by Helen Kain | Jul 15, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Carousel Ideas & Systems, CT Act I — Inheritance, Early Middle Ages (410-1066)
For a long time, I thought of what followed Rome’s departure from England as collapse — full stop. The so-called “Dark Ages.” Civilization slipping backwards into mud and thatch as roads were abandoned and stonemasonry was forgotten. That view turns out to be...
by Helen Kain | Jul 1, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Early Middle Ages (410-1066), Fascinating People, FP Act I — Inheritance, France
On Christmas Day in the year 800, a Frankish king knelt in prayer inside the ancient basilica of St Peter in Rome. As he rose, Pope Leo III placed a crown upon his head and proclaimed him emperor. For the first time in more than three centuries, a ruler in Western...
by Helen Kain | Jul 1, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Early Middle Ages (410-1066), Fascinating People, FP Act I — Inheritance, France
In the early sixth century, a church stood on a hill overlooking the small city of Paris. Within it lay the tomb of a king whose decisions would reshape the future of Western Europe. His name was Clovis I, and during his lifetime the lands that had once been Roman...
by Helen Kain | Jul 1, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Early Middle Ages (410-1066), Fascinating People, FP Act I — Inheritance, France
On the hill above the Seine, not far from the old Roman roads that once crossed the Left Bank, stood a monastery dedicated to Saint Genevieve. Nearby lay the small royal domain of a regional nobleman whose authority extended little farther than the lands surrounding...
by Helen Kain | Jul 1, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Carousel Fascinating People, Early Middle Ages (410-1066), Fascinating People, FP Act I — Inheritance
Some rulers inherit a system and try to preserve it. Others inherit fragments and attempt to rebuild what has been lost. In the 6th century, Justinian I chose the second path. An Empire That Had Not Disappeared By the time Justinian came to power in 527, Rome had not...
by Helen Kain | Jul 1, 2026 | Act I - Inheritance, Early Middle Ages (410-1066), Fascinating People, FP Act I — Inheritance, France
On the hill above the Left Bank of Paris once stood a great abbey dedicated to a young woman who had never ruled a kingdom, commanded an army, or held official power. For centuries, however, the people of the city believed their survival had depended on her. Her name...
