Medieval LEGO
Page 1
MEDIEVAL LEGO
®
GREYSON BEIGHTS
No Starch Press
San Francisco
Medieval LEGO.
Copyright © 2015 by Greyson Beights.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
Printed in China
First printing
19 18 17 16 15
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ISBN-10: 1-59327-650-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-650-8
Publisher: William Pollock
Production Editor: Alison Law
Cover and Interior Design: Beth Middleworth
Cover Models: Elliott Feldman and Günther Möbius
Developmental Editor: Tyler Ortman
Copyeditor: Rachel Monaghan
Compositor: Alison Law
Proofreader: Paula L. Fleming
For information on distribution, translations, or bulk sales,
please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
phone: 415.863.9900; info@nostarch.com; www.nostarch.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beights, Greyson.
Medieval LEGO / by Greyson Beights.
pages cm
Summary: “An illustrated history of Medieval England from 1028 to 1485, using scenes created in LEGO. Features
commentary by medieval history professors about notable events and figures”-- Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-59327-650-8 -- ISBN 1-59327-650-8
1.
Great Britain--History--1066-1687. 2.
LEGO toys.
I. Title.
DA176.B43 2015
942.02--dc23
2015014401
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. All trademarks and
copyrights are the property of their respective holders. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of
a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with
no intention of infringement of the trademark.
LEGO, the Brick and Knob configurations, and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not
authorize or endorse this book.
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in
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For my parents, Angela and Gaylon,
who provided me with
the opportunity, resources, support,
and motivation
to accomplish my dreams
A Note of
Thanks
First and foremost, I would like to thank God
for giving me strength, wisdom, and curiosity.
Thank you to my parents, Angela and Gaylon, for
their endless love and support. Thank you to my
grandparents, Georgia and Larry, for making my
LEGO collection what it is today and for always
being there. Thank you to my sister, Lauren, for
keeping the journey fun. To my brothers, Roland
and York, thank you for all the amusement.
I also would especially like to thank all the
contributors. Without them, this book would
not have been possible. Their endless passion
for the subject is awe inspiring. Lastly, I would
like to thank my editors, Alison Law and Tyler
Ortman, for giving me the truly distinct honor
of working with them. I could not have asked for
better support, help, and guidance throughout
the whole process—from start to finish.
I
t is essential that we learn history. History tells
us where we’ve been and where we might yet go.
Winston Churchill once stated, “The farther back you
can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”
The medieval period was a time of great adventure
and excitement—of kings, queens, knights, castles, and
great wars. But it was a time of great hardships as well—
of servitude, famines, and plagues.
To present this great historical period, I enlisted the
help of expert scholars and LEGO builders from around
the world. This book narrates the history of medieval
England using short passages and LEGO scenes. I hope
you find it an entertaining and educational read. I believe
that after reading this book, you’ll agree with me that the
medieval period in England was one of the most exciting
in history.
• PREFACE •
Part I: 1028-1214
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
•
1028-1087
The first Norman king of England
...............
2
BATTLE OF HASTINGS
•
1066
The fateful battle between William the
Conqueror and King Harold II .
..................
6
SIEGE OF JERUSALEM
•
1099
The major siege of the First Crusade .
........
10
DEATH OF WILLIAM RUFUS
•
1100
The suspicious killing of the son of
William the Conqueror .
........................
14
ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE
•
1122-1204
One of the most powerful women
in medieval history
..............................
18
BATTLE OF THE STANDARD
•
1138
A battle between Scottish and
English forces .
...................................
21
SIEGE OF ACRE
•
1189-1191
A key victory for the Crusaders during the
Third Crusade .
...................................
24
THE CAPTIVITY OF RICHARD THE
LIONHEART
•
1192
The ransomed king .
.............................
28
EXCOMMUNICATION OF
KING JOHN
•
1209
A disagreement with the pope.
................
31
THE FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF OXFORD
•
1214
The chartering of one of the oldest
universities in the world
........................
34
ROBIN HOOD
•
c.1200
The fabled merry archer .
.......................
37
Part II: 1215-1345
&nb
sp; SIGNING OF MAGNA CARTA
•
1215
The signing of the historic document
at Runnymede .
..................................
42
MATTHEW PARIS
•
1200-1259
The English monk and chronicler .
............
45
ROGER BACON
•
1214-1292
The medieval scientist .
.........................
50
TREATY OF YORK
•
1237
The agreement between Henry III of
England and Alexander II of Scotland
........
54
FIRST ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
•
1265
A council of barons advises the king .
........
58
• contents •
WILLIAM WALLACE
•
1270-1305
The Scottish freedom fighter. .
.................
61
BATTLE OF FALKIRK
•
1298
The decisive English victory
over the Scottish.
................................
65
FIRST ENGLISH PRINCE
OF WALES
•
1301
Edward of Caernarvon becomes the
first English Prince of Wales .
..................
69
THE GREAT FAMINE
•
1315-1317
An unendurable hunger.
........................
73
TREATY OF EDINBURGH-
NORTHAMPTON
•
1328
A short-lived Scottish independence
from England. .
...................................
