IVANHOE

Ivanhoe takes place about 500 years after Knights of the Round Table, in 1194 AD. Chivalry is still a major force in England, as is Christianity. In fact, many devout Christians have chosen to fight in the Crusades (a series of wars fought to free Jerusalem from Islamic invaders.)

In 1066, William the Conqueror of Normandy (a province in the northern part of France) successfully invaded England. A great source for this invasion can be found in the famous Bayeau Tapestry. William brought with him French culture, which became a permanent part of our English culture and language. A few of these French things included:

forks
romance
new words

English men and women were called Saxons, after the most prominant English tribe at the time. The French nobility were called Normans, as they had come from Normandy. Normans had the power, so Saxon things were considered inferior. For example, Saxons ate pig meat and cow meat for dinner, but Normans ate only pork and beef.

Perhaps the most famous Norman king in England was Richard I (Richard Plantagenet, also known as "The Lion Heart.")

As many of you know, Richard went off to the crusades, leaving his incompetent brother, Prince John, to rule England. John was corrupt, unfairly taxing the Saxon peasants.

The Saxons were eventually championed by the Earl of Locksley, an outlaw whose home was Sherwood Forest, near Nottinghamshire. Locksley's more famous name was Robin Hood.

	Ivanhoe is the story of Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the son of Cedric the Saxon.
Ivanhoe admired King Richard and went with him to the crusades, but Cedric, who hates all Normans, has expelled Ivanhoe from his home because of it.
	Ivanhoe considers himself "Disinherited."

These are the other major characters of the story:

Lady Rowena, a beautiful Saxon princess, in love with Ivanhoe since childhood

Wamba, Cedric's fool (a slave who entertains the king comically. See the Joker in a deck of cards.)

Isaac, a Jewish moneylender, looked down upon by many of the anti-Semitic Normans, partly due to a custom which makes it a sin for Christians to handle money

Rebecca, Isaac's daughter. A beautiful young lady with knowledge of many folk medicines
and herbs who soon falls in love with Ivanhoe, although a match between them would be unthinkable in the Christian England of that time.

Brian de Bois-Guilbert, a member of the church-affiliated Knights Templar, soon to fall in love with Rebecca, despite his station in life.

Reginald deBracy, another Templar, in love with Rowena. (Shown here in the foreground, in front of another Templar, Font de Boeuf.)

Ulrica, an old hag who foretells the future
Little John, Robin's Friend

As the story begins, the Third Crusade has ended, and King Richard has been imprisoned by the King of Austria, and held for ransom. The young Wilfred of
Ivanhoe has discovered Richard's plight, and gone to England (incognito because of his father), to raise the money to free Richard.

Medieval Renaissance Fact and Fiction

A really great page on Midieval society by Dr Sara Warneke of LaTrobe University, Bendigo.

Return to the Multimedia Classroom

The Multimedia Classroom is proud to be associated with Amazon.com. Books and videos to accompany my lessons may be obtained by clicking on the logo.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page