1200 to 1231

Literature

Parzival. Wolframm VonEschenbach. German. 1200. Epic poem. Knight in search of the Grail.

Aucassin and Nicolette. Anonymous. French. 1200? Prose and Verse. Alternating prose and verse. Son of a count falls in love with a slave who turns out to be a king's daughter.

Dies Irae ("Day of Wrath"). Thomas of celano. Italian. 1200? Hymn. On the Last Judgment. Joel 2:31. Mass for the dead. Plainsong (Gregorian chant).

Society

1202. Italian mathematician Leonardo da Pesa introduces Europe to Arabic numerals and the zero.

1202. Court jesters make their first appearance in European courts.

Literature

The Brut. Wace. British. 1205. Poetry. Middle English. Alliteration. Rhyme. First appearance of the story of Arthur. Britain from its founding by Brut in 689. Brut descendant of Aeneas. Stories of Lear, Cymbeline and other legendary kings of Britain.

Gudrun. Anonymous. German. 1210. Epic poem. Sea settings are unusual. Three parts. Gudrun's is the third part. Engaged, abducted, servant's work, rescued by her lover.

Tristan and Isolde. Gottfried Von Strasburg. German. 1210. Illicit love of a knight and the Queen.

Society

1212. A Children's Crusade sets out for the Holy Land. Some 50,000 children are lost.

Literature

An Account of My Hut. Kamo no Chomei. Japanese. 1212. Autobiography. Natural disasters in Kyoto. Life led by the author in hermitage. Impermanence of life. Buddhist tone.

Society

1215. The Magna Carta signed at Runnymede in mid-June limits the power of the English monarchy.

Literature

Magna Carta. Anonymous. British. 1215. Charter. Permanently guaranteed that the king's power must be limited by law. King could not levy taxes without consent of the realm. He could not imprison or deprive of property unless by judgment of peers and the law.

Society

1215. Genghis Khan invades the Near East with 60,000 Mongol horsemen; destroy everything in their path.

1218. Newgate Prison is completed in London. It will be a debtors' prison for more than 560 years.

1222. The Mongols make their first appearance in Europe as Genghis Khan invades Russian territories.

1227. Genghis Khan dies at age 65.

Literature

Romance of the Rose, Part I. Guillaume de Lorris. French. 1230. Poem. Part one is an allegory of love.

Society

1231. A medical school is founded at Salerno by Frederick II.