#medieval battles

[illustratus]

The Black Prince at the Battle of Crécy

by Julian Russell Story

[comic-covers]

(1954)

[bricktoygrapher]

The battle dwarf and his trusty steed 🐴

[oldschoolfrp]

From haircut to wrapped leggings, an accurate Norman knight circa 1066 (Jim Holloway, Dragon magazine 40, August 1980) -- OK the bearded axe is more "Viking," but maybe it's a battlefield trophy, or maybe it belonged to his grandfather.

[suzannahnatters]

PSA: Sieges Are Awesome

so I just watched ANOTHER TV show where the characters could have simply barricaded themselves inside a VERY cosy and defensible fortress instead of heading outside to get killed/maimed/captured by the baddies

I call this Television Abhors a Siege and it is EVERYWHERE and I hate it

I HATE IT

yes, I know the writers look at each other and say, well, if our characters retreat to their stronghold then how will we fulfill our Swords Go Clang quotient for this episode?

this is only because the writers lack both imagination and education

you see, I've been reading medieval military history in exhaustive detail now for 8 years and SIEGES ARE AWESOME, both tactically and dramatically!

tactically, sieges make sense, because there is no way to thwart an enemy and buy time like HIDING SAFELY BEHIND A STONE WALL. the only time you would not do this is when a) you have a realistic chance of pulling off a surprise attack (the TV characters are never smart enough to do this) AND b) there is no realistic hope of circumstances altering to favour you in the near future (the TV characters never consider this either).

also historically speaking, whenever people looked at each other and said "this siege has no realistic hope of success" they did not march out to throw themselves on the enemy's swords: they negotiated and usually with great success (the TV characters never consider this either). but let's say you're in one of the VAST MAJORITY of situations where a siege DOES make sense and only the most unhinged mental gymnastics would justify leaving your fortifications to fight (see: the majority of TV shows and movies that deal with this scenario)? does this mean that your characters must sit inside their walls twiddling their thumbs?

pfft don't be silly

sieges are totally dramatic!

it's not about LEAVING your fortifications to fight, it's about USING your fortifications to fight.

your baddies could try everything to get in and there might be fighting over a gate, a breach, or a tunnel/mine?

your characters might sally out under cover of night to destroy the enemy or their weapons?

one of your characters might escape the fortress in a desperate journey to find help?

your characters might turn out to have a traitor or saboteur in the group?

there might be injured people who need urgent attention, or supply shortages?

a FRICKING METEOR might fall out of the sky onto the heads of your enemies, sending them running and allowing you the opportunity to regain the initiative? (and if you think this couldn't possibly have happened, something very close to this literally happened at Antioch in 1098 during the First Crusade)

anyway this is just to say that I am begging you all to reconsider the dramatic potential of the noble siege. for one thing, it makes the characters look like total imbeciles if you ignore it. and for another, sieges are AWESOME. eta: I learned all this doing the study for WATCHERS OF OUTREMER, my historical fantasy epic of the medieval crusader states! Book 4, A CONSPIRACY OF PROPHETS, puts my own magical spin on the 1098 siege of Antioch ;)

[peaches2217]

We as a society need to lean into Mario and Peach’s noblewoman-and-knight dynamic way more than we presently are.

The tenderness! The chivalry! The elegant nobility eased by comfortable familiarity! These two are the living embodiment of all those fancy paintings of 13th century knights and their lovers and I for one want more.

[agreatartist1]

armurred heerohs

In little medieval times

[aegonomics]

incorrect house of the dragon 11/?

[quayrund]

"Battle of Didgori" monument, Georgia

[himmelgrauart]

[artmagine]

The amazing digital art of Greg Rutkowski

[illustratus]

Chevalier de Montmorency by Pierre Joubert

[yeoldegodzilla]

A medieval painting of Godzilla at the battle of Liegnitz in 1241, between the Mongol horde and European Knights.

[wonder-worker]

this is a Princes in the Tower and Edward of Lancaster stan account btw

[dominadespina]

THE FORTUNE OF THREE

Angelina of Greece

Angelina was a slave in the harem of Sultan Bayezid I who would be recaptured by the Timurids to be later sent to the King of Castile as a “gift”. 

