2000 word Historical Topics
3 posts in this topic.
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Here we will place all writings for Leutnant's 2000 word challenge.
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Sorry its only 1000, but here are some of the topics Ive been researching for my next story, whether its gonna be another novel in chapters or just flash fiction.
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Possibility 1: Sigurd the Crusader.
Sigurd was born a bastard prince in Norway in 1090. His father was King Magnus III, and he had two brothers, Oystein and Olaf, who were also born to separate mothers.
He aided his father in military campaigns to Ireland, and helped his father conquer many of the islands around Ireland.
Suddenly, when he was only 14 years old, his father was killed in battle, leaving his three sons the kingdom. Instead of fighting over the crown, the three brothers chose to co-rule the Kingdom of Norway.
For 4 years the brothers prospered off of the conquered lands of their father, and the Kingdom settled into peace and prosperity.
Sigurd, now 18 years old, organized a Crusade to aid the newly founded, and struggling, Kingdom of Jerusalem and its ruler, King Baudouin. In 1107 he and his brother Oystein disputed over who should lead the crusade and who should remain home in Norway, but eventually they realized Sigurd was the more experienced traveler due to his expeditions with his father in Ireland. Due to his natural charisma and leadership, his men liked him enough to grant him the nickname Jorsulafari, or the Crusader.
Sigurd gathered 5000 Viking warriors in 60 longships, and set off down south to the Holy Land. He traveled down to Portugal, fighting battles in the Reconquista against the Muslims in Iberia. Him and his men fought together, with Sigurd often leading in the front lines. They left Lisbon to fight across multiple Mediterranean isles before finally arriving in the Holy Land. They were immensely successful, gathering hordes of treasure.
Sigurd was welcomed by King Baudouin, and the two formed a great friendship. They spent a lot of time together talking about their experiences, and Sigurd was baptised in the Jordan River by some of Baudouin’s priests.
King Baudouin asked Sigurd to assist him in a siege of Sidon with the Doge of Venice, and he agreed, saying “they had come for the purpose of devoting themselves to the service of Christ.”
King Baudouin’s forces attacked the city by land, and Sigurd’s fleet battled against the enemy ships. After being supported by a Venetian fleet, they won the battle and Sidon was taken.
The battle is recorded in this poem-
Sætt frá ek dœla dróttin,
drengr minnisk þess, vinna,
tóku hvast í hristar
hríð valslöngur ríða.
Sterkr braut váligt virki
vals munnlitaðr gunnar,
fögr ruðusk sverð en sigri
snjallr bragningr hlaut fagna.
The Norsemen's king, the skalds relate,
Has ta'en the heathen town of Saet:
The slinging engine with dread noise
Gables and roofs with stones destroys.
The town wall totters too, — it falls;
The Norsemen mount the blackened walls.
He who stains red the raven's bill
Has won, — the town lies at his will.
King Baudouin was very grateful for Sigurd’s help, and presented him with a splinter of the True Cross, possibly the most holy relic in all of Christendom at the time. It was believed to be the actual cross Christ died upon.
Honored, Sigured treasured the relic for the rest of his life.
He soon left the Holy Land with his men, sailing to Constantinople and spending his days with the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He decided to leave all of his money and loot in Constantinople as a gift to the Emperor, and sold all his ships. He planned to return home to Norway by land instead. Although his army of 5000 adored him, most wanted to stay in Constantinople to take up service in the world-renowned Varangian Guard.
The Emperor gave Sigurd and his bodyguard his best horses, and they set off to travel across Europe for the next three years. He traveled through Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and into Germany where he met with the Holy Roman Emperor, Lothar II. He traveled up to Denmark where the Danish king greeted him and gave him a ship to travel back to Norway.
He arrived back in Norway to find the kingdom prospering, and the church steadily gaining power. He was greeted warmly, and continued to rule the kingdom with his brothers for the next twenty years, before they both died and left him as the sole ruler.
He left again on Crusade in 1123 to Sweden, fighting against those who had denounced their Christian faith and returned to worshipping the Old Norse deities. He was again victorious, defeating the Christian forces and bringing back animals to Norway.
He built a strong castle, and kept the splinter of the True Cross there in safekeeping.
At the age of 40, Sigurd the Crusader died.
Throughout his 40 years, he traveled across all of Europe by both land and sea, fought battles all around the globe, and met the rulers of Denmark, The Holy Roman Empire, Sicily, Jerusalem, and the Byzantine Empire.
This would be good for a novel, showing his journeys all across the world. Although it would be fun, it would be a huge project.
Possibility 2: Fall of Constantinople
Taking place in a much different era than anything I’ve written before, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is one of the most influential battles of the Middle Ages.
It marked the end of an empire lasting for 1,500 years, crippled Christendom itself, showcased the superiority of gunpowder, and unlocked Europe to the Islamic forces.
The battle was led by the Emperor Constantine XI of the Byzantine Empire, and Mehmed II of the Ottoman Turks. Constantine was the last Byzantine emperor, and was a well respected ruler of a crumbling empire. Mehmed II was a strong leader, gaining a lot of experience in his youth before being given the crown by his father at the age of twelve. He had a strong presence, and was well respected. He amassed an enormous army to besiege Constantinople, 260 ships and 150,000 men.
The battle itself was a great example of siege warfare from both land and sea, and cannons were used to destroy some of the greatest walls and fortifications on Earth at the time. The city fell, but Constantine did not flee.
He said The city is fallen, yet I am still alive... before stripping off his royal clothes and disguising himself as a common soldier, leading his remaining men into battle one last time.
I think this would be great for a short story, and I could switch between the commanding Mehmed and the brave Constantine.
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