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      Famous Men of the Middle Ages

      by John H. Haaren

      ©2008 Wilder Publications

      This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race have changed before allowing them to read this classic work.

      All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except for brief quotations for review purposes only.

      ISBN 13: 978-1-5154-4408-4

      Table of Contents

       The Gods of the Teutons

       The Nibelungs

       Alaric the Visigoth King from 394-410 A.D.

       Attila the Hun King from 434-453 A.D.

       Genseric the Vandal King from 427-477 A.D.

       Theodoric the Ostrogoth King from 475-526 A.D.

       Clovis King from 481-511 A.D.

       Justinian the Great Emperor from 527-565 A.D.

       Mohammed Lived from 570-632 A.D.

       Charles Martel, 714-741 A.D. and Pepin, 741-768 A.D.

       Charlemagne King from 768-814 A.D.

       Harun-Al-Rashid Caliph from 786-809 A.D.

       Egbert King from 802-837 A.D.

       Rollo the Viking Died 931 A.D.

       Alfred the Great King from 871-901 A.D.

       Henry the Fowler King from 919-936 A.D.

       Canute the Great King from 1014-1035

       The Cid

       Edward the Confessor King from 1042-1066

       William the Conqueror King from 1066-1087

       Peter the Hermit about 1050-1115

       Frederick Barbarossa Emperor from 1152-1190

       Henry the Second 1154-1189 and His Sons 1189-1216

       Louis the Ninth King from 1226-1270

       Robert Bruce King from 1306-1329

       Marco Polo Lived from 1254-1324

       Edward the Black Prince Lived from 1330-1376

       William Tell and Arnold Von Winkelried

       Tamerlane Lived from 1333-1405

       Henry V King from 1413-1422

       Joan of Arc Lived from 1412-1431

       Gutenberg Lived from 1400-1468

       Warwick the Kingmaker Lived from 1428-1471

The Gods of the Teutons

      In the little volume called The Famous Men of Rome you have read about the great empire which the Romans established. Now we come to a time when the power of Rome was broken and tribes of barbarians who lived north of the Danube and the Rhine took possession of lands that had been part of the Roman Empire. These tribes were the Goths, Vandals, Huns, Franks and Anglo-Saxons. From them have come the greatest nations of modern times. All except the Huns belonged to the same race and are known as Teutons. They were war-like, savage and cruel. They spoke the same language—though in different dialects—and worshiped the same gods. Like the old Greeks and Romans they had many gods.

      Woden, who was also called Odin, was the greatest of all. His name means “mighty warrior,” and he was king of all the gods. He rode through the air mounted on Sleipnir, an eight-footed horse fleeter than the eagle. When the tempest roared the Teutons said it was the snorting of Sleipnir. When their ships came safely into port they said it was Woden’s breath that had filled their sails and wafted their vessels over the blue waters.

      Thor, a son of Woden, ranked next to him among the gods. He rode through the air in a chariot drawn by goats. The Germans called him Donar and Thunar, words which are like our word thunder. From this we can see that he was the thunder god. In his hand he carried a wonderful hammer which always came back to his hand when he threw it. Its head was so bright that as it flew through the air it made the lightning. When it struck the vast ice mountains they reeled and splintered into fragments, and thus Thor’s hammer made thunder.

      Another great god of our ancestors was Tiew. He was a son of Woden and was the god of battle. He was armed with a sword which flashed like lightning when he brandished it. A savage chief named Attila routed the armies of the Romans and so terrified all the world that he was called “The Scourge of God.” His people believed that he gained his victories because he had the sword of Tiew, which a herdsman chanced to find where the god had allowed it to fall. The Teutons prayed to Tiew when they went into battle.

      Frija was the wife of Woden and the queen of the gods. She ruled the bright clouds that gleam in the summer sky, and caused them to pour their showers on meadow and forest and mountain.

      Four of the days of the week are named after these gods. Tuesday means the day of Tiew; Wednesday, the day of Woden; Thursday, the day of Thor; and Friday, the day of Frija.

      Frija’s son was Baldur; who was the favorite of all the gods. Only Loki, the spirit of evil, hated him. Baldur’s face was as bright as sunshine. His hair gleamed like burnished gold. Wherever he went night was turned into day.

      One morning when he looked toward earth from his father Woden’s palace black clouds covered the sky, but he saw a splendid rainbow reaching down from the clouds to the earth. Baldur walked upon this rainbow

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