Hammer and Crescent: History of the Almozudes
- Thread starter Lugal
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Burgos was founded by Alfonso in 884 because it was on a frontier and he wanted a fortress town. As you said, it's not. So how does it even exist?
I see that my Photoshop-skills are lacking.
Valdemar II
Banned
A idea about the language of this state, this new domain is quite different from Normandy, in Normandy much of the old nobility was intergrated into the structure of the conquers, it was part of a wide French speaking state, and was mostly monolingual, with the exception of the newcomers. Here the language of the new state is a mix of Basque and early Spanish, both language lack prestige, little of the old nobility has been intergrated into the new power structure, the Nordic newcomers are political and religeous cut of from the native population, new wave of settlers happens regular, the Norse/Danish make up a significant part of the population and there's a continued contact with the homeland (likely this Kingdom is the gateway for Nordic-Maghreb/Iberian trade). My guess is that Danish is going to survive as court for several centuries, together with allowed polygamy, I think there's a good chance that "Danish" (with a large Spanish, Basque and Arabic influence) become dominating in its territorium.
Basque is mainly spoken in the east of Almozuda, near the Pamplonan border. There was a Basque substrate influence, seen in vocabulary and certain phonetic developments. Most notable being the sound shift of initial F- to H- in Romance and even Old Norse words like in helago "companion" or "friend" from Old Norse felagi, or hazeyo from Latin facillis "easy."
The main language of the population was a form of Romance that would eventually become Old Almozudi. The reason this language won out over Norse was that the majority of settlers were single men who married local women. The children were raised with the language of their mothers, although there was bilingualism for the first few generations as new settlers arrived from the North. By the time of Omar Gunnison, the countryside was mostly Romance speaking and the cities were bilingual. But during this time, the local Romance speech absorbed many loan words from Old Norse.
Scandinavian speech survived in the court longer, but exactly how long is difficult to tell as the official written language was Arabic.
Omar Gunnison was born in 899 in Teñueya. Omar was fostered in the Cordovan court like his father, but he returned to Almozuda in 918 during the Banu Qasi War and received a command in the army. He was present at both battles of Tudela. He was also present at his father’s deathbed. Many historians mention Omar’s love of mead and women (some exaggerated accounts give him over 300 concubines), but Omar was devout in his faith, building additions to his father’s mosque in Teñueya and building a new mosque in Sodragarda (formerly called Portus Victoriae) when he moved his capital there in 922.
Omar also encouraged conversion abroad and it was during his reign that Islam was introduced to Ireland. A trader named Helki Omarsson claims to have introduced Islam to the Irish (see DEISCEARTACH), although Muslim slaves had been there ever since Bjorn’s early raids.
Many say Omar encouraged piracy as Almozuda was a hub of trade and even a base for raids on England and Ireland. While these were not as large as the Danish attacks of later centuries, they did bring much silver to Almozuda. Omar was content to charge a “Viking Tax” on all who put in at Sodragarda and leave it at that, as he faced a financial crisis in the early years of his reign due to the cost of the Banu Qasi War and other causes.
These causes were: Islam was spreading, mainly through Gunni’s efforts that there were fewer dhimmi to pay the jizya tax. Those that remained, other than Jews (although at this time, Almozuda’s Jewish population was minimal) lived in the mountains where taxes were harder to collect. These populations remained Christian and Vatrodo, the so-called “Half-Pagans.”
The other is the Deva Rebellion which started in 928, in the Deva River valley. It was started when local lords attempted to force the Vatrodos to pay the jizya tax. The Vatrodos objected, claiming they were in fact devout Muslims. This resulted in the “Casting Off of the Hammers” when the tax collector told them to throw away the hammer pendants they wore. The hammers were often engraved with a bismalla or Quranic verse. It was a common occurrence and many Vatrodos simply retrieved them later. This time however, the lords including a man named Mutamin Peleyisson confiscated the hammers intending to destroy them in a public display. A man named Eirik Thorketilsson refused to and killed one of the Peleyisson’s men which led to violence and within a month the area was in open revolt and the Christians joined in. Omar sent troops to crush the rebellion and succeeded in doing so. Most of the Christians fled to Asturias. Eirik survived and fled to Asturias with some of his followers only to be captured and executed by the Christians.