It is speculated that she was born around 1380 as she was described as still being young in 1402, however, no exact date is proven to be correct. 

Early Life

Nothing is known about the early life of this lady. However, she was likely of Greek origin, given that in Castille, she was referred to as “Angelina de Grecia,” and most historians agree that she was of Greek origin.

Some historians propose that she was the daughter of John V Paleologus and married Bayezid in 1372. However, since she is not mentioned in any Byzantine documents of that time and was sent to Spain where she remained permanently without any connection to the Royal Byzantine family, it is highly unlikely that she is the daughter of John.

Other accounts, and Angelina herself (through her tomb), claim that she is the daughter of a certain Count John/Ivan of Hungary, Duke of Slavonia/Dalmatia, the alleged illegitimate son of an unnamed King of Hungary. However, the lack of information about Count John/Ivan, if he ever existed, suggests that this might have been a plot created by the King of Castille to find noblemen for her to marry, a plot in which Angelina herself participated.

There was no Count/Duke of Slavonia by that name at the time that I could find information on. He was likely invented for higher chances of matchmaking purposes, as likely, Angelina was of humble origin before becoming a slave, and nobility typically preferred to marry within their own class.

First Capture

Some speculate that she was captured in the aftermath of the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, in case it is true she would have been around 16 years old. This speculation is linked to the belief that she was Hungarian, though it is more probable that she was not.

Other sources believe she was captured around 1391 in Thessalonica. In that case, she would have been around 11 years old, slightly older than the preferred age for girls to be educated as potential concubines but not uncommon.

Life In The Harem

Despite being sold as a slave in the imperial palace of Sultan Bayezid I, Angelina seems to have been one of the few Christian slaves in the palace. Timur later sent her as a “gift” to Henry III of Castille, and as we know Muslim women are not permitted to engage with men of other faiths.

Another indication of her faith is found in a past edition of Clavijo’s work.

“Argote de Molina (the editor of Clavijo) in the Discurso, which he prefixed to the Edition Princeps of 1582, states that with the presents of jewels, Timur sent to King Henry two Christian maidens.” - Embassy to Tamerlane/ 1403-1406 (Broadway Travellers) Volume 24, pg 178. (Angelina was one of the mentioned maidens.)

Considering her religion, it is safe to assume she was never considered a potential concubine for Bayezid, as all concubines of the Sultan had to be Muslims. She was more likely working as a servant under a higher-ranking slave or one of Bayezid’s Christian wives (Macedonian Princess, Byzantine princess, or Olivera Lazarevic).

Despina Hatun (Olivera Lazarevic) was captured alongside her daughters and Christian servants.

“When he was in Kütahya, Timur sent for Olivera Despina, her daughters, and her household, alongside the daughter of the ruler of Karaman [Jalayirid Sultanate], whom Beyazid was planning to marry off to his son Mustafa. They were brought to his camp with many servants, musicians, and dancers. He suggested that the Princess and other members of her household, who were still Christian, should embrace Islam. Despite her daughters being Muslim, Olivera declined this offer.” - Buxton, Anna. The European Sultanas of the Ottoman Empire - color edition. Kindle Edition.

If she was one of Olivera’s Christian servants, that would explain why she remained a Christian despite serving in the Imperial palace. Christian wives of early Ottoman Sultans are speculated to have freed slaves or, at the very least prevented forced Islamization. 

Second Capture

In the aftermath of the Battle of Ankara in 1402, Timur sent his soldiers to plunder Bursa, resulting in the capture of the imperial treasure and slaves. It is conceivable that Angelina was among those captured.

Alternatively, she may not have been taken from Bursa but in a residence in Yenisehir where Olivera Lazarevic, her daughters, and servants resided.

After her capture, she was sent to Emir Timur's camp, where she remained for a period before being presented as a "gift" to King Henry III of Castile. At that time, Timur had received an embassy from the King of Castile, led by Don Payo Gonzalez de Sotomayor and Don Hernan Sanchez de Palazuelos, and upon their departure, he decided to send them off with Christian maidens to be given to Henry III of Castile. Both of these noblemen eventually married the other maidens who accompanied Angelina.

