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EXCERPT from Mettwetter’s Medieval History by Arthur Stewart Mettwetter (pub. 1876)
HEINRICH the Pious (1103 [1121-1142] AD)
Warred frequently with his kingdom’s neighbors and put down a number of peasant revolts.
He strengthened the kingdom’s legal processes by means of laws and quasi-religious rulings (which a number of historians believe laid the groundwork for the Inquisition several centuries later).
Heinrich died from a wound while leading the siege of a border neighbor’s castle.
ALBERDICHT the Quiet (1109 [1142-1154])
Grew up under the shadow of his brother Heinrich and never quite came into his own. When Alberdicht ascended the throne upon his brother’s death, the nobles around him and their advisors took over much of Alberdicht’s power and ruled in his name.
During Alberdicht’s reign the kingdom deteriorated into contending factions, with each seeking the largest portion of the lands conquered by Heinrich. Alberdicht’s policy therefore was of preventing any of the nobles from acquiring too much power, and preventing the kingdom from slipping into civil war.
Paranoid and fearful of assassination, Alberdicht reigned for twelve years by playing his “advisors” and their contending factions against each other. He was eventually poisoned in 1154 by his wife’s 16-year-old lover, the Duke of Esterdan, at Archen.
Claron (Duke of Esterdan) (1138 [1154-1155])
Ruled for less than a year. Captured and executed by Ostfried following the Battle of Engelstadt. Alberdicht’s wife and Esterdan’s infant son were also executed following the battle.
Very little else is known about the young duke.
OSTFRIED the Strong (1132 [1155-1195])
Cousin of Alberdicht, Ostfried formed an alliance of nobles in 1155 after the murder of Alberdicht and over-threw the usurper, the Duke of Esterdan, at the Battle of Engelstadt.
As king, Ostfried rebuilt and modernized the army, diminished the power of the contending factions while at the same time strengthening that of the monarchy. In 1157 he successfully put down a revolt by the same alliance of nobles that had put him on the throne.
Ostfried waged a long series of bloody wars of conquest in the east that effectively doubled the size of the kingdom. He is remembered mostly for being a largely successful warrior-king.
MANFRIED the Short (1162 [1195-1222])
Eldest son of Ostfried.
Manfried was elevated to the throne in 1185 as a sort of “junior-king” by his father. This allowed Ostfried to pursue his “crusade” in the east while his son managed the kingdom in his place. Manfried, not wanting the throne, largely left the running of the kingdom to his younger brother, Telfurt.
Quiet, good-natured and studious, Manfried encouraged the kingdom’s culture by building several centers of learning and study. He is remembered as being a well-liked monarch who wrote several volumes of poetry (for which there are no existent copies).
TELFURT the Black (1164-1217)
Youngest son of Ostfried, Telfurt is acknowledged as the driving intellect behind Manfried’s successful reign.
Telfurt totally revised the rolls of the governing nobility under Manfried and put the kingdom’s finances (which funded his father’s crusades) on a more stable basis. He was roundly hated by the nobility because of the increased tax burden that was laid on them. Several assassination attempts were made on his life.
The lightened tax burden on the peasantry however encouraged the growth of a rudimentary mercantile class which raised the kingdom’s standard of living and further weakened the power of the nobility.
Telfurt is credited (?) with the creation of a primitive “secret police” that was the key to the putting down of the revolt of nobles in 1183 against his father. Telfurt also oversaw the successful incorporation of the territories conquered by his father in the east.
Telfurt acquired his nickname due to his secretive personality and choice of wearing black garments.
[Ed: The picture shows the statues of Heinrich, Alberdicht, Ostfried and Manfried on the cathedral of Dressau.]
HEINRICH the Pious (1103 [1121-1142] AD)
Warred frequently with his kingdom’s neighbors and put down a number of peasant revolts.
He strengthened the kingdom’s legal processes by means of laws and quasi-religious rulings (which a number of historians believe laid the groundwork for the Inquisition several centuries later).
Heinrich died from a wound while leading the siege of a border neighbor’s castle.
ALBERDICHT the Quiet (1109 [1142-1154])
Grew up under the shadow of his brother Heinrich and never quite came into his own. When Alberdicht ascended the throne upon his brother’s death, the nobles around him and their advisors took over much of Alberdicht’s power and ruled in his name.
During Alberdicht’s reign the kingdom deteriorated into contending factions, with each seeking the largest portion of the lands conquered by Heinrich. Alberdicht’s policy therefore was of preventing any of the nobles from acquiring too much power, and preventing the kingdom from slipping into civil war.
