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Chapter 87: The rise of Lusitania and Navarra
As hinted by the previous chapter, we are going to finish Europe by taking a look at the Iberian Peninsula.
Beginning in the northwest, we have the kingdom of Asturia[1], controlling most of the lands between the Cantabric Sea, also known as the Bay of Biscay and the Duoro River. The realm has enriched thanks to a lot of Catholic pilgrims visiting Galicia, as it is supposed to be the location of the tomb of St. James. The town of Santiago del Compostela has built itself a magnificent cathedral. For many, especially in the more culturally sophisticated south of the Peninsula, Asturians are seen as hot-headed rustic highlanders, easily provoked to duel and rather explosive in nature. Of course, this may be a mere stereotype, but still, it may have to do to its unsubdued nature and Celtic heritage.[2]
View attachment 514056
Unlike other parts of the Peninsula, Galicia is lush in greenery
From the linguistic point of view, we can already speak of the dialects of the Ibero-Romance in the region to become divergent languages of Galician[3] and Asturian [4].
The upper and central parts[5] of the Ebro Basin were dominated by the kingdom of Navarra. This realm has expanded southwards to include the petty-state of Barracín and the city-state of Valencia. Subsequently, royal marriages with the Dukes of the Empuriu have given them also the north-eastern parts of the Ebro Basin[6].
Navarra proper has been a mostly Basque realm; throughout the 12th century it has more than doubled its area to include mostly Romance-speaking area along the Mediterranean coast. There are now three distinct Romance dialects within the Kingdom of Navarra. Edetan in the region of Valencia, Aragonese, heavily influenced by Basque, spoken at the southern foot of the central Pyrennees, and Tarragonés, spoken in the north-eastern parts of the kingdom[7]. Tarragonés was more related to the languages of Guyany on the other side of the mountains, and truly enough, ideas would often travel back and forth…such as the ideas of Catharism were quick to spread along the coast.[8]
View attachment 514053
Catharism has spread into the northeast of the Peninsula
Unfortunately for Edetan, it fails to become the standard official language of the kingdom, as it has not been standardized (for Valencia was not the centre of an archbishopric). Due to confusion between Aragonés and Tarragonés (which are seen as misspellings of one another), it became that the standard language of Çaragoça was declared to be Tarragonés[9], resulting in more confusion.
View attachment 514058
A typical landscape in the vicinity of Toletu. The region is rather arid
The vast inland plateau, called the Meseta was dominated by the kingdom of Toletu, centred on the city of Toletu. Toletu was a predominantly feudal state, with few towns save Toletu itself, and the land divided into baronies and counties. The landowners themselves created large plantations, and sometimes you could travel for hours without encountering any form of settlement. Villages were large and far apart, surrounded by vast agricultural area. The drier regions were used for herding sheep and horses – the Carpetan horsemen were renown.
The dialect of Toletu, known also as Carpetán or Toletano, was significantly influenced by Visigothic[10]. Toletan is the language of various heroic poetry, which was used as an example, as an inspiration to develop the Toletan knightly culture.
Toletu has engaged in multiple wars, seeking to dominate the peninsula. While controlling its central regions[11], Toletu had no coastline and fought a series of wars against other realms in the southern part of Hispanian to gain sea access.
View attachment 514054
Toletan cavalry
The Republic of Contestáňa, based around Cartagena has experienced a few defeats in the wars against Toletu. Contestáňa is a maritime-driven country, in close alliance with Maouretaňa to the south, from where it gets a large number of Berber mercenaries, used to fight of any Toletan cavalry attacks.
The dialect of Cartagena did not diverge much from Latin, and it contains a few early sound shifts that also happened in Afirka (based upon the Punic substratum); it can be seen as a mid-way between Toletan and Bétican.
