6 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2023
    1. St. George

      St. George of Lydda was a Christian revered as a saint, especially as a military saint since the crusades. According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army and was sentenced to death for not rejecting his Christian faith. Within artwork, he is commonly depicted on horseback, cladded in armor and equipped with a lance.

      "Saint George". Encyclopædia Britannica (Online ed.). Retrieved 21 July 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-George

  2. Mar 2023
    1. minstrelsy

      In Medieval Europe, a minstrel was a singer or musician who recited heroic poetry for the nobility. Minstrels created their own tales, but would often embellish the works of others in their performance. They were commonplace in courts, entertaining lords and courtiers with chansons de geste, or epic poems. After Sir Gawain's success cutting off the Green Knight's head, King Arthur and the rest of the court return to their festivities, referred to as minstrelsy due to their entertaining nature.

      https://www.britannica.com/art/minstrel

    1. Saladin

      Saladin was a Muslim sultan of Egypt and Syria. He received widespread support from Muslims after being proclaimed as the leader of jihad, or holy war, defending themselves from Christianity. Notably, he was an important figure in the Battle of Hattin against the Crusaders, capturing the city of Jerusalem in 1187. Despite his triumphs, he was not baptized, and thus resides in Limbo for eternity. Dante included him here to show how even the most revered, respectable figures are destined for punishment by rejecting Christianity.

      https://www.history.com/topics/africa/saladin

  3. Feb 2023
    1. Ikshwaku

      Ikshwaku is the first king of Kosala and a prominent figure in Hindu mythology. He is one of ten sons of Vaivaswata, known to be the son of a celestial luminary and the first man on Earth. Ikshwaku had one hundred sons, of which a vast majority became kings and princes of nations across India. He also was the founder of the solar dynasty, where they pray to the Sun as their God and originator.

      https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp093.htm#page_348