Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross

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It is year of our Lord 814 and Europe has just begun to emerge from The Dark Ages of ignorance and chaos, following the fall of the Roman Empire, a few hundred years earlier. The scene is the Imperial Palace at Aachen, now in modern day Germany, where an old and great warrior king lays dying in his bed surrounded by his noble family, his courtiers and many great scholars and churchmen from all over Europe. This king has fought many bruising and brilliant military campaigns and has now reached the then considered great age of 72 years and will die... Not on the battlefield... but in his bed. The dying monarch is... King Charlemagne! First Holy Roman Emperor! King of the Franks! A Christian warrior King... As the life slowly ebbs from his sill magnificent frame, the King calls out to Einhard his most trusted palace official.

Submitted by Morgoth — Apr 26, 2025

Charlemagne: Einhard gather near... come hither to my bedside. The hour that I must retire is drawing ever near. From the exigencies of this life My deeds laid out before your eyes And my conscience must be clear. Pippin the Short: Charles my dear son the time has now come. The House of Arnulf had produced the heir and son To lead the faithless where we are all waiting for you now In the eternal kingdom where we at last are one. Finally you can look back upon your many great deeds Like your fathers before you have been planted the seeds The consummation of your ancestors' ambitions. The founding of a great empire of Christian Nations Charlemagne: Father, does my brother Carloman wait for me? And my mother Bertha who, with good will and diplomacy Did all in her power to keep the peace How was Aquitaine? The first uprising of my reign I ran those usurping traitors into the sea. Did I please Our Lord Jesus when I united ourpeoples in His Faith? The Saxons ever a plague on our lands, the Lombards that vile race They would have desecrated his Church and all that we hold dear But I led them to redemption in Christ the Saviour. Oh Father, this oath I swear that I shall fight to keep the Lord In all of Francia and beyond To heathen fields and Saxon hordes Who would tread upon a sacred place of ours Shall learn to fear the name of Charlemagne One that will be without peer even long after I have gone. Chorus: Charlemagne, oh Charlemagne A shaft of light in a Dark Age For now he is the King of the Franks Standing tall above men of all ranks Homage and tribute to him will pay And all his enemies shall be cast away `Cause now he has inherited the throne The young prince who soon came into his own. Charlemagne: Carloman, my dear brother, we grew apart But my love for you did not depart You let the plotters turn your head against me Our dear mother tried to foster harmony But you were hungry for more influence and power Why did you not listen to her? I forgive, for you were young, ambitious for your people And your court was advising against me on principle. I see you now by the stream playing with your little boat And now as a Prince on horseback, And then a King riding out across the moat. And then... oh father! Now he is dead... How his widow and children weep by his bed Now I am ruler of all your empire And I am,.. alone in the adventure But you came to me, father, I feel not on my own And guided me on my sword As sure as on my throne. Pippin the Short: And now you are being besieged by the Saracen, But holding firm are the Christian Kings of Spain The Frankish might pushed them back south 'Cross the mountains to form the Spanish March And what of the other pagan tribes Who disrespected His Holy See They knelt before him and gave back that Which they had taken from The Holy City. Charlemagne: Oh Father, this oath I swear that I shall fight to keep the Lord In all of Francia and beyond, To heathen fields and Saxon hordes Who would tread upon a sacred place of ours Shall learn to fear the name of Charlemagne One that will be without peer even long after I have gone. Chorus (repeat) Charlemagne: Oh Dear God in Heaven I beseech You that I might see the face of every one of those four thousand heads, which I had cut from the bodies of those Saxons who offended you. That they and I may be forgiven by Your Mercy. Lord God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, King of Kings Please... have mercy on my soul... Amen...

Submitted by Morgoth — Apr 26, 2025

It was a short time after matters in Aquitaine had drawn to a close that brother Carloman without warning went into sudden repose, withdrawing from the anxieties of this world, to make Charlemagne the sole and unchallenged ruler of a united Frankish Empire. The marriage that had been arranged between Charles and the daughter of the King of the Lombards, to seal diplomatic and strategic links with Northern Italy, had within a year been annulled; and King Desiderius, furious at Charlemagne's dismissal of his daughter, welcomed the widow and infant sons of the deceased Carloman to his court, where he supported the young prince's claim to his rightful share of the Frankish Kingdom. Rome, meanwhile, was locked in strife, hemmed in by powers that each wanted to assert their primacy over one another. Hadrian, the Bishop of the City of Rome, appealed to King Charlemagne to honour the agreement that had been set in place between his father and the late Pope Stephen II, to maintain a protectorate over papal lands in Italy. No sooner had Charles embarked on the first of many campaigns against Francia's ancient enemy in pagan Saxony, than a new outbreak of hostilities was to call his attention to the thorn in the side that was the Kingdom of the Lombards.

