Axemen of the North’. Their loyalty was legendary, as was their ferocity. It is thought many of Harold of England’s surviving housecarls joined the Guard after Senlac Ridge in 1066.

Latin: ‘Last words’. In a tradition going back in English law at least 450 years before the eleventh century, to Augustine of Canterbury (St Augustine), the ‘last words’ spoken by a person prior to their death constituted their ‘last will and testament’. They annulled any previous will made by that person.