Many Vatrodos were massacred but Mutamin’s claims of “destroying the bidyaites completely” were proven false. Many Vatrodos simply relocated to other parts of the realm, going underground with their faith. Others left Almozuda and settled in other areas of the Norse world and the British Isles. Despite the fact that some adopted the religion of their new homelands, their descendants survive and carry identifying names like Vatrodsson, Trodsson, Vettersson, MacAvatrod, McTrod, Halfath, Halfpan and Halfpegg.
Omar resettled the area with loyal Muslims, and refused to allow large dhimmi communities to gather throughout the realm. However it should be noted that folk beliefs like Udin, Rei de los Xinni (Odin, king of the Djinn) and the folk hero Barbarodo (derived from Thor) are still very common in the Deva Valley.
Following the Deva revolt, however, the rest of Omar’s reign was relatively calm. Almozuda enjoyed a great peace during this time, with only occasional border raids against the Asturians. Despite the troubles of the early years, wealth poured into the kingdom, not only from warriors serving the Emir (and later Caliph) in the south, but also from trade with the North, particularly Dublin.
South, in Andalus, Al-Mundhir was succeeded by his son Marwan I in 912. Marwan continued his father’s policies but was able to bring a measure of peace to the Kingdom by marrying a woman of one of the more prominent Muwallad families in an attempt to blunt the growing Shu’ubiya movement at the time.
In the Maghreb, Marwan was able to play the various Idrissid factions off against each other as Al-Mundhir did, but Marwan also had to deal with the growing power of the Fatimids, when they overthrew the Aghlabids in 909. This would lead to war between the two in the 920s.
This war led directly to the founding of the city of Almeria in 928. Marwan intended it as a naval harbor and brought many Almozudes to settle around Almeria as sailors and soldiers, hence the Mozuderia the “Pagan Quarter” in that city. The Almozudes served the Emir loyally and are most famous for their sacking of Tunis in 936.
It also led to Marwan taking the title of Caliph in direct opposition to the Fatimids in 931. Omar paid fealty to Marwan acknowledging him as Caliph and the following year gain the title of Emir rather than Jarl and Sahib, as Gunni styled himself. it is unknown if Marwan granted Omar this new title or if Omar took it for himself.
From History of the Almozuda by Huelavo Ivtuerrimo (trans. William Tracy)
Omar also encouraged conversion abroad and it was during his reign that Islam was introduced to Ireland. A trader named Helki Omarsson claims to have introduced Islam to the Irish (see DEISCEARTACH), although Muslim slaves had been there ever since Bjorn’s early raids.
Many say Omar encouraged piracy as Almozuda was a hub of trade and even a base for raids on England and Ireland. While these were not as large as the Danish attacks of later centuries, they did bring much silver to Almozuda. Omar was content to charge a “Viking Tax” on all who put in at Sodragarda and leave it at that, as he faced a financial crisis in the early years of his reign due to the cost of the Banu Qasi War and other causes.
These causes were: Islam was spreading, mainly through Gunni’s efforts that there were fewer dhimmi to pay the jizya tax. Those that remained, other than Jews (although at this time, Almozuda’s Jewish population was minimal) lived in the mountains where taxes were harder to collect. These populations remained Christian and Vatrodo, the so-called “Half-Pagans.”
The other is the Deva Rebellion which started in 928, in the Deva River valley. It was started when local lords attempted to force the Vatrodos to pay the jizya tax. The Vatrodos objected, claiming they were in fact devout Muslims. This resulted in the “Casting Off of the Hammers” when the tax collector told them to throw away the hammer pendants they wore. The hammers were often engraved with a bismalla or Quranic verse. It was a common occurrence and many Vatrodos simply retrieved them later. This time however, the lords including a man named Mutamin Peleyisson confiscated the hammers intending to destroy them in a public display. A man named Eirik Thorketilsson refused to and killed one of the Peleyisson’s men which led to violence and within a month the area was in open revolt and the Christians joined in. Omar sent troops to crush the rebellion and succeeded in doing so. Most of the Christians fled to Asturias. Eirik survived and fled to Asturias with some of his followers only to be captured and executed by the Christians.