Submitted by Dahmers Fridge — Apr 26, 2025

Hadrian: My Lord King Charles, A state of crisis has emerged; For you've incurred the wrath Of the Lombard King Desiderius. Cast his daughter aside And took another for your wife He has taken offence And it's too late to make amends. Our papal lands Have been occupied by force And fallen to the hands Of the barbarian horde. For too long that vile race Has remained a threat To papal authority That scheming Lombard King Is flouting his debt wilfully. Charlemagne: We must stand up and wage war This has gone on for too long It's in all of our interests to subdue them Once and for all. My Lord and Holy Father This I pledge to Thee Like my fathers before me I shall fight for the Holy City. My Lord and Holy Father I pledge Thee my loyalty I Shall see this Holy City Restored to its former glory Hadrian: It has been three hundred years Since 'cross the Alps came those faithless lepers To usurp the lands Of their peace-loving neighbours. Encroaching closer upon Rome Their leaders wanted to capture it for their own And now King Desiderius Has started to harass us. Your father was a champion of the Church An agent of civilisation in the western world Chosen to lead the people to the cross. The time is once more upon us To look to our old friends As your fathers before you Came to our defence. Charlemagne and Hadrian: And you are / I am the chosen one To lead the faithless to the cross In His Empire in the West O'er the Lord flock you / I keep watch. Charlemagne: My Lord and Holy Father I pledge Thee my loyalty I shall see this Holy City Restored to its former glory. And with the authority vested in me I shall claim the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Narrator: At the foot of the Alps, an army of men from all nations of Frankish territories gathered together... and keeping in unity, advanced across the treacherous passes of the mountain range that divided the Kingdom of Francia from the Kingdom of the Lombards. It was here that a long siege that was to last for many months through was to be the longest winter for both the Frankish and Lombard forces, took place. Storytelling Singer: From Geneva they marched Through pathless mountain ridges they advanced Drifts of snow get in the eye And rocks that rear a mile into the sky. In the foothills, the scenic lakes Moraine and sloping plains in their wake In two parties they despatched In a move to push the enemy back. After months of siege At the fort of Pavia The obstinate Lombard King Finally gave in to Rome's saviour. Forced to give hostages And to restore towns and fortresses Which he had taken from the Pope On the Holy Sacrament he then took an oath. Hadrian: The time is once more upon us To look to our old friends As your fathers before you Came to our defence. Charlemagne and Hadrian: And you are / I am the chosen one To lead the faithless to the cross In his Empire in the West O'er the Lord flock you / I keep watch Choir: Come springtime. Charlemagne and Hadrian: The last of the alpine blasts had blown The Franks are still encamped By the banks of the river Po. Choir: Come springtime. Charlemagne and Hadrian: The last of the alpine blasts have blown The son of Desiderius to Byzantium had flown. Choir: Come springtime. Charlemagne and Hadrian: The last of the alpine blasts had blown The banks of the river Po Are swelled by the melting snows.

Submitted by Warbringer — Apr 26, 2025

Throughout his life, King Charlemagne was engaged in constant battles against his neighbours and beyond, and it was the campaigns against the people and tribes to the East that would occupy the greater part of his prowess as a military tactician; as well as his might as a crusader for Christianity. In particular, an unruly and independent-minded race of people that we call "The Saxons", to the North-East of the Frankish territories were to prove particularly stubborn in not wanting to submit without many bloody struggles, to rule under the Franks. For thirty years the war against the pagans of Saxony raged on, intettpersed with brief periods of peace and campaigns in other areas of the realm. But, whenever Charlemagne's military forces were occupied elsewhere and the Saxons felt it safe to attack, the Frankish King would surprise them with his prompt response, Riding out into battle atthe head of his armed escorts, and with sword "Joyeuse" in hand, the King of the franks marched his armies back into Saxon territory with swift and brutal certainty, time and again. The outcome for the rebellious Saxons was always total humiliation and defeat; a price too high some might say, for any freedoms gained in the process. And there was worse to come for them... Charlemagne instituted a set of laws punishing anyone caught observing heathen practices or disrespecting the King's peace with the most severe penalties; and these would stir up a renewal of old conflicts. In 782 The Saxon Chief Widukind led a revolt against Frankish rule, sacking looting churches and attacking Christian converts. This would culminate in the most brutal and bloody slaughters in Cagolingian history, known as the Massacre of Verden, It is said that the Emperor ordered the beheading of more than 4000 Saxons, who had been found practising their indigenous forms of paganism, after conversion to Christianity. He offered them one opportunity to renounce their ancient cultures and when this was not forthcoming, he decided to teach them a lesson which was both inclement and bloody. He ordered his men to decapitate every male prisoner, one by one, in front of their kinsfolk and each other.

