If any example were ever needed to show that near polar-opposite traits can emanate from a single human being, Charlemagne would not be a particularly bad one to use. Many other figures in history have embodied a cacophony of seemingly incongruent qualities, but Charlemagne’s stature as a world-changing figure in the history and development of Europe makes for an especially intriguing profile.
A vicious warlord and passionate purveyor of arts and education, the medieval ruler has much to admire about him, and much to despise. A Case in point for the latter: the massacre of thousands on a single day in the decades-long Saxon Wars. Yet the man who initiated this act of horrendous slaughter was the same man who brought about what’s referred to as the Carolingian renaissance — a time of writing and educational reforms, bustling scriptoriums, and a great deal more.
Making sense of these disparate acts can be a rather tough juggling act for the mind. Then again, nothing about life or history is ever simple. But in DW’s Charlemagne and the Saxons, historical context along with a well-rounded picture of Charlemagne provides us with a footing for thinking about a figure of undeniable importance.
Part of a fantastically done series called The Germans — which examines the gradual development over some twelve centuries of the lands and people that would become the Germany of today — this first episode transports viewers to the medieval world of the 8th century.
Born sometime around 748, Charles I (Charlemagne) was to become a determined, curious, passionate, and exceptionally ambitious man. His titles included King of the Franks, King of the Lombards, and — topping it all off — Holy Roman Emperor.
How did he rise to such great heights and shape the future of Europe? Part of the answer is his illustrious pedigree. His grandfather, Charles Martel, was the founder of the Carolingian dynasty, which took out the once powerful but increasingly weak Merogivian dynasty. And Charlemagne’s father, Pepin the Short, became King of the Franks in 751.
Charlemagne, then, practically had leadership in his blood. But it was a relationship between the Carolingians and the papacy — beginning with his father — that forms just as crucial a piece in the foundations of his success.
In one of a number of (refreshingly) non-overwrought reenactments — the blight of far too many documentaries — we see a very young Charlagmange take a kind of oath to Pope Stephen II, who is visiting Saint Denis to establish an alliance with his father. Each have something to offer the other: recognition of the Frankish dynasty, on the part of the pope, and military protection, on the part of Pepin.
This forge between the two was critical. Not only did it establish pivotal relations between the two entities (the Franks and the papacy), it instilled a guiding mindset in the young Charlemagne. As one scholar in the documentary emphasizes, Charlemagne’s youthful oath, and the commitment to Catholicism within it, “laid the groundwork for him going to war against the pagan Saxons.”
Ironies abound in the context of the late Roman empire and its aftermath, and here is a prime example. Once viewed as barbarians themselves, the Franks now viewed the Saxons in precisely that way — and treated them as such.
It was Charlemagne’s ardent desire to bring about a unified Christian kingdom that compelled him to seek the violent subjugation and religious conversion of a pagan people.
Beginning in 772, Charlemagne spawned a 32-year war against the Saxons — a conglomerate of difficult-to-defeat tribes that would eventually be subjugated into the Frankish empire. Led at first by a man named Widukind, the polytheistic Saxons defended their sacred land and their culture with all they could. Charlemagne had some success — which included the conversion of at least some of the Saxons — but total victory eluded him again and again.
In 782, a decade into the bloody war, Charlemagne unleashed an unabated tirade of fury. Angered by the stubborn Saxons and what he perceived to be a betrayal, Charlemagne ordered the slaughter of several thousand of them — men, women, and children. It was “orgy of revenge.” And, as one scholar tells us, “the bloodbath of Verden drew criticism even among contemporaries.”
Juxtapose this brutal act against the innate desire of Charlemagne to learn as much as he could throughout his adult life. It was, in part, his own passion and dedication to learning that spawned him to gather some of the brightest scholars from surrounding areas — setting in motion advances in the arts, education, and culture during his reign.
His efforts at standardization and improved literacy helped shaped the future of Europe in countless ways. His adamant push for a clearer and tidied-up system of writing — in the form of Carolingian minuscule — brought order to a fragmented system, and also made possible a dissemination and storage of texts. We can thank Charlemagne for some of the most precious manuscripts in our possession today.
In the year 800, Charlemagne also accomplished an enormous feat, and something which had not been done for over three centuries: received the title of Roman emperor. For centuries after, scores of ambitious leaders would vie for this position — including Otto I, a Saxon, who is the subject of the second episode of The Germans.
Spectatio 