European history is full of mysteries. What is the secret of the "European miracle"? Why did the Renaissance turn to antiquity? How did England become "the ruler of the seas"? What goals did the Inquisition set for itself? How did the Freemasons appear? There are still no answers to some questions.
Why did the Great Nations Migration begin?
The unprecedented scale of the movement of peoples from the periphery of the Roman Empire to its center in the IV-VII centuries AD, most scientists explain by climate change. After a sharp cold snap came crop failures and famine. However, there is an alternative theory associated with overpopulation and the growth of the Huns empire, which, having become the main driving force of the Great Migration, stimulated other peoples to this: Vandals, Saxons, Avars, Bulgars, Slavs.
Did King Arthur exist?
There are many legends about King Arthur, the legendary leader of the Britons of the 5th-6th centuries, on the basis of which countless knightly novels have been created. But historians are in no hurry to confirm the reality of this person. For them - few facts. However, there are artifacts that indirectly confirm the historical reality of King Arthur. The paradox is that many peoples, including the Ossetians, are fighting to prove the origin of Arthur from them.
Tapestry proving Arthur's belonging to the Nine Worthy
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In 1191, during the renovation of the Glastonbury Abbey, the grave of a man and a woman was discovered, on which the name of King Arthur was allegedly carved. And near Tintagel, the supposed ancestral castle of the king, a stone was found in the cultural layer of the 6th century, on which, according to archaeologist Gordon Mayhen, the name Arthur is visible.
How did the Templars gain power?
The Order of the Knights Templar was founded by a small group of knights in 1119 after the First Crusade, but by the middle of the 12th century it rivaled the most notable houses of Europe in its wealth. The order's miraculous rise is partly due to its special status - not only a secular, but also a spiritual organization, the attack on which was seen as sacrilege.
According to British historian Desmond Seward, the power of the Templars provided the usury that undermined the monopoly of the Church. Gradually, the Templars became the largest creditors. Among the debtors of the Order were everyone: from peasants and artisans to kings and popes.
Why were the Mongols called Tatars?
The troops of the Chingizid empire, which swept across Ancient Russia and reached Europe, were called both Mongols and Tatars, but even more often - Mongolo-Tatars. The confusion of the two ethnonyms can be caused by several reasons. One of them is the Asian legend, which says that in the seventh generation from a Turk, two twins were born: Tatars and Mongol. Another reason is the ethnic composition of the Horde troops, which included both Mongols and Tatars.
The term "Tatars" was mainly used by Europeans, possibly connecting this word with "hellish Tartarus". Interesting information is given to us by the Chinese diplomat Meng-Khun, who claimed that "the current emperor Chingiz, his generals, ministers and chief officials, all belong to the black Tatars."
Was the "black death" a plague?
The epidemic of the "black death" that swept across Europe in the middle of the XIV century is commonly called the plague carried by fleas. However, the research of German scientists from the University. Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz was led to believe that the Black Death was a viral disease. The bacteria strains discovered by scientists differed from the well-known plague bacillus.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Death Triumph, 1562
An unusual version was put forward by the Nobel laureate in biochemistry Joshua Lederberg. Descriptions of people who died from the "black death" (the bodies quickly turned black and seemed "charred") led him to an interesting idea. The scientist suggested that the source of the "epidemic" was the "poisoned winds" that spread volcanic gases.
Who was the discoverer of America?
Christopher Columbus seems to have been stripped of the title of America's discoverer forever by modern researchers. This place is claimed by the Lord Admiral of Scotland Henry Sinclair, the Chinese navigator Zheng He and the Malian Sultan Abubakar II, who supposedly reached the shores of the New World before the Spaniard. There are also Egyptians on this list.
Leif Eriksson Discovers America, Christian Krogh, 1893
The most likely discoverer of America is the Icelandic Viking Leif Eriksson, who christened these lands "Wieland" ("land of grapes"). True, historians disagree on where the expedition's landing site could have been. According to some, this is Massachusetts, others argue that Newfoundland.
What goals did the Inquisition set for itself?
It is generally accepted that it was mainly heretics who perished at the fires of the Inquisition. But which ones? The surviving figures allow us to look at this issue in a different way. So, in the years 1488-1505 of all those convicted by the Inquisition in Barcelona, 99.3% were Jews; in Valencia in 1484-1530, their number was 91.6%.
Tribunal of the Inquisition, Francisco Goya
There is a version that the main blow of the Inquisition fell on the Spanish Jewry, in order to undermine its financial power. It is no coincidence that King Ferdinand I issued an edict in 1492 to expel all Jews from Castile and Aragon. As stated in the text of the edict, "in connection with the great damage to Christians from communication, conversations, communication with Jews."