Submitted by The Void — Apr 26, 2025

Young Charlemagne: Does a man have to fight all his life? Only in death to take flight to the skies Warmongers fight to take my throne No respect is ever shown To Pope, or Prince, nor man nor beast And steal our cattle for the feast No Earthly princeling mind shall take For scandalous idolatry so fake Charlemagne: In borderland raid they came in their Hordes Ransacking villages taking the spoils With nothing to lose and possessions few Bold, Sturdy, Fearless and cruel Young Charlemagne: Defiant of Baptism on pain of death Tough measures call for me to be ruthless To set an example to the rebels Draconian for their worship of Devils Charlemagne: How many times did I venture forth To the extreme wilderness of the north? To subdue those whose hatred was great 'Gainst churches and priests of our Christian State Four thousand men all dead in one day They would not recounce the heathen ways Thirty yeats of campaigning consumed To subject those Pagans to Christian rule Choir The Bloody Verdict of Verden River flowing red with the blood of 4,000 men that i did behead Charlemagne: I shed Blood of Saxon men I shed the Blood of the Saxon men Young Charlemagne: I shed the Blood of the Saxon men Charlemagne: I shed the Blood of the Saxon men Young Charlemagne: I shed it at Verden Charlemagne: I shed the Blood of the Saxon men I shed the Blood of 4,000 Saxon men I shed the Blood of Saxon men I shed the Blood of the Saxon men! Young Charlemagne: I shed the Blood of the Saxon men Young Charlemagne: Shall my realm be taken as I toil? To force others out of Frankish soil And I return to learn that all is lost? Yet my companions I trust, the sword and the Cross Those good industrious Frankish folk Who toil out lands with Oxen and Yoke Whilst Lombard, Vulgar and Moorish men dare even glance at them Young Charlemagne: Converting entire tribes by the sword In the name of Jesus Christo, Our Lord On that day in Verden mo mercy given Victory to the chosen people Young Charlemagne: Weary grow I of this task which fell 'Pon the shoulders of a man who yearns to spend But one hour with wife and Child To gaze 'pon faces innocent and mild Young Charlemagne: Four thousand men all dead in one day They would not renounce the heathen ways Thirty years of campaigning consumed To subject those Pagans to Christian rule Choir: To build a better world than ever has been seen Charlemagne and Young Charlemagne: An empire made great by deeds of great kings Chorus (Repeat)

Submitted by Finntroll — Apr 26, 2025

As the fallen trunks of those headless Saxons slain shed their saps onto the grasses and plains near the river Aller, engorging ground and river alike with new growths and giving birth to myriad new forms of life; even as the tumbleweeds fell about the tombstone, an epitaph of those 4000 Saxon men, so Charlemagne had returned to business as usual... or so it seemed... The horrors of that day in Verden were to loom over Charlemagne for the rest of his life; yet it appeared to many, that his actions had become increasingly savage in his harsh treatment of the Saxons. As his wise scholar friend Alcuin of York was to comment: "Sire, be ye advised that the Saxon are a proud and defiant race, not to be cowed by force. 'Tis all too evident a truth that violence doth beget more violence". The blood-steeped King consoled himself with the idea that he was genuinely out to save souls, even participating in mass baptisms of Saxon noble and serf alike, in river and pure water sources. In the eyes of some, however, not least the rebellious Saxons themselves, the Frankish King and his Church was viewed, hated and feared as a mechanism of control; his God was not a kindly or forgiving one, but a ruthless and vindictive God, imposing His will on the people of Saxony by violent and coercive means. But Charlemagne was not easily perturbed. Aware that many great rulers and leaders were also great killers, Charlemagne barely paused to reflect on his deeds been and passed. Whether driven by a furious and pragmatic sense of destiny and a quasi-fanatical duty to his Lord, or by a fatalistic belief that he would one day come to meet and make peace with his Maker, Charlemagne pressed on in the business of extending his empire andreinforcing his rule over his newly conquered subjects.