The previously rich region of Bética[12] has been experiencing a period of destructive wars, as Lusitania[13], Toletu and Maourtanya all compete for power and influence within the rich and populous region. The local cities themselves all shift alliances often, and endemic warfare continues for much of the century. Eventually, Toletans conquer Xaén and Corduva in the north, while another key city, Ispál[14] along with Gades has subjugated itself to Lusitan overlords. The Lusitans wished to seize the lower Bétican regions, which were already engaged in the exploration of the Macaronesian archipelago.
The only Bétican city-state which has remained independent also at the end of the
View attachment 514052
Feudal structures have come to dominate again most of the peninsula
12th century was Granada, protected by the mountains, although Granada has also dropped the republican form of government. Rather, the republican institutions were overthrown by a nobleman, who happened to be also a capable military genius, and has rendered himself prestige in a victorious battle.
Thus we may consider the golden of the Bétican city-states to be over, although this was only at first-glance. A more detailed analysis shows us that in fact, the consolidation of the region has in fact helped the economy. Bétican city-states provide now an industrial and scientific base for the militarily more capable kingdoms of Toletu and Lusitania.
Lusitania appears to be the big winner of the whole geopolitic gamble in the region. Given strong and capable military, plus revenues from trade with wine, they were able to make considerable profit.
Lusitan[15] mariners have become one of the most experienced in western Europe, and as wih the conquest of Ispal Lusitania got also the western parts of the Canary Islands, they have gotten a further base for marine exploration of the West African coast.
View attachment 514051
Lusitan exploration in Macaronesia
The island of Arguim off the west coast of Africa[16] was established as a base and supply station. The expedition of Luís , who wished to reached Wagadou, has indeed arrived in the realm of Takrur, where they learnt, that there is, in fact, a realm further eastwards.
Further expeditions, which were misdirected by storms, discover the archipelagos of Capverds and Azore Islands. At first, small ports and villages were established as resupplying stations, populated at first by fisherman and impoverished villagers, but also criminals, who have repented and pardoned. The western African coast was not yet explored, but trading stations were established with Takrur at the estuary of the Senegal River.
Summing up the entire Peninsula, we can see a rather balanced Lusitan realm in the west, with a capable military, a few towns, and cities but also important production in the west; a highly feudal Toletu with a knightly culture, a highly fortified Granada , a Contestaniadevouted to trade, Navarra shifting its attention to the Ebro Valley and seeing the more urbanized valleys and plains gain more influence compared to the original Navarran core and finally an sturias with a highly provincial or rugged feel
View attachment 514050
[1] The kingdom of Asturia thus controls the land , which in OTL corresponds to Galicia, Asturia, Cantabria, much of León and Old Castille.
[2] The cultural traditions of the kingdom of Asturias are thus more likely to be very similar with OTL, just skipping the religious fervour thing.
[3] The Galician language for our reader can be considered something very similar to OTL Galician, without Castillan influences
[4] The Asturian language should be what we understand as Astur-Leonese; and is spoken also in much of Cantabria and Old Castille as well.
[5] For our reader: Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarra proper and much of Aragón
[6] Catalonia
[7] Catalonia
[8] The spread of Catharism into Catalonia is more than likely. Firstly, given that heresies tended to arise among minority populations who were ruled by overlords of different culture. Secondly, given Catharism´s egalitarian nature and the left-wing leaning of Catalan nationalism,this makes sense. Furthermore, having said that Tarragonés is very closely related to Guyanés, it makes sense for Catharism to spread, as the preachers would be speaking basically in the same tongue.
[9] Thus, we can say that this form of medieval Aragonese or Navarro-Aragonese would be spread across the kingdom, while Catalan be considered either a dialect thereof or a form of Guyanish (Occitan).
[10] For practical purposes, I propose we use a middle way between Old Castillan (without Basque influences) and Mozarabic (without Spanish influences), plus more Gothic influences, to represent this language.
[11] Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Madrid
[12] Andalusia
[13] Local form: Lustánha?