Paranoid and fearful of assassination, Alberdicht reigned for twelve years by playing his “advisors” and their contending factions against each other. He was eventually poisoned in 1154 by his wife’s 16-year-old lover, the Duke of Esterdan, at Archen.
Claron (Duke of Esterdan) (1138 [1154-1155])
Ruled for less than a year. Captured and executed by Ostfried following the Battle of Engelstadt. Alberdicht’s wife and Esterdan’s infant son were also executed following the battle.
Very little else is known about the young duke.
OSTFRIED the Strong (1132 [1155-1195])
Cousin of Alberdicht, Ostfried formed an alliance of nobles in 1155 after the murder of Alberdicht and over-threw the usurper, the Duke of Esterdan, at the Battle of Engelstadt.
As king, Ostfried rebuilt and modernized the army, diminished the power of the contending factions while at the same time strengthening that of the monarchy. In 1157 he successfully put down a revolt by the same alliance of nobles that had put him on the throne.
Ostfried waged a long series of bloody wars of conquest in the east that effectively doubled the size of the kingdom. He is remembered mostly for being a largely successful warrior-king.
MANFRIED the Short (1162 [1195-1222])
Eldest son of Ostfried.
Manfried was elevated to the throne in 1185 as a sort of “junior-king” by his father. This allowed Ostfried to pursue his “crusade” in the east while his son managed the kingdom in his place. Manfried, not wanting the throne, largely left the running of the kingdom to his younger brother, Telfurt.
Quiet, good-natured and studious, Manfried encouraged the kingdom’s culture by building several centers of learning and study. He is remembered as being a well-liked monarch who wrote several volumes of poetry (for which there are no existent copies).
TELFURT the Black (1164-1217)
Youngest son of Ostfried, Telfurt is acknowledged as the driving intellect behind Manfried’s successful reign.
Telfurt totally revised the rolls of the governing nobility under Manfried and put the kingdom’s finances (which funded his father’s crusades) on a more stable basis. He was roundly hated by the nobility because of the increased tax burden that was laid on them. Several assassination attempts were made on his life.
The lightened tax burden on the peasantry however encouraged the growth of a rudimentary mercantile class which raised the kingdom’s standard of living and further weakened the power of the nobility.
Telfurt is credited (?) with the creation of a primitive “secret police” that was the key to the putting down of the revolt of nobles in 1183 against his father. Telfurt also oversaw the successful incorporation of the territories conquered by his father in the east.
Telfurt acquired his nickname due to his secretive personality and choice of wearing black garments.
[Ed: The picture shows the statues of Heinrich, Alberdicht, Ostfried and Manfried on the cathedral of Dressau.]
Category All / All
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I never heard of them. They were not emperors of "germany", weren't they? Where did they rule? I want to know since some of them really soundind interesting...
And the picture is cool ^^ I really like that you draw pictures with historic background. It really is fun, isn't it? ^^
And the picture is cool ^^ I really like that you draw pictures with historic background. It really is fun, isn't it? ^^
Heh, all those characters are all characters out of my imagination. I have read so many history books and books about history that I can pretty well duplicate the writing style found in them.
The names are purposely-Germanic sounding. Your poor country has had such troubled past for so many centuries, troubled but interesting as far as historical characters go. Even your peasant revolts were interesting. Heroes, villains, powerful families, church leaders and great thinkers. All great subjects for fantasy-history.
It is quite a lot of fun "creating" pictures based on real or make-believe history.
The names are purposely-Germanic sounding. Your poor country has had such troubled past for so many centuries, troubled but interesting as far as historical characters go. Even your peasant revolts were interesting. Heroes, villains, powerful families, church leaders and great thinkers. All great subjects for fantasy-history.
It is quite a lot of fun "creating" pictures based on real or make-believe history.
Lol, I have a feeling that these kings and the picture are just made up, Been googling the names for 15minutes now, and nothings coming up. Dressau seems to be a place in Germany, but i cant find a mention of a cathedral.
But hey its pretty cool that the description managed to fool me for a while.
But hey its pretty cool that the description managed to fool me for a while.
Yes, all my kings and all the names are all made up. Just my way of "writting" a little story to go along with my picture instead of the usual way it goes in furry art. But as Kumbarthat noted, there really is a Dressau in Germany. That was one of those "what's a Germanic sounding name for a place?" and "Dressau" popped into my noggin.