76
Part III: 1346-1485
BATTLE OF CRÉCY
•
1346
An early battle in the Hundred Years’ War
... 82
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
•
1343-1400
A poet of the Middle Ages .
....................
86
THE BLACK DEATH
•
1348-1350
A grave sickness fell to England,
and the world .
...................................
89
ANNE OF BOHEMIA
•
1366-1394
Good Queen Anne
...............................
92
MARGERY KEMPE
•
1373-1438
The pilgrim, author, and Christian mystic .
.. 95
PEASANTS’ REVOLT
•
1381
The serfs’ revolt against Richard II .
...........
98
TREATY OF WINDSOR
•
1386
The treaty that started the oldest
ongoing alliance in the world
.................
102
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT
•
1415
The Hundred Years’ War continues .
.........
105
FIRST BATTLE OF ST ALBANS
•
1455
The beginning of the Wars of the Roses .
...109
BATTLE OF TOWTON
•
1461
A bloody battle in the Wars of the Roses .
..113
BATTLE OF BOSWORTH FIELD
•
1485
Henry Tudor takes the crown .
................
116
SCHOLARS
.........................................
120
BUILDERS
.........................................
122
Part I: 1028–1214
2
3
William the Conqueror
I
n 1066, William the Duke of Normandy
(a large region in northern France)
planned and carried out one of the
most amazing military operations of the
medieval period. His invasion of Anglo-
Saxon England, known as the Norman
Conquest, would totally change the
course of English history.
1028-1087
4
When childless English king Edward
the Confessor died without a direct
heir, three rivals wanted the crown,
including William. When the Anglo-
Saxon nobles chose one of their
own, Earl Harold Godwinson, as
the next king, William decided to
invade England and take the throne
by force. He spent months putting
together an army; building a fleet;
and gathering horses, weapons, and
supplies. Crossing the English
Channel in September, William
defeated Harold at the Battle of
Hastings on October 14.
After capturing several important
towns, including London, he
was crowned King William on
Christmas Day. Although he faced
several rebellions in the following
years, he eventually secured the
rest of England, in part by building
many castles throughout the
country.
By the end of his reign, William
had replaced the old Anglo-Saxon
ruling class with a new, French-
speaking Norman monarchy and
nobility. As a result, England was
5
drawn into French politics and was
greatly influenced by French culture,
a situation that would continue
throughout the rest of the medieval
period.
Because of his many military victories,
William was named William the
Conqueror.
—Dr. Gilbert Bogner
6
THE NORMAN LINE
7
Battle of Hastings
T
he Battle of Hastings was the
beginning of William’s invasion of
England. On September 28, 1066,
William landed in England and drew
Harold Godwinson, the current king of
England, into a battle that would decide
who would be king.
When Harold heard that William
had landed, he hurried south toward
Hastings from Stamford Bridge, where
he had defeated an invading Viking army.
William learned of Harold’s approach on
October 13.
1066
8
The next morning at dawn, William
and his Norman army moved toward
Harold’s Saxon army. William found
that Harold held a strong position at
the top of a ridge.
Both armies had thousands of men
and were closely matched. Harold’s
army fought on foot using battle axes
and swords, while William led a force
of infantry, archers, and cavalry.
William attacked first. The attack
failed, and a panic spread through his
army with false rumors of William’s
death. But William showed he was
alive and rallied his troops once again.
The battle laste
d the rest of the
day. The Normans launched several
attacks and drew their opponents
from the hill by staging phony
retreats, but the Saxons stood
their ground—worn down but not
defeated.
William needed to win or his invasion
would fail. At last, one final attack
by William’s army broke through the
Saxons, and Harold was cut down
under his dragon flag.
—Dr. Stephen Morillo
THE SAXON LINE
THE CRUSADERS’ ASSAULT
A HUNTING PARTY
11
1099
Siege of Jerusalem
O
n June 7, 1099, the army of the
First Crusade camped outside its
goal, the City of Jerusalem. The
pope had called for the war to recapture
Christianity’s holy city and free Christians
in the region from Muslim rule.
The Crusader army, which included
William the Conqueror’s son Robert
Curthose, had been marching since 1096
to regain the Holy Lands. Although it had
set out with 60,000 men, the army was
reduced to 1,200 knights and 12,000 foot
by previous battles, disease, and fatigue.
12
The army was too small to surround
Jerusalem completely. Because
the east and west sides of the city
were guarded by steep slopes, the
Crusaders chose to attack only the
north and south walls.
The Crusaders knew that the Egyptian
rulers of the city were raising an army
to attack them, and the Crusaders
had only one ladder. In spite of
these issues, they assaulted the city
by scaling its walls on June 13—but
failed.
Cleverly, Robert Curthose and the
Crusaders then built four-story siege
towers on wheels to roll up against
the city walls on the north and south
sides. On the night of July 9, they
surprised Jerusalem’s defenders by
moving the northern siege tower
from the west end of the north wall
to a weak spot on the east. Their
assault began in earnest on July 13.
Duke Godfrey de Bouillon, who
later ruled the city, sat on top of
the northern siege tower firing his
crossbow. The southern siege tower
was set aflame by the defenders,
but Godfrey’s men pushed their
tower up to the wall and broke
into the city. The army exalting,