Re: Salt w'at did it

["Spirit One Email" <laurel@spiritone.com>]

Sinclair,

    I was very interested in this information.  It brings up such a coincidence.   Before I tell you and others about this, I want to make it clear that the unusual source of my story is not meant to diminish the value of your words.

    We have in our Sunday comics section a comic strip called Prince Valiant.  It is probably one of the longest running ones--maybe over 50 years.  It is not a "comic" story but beautifully drawn and tells the mythical story of  Prince Valiant who lived during King Arthur's time. Over the years it has been evident that the author of this strip has researched the customs and history of that era and brings a greater understanding of the art of defensive and offensive warfare as well.  

 

The Prince is married to the Queen of some northern islands.  The present story started two weeks ago.  It told of this villainous and most powerful merchant that brought salt northward to trade and then filled his ship with ice that the people of Thule (my dictionary says "northernmost regions of ancient world, possibly Norway, Iceland, Jutland, etc.  or Eskimo settlement on the NW coast of Greenland) provided.  The pictures showed Europeans hacking chunks off of glaciers and the merchant gathering them from the fiords.  This ice then would be taken south to trade.

    Last week the villainous merchant cut off the supply of salt to this country.  They thought they could get along with wise stringent use of their salt but now the fishing industry is so endangered from the lack of salt that it seems the villain is about to achieve his hidden agenda.

    Laurel

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Privateers

To: John S. Quarterman

Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 7:53 PM

Subject: Salt w'at did it

The Mediterranean carried the majority of the trade of southern Europe, the North and Baltic Seas were the focus of northern trade in the early middle ages. The numerous river systems flowing into these seas and no meaningful road network in the North meant that sea transport was vital to any long distance commerce. Scandinavians controlled much of region's trade for many centuries from the rivers of Russia to the North Atlantic with their swift longboats. Frisian traders had a prominent role south of the English Channel handling the goods of Christian Europe.

Bringing many important items from the continent, the merchants of Bremen and Cologne gained a strong position in England. In 1157 Henry II granted the citizens of Cologne special trading protections and privileges. Urban, professional traders from the towns of northern Germany began to effectively compete against the more rural Frisians and Scandinavians, by this time, even taking their goods to Norway and Denmark. When The Kaiser Fiedrich Barbarossa granted customs and commercial rights to Hamburg he gave the League a ready supply of Salt. The salt supply enabled the League to take from Denmark and Sweden the fish trade (Salt was needed to preserve fish) the growing prosperity let the League slowly control the fur trade the single most profitable of the North Sea trading activities.

There was no payment recorded. Tax revenues increased dramaticly however.

The Holy Roman Empire neither Holy nor Roman or an Empire. Again this collection of would be dominators stood at the edges St Clair. First in Normandy then, in France, in Sweden in England and in the most ancient kingdom of Christendom, Scotland. Kaiser Fiedrich Barbarossa appetite was voracious he sought to engulf all Europe in his revised Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was the medieval state that embraced most of central Europe and Italy under the rule of the German kings from 962 to 1806. It was considered to be a restoration and continuation of the ancient Roman Empire, although in fact it had little in common with its predecessor. Earlier, the Frankish king Charlemagne had revived the same name. His Roman Empire lasted from 800 to 925. In 962, Otto I of Germany and Pope John XII co-operated in a second revival. Threatened in his possession of the Papal States by Berengar II, king of Italy, John begged Otto to come to his aid. Otto did so, and the pope solemnly crowned him Emperor of the Romans as a reward. From this time, the German kings claimed the right to rule the empire.