Arrival In Castile

Upon her arrival in Castile in 1403, while passing through Seville, Angelina caught the attention of a Genoese poet named Francisco Imperial, who was residing in the same city at the time. He composed a poem dedicated to her, which has survived to this day. From his poem, it can be inferred that Angelina was a woman of great beauty who captivated those around her as she traveled through Castile.

Upon reaching the Alcazar of Segovia, where King Henry was residing, the king, moved by pity for her and her entourage, took them under his protection.

Marriage To Don Diego González de Contreras

Around 1403, she married Don Diego González de Contreras, a knight and nobleman in the court of Henry. It is believed that the marriage was arranged by Henry, who likely sponsored the maidens' stay at court and their dowries.

Angelina, renowned for her beauty, likely had several suitors vying for her hand, but Don Diego, Lord of the house of Contreras, was ultimately chosen as the most suitable candidate by the King.

Diego is thought to have been well in his 70s at the time of his death in 1437, making him around 36 to 45 years old at the time of his marriage to the 22/23 years old Angelina.

The noble couple later took up residence in the Contreras’ ancestral home in the parish of San Juan de los Caballeros, Segovia, where Diego held the position of perpetual Regidor of Segovia, a hereditary title that would later pass to his son.

The couple welcomed two sons together, Fernán Gronzález de Contreras, who would later succeed his father as Regidor of Segovia, Juan González de Contreras, and possibly a daughter, Doña Isabel González de Contreras.

Later Life

Angelina likely led a noble and tranquil life as the wife of a nobleman in her husband’s ancestral home, where she also cared for her children.

It is believed that she passed away sometime after her husband died in 1437. However, historians have not been able to conclusively prove this theory. What is known is that she was certainly laid to rest in Segovia, where her body was buried in the church of San Juan.

The inscription on her tomb read as follows:

"Here lies the honored Dona Angelina of Greece, daughter of Count Ivan and granddaughter of the King of Hungary, wife of Diego González de Contreras."

Unfortunately, the church was later ruined, and her remains were transported to the neighboring church of San Pablo.

Legacy

Her grandson Rodrigo de Contreras (through Fernan) mentioned her in his will, written sometime in the late 15th to 16th century.

The will read as follows:

"When our Lord Jesus Christ pleases to take me from this present life, may my body be buried in the church of San Juan beside the grave of my grandmother Doña Angelina de Grecia. May God help us."

Her descendant Juan de Contreras, Marquis of Lozoya, later wrote a biography of her life in the 20th century.

Issue

Don Fernan Gonzalez de Contreras

Juan González de Contreras

Dona Isabel de Contreras (possibly)

Summary

Despite the turbulent period Angelina lived through, from being a simple girl of Greek parentage captured and enslaved in the Ottoman imperial palace to being "gifted" to the King of Castile by her second captor, Angelina was fortunate enough to have found a life of nobility and a family to care for.

Poem By Francisco Imperial Dedicated to Angelina: 

"With great tranquility and meekness, beauty and sweet air, honesty and without custom, of elegance and mischief from the lands of Cayre I saw bring to the King of Spain with a very strange height delicate and graceful demeanor. Whether she be Tartar or Greek, as soon as I could see her her disposition does not deny to be of a grand name. She must undoubtedly be a woman of high birth placed in great tribulation, deprived of great power. Her countenance seemed to say 'Alas, captive am I, it is fitting from now on that I live in servitude Oh, elusive fortune! Alas, why was I born! Tell me, what did I deserve for you to make me live! My Greece, my Cardíamo Oh my sweet Angelina! beloved land that I cherish so much where such plunder is born Who separated me so quickly from you and your dominion and brought me to the great river where the sun rises and sets?"

(Sources: "Embassy to Tamerlane/ 1403-1406 (Broadway Travellers) Volume 24", Buxton, Anna. "The European Sultanas of the Ottoman Empire", "Dona Angelina de Grecia: ensayo biografico".)