[14] Sevilla
[15] The Lusitan language ought to be something between Extramaduran and the southern dialects of Portuguese, minus the Arab influence. Or perhpas we could make Fala become the language of Lusitania in this timeline
[16] Near the border of OTL Mauritania and Western Sahara
Beginning in the northwest, we have the kingdom of Asturia[1], controlling most of the lands between the Cantabric Sea, also known as the Bay of Biscay and the Duoro River. The realm has enriched thanks to a lot of Catholic pilgrims visiting Galicia, as it is supposed to be the location of the tomb of St. James. The town of Santiago del Compostela has built itself a magnificent cathedral. For many, especially in the more culturally sophisticated south of the Peninsula, Asturians are seen as hot-headed rustic highlanders, easily provoked to duel and rather explosive in nature. Of course, this may be a mere stereotype, but still, it may have to do to its unsubdued nature and Celtic heritage.[2]
View attachment 514056
Unlike other parts of the Peninsula, Galicia is lush in greenery
From the linguistic point of view, we can already speak of the dialects of the Ibero-Romance in the region to become divergent languages of Galician[3] and Asturian [4].
The upper and central parts[5] of the Ebro Basin were dominated by the kingdom of Navarra. This realm has expanded southwards to include the petty-state of Barracín and the city-state of Valencia. Subsequently, royal marriages with the Dukes of the Empuriu have given them also the north-eastern parts of the Ebro Basin[6].
Navarra proper has been a mostly Basque realm; throughout the 12th century it has more than doubled its area to include mostly Romance-speaking area along the Mediterranean coast. There are now three distinct Romance dialects within the Kingdom of Navarra. Edetan in the region of Valencia, Aragonese, heavily influenced by Basque, spoken at the southern foot of the central Pyrennees, and Tarragonés, spoken in the north-eastern parts of the kingdom[7]. Tarragonés was more related to the languages of Guyany on the other side of the mountains, and truly enough, ideas would often travel back and forth…such as the ideas of Catharism were quick to spread along the coast.[8]
View attachment 514053
Catharism has spread into the northeast of the Peninsula
Unfortunately for Edetan, it fails to become the standard official language of the kingdom, as it has not been standardized (for Valencia was not the centre of an archbishopric). Due to confusion between Aragonés and Tarragonés (which are seen as misspellings of one another), it became that the standard language of Çaragoça was declared to be Tarragonés[9], resulting in more confusion.
View attachment 514058
A typical landscape in the vicinity of Toletu. The region is rather arid
The vast inland plateau, called the Meseta was dominated by the kingdom of Toletu, centred on the city of Toletu. Toletu was a predominantly feudal state, with few towns save Toletu itself, and the land divided into baronies and counties. The landowners themselves created large plantations, and sometimes you could travel for hours without encountering any form of settlement. Villages were large and far apart, surrounded by vast agricultural area. The drier regions were used for herding sheep and horses – the Carpetan horsemen were renown.
The dialect of Toletu, known also as Carpetán or Toletano, was significantly influenced by Visigothic[10]. Toletan is the language of various heroic poetry, which was used as an example, as an inspiration to develop the Toletan knightly culture.
Toletu has engaged in multiple wars, seeking to dominate the peninsula. While controlling its central regions[11], Toletu had no coastline and fought a series of wars against other realms in the southern part of Hispanian to gain sea access.
View attachment 514054
Toletan cavalry
The Republic of Contestáňa, based around Cartagena has experienced a few defeats in the wars against Toletu. Contestáňa is a maritime-driven country, in close alliance with Maouretaňa to the south, from where it gets a large number of Berber mercenaries, used to fight of any Toletan cavalry attacks.
The dialect of Cartagena did not diverge much from Latin, and it contains a few early sound shifts that also happened in Afirka (based upon the Punic substratum); it can be seen as a mid-way between Toletan and Bétican.
The previously rich region of Bética[12] has been experiencing a period of destructive wars, as Lusitania[13], Toletu and Maourtanya all compete for power and influence within the rich and populous region. The local cities themselves all shift alliances often, and endemic warfare continues for much of the century. Eventually, Toletans conquer Xaén and Corduva in the north, while another key city, Ispál[14] along with Gades has subjugated itself to Lusitan overlords. The Lusitans wished to seize the lower Bétican regions, which were already engaged in the exploration of the Macaronesian archipelago.
