History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 174, the crusade, the Crusade against the Cathars 14th century France.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the decline of the Cathar Faith in southern France in the last half of the 13th century.

Next week we will begin our examination of the Cathars of Long Dock in the 14th century,

but before we do, we are going to use this week's episode to take a step back and look at France as a whole in the 14th century.

Now, imagine for a moment that you are the country of France. As you look back upon your illustrious history, what would you say are your worst years?

You might ponder a moment about the chaos and dislocation caused following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century,

and there's no doubt that the first half of the 20th century was no picnic but there is one

standout century that will send shutters through you every time you think about it and

that century is of course the 14th century.

For the kingdom of France the 14th century was a series of monumental catastrophes,

a 100 year period of such violence, upheaval and calamity that it almost doesn't

bear thinking about.

But think about it, we must. Now just to set the scene and to give you an idea of what

we're in for let's take a look at a cautionary tale from this time.

Cautionary tales are stories told to children, designed to send them a message about the

morality of the time, and to warn them of the perils that they may face should they make the wrong choices.

These tales are generally a reflection of the vibe of the era in which they originate, and you can tell a lot about a particular time by looking at

its cautionary tales.

Take for example a cautionary tale from our own Own Time The Disney movie Frozen from the year 2013.

In this Oscar winning computer animated movie, a Fearless Princess sets off on a journey with a group of loyal followers,

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