Why did the Renaissance turn to antiquity?
The term Renissance was coined by the Italian thinker Giorgio Vasari as a way to reflect the return of the ideals of the secular, humanistic art of the ancient era. According to the philosopher Alexei Losev, the figures of the Renaissance were “blinded by antiquity”, which they opposed to the dark Middle Ages. Russian historian Nikolai Kareev wrote:
"The appeal to classical antiquity is explained by the need to find support for new needs of the mind and new life aspirations."
The fall of Byzantium was of particular importance in the appeal to the ancient heritage. The Byzantines who fled to Europe brought with them the richest libraries and works of antiquity art.
Who wrote under the name of Shakespeare?
Not everyone believes that the author of Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet and other brilliant works was a second-rate, uneducated actor of the London Globe Theater. Celebrities such as Sigmund Freud, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain considered Shakespeare's legacy a colossal hoax in order to hide the real name of the author.
There are versions that Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and even Queen Elizabeth's cousin Lord Hansdon wrote under the name of Shakespeare. There is a version that Shakespeare did not exist at all - this is just a collective image. To date, at least 80 candidates apply for the role of genius.
Why did England become "the ruler of the seas"?
The reasons for the seemingly unexpected rise of England as a naval power are many. Some historians associate the English successes at sea with the name of Admiral Robert Blake, who expelled bribe-takers and embezzlers from the fleet.
General of the Seas Robert Blake, Henry Briggs
According to others, the starting point of England's hegemony at sea should be sought in the defeat of the Spanish-Portuguese fleet ("Invincible Armada"). It is impossible to ignore the British diplomacy, which in the course of the war between France and the Netherlands was able to get the trade advantages that previously belonged to the Dutch.
How did the Freemasons appear?
There are many versions of the origin of Freemasonry. Some researchers argue that it grew out of a modest London club of the early 18th century, others find its roots in France (from the French "maçon" - "bricklayer"), some are trying to significantly ancient this movement, tracing its lineage to the Templars, Essenes and even the Pythagoreans. The clergy consider Freemasonry to be a historical myth that covers the true essence of the phenomenon - Satanism.
Drawing with a set of symbols used in the Swedish statute. Caption on the picture: From darkness to light
The secret of the "European miracle"
How did it happen that Europe, which was a number of agrarian states, became the center of world civilization in just a couple of centuries? Researchers name many reasons for the "European miracle": bourgeois and then industrial revolutions, the influence of the ideas of the Reformation, the development of economic institutions and competition, geographic location and climate, and even the factor of a lucky chance (a lucky coincidence).
How did Napoleon die?
According to the official version, Napoleon Bonaparte died of stomach cancer. However, this version does not suit everyone. Canadian historian Ben Weider and French scientist Rene Maury argue that the former emperor was poisoned with arsenic and was done by the French general Charles Montolon, who went with him into exile to Saint Helena. Interestingly, the living descendants of Montolon, referring to family archives, confirm this hypothesis.
Emperor Napoleon in his study at the Tuileries, Jacques-Louis David
Why was the "Invincible Armada" defeated?
The Spanish fleet - the legendary "Invincible Armada" - consisting of 130 ships with 2,430 guns in 1588 suffered a crushing defeat from the British. It is customary to look for the main reason for the defeat of the Spaniards in the better maneuverability and superior artillery power of the English fleet.
Defeat of the Spanish Armada, Philip Jacob Lutherburg
But there are other nuances. So, on the eve of the departure of the "Invincible Armada" concerned about the lack of food and disease among the sailors, the commander of the flotilla, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, frankly wrote to the king that he doubted the success of the entire enterprise. Another thing is important to note. Of the 60 destroyed Spanish ships, only seven were combat losses. The rest of the ships were swept away by violent storms.
Does the Holy Grail exist?
For the cup, from which, according to legend, Christ ate at the Last Supper, they began to hunt in Europe from the early Middle Ages and did not stop their search until the time of the Third Reich. However, there is still no consensus on what the Holy Grail is. A stone, a sacred fire, a cornucopia, and even a church chant could also be hidden behind this concept.
In 1933, at the World's Fair in Chicago, a cup from the Antioch treasure was shown as the Holy Grail, which was later dated to the 6th century. Many travel guides claim that the legendary bowl is located in Turin. The direction where to look for the Holy Grail is indicated by the look of the statue of Faith.