Joan of Arc Biography

Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was born in the village for Domremy in 1412. She was born during the time when France was in turmoil and under the English, or during the Hundred Year War. Through her restless life, she once saw the voice of an angel calling her into battle. From that point, the courageous and sacrificed leader went to battle. She traveled at an early age to Chinon, where King Charles the Seventh was living. With kind and gracious words she told him her story and asked to lead the army 5,000 to the battle against the English in Orleans. Due to the great disaster, King Charles the Seventh allowed her to lead those 5,000 soldiers into battle.

With only 18 years old she triumphed through the town as she headed to Orleans, a place that would mean a lot to her in time. During the path she has inspired her soldiers with her great stories and assured them confidence and the spirit of belief. As she furiously rode the great English walls they were dazzled by the army they were given to fight. Yet little did they know that what would happen would be one of the biggest moments in history.

Little by little, Joan of Arc took over forts and killed many Englishmen. Yet when victory was just a step away she was wounded in a battle. Once her army pulled to retreat, her voice echoed that when the banner touched the fort, they will be victorious. And soon enough you could Joan of Arc riding her horse, and at that place she forced the British out of Orleans. With this victory she is in crested in history as the "Maid of Orleans".

Her fame was spread all over the English and people of France. Joan was a country hero. The remainder of her voyages also were a success pushing the English out of France once and for all. And in those great days, she watched as King Charles the Seventh was crowned Rheims. That same day, she begged to be left alone and return to her family, yet the king did not allow such a mistake.

As if known, in the battle against the Duke of Burgundy she was captured and given to the English for a very large sum of money. After staying in jail for a year, Joan of Arc was brought to trial and was to be burnt at the stake. As promised, that one day the fire lit up, is when Joan of Arc's notorious yet calm mind was put to rest.

The Crusades

The directed goal to the 8 Crusades was to capture the Holy Land. The people who wore the Christian Cross against the non-Christian in the crusades was called a crusader. Since 1095 and the next 200 years, the Christians launched 8 battle missions to capture the Holy Land held by the Muslim Turks. The Pope believed that the Christians should rule over the Holy Land. Jerusalem was considered sacred by the Christians, the Jewish people and the Muslims. The popes only hope was in the lords and knights. His first attack on the holy land was with normal people, however the Turks were able to defeat them. The second attack however was conducted by an Arab Muslim leader who seized Jerusalem in a slight way. By 1187 however, Saladin had totally retaken Jersualem. Over all, the Crusades were a very important time period that slowly cut and siezed the Holy Land.

The Crusades also had a very significant role in the development of the Middle Ages and the population. The Crusades trig erred the use of trade in Europe. The foods, jewelry, sculptures, art, and other goods that were brought to the Holy Land largely grew and the goods were in great demand in the rest of Europe. This fact also provoked the use of money in Europe that still is in use today. Secondly, the Crusaders that traveled back and forth brought new ideas and technology to the people. In this way, cultural diffusion took place. Overall, the Crusades were a great mark, that will be remembered in history.

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was born in 742, however the place remains unknown. He was of German blood and shared many characteristics with his fellow people. He read a few books but quite complex ones. He attempted to write at a older age, but that never worked out yet he could speak 3 languages.

In 771 Carloman the Second died transferring Charlemagne as the sole king at age 29. At that time, the northern part of the empire was pagan and lawless while the southern side was Roman Catholic. Charlemagne was determined to bring peace and stabilize Europe. To begin with, he launched a 13-year campaign that seized and transfered the pagans to the Christian religion. Charlemagne was great fan of solving conflicts easily, but when people disobeyed or did not listen, he would conquer and seize their land. Like with the case of Desiderius.

The key to Charlemagne's great success was his ability to organize. During his reign, he sent out 50 military expeditions, conquering many lands. He always planned ahead and knew exactly what he wanted to do. It is said that he would always call bishops and kings to tell them all of the information for the battle ahead.