It was all meant in fun and not as a trick to play on my dear viewers. If my pseudo-history did give you a little enjoyment, well just think of it as being as real as any of the "historical" movies that Hollywood has made -- real for as long as the theatre lights are off.
It was all meant in fun and not as a trick to play on my dear viewers. If my pseudo-history did give you a little enjoyment, well just think of it as being as real as any of the "historical" movies that Hollywood has made -- real for as long as the theatre lights are off.
Practice, practice, practice, Leo! Every good artist is always a "work in progress". With every drawing an artist does he/she tries something different and tries real hard to do just a little bit better. Making the eyes a little more realistic, maybe putting a tuft of fur on the anthromorph's elbow, giving him four fingers snd a thumb instead of just three.
Remember, you can only get to be as good as you let yourself become.
Remember, you can only get to be as good as you let yourself become.
Thank you, Wolfy.
I've spent a lot of time casually reading about German history and so when I tried to come up with fictional names I accidentally came up with a real name of a city. And yes, most large cities in Europe do have one or two Gothic cathedrals to their credit. It is awesome to think that most of those cathedrals took about ten years to build. I wonder if we would have the patience to do that same?
I've spent a lot of time casually reading about German history and so when I tried to come up with fictional names I accidentally came up with a real name of a city. And yes, most large cities in Europe do have one or two Gothic cathedrals to their credit. It is awesome to think that most of those cathedrals took about ten years to build. I wonder if we would have the patience to do that same?
Engelstadt is also a real German town. It's just west of Mainz and not far north of Worms - both very important cities in the history of Germany, especially during the Wars of Religion. When you mentioned the city of Archen I just assumed you had misspelled 'Aachen' - which was the capital of Charlemagne's empire and one of the most important cities in Europe in the 1100s.
I find German history very interesting too. I have a few German history books written in both German and English. The area that is now mostly Germany has had a huge impact on European history since the area north of the Danube was a thorn in Rome's side, for better or worse. Germany is definitely one of, if not the most important region in Europe.
I find German history very interesting too. I have a few German history books written in both German and English. The area that is now mostly Germany has had a huge impact on European history since the area north of the Danube was a thorn in Rome's side, for better or worse. Germany is definitely one of, if not the most important region in Europe.
"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away." - Percy Bysshe Shelley "Ozymandias"
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away." - Percy Bysshe Shelley "Ozymandias"
Thanks, very much for the history lesson. If it's one thing I've learned from watching the History Channel on cable, given the right context, the past can be downright facinating, with many valuable lessons to be learned. The wild thing is, just looking at your drawing, I pegged Ostfried as a warrior king, with his title ending in "Strong". Manfried, on the other hand, I was sure was going to be "the Wise", or the "Learned", because that's exactly what he looks like.
Heinrich and Alberdicht, on the other hand, were much harder to place, because without any props, their statues are lacking obvious clues. It was only after I read your descriptions that I was able to interpret them. Honnestly, Heinrich reminds me of nothing, so much as one of the nuns from where I went to school. His statue has that same sort of frowning, finger wagging air. Alberdicht, on the other hand, clearly has this cowering aspect about him. He looks almost hounded. You can easily tell that durring his reign, someone else had the real power, and was using it to jerk him around. It almost makes me feel sorry for the poor guy...almost.
Heinrich and Alberdicht, on the other hand, were much harder to place, because without any props, their statues are lacking obvious clues. It was only after I read your descriptions that I was able to interpret them. Honnestly, Heinrich reminds me of nothing, so much as one of the nuns from where I went to school. His statue has that same sort of frowning, finger wagging air. Alberdicht, on the other hand, clearly has this cowering aspect about him. He looks almost hounded. You can easily tell that durring his reign, someone else had the real power, and was using it to jerk him around. It almost makes me feel sorry for the poor guy...almost.
*deeply bows to Serath*
You are the perfect viewer, Serath! You picked up on everything that I wanted to get across to the viewers of this picture.
Most often History, or the generation after a leader’s page in it, gives that leader it’s opinion of him by the title they tack onto his name. In the quartet of monarchs I have presented here, I envisaged their sculptors as interpreting their characters long after they had passed on. The finer details of the life of the king furthest back in time (Heinrich) would largely be forgotten by the time that his statue was carved. So his figure would almost be shown as that of a monarch of legend. The latter monarchs, with more being remembered of them, would be portrayed with more recognizable character and “props”.