The only Bétican city-state which has remained independent also at the end of the
View attachment 514052
Feudal structures have come to dominate again most of the peninsula
12th century was Granada, protected by the mountains, although Granada has also dropped the republican form of government. Rather, the republican institutions were overthrown by a nobleman, who happened to be also a capable military genius, and has rendered himself prestige in a victorious battle.
Thus we may consider the golden of the Bétican city-states to be over, although this was only at first-glance. A more detailed analysis shows us that in fact, the consolidation of the region has in fact helped the economy. Bétican city-states provide now an industrial and scientific base for the militarily more capable kingdoms of Toletu and Lusitania.
Lusitania appears to be the big winner of the whole geopolitic gamble in the region. Given strong and capable military, plus revenues from trade with wine, they were able to make considerable profit.
Lusitan[15] mariners have become one of the most experienced in western Europe, and as wih the conquest of Ispal Lusitania got also the western parts of the Canary Islands, they have gotten a further base for marine exploration of the West African coast.
View attachment 514051
Lusitan exploration in Macaronesia
The island of Arguim off the west coast of Africa[16] was established as a base and supply station. The expedition of Luís , who wished to reached Wagadou, has indeed arrived in the realm of Takrur, where they learnt, that there is, in fact, a realm further eastwards.
Further expeditions, which were misdirected by storms, discover the archipelagos of Capverds and Azore Islands. At first, small ports and villages were established as resupplying stations, populated at first by fisherman and impoverished villagers, but also criminals, who have repented and pardoned. The western African coast was not yet explored, but trading stations were established with Takrur at the estuary of the Senegal River.
Summing up the entire Peninsula, we can see a rather balanced Lusitan realm in the west, with a capable military, a few towns, and cities but also important production in the west; a highly feudal Toletu with a knightly culture, a highly fortified Granada , a Contestaniadevouted to trade, Navarra shifting its attention to the Ebro Valley and seeing the more urbanized valleys and plains gain more influence compared to the original Navarran core and finally an sturias with a highly provincial or rugged feel
View attachment 514050
[1] The kingdom of Asturia thus controls the land , which in OTL corresponds to Galicia, Asturia, Cantabria, much of León and Old Castille.
[2] The cultural traditions of the kingdom of Asturias are thus more likely to be very similar with OTL, just skipping the religious fervour thing.
[3] The Galician language for our reader can be considered something very similar to OTL Galician, without Castillan influences
[4] The Asturian language should be what we understand as Astur-Leonese; and is spoken also in much of Cantabria and Old Castille as well.
[5] For our reader: Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarra proper and much of Aragón
[6] Catalonia
[7] Catalonia
[8] The spread of Catharism into Catalonia is more than likely. Firstly, given that heresies tended to arise among minority populations who were ruled by overlords of different culture. Secondly, given Catharism´s egalitarian nature and the left-wing leaning of Catalan nationalism,this makes sense. Furthermore, having said that Tarragonés is very closely related to Guyanés, it makes sense for Catharism to spread, as the preachers would be speaking basically in the same tongue.
[9] Thus, we can say that this form of medieval Aragonese or Navarro-Aragonese would be spread across the kingdom, while Catalan be considered either a dialect thereof or a form of Guyanish (Occitan).
[10] For practical purposes, I propose we use a middle way between Old Castillan (without Basque influences) and Mozarabic (without Spanish influences), plus more Gothic influences, to represent this language.
[11] Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Madrid
[12] Andalusia
[13] Local form: Lustánha?
[14] Sevilla
[15] The Lusitan language ought to be something between Extramaduran and the southern dialects of Portuguese, minus the Arab influence. Or perhpas we could make Fala become the language of Lusitania in this timeline
[16] Near the border of OTL Mauritania and Western Sahara
- Tomislav Addai
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