By 800, Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His land covered nowadays France, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands. As well as half of Italy and Germany along with the Spanish Border. With this, he reconnected a part of the Roman empire and along with his great innovations and intelligence, paved the way to the establishment of modern Europe.

On Christmas Day in 800, the Pope crowned Charlemagne before the alter. Since that moment, Charlemagne is considered the first Holy Roman Emperor. When Charlemagne came to the throne, he tried to give everyone equal rights, and help society advance. For example, he tried bring back appreciation for music and art by bringing various people from different places. Over all, Charlemagne brought the Renaissance a start and united Europe.

Feudalism and the Manor System

As many of you may know, the feudalism system is applied in the government; it is a part of the government. Basically, in the feudalism method, land was owned by kings and lords, but held and governed by the vassals in return for their great loyalty. The vassals and the lords were tightly bound. A king usually supported his vassals and treated them with respect. In return, the vassal would deliver valuable messages and fight in the words. Most of the vassals were however valuable and honored knights. Overall, they were the lord’s second hand. In this way, the feudalism was in benefit for everyone.

Onto to the manor system, this is how they organized their economy. This sort of system included a manor, a large estate that contains a field and even sometimes a village. The manor had to create self-sufficient needs, while the lord had control over him, and relied on him for his money. Since the manor lived in another village, his job was to collect taxes and keep everyone of the peasants under control.

The majority of the medieval times were peasants. Usually, all of them were very poor. They all had to work for themselves and their families. They lived in small huts and ate really simple foods. The main cause of this was the manors and the lords. Most of their farmland and the money were sent to the lords, causing the peasants fighting for survival. I believe that all of these facts did not affect the peasant’s beliefs in a positive way. They eventually led their own lives and followed what they desired. If I were them, I would just not see the point in life. Over all, although they were the majority of people, they had to stay with their miserable lives, being manipulated on a daily basis.

Renaissance Reflection

I believe that the Renaissance Fair took great preparation and concentration to pull off. All of the classes joined together to create a masterpiece. In my opinion, I believe that the Renaissance Fair was a huge success and fascinated many people and parents. So much for the preparation, lets get on to the objectives from each class and how these were put together in the final act.

To begin with, the costumes were marvelous and really expressed the feeling of the Renaissance atmosphere. I also was thrilled how everyone played their part before the presentations. Everyone was dressed in a different costume showing the different views and aspects of the Renaissance time period.

I was also thrilled on how we went out a performed the dances. During the practices and lunches, although we were trying hard and intensively, mistakes were likely to occur. However, during the performance mistakes were nowhere to be found. This is the time where the pressure and concentration come to handy. We were all focused and got the job done. I guess all of the lunches we spent dancing finally payed off :)

As for DT, Simeon and I created a airplane and 6 parachutes that were displayed, hanging off the walls in the art room. Along with that we were required to create a poster, along with 2 power points we created. Although at the end of deadline time was not on our side, we managed to finalize our product. In my opinion, this was another massive success. It showed the way people thought and how their minds worked. Over all, the Renaissance is a time period where art came to power.

For art, we also created 3D galleries which shows the illusion of walking down a gallery. All of our art work was placed on a green paper that was hung through the room.

Into the music stage, I believe that 8A did a great job performing, and all of the music went with no dramatic mistakes. All of the aspects and notes went smoothly, and sounded like a great rhythm echoing through time.

Finally, the Shakespeare Performances were in my opinion, the highlight of the night. The tempting memorizations and the hard work that went into payed off. With great proffesionalism and emotion everyone did a marvelous drops. It is like the Mid Summer's Night Dream came to life.

In conclusion, the whole Renaissance masterpiece was a part of 8th little will forget. With dedication and strength, everyone pulled off and amazing night, A Renaissance Night!

