The Story of Charlemagne (a special episode for Ben)
Real Cool History for Kids
This episode explores the life and complex legacy of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks who became the first Holy Roman Emperor. It details
Key takeaways
- Charlemagne's name translates to 'Charles the Great.'
- He was known for being a physically imposing man and an excellent swimmer.
Main topics
- Charlemagne's life
- The Middle Ages
Notable quotes
A person can be incredibly influential without always being right.
Conclusion
The episode serves as a lesson in historical nuance, encouraging liste
Transcript preview
Speaker 2 (0:11) Hey everyone, it's Angela O'Dell. Welcome to Real Cool History for Kids. Are you guys ready to join the adventure? Let's go! Speaker 1 (0:35) Hi, my name is Ben. I was wondering if you could do an episode on Charlemagne. Thank you. Absolutely, Speaker 2 (0:42) Ben. Hey guys, this is episode 189 of Real Cool History for Kids, and the story that Ben has requested is such an intriguing one. So pull up a chair and let me tell you the story of Charlemagne. For our story, we are traveling way back. Okay, way, way, way, way, way back, more than 1200 years into the past, all the way back to the Middle Ages. Now, if you have traveled with me back to the Middle Ages through some of our earlier episodes, you already know that the world looked very different back then. The great Western Roman Empire had fallen hundreds of years earlier. Europe was divided into different kingdoms and territories and powerful rulers. fought to gain and protect land. This was the Middle Ages, the years between the ancient and the modern times. This is the time where castles were built and kingdoms fought against each other. If you wanted to go somewhere, you walked, you rode a horse, or you traveled in a wagon or a boat. If you wanted to send a message to someone, you couldn't text them or write them an email or even send them a letter in the mail. You had to send an actual person to carry an actual message. And into this world came a man named Charles. History would eventually remember him by a much bigger name. Charlemagne. That name comes from words meaning Charles the Great. There is no question that he became one of the most powerful and important rulers of the Middle Ages. Charlemagne was probably born around the year 742, although historians are not absolutely sure the exact year. His father was a guy named Pepin the Short, who was the king of the Franks. And just to let you know, that nickname has come down through history, but we don't know if he was actually short. Charlemagne, on the other hand, was described by people who knew him as a very large and impressive man. One of the most important descriptions of Charlemagne came from a man named Einhard, who lived at Charlemagne's court and later wrote a biography about him. So he actually knew Charlemagne personally, and he describes him as tall and strongly built. But he also tells us something else kind of funny about this powerful medieval king. Charlemagne loved to swim. He enjoyed natural hot springs, and according to Einhardt, he was such a good swimmer that hardly anyone could beat him. Sometimes his sons or his friends or important officials and even soldiers would join him in the water. Just imagine that you're standing there next to one of the most powerful kings in Europe. And he turns to you and he says, hey, do you want to go for a swim? Charlemagne grew up in a family where ruling and warfare were part of life. And when his father, Pepin, died in 768, the Frankish kingdom was divided between Charlemagne and his younger brother, Carloman. That arrangement didn't go very smoothly. As you can probably imagine, the brothers didn't get along very well and there was tension between them. But only a few years later, Carloman died unexpectedly. That left Charlemagne as the sole ruler of the Franks. And Charlemagne was not the kind of king who stayed at home and sat on his throne. Instead, He spent much of his long