Richard+the+Lionhearted

__Richard the Lion-Hearted__  Woody Nimoityn

Richard the Lion-Hearted was an inspiring man, whose love for his country came first. He was an honored crusader, and a great king. Richard the Lion-Hearted was born in Oxford, England, September 8, 1157, as Richard Coeur de Lion. He was the second child of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard’s parents separated in 1167 when Richard was 10 years old. His mother took him to Aquitaine, which is a large province in southern France. As second son, he was to inherit the Duchy of Aquitaine, his mother’s family possession. He grew up in Eleanor’s court. It was a great place to grow up in because it was exciting and romantic and new ideas of chivalry and courtly love were being discussed and developed. Richard learned to read, write, respect women, speak several languages, and compose music and poetry. He also learned to be a knight, and participated in tournaments. He excelled both as a scholar and a warrior. When Richard was 11 years old he was forced to marry Alice, daughter of Louis VII of France. Since they were too young to marry, the marriage was held off for many years. In 1173, at age 16, Richard rebelled against his father and brothers. In the battle, Richard and his father were not trying to kill each other. So, Richard led his army against his father’s army, and not his father. If Richard’s army was chased out of his father’s burning town, he went and made sure no harm was done to his father. In 1173 Richard was asked to pardon his father. They made peace between each other. For the next few years, Richard showed amazing military skills. When he was 21 years old, he was made leader of first rank. In 1183, when Richard was 25, his older brother died, leaving him the heir to the English throne. In the summer of the year 1187 Jerusalem had been captured by Saladin, the great leader of the Muslin Turks, known as the Saracens. Jerusalem was an important and holy place for Christians because it was where Jesus Christ was crucified. Beginning in the 1st century, pilgrims from all over Christendom traveled to the Holy Land and its shrines. In the 11th century, the Saracens attacked and killed the Christian pilgrims. The pope then called for a holy war to get the Saracens out of the Holy Land. A soldier who fought in the war wearing a red cross showed he was fighting for Christianity. He was called a crusader, after the Latin word //crux// meaning cross. When Richard heard about the Holy Land, he vowed to reclaim it. He left on a crusade, known as “Taking the Cross,” because those taking the vow were given material cut in the shape of a cross to sew on his clothes. The trip was not just an adventure, it was a religious act. There was lots of preparation for the crusade. Armies, horses, weapons, and ships were needed. While getting ready to go on the crusade 18 months earlier, news reached him that his father was dead. He was now Richard I of England. Henry II died at Chinon, France July 6, 1189. Before Henry II died, he was at war with Philip II, because he claimed the right to Henry’s throne. Two days after making peace, Henry II was dead. Richard was crowned king September 3, 1189 at Westminster Abby, London. Out of the ten years Richard spent as king, he only spent six months of them in England. He also could not speak English. His first task as king was to free people who were jailed for minor crimes. He also freed his mother from prison, and raised taxes. His main interest as king was not to govern his kingdom, but to go on a crusade. To raise the money to go on the crusade, he offered people who could afford it, positions in his government. This allowed him to go on his first crusade, but his father disapproved. On his way to the crusade there was a delay in because. Richard’s sister was being held as a prisoner in Sicily. There he met up with King Philip, who vowed to help Richard beat the Saracens. When they were at sea, one ship was holding his sister Joan and his betrothed, Berengaria. The Emperor of Cyprus was an ally with Saladin, so he was to help to Richard. Richard and his army captured Cyprus. During this time Richard married Berengaria. After his victory, it a safe place for crusading armies to go to the Holy Land. Before coming to Acre, he sunk an enemy ship. On July 11, 1191, when Richard arrived in Acre, the French King and Duke Leopold of Austria, were already fighting in a siege The French King arrived 6 weeks before Richard, and had joined Duke Leopold of Austria in the two-year old siege. Richard was an expert on sieges, which he learned in Aquitaine. Richard brought new determination to it. He used giant catapults to shower the enemy with rocks. He unfortunately became sick with malaria. He directed operations from a stretcher. Acre soon surrendered with Richard in charge. Historians criticized Richard for his bloody massacre. Even the enemy, Saladin, admired him because of his bravery and sense of honor. Two days later, Richard sent his army down to Jerusalem. He was the leader of the crusade, a skilled military commander. Nobody could stop his knights in their armor. He gave strict orders to stay close and to not fight back. At Arsuf, Saladin’s army came at full force. Richard held his army in a straight line, and then he gave them the signal to go. Everyone charged at each other. The force of Richard’s army swept right through Saladin’s army. The battle left thousands dead. Richard had never fought so well. It was one of the greatest victories in the history of war. Saladin learned it was bad to face a crusader knight in an open battle. He had come to respect Richard as the perfect enemy. Richard was never able to capture Jerusalem. There was a peace treaty made allowing Christians to visit the Holy Land. In England, his brother John with and King Philip were trying to take over the crown, because Richard was never there. When he was coming back to England October 9, 1192 he vowed he would return one day to capture Jerusalem. For the last five years of his reign, Richard was warring with Philip. When coming home from the crusade, bad weather forced him to stop in Austria, home of Leopold. Duke Leopold imprisoned Richard in his castle, Philip planned it. There is a legend that the minstrel Blondel discovered Richard’s whereabouts because he heard him sing in a castle dungeon. Then Leopold gave Richard to the Holy Roman Emperor. Richard was soon released in 1194 with a huge ransom being paid. The ransom was 150,000 marks which are equal to 3 years of annual income and weighing 3 tons of silver. Richard came back to England with a hero’s welcome. The cost of the crusade and the king’s ransom caused financial problems. And Richard returned to a land of financial problems. For the rest of his reign, he had to raise money. He created a new seal to raise funds and made void all documents signed with the old. Richard had a strange death for a brave and noble man. In Chalus, Aquitaine, a peasant found treasure full of gold statues and icons. A feudal lord claimed it from his vassal and Richard claimed it from the lord. The lord rejected the offer. So Richard attacked the village. During the siege, Richard was riding close to a castle not fully protected with armor. He saw an archer with a bow in his hand on the wall aiming it at Richard. It is said Richard paused, then applauded the archer. The arrow struck his shoulder and he refused treatment for the wound. Then infection spread. Richard died on April 6th, 1199, and was buried in Frontvraud Abbey in Anjou, France. He was not yet 42 years old. His name still lives on in stories and myths because of the brave and noble deeds of Richard the Lion-Hearted.