What I Learned From the Others

Simeon-Islamic Military

I learned the ways Arabs went to war. The various weapons they used and how they coped with the surroundings. I was also very surprised with the clay grenades as well as the guns and different types of swords.

Alon-Geography and Climate of the Arabian Peninsula

From this presentation, I learned that the harsh desert terrain and the very warm climate is the reason people became nomads and constantly traveled in the search for food and water. However, even if the Arabian Peninsula is surrounded in 3 sides water is one of the most rare aspects in the Peninsula.

Ana-Muslim Women

From her presentation, I learned that women were given rights however these rights were modified through the years. Men have way more rights than women and I was very surprised when I heard that men can manipulate and do whatever they want with their wives.

Katja-Islam Extremism

I learned that terrorists have a great influence on the youth and teach the younger generation what terrorism is. I was surprised with the stories and how terrorism can influence the world.

Annie-Trade in Islam

From Annie's presentation, I learned that the Silk Road was the main trade route that linked Europe to Asia. All of the goods were transported using this route. People traded in bazaars and traveled in groups called caravans.

For the other presentations I was not there but I will conclude this post off after I have discovered what the other ones talked about.

Summary of My Presentation

Beginning: For my introduction, I began with an introduction of myself and what I will talk about in this Islam presentation. I divided my sections into three parts and told my class about what my Glogster will be about.

Middle: As for the mid-section, I began presenting and "teaching" the class about Islamic spread, Muslim customs and rituals as well as their beliefs. I began by telling the people how the Islam religion became what it is today and how it spread to what it had become today. Once I covered Islam, I moved on to the believers and followers which are the Muslims. I talked about their customs and daily rituals. Basically what they do on a daily basis. For example, I explained their praying hours which is their way on communicating with God or Allah. Later on, I transfered to their beliefs such as the 5 Pillars of Islam, the Quran and the many other trustworthy beliefs set by Muhammad and Allah. For example, I focused on the 5 Pillars of Islam and how those affected the daily lives of many Muslims around the world.

End: For the great finale, I decided to do something creative and made a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for the quiz. My plan for this was to involve the class and create a discussion that everyone can be a part of. I believed that my plan actually worked and a great discussion was created. Another aspect I really liked was the debate over various answers.

Over all, what I did well was the fact that I included the class into my presentation and really passed a lot of information around. However, I could have improved the layout and brought in some concrete example or "show and tell" objects. Overall, I believe my presentation was a success but as everyone says, nothing is perfect!

Geography and Trade Contributions

In this first paragraph, I will discuss how trade and the geography of the Arabian Peninsula affected the growth of the Muslim empire. Firstly, we all know that trade can cause cultural diffusion which is exactly what happened here. Once people entered the peninsula or the Arabs went out for trade, they would share their culture beliefs and religious aspects. Later on, people switched their views and would become Muslim. Due to this fact, as time expired, there was a gradual increase in the Muslim population. Secondly the geography was very tough yet worked in the favor of the Muslims. Since it was mostly desert, there were packed places with one religion, and the Bedouins or Nomads. These nomads traveled from place to place sharing ideas and beliefs as well. This later on was passed on to people. In time, the Muslim empire reached its heights and could be found in many places at that time. There fore, I believe that the true spread of the Muslim empire happened through cultural diffusion and a very delicate and strict geographical record.

In the second part, I will discuss the ways trade and geography affected the spread of Islam. To begin with, Bedouins played a big role as well. They traveled from oasis to oasis seeking water and shelter and at the same time sharing ideas and beliefs. They became great traders through cultural diffusion and spread their empire or Islam through various places. This is where trade developed into various cultural items and more people joined this elusive culture. Once people acknowledged this religion, they started to follow it, and the cycle was once again repeated. It was an epidemic, quickly spreading and always finding a way to get passed on. More Muslims, indicates the rise of the Muslim Empire. Its like a striking new movie that gets passed on through television, internet and school. It was very similar in that time.