Many Vatrodos were massacred but Mutamin’s claims of “destroying the bidyaites completely” were proven false. Many Vatrodos simply relocated to other parts of the realm, going underground with their faith. Others left Almozuda and settled in other areas of the Norse world and the British Isles. Despite the fact that some adopted the religion of their new homelands, their descendants survive and carry identifying names like Vatrodsson, Trodsson, Vettersson, MacAvatrod, McTrod, Halfath, Halfpan and Halfpegg.
Omar resettled the area with loyal Muslims, and refused to allow large dhimmi communities to gather throughout the realm. However it should be noted that folk beliefs like Udin, Rei de los Xinni (Odin, king of the Djinn) and the folk hero Barbarodo (derived from Thor) are still very common in the Deva Valley.
Following the Deva revolt, however, the rest of Omar’s reign was relatively calm. Almozuda enjoyed a great peace during this time, with only occasional border raids against the Asturians. Despite the troubles of the early years, wealth poured into the kingdom, not only from warriors serving the Emir (and later Caliph) in the south, but also from trade with the North, particularly Dublin.
South, in Andalus, Al-Mundhir was succeeded by his son Marwan I in 912. Marwan continued his father’s policies but was able to bring a measure of peace to the Kingdom by marrying a woman of one of the more prominent Muwallad families in an attempt to blunt the growing Shu’ubiya movement at the time.
In the Maghreb, Marwan was able to play the various Idrissid factions off against each other as Al-Mundhir did, but Marwan also had to deal with the growing power of the Fatimids, when they overthrew the Aghlabids in 909. This would lead to war between the two in the 920s.
This war led directly to the founding of the city of Almeria in 928. Marwan intended it as a naval harbor and brought many Almozudes to settle around Almeria as sailors and soldiers, hence the Mozuderia the “Pagan Quarter” in that city. The Almozudes served the Emir loyally and are most famous for their sacking of Tunis in 936.
It also led to Marwan taking the title of Caliph in direct opposition to the Fatimids in 931. Omar paid fealty to Marwan acknowledging him as Caliph and the following year gain the title of Emir rather than Jarl and Sahib, as Gunni styled himself. it is unknown if Marwan granted Omar this new title or if Omar took it for himself.
From History of the Almozuda by Huelavo Ivtuerrimo (trans. William Tracy)
Amazing. Muslim Vikings.
I like how you create the culture and people that never existed. Even down to the inreaction among the subcultures!
Keep up the good work! I hope it will end well for Almozudes
I like how you create the culture and people that never existed. Even down to the inreaction among the subcultures!
Keep up the good work! I hope it will end well for Almozudes
(Been a while since I've updated. Things in RL have calmed down somewhat so here we go)
Omar was succeeded by his son Asleif I in 947. Asleif was a rather unremarkable man, leaving no great records or achievements. He was not reviled or feared, but he did not seem particularly well loved either. Asleif married an Asturian princess as a lesser wife, thus gaining a generation of peace between the kingdoms, known as the Thirty Years Rest. Little else is written of him, little that survived anyway.
Asleif died in his sleep in 966 and was succeeded by his son Nasir I in 966. Nasir I had to deal with resergent Viking raiding in the 960s. This was remarkable as it was the first time the Vikings raided Almozuda extensively. Nasir, however was not one to let this challenge pass un remarked upon the Almozudi navy drove them off after an attack on Sodragarda. The Andalusians and Asturians suffered a few coastal raids but the histories of the time record these as nuisances rather than catastrophes. The final recorded Viking raid was in Asturias in 1013.
Nasir ruled until 998 and was the final king to have had any knowledge of the Norse language. After his death the language at court was replaced completely by Arabic. This can be seen in the fact that Nasir’s successor Omar II was styled Omar Ibn-Nasir rather than Omar Nasirsson.
South in Andalus, Marwan I was followed by his son, Said. The sporadic war between Andalus and the Fatimids ended during his reign. In 953 both Caliph Marwan and Caliph Al-Mansur had died and their successors had no interest in continuing the war, which had ended by 956. The Fatimids under Al-Muizz had turned their attention to Egypt and Andalus was looking to the North.