Submitted by Nargaroth — Apr 26, 2025

Charlemagne: When I pass from this world to the next When I am laid and my soul is put to rest My legacy will be there for all to see For how long after I am gone will my deeds outlive me The Apostle says we must all appear before our Christ To judge my place in the world, the way I framed my life 'Tis a fearful thing to fall into God's hands Only he who repents shall pass into the heavenly lands. When all the deeds of my life are played before my eyes Will what I see come as a great surprise? Life is short the hour of death uncertain I must confess my sins before they draw the final curtain. Will I be remembered for my victories small and great The glory of the Christian name I sought to disseminate? Let legend mark me as the King Of whom future generations will sing. Cast me not in my old age When my will and strength doth fail Forsake me not 'til I show forth Thy arm To all the ages that are yet to come. Choir All in time shall be revealed When all is done my fate is sealed In manus Tuas, Domine, Et anima mea quam redemisti. Charlemagne: And will the Golden Age of Charlemagne Glow more brightly long after my reign? When all the battles have been lost and won. Choir: Will this warrior King in memory still live on? Charlemagne: It was with the sword I overcame my assailants Those heathen hordes for whom menaces, gifts and presents Seemed to speak louder than arguments and reason I did what I had to, to spread the true religion. Was the terror of extreme punishment as a means To enforce observance of the doctrines of peace There were of course moments I desired to surrender My crown, robes, royal hoard and my holy sceptre. Sometimes I wondered why I could not retire from this world To the peace of a monastic cell Or a pilgrim to the road. Charlemagne & Choir (repeat)

Submitted by MetalElf — Apr 26, 2025

It is now a time of peace and stability, and after numerous victorious battles, Charlemagne is taking a moment to reflect upon his achievements. With wife Hildegard by his side, they look forward to the time when his deeds will be known throughout the lands both far and wide; to a time when the name of Charlemagne will burst forth from the lips of every kinsman in the land, and to the beyond; to herald the deeds of a great visionary leader and crusader King. His beloved wife and Queen Hildegard, that beautiful and nubile Swabian princess who, in their twelve year long fruitful marriage was to bear nine children, including his future sons and heirs, was to take her husband by the hand and accompany him on his many campaigns. That dutiful and devoted, but by no means submissive Hildegard, was there to share in the moments when a new victory would be won by the Frankish people. Few things delighted the King more than sharing in his new found glory with loved ones, and even while out on campaign, these victories would sometimes be crowned by the birth of a new born, a new life. Now sharing this moment together, they both look forward to a long and happy future, to a time when the people of the great nations of Francia will live in harmony and prosperity, even long after they are departed... to a time when the might and far-reaching ambition of their just ruler, whose name would drive fear into the hearts of even the most battle-hardened, whose heroism on the field of battle and acts of clemency towards the enemy would time and again betoken victory and glory for his people and empire.

Submitted by Dahmers Fridge — Apr 26, 2025

Charlemagne: The time has come Fortune and my reign will shine Like the stars in the sky Over lands and the sea Hildegard: Your power is assured You are King, oh Charlemagne, To fight for the right, to conquer And vanquish your foes. Charlemagne and Hildegard: Come, let's drink to the time When peace and the sun will shine And the world will be, as one, forever. Charlemagne: My destiny Rides out before me Like a cloud in the sky It travels afar Hildegard: All men shall pay thee The homage and dues to come To prepare the way For a better world. Charlemagne and Hildegard: Come, let's drink to the time When peace and the sun will shine And the world will be, as one, forever. Choir: Charlemagne your Kingdoms are there for all to see The power and the glory are your destiny The dawning of a new age will shine just like a star Yours will be a world of lands both here now and afar. Charlemagne: No castle, no keep, nor wall Shall stand in my way, now No river too deep to be crossed No ocean to wide Hildegard: The light of your star. Shall never fade nor die Your time has come You are King of all you survey Chorus (repeat) Charlemagne... Charlemagne... Charlemagne...

Submitted by SerpentEve — Apr 26, 2025

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Narrator: In the midst of the vigorous and uninterrupted struggles with the Saxons, Charlemagne built garrisons at strategic points to protect his territories from further attacks. He then mustered all available forces in order to thwart the greatest threat to Papal lands. Charlemagne: Men! I have summoned you here to aid our brothers in their struggle against the Saracens! We must, at any cost, liberate these lands in order to protect our realm from the imminent threat of their insurgency! Narrator: The Frankish troops then marched over the Pyrenees into Iberia. Once in Iberia, Charlemagne calls upon the twelve peers, his bravest knights. He then instructs them to command all attacks against the enemy. Charlemagne: At the raising of my sword "Joyeuse", show the enemy no mercy until they lay down their arms and surrender! Gloria In Excelsis Deo! Twelve Peers: Gloria In Excelsis Deo! Charlemagne: Vivat Francia! Twelve Peers: Vivat Francia! Vivat Rex Charlemagne! Narrator: All the towns and, castles that the mighty Frankish army attacked, surrendered. Charlemagne's forces suffered virtually no losses. But on their long journey back through the Pyrenees... Charlemagne: It is the Gascons! They are attacking our flanks! They have betrayed us!!!

Submitted by NecroLord — Apr 26, 2025

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