Lastly, the achievements of the Golden Age also resulted because of trade and geography.The Golden Age was when the Muslim Empire established great achievements in math, science, philosophy and many more. However, many people doubt how this had anything to do with trade or geography. Firstly, trade gave all the money and earnings to the Muslims, without money nothing would have happened. And as for geography, it allowed many views to the outside world and helped in the foundation of these new ideas. Over all, without these two aspects nothing could have been possible.

Bedouin Life Poem

As the breeze echoed in the distance, the sand urged in my face

The camel came to a stop after the chase.

We finally made it to the place where we wanted to be, a warm welcome for you and me.

The smell bewildered and the excitement was great, it was great we did not arrive too late.

The water rushed and the feeling was pleasing, as my mind relaxed and there was an easing

The music whizzed through the air, as the shaal itched my hair,

For theres never a feeling, when you come to place that is so appealing.

A flash whizzed up ahead, for we knew the time has come,

When paradise and reality is all but one.

I ate my delicious veggies and rice, for there was a challenging journey ahead,

it was time to leave, time for bed.

This was the basis,

an expected stop,

the oasis.

Byzantine Cross

For my symbol in the mosaic I decided to do the Byzantine Cross, a famous cross that was found in the Byzantine Empire. It is mostly used in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church, and cannot be found in any other ones. The second bar from the top is for the INRI inscription while the bottom one is for his footrest. This sign represents sacredness and religion, it is commonly found in churches and serves as a sign of sacredness. Over all, I chose this for my mosaic because it really had a meaning and at the same time could be done. This project was really interesting and I look forward to more interactive projects.

Unit Reflection

The Byzantine Empire played a huge in conserving history and brand a lot down to the modern world. Once it built its empire from the Greeks and the Romans, the Byzantine Empire preserved valuable aspects from them after they disappeared. In this way, the Byzantine Empire was the keeper of the past and therefore the keeper of many mysteries. To begin with, literature and religion were a large part of the Byzantine Customs. They mainly wrote and spoke in Greek and adopted many Roman aspects as well. They copied the Roman and Greek language that came with great files of history that may have been gone for sure. Through writing and literature, the Byzantines saved a lot of knowledge regarding science, math, philosophy and many more. Religion and Christianity also flourished during the Byzantine Empire which still carries onto modern religion and beliefs. Next, the Byzantines had a great architectural knowledge also excelled in art. The Byzantines built great buildings and decorated with fine art. For example, the Hagia Sophia Church was a huge Christian Church. With great knowledge it was built and decorated with mosaics of saints and other sacred and holy people. Icons could also be spotted of Jesus and Mary, for example. To place it all together, the Byzantine Empire kept all the lost achievements from the Greeks and Romans. They basically put those two empires together and formed a new one that would affects all up to modern days. Without the Byzantine Empire, we would not have many information that are crucial today. We excel in science and math from their basic research. Even if the Byzantine Empire is long gone, is still is a crucial topic because it brings so much to our modern lives. Over all, without them we would not have had such advanced technology, religion, knowledge and architectural skills.

St. Petka's Reflection

Today, we went to the Saint Petka's chapel and were assigned a drawing of a mosaic. For my mosaic drawing, I drew Mary, a very important and crucial figure. Although I only drew Mary, she was being worshiped by another figure. This figure was very colorful, and included blue, red, yellow, orange, purple and gray. Mary was wearing purple, a supposed royal color. However, she was covered in a gray ordeal, that covered most of her body. As seen in many other mosaics, Mary had the halo indicating the sign of power and importance. For the objects, Mary was sitting on two pillows,one that was red and the other one blue. Along with the two pillows, Mary was placed in a decorated chair. The figure worshiping her was not as important, due to the fact it did not have power signs. Mary also had floating feet, the same goes for the figure to the left.