Said was aware of what was happening in Almozuda, particularly its trade with the North, and wanted a piece of the action, so to speak. This lead to to funding of his own expreditions trying to get around Almozudi middlemen especially to get luxury products such as falcons, amber, Irish slaves and jewelry. He was never able to fully cast the Almozudes to the side, and many historians would argue that he did the opposite as despite the Andalusian expeditions often left from Lisbon, they often hired Almozudi ships and crews and would even put in at Almozudi ports before sailing North.
Said was a pious man and spreading Islam was also one of his goals, so he would often send missionaries to the North. In this he was more successful as the wealth of his expeditions would sustain the Deisceartach, in Ireland and often even find its way to the Irish High King, often funding his ventures. The High Kings however remained staunchly Christian.
Said is most famous for making the Hajj to Mecca in the final years of his reign, despite traveling through hostile Fatimid territories, he was actually able to go and return unscathed, an achievement in of itself, despite the fact that his father went to war with them less than a generation earlier. There are many Almozudi families that proudly claim decent from those Almozudi guards who went with him (see HAZIENGOS).
After Said was the rather unremarkable Caliph, Abd-ar-Rahman III, although compared to his succeesor, anyone would appear to pale in comparison. The son of Abd-ar-Rahman III was a man whose name would echo down the centuries: Marwan II the Great.
From History of the Almozudes by Huelavo Ivtuerrimo (trans. William Tracy)
Omar was succeeded by his son Asleif I in 947. Asleif was a rather unremarkable man, leaving no great records or achievements. He was not reviled or feared, but he did not seem particularly well loved either. Asleif married an Asturian princess as a lesser wife, thus gaining a generation of peace between the kingdoms, known as the Thirty Years Rest. Little else is written of him, little that survived anyway.
Asleif died in his sleep in 966 and was succeeded by his son Nasir I in 966. Nasir I had to deal with resergent Viking raiding in the 960s. This was remarkable as it was the first time the Vikings raided Almozuda extensively. Nasir, however was not one to let this challenge pass un remarked upon the Almozudi navy drove them off after an attack on Sodragarda. The Andalusians and Asturians suffered a few coastal raids but the histories of the time record these as nuisances rather than catastrophes. The final recorded Viking raid was in Asturias in 1013.
Nasir ruled until 998 and was the final king to have had any knowledge of the Norse language. After his death the language at court was replaced completely by Arabic. This can be seen in the fact that Nasir’s successor Omar II was styled Omar Ibn-Nasir rather than Omar Nasirsson.
South in Andalus, Marwan I was followed by his son, Said. The sporadic war between Andalus and the Fatimids ended during his reign. In 953 both Caliph Marwan and Caliph Al-Mansur had died and their successors had no interest in continuing the war, which had ended by 956. The Fatimids under Al-Muizz had turned their attention to Egypt and Andalus was looking to the North.
Said was aware of what was happening in Almozuda, particularly its trade with the North, and wanted a piece of the action, so to speak. This lead to to funding of his own expreditions trying to get around Almozudi middlemen especially to get luxury products such as falcons, amber, Irish slaves and jewelry. He was never able to fully cast the Almozudes to the side, and many historians would argue that he did the opposite as despite the Andalusian expeditions often left from Lisbon, they often hired Almozudi ships and crews and would even put in at Almozudi ports before sailing North.
Said was a pious man and spreading Islam was also one of his goals, so he would often send missionaries to the North. In this he was more successful as the wealth of his expeditions would sustain the Deisceartach, in Ireland and often even find its way to the Irish High King, often funding his ventures. The High Kings however remained staunchly Christian.
Said is most famous for making the Hajj to Mecca in the final years of his reign, despite traveling through hostile Fatimid territories, he was actually able to go and return unscathed, an achievement in of itself, despite the fact that his father went to war with them less than a generation earlier. There are many Almozudi families that proudly claim decent from those Almozudi guards who went with him (see HAZIENGOS).
After Said was the rather unremarkable Caliph, Abd-ar-Rahman III, although compared to his succeesor, anyone would appear to pale in comparison. The son of Abd-ar-Rahman III was a man whose name would echo down the centuries: Marwan II the Great.
From History of the Almozudes by Huelavo Ivtuerrimo (trans. William Tracy)
Hm, interesting. I'm wondering, with the linguistic death of Iberian Norse, what about the cultural traditions of the Almozudes? Do they get diluted as well in the succeeding generations? And do they intermarry with the locals?