__Works Cited__ "Richard I ." //__Encyclopedia Americana__//__.__ 2008. Grolier Online. 6 May 2008 http://ea.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0332540-00 Jessop, Joanne. __Richard the Lion-Hearted__. New York: The Bookwright Press, 1989. “King Richard I – The Lionheart.” __Templar History__. 2008. 6 May 2008 http://www.templarhistory.com/richard.html

__ King Richard the Lion heart  __ By: Remedythe Williams If King Richard never existed, we would not have had the third crusade. King Richard created the third crusade by joining a crusader camp. He did many things to create the third crusade. The crusades helped weaken feudalism which made it possible for the Renaissance to flourish. Richard was born in September 8, 1157. He was born in Oxford, England. Richard spent most of his life fighting for his French lands. He was killed by an arrow during a castle siege in Southwest France April 6, 1199.  He was very tall and handsome. He is not very famous for being a scholar, an amateur poet, or a musician. He was known as a famous and fierce warrior. He also had a dark side. He could be cruel and mean towards his subjects. He was the second oldest of three sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He fought both his brothers and father. After his older brother’s death in 1183, he would have become king soon after, if it were not for his father. He fought his father for six long years. He became king in September 3, 1189, the year that he defeated his father for the throne. He was crowned king at Westminister in Oxford, England. He inherited England, and the western and eastern part of France. He was given all of this land because he was a Plantagenet. A Plantagenet is a member of the royal house that ruled England in accession of Henry II in 1155 to Richard III in 1485. He reigned over his land for ten years. During the ten years of his reign, he was crowned twice. He spent only six months in England. He raised an army to capture the Holy land. He captured Cyprus in May of 1191.A month later, he arrived in Acre on June 8 of 1191. Acre surrendered to Richard. Saladin defeated Richard in August of 1192 (Saladin was a Muslim that captured the Holy Land, Palestine, and Jerusalem). Richard thought of him as a well trained opponent. After ward, he defeated Saladin twice. He defeated Saladin at Jaffa and at Arsuf. In 1192, he was imprisoned by the Duke of Austria by the Danube River. He was ransomed for 150,000 marks. He was imprisoned because he had the Duke of Austria’s banner trampled in mud. The ransom was paid in 1194. His ransom money was raised by his English subjects. He returned to England in 1194 shortly after (he was crowned the second time soon after). On September 2, 1194, Richard and Saladin made a treaty. Richard the Lion Hearted was courageous and brave. He was famous for his battles and his efforts in the crusades. Sadly, he was never able to recapture Jerusalem. He was a famous king of England with French roots. __

Bibliography __   Gibb, Christopher, __Life And Times: Richard The Lion heart And The Crusades__  New York: The Bright Work Press, 1985.