I believe that this mosaic does go along with the rules set by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Both of the figures have floating feet, and in this case, Mary is taller than everyone, indicating power. Mary is larger than the other figure and the picture is more focused on her. If the figures were to join, Mary would certainly over lap the remaining figures or objects. Over all, I believe that this mosaic perfectly fits the standards or rules given to us by the Museum.

Lastly, this mosaic is a perfect example of Byzantine Art. It is very similar in size, color, shape and objects. This mosaic seems to perfectly fit the Byzantine Art standards. The mosaics are very similar, and have equal details. In conclusion, this Mary mosaic will certainly fit and be a great real life example of Byzantine Art.

Saint Nicholas

A saint is a person of great holiness and sacredness. A person that is worshiped and of great importance. There are a couple of "aspects" that they have to fulfill before they become one. For example, they have to worship god and have this special beautification of the religion and themselves. I can tell you, that becoming a saint is not an easy thing to accomplish. For my biography, I will talk about Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas was a prospered saint in the 4th century as well as Greek bishop. Because he has been known for his great miracles, some have called him, Nikolaos the Wonder Worker. Nicholas was born in the village of Patara and lived with his parents. Once his wealthy parents died from an epidemic, Nicholas dedicated himself to serving those in need and to Christianity. Since that event, he has been known for his great generosity and helping of those in need. In the ruling of emperor Diocletian, he has ordered for every single Christian to be put in jail and soon that included St. Nicholas. Along with many bishops and priests Nicholas spend a lot of time in the jail cell. However, when he was released, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Sadly, Nicholas died on December 6, A.D 343 in Myra and was buried in the cathedral church. Many decoration were included, making his importance felt. Even know, his death is remembered on December 6, as Saint Nicholas Day.

There are still many legends regarding St. Nicholas and his deeds he accomplished. He is known for his generosity, open mindedness and caring attitudes. He was always in the help of others with need making him deserving of a Saint. Some of the miracles would include secret gifting of people, which is one of his most famous deeds. Over all, St.Nicholas was a great Saint, making his existence last for eternity.

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Whose the best civilization?

There are many strong civilizations that existed at those times. But when I studied it closely, I came up with one strong conclusion. In this blog post, there will be many examples representing why the Byzantine Empire is the strongest of all. According to me, that empire out beats the rest, with technology, trade and many more.

To begin with, the Byzantine Empire was much more organized and peaceful than the rest. There were no battled and bloody sights. The Byzantine Empire contained of a strong army and defense system. There was no outbreaks and risks towards their protected people. For the organization, there were much more laws and simple systems that kept everything going. For example, the marriage system. As said in the research, marriage was a part of religion in the Byzantine beliefs. In this way, marriages were stable and growing. Divorces were very rare and were never bound to happen and react.

My second fact is the amount of technology, as well as the architecture the Byzantine Empire acquired. To start off with the architecture, the Byzantines built many strong and effective buildings that became a daily part of Byzantine life. There were palaces, city halls, extravagant buildings and most importantly various churches. For example, the Hagia Sophia Church, was a Byzantine center of religion, and it still stands today in Istanbul, Turkey. As for the technology, the Byzantine Empire had enhanced new ideas and brought life to an easier level.

The third and final fact on why the Byzantines were the most advanced civilization is because their wealth and their geographic location. The whole basic level of this fact is their trade. Via trade, the Byzantine Empire became a wealthy empire and along with their geographical location, they were able to conceive great trade roots. The Byzantines were firstly between the Black Sea and Aegean Sea which allowed them to have strong sea trades. Secondly, the Byzantine Empire sat on the crossroads of trade between Europe and Asia which gave them ground trade. And lastly, they were on a peninsula which meant great land protection. Overall, they were a domination due to a small part if trade and a lucky location.

In conclusion, I want to state that the Byzantine Empire was the most advanced and special of all. Due to its great technological, organizational, architectural and due to their geographic location (Trade), they were able to go a far. To conclude, the Byzantine Empire is the most modern and strong empire.