Also, I wanted to suggest the changing history of their “kingdom” as they dragged it out of the barbaric tribal Dark Ages. Heinrich, who largely forged it, Alberdicht, who really wasn’t up to the job of holding it together (there were enough loyal courtiers and advisors however to get the kingdom through his reign in more or less intact).
I too feel a bit bad over the life Alberdicht inherited. He was never considered as good as his famous older brother. It was “Heinrich did this” or “Heinrich did that” or “If Heinrich was here he’d fix the problem.” No wonder he felt paranoid alone. And in the end he wasn’t paranoid enough to save himself.
Ostfried the warrior-king who with his sons not only saved the kingdom from falling apart (“hammering it together with iron bolts”), but also doubled its size. Ostfried heralded in the kingdom’s Golden Age. After him there were other kings that were good, strong and wise, but never any who surpassed these four. They indelibly stamped their personalities onto the kingdom’s character which earned them their place as statues on the side of a cathedral that still stands to this day.
Or at least I have imagined it so.
You are the perfect viewer, Serath! You picked up on everything that I wanted to get across to the viewers of this picture.
Most often History, or the generation after a leader’s page in it, gives that leader it’s opinion of him by the title they tack onto his name. In the quartet of monarchs I have presented here, I envisaged their sculptors as interpreting their characters long after they had passed on. The finer details of the life of the king furthest back in time (Heinrich) would largely be forgotten by the time that his statue was carved. So his figure would almost be shown as that of a monarch of legend. The latter monarchs, with more being remembered of them, would be portrayed with more recognizable character and “props”.
Also, I wanted to suggest the changing history of their “kingdom” as they dragged it out of the barbaric tribal Dark Ages. Heinrich, who largely forged it, Alberdicht, who really wasn’t up to the job of holding it together (there were enough loyal courtiers and advisors however to get the kingdom through his reign in more or less intact).
I too feel a bit bad over the life Alberdicht inherited. He was never considered as good as his famous older brother. It was “Heinrich did this” or “Heinrich did that” or “If Heinrich was here he’d fix the problem.” No wonder he felt paranoid alone. And in the end he wasn’t paranoid enough to save himself.
Ostfried the warrior-king who with his sons not only saved the kingdom from falling apart (“hammering it together with iron bolts”), but also doubled its size. Ostfried heralded in the kingdom’s Golden Age. After him there were other kings that were good, strong and wise, but never any who surpassed these four. They indelibly stamped their personalities onto the kingdom’s character which earned them their place as statues on the side of a cathedral that still stands to this day.
Or at least I have imagined it so.
Please Lionus, you'll make me blush, clear to my tail. It's just a game I love playing, seeing something and making up stories about it. That's how I get some of my more interesting ideas. Thank you for explaining, The idea of the two more distant kings being deliberately interpreted somewhat loosely, as they are lost to the mists of time, is a quite clever one. And the way you tell their stories, it's no wonder they were immortalized, as statues on the side of a cathedral. Not quite the two kings and two queens of Narnia, but certainly, very profound, in the history of their nation.
For good or evil I find each of my characters interesting. If I were to come into some wealth and not have to work I would love to write up stories about them and the lives they lead or have led.
Being born into a royal family, like Manfried was, is a mixed blessing. While you might get all the best things in life, but you are never free to enjoy them as you want to. Things always are done “for the benefit of the kingdom".
Manfried was saddled with ruling the kingdom while his father, Ostfried, was off adding other people's lands to the kingdom. Given a choice, Manfried would have been perfectly happy off in some remote monastery, doing farm work out in the fields during the day and curling up with a good book (probably written in Latin or Greek) with a sandwich and a modest mug of ale at night. Luckily he had a younger brother, Talfurt, who really enjoyed all that king stuff, and so everyone got what they wanted. A happy ending, Medieval style.
Being born into a royal family, like Manfried was, is a mixed blessing. While you might get all the best things in life, but you are never free to enjoy them as you want to. Things always are done “for the benefit of the kingdom".
Manfried was saddled with ruling the kingdom while his father, Ostfried, was off adding other people's lands to the kingdom. Given a choice, Manfried would have been perfectly happy off in some remote monastery, doing farm work out in the fields during the day and curling up with a good book (probably written in Latin or Greek) with a sandwich and a modest mug of ale at night. Luckily he had a younger brother, Talfurt, who really enjoyed all that king stuff, and so everyone got what they wanted. A happy ending, Medieval style.
For sure. I am right on to draw several German Emperors ^^ seen this: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4309653 ?
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