According to medieval calendars, September is the time for harvesting your grapes and stomping them into wine. Don’t be like the slacker on the left: no sampling the grapes as you stomp, please.
Got Medieval is officially back from its month long hiatus, but this week’s Medieval Marginalia Monday won’t come until Tuesday, on account of Labor Day. Yay, Labor Day! Celebrate working by not working! I’m not sure if you need to stomp grapes on Monday or not–maybe a few just to be safe.
Notable medieval events that went down in September include:
- September 3rd, 1189: Richard the Lionheart crowned at Westminster, two months after the death of Henry II.
- September 3th, 1260: The Ghibellines defeated the Ghelphs at the Battle of Montaperti, AKA The Hill of Death.
- September 7th, 1191: Richard the Lionheart (hey, that name sounds familiar…), defeats Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, AKA Saladin at Arsuf. Don’t feel too bad for Saladin. He lost the battle but won the war, and eventually Dante lets him hang with the virtuous pagans in Limbo.
- September 8th, 1264: The Statute of Kalisz issued by Boleslaw the Pious grants the Jews legal rights and protections in Poland.
- September 11th, 1297: The Battle of Stirling Bridge, depicted with 100% less bridge in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart.
- September 16th, 1400: Owain Glendower crowned Prince of Wales, back when the title meant something.
- September 20, 1187: Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem. See, I told you things worked out for him in the long run.
- September 23, 1122: Calixtus II and Henry V agree to the Concordat of Worms.
- September 25th, 1066: Harold II of England ensures that 1066 is remembered for the Norman, not the Norwegian Conquest at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
- September 28th, 1066: William the Conqueror gets the conquering started properly.
