The Legacy of Saint Brendan: A History of the Western Hemisphere, 512 to 1400
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Chapter Five, Part One: The Reconnection
Chapter Five, Part One: The Reconnection, 1000-1045 A.D.
With the rise of Arvid Far-Seekrr to the throne of the Kingdom of Setraland, the long-standing isolation of the New World with the Old World was over. The remainder of Arvid’s reign would be spent trying to ensure the profitability of his new realm, juggle the competing interests of untrustworthy continental Britonnic grandees, and keep the church in his favor. That last would prove fairly easy- with his presence established in Peace Town, the clergy knew better than to try to take back the crown that they had given the Ostman. Arvid was a merciful friend to the clerics, however- under his reign, a grand effort to rebuild Brendan’s Monastery took place, funded in a large part by the King. The King would also write to the Pope in Rome, seeking to have Brendan recognized as a Saint, writing at the behest of the local Bishopric.
This reconciliatory behavior did not extend to the Christian Briton nobility or Fanaithe companies on the mainland, however, if they proved disloyal or failed to meet his tributary requirements. One revolt, in particular, was treated with a heavy hand. Islwyn, a young and popular grandee, refused to pay his tribute and raised his flag in rebellion in 1004, hoping to encourage his friends and relations on the continent to join him. The rapid response of Arvid’s force, however, preempted any such spread of the revolt. Islwyn’s fort would be cast down, his people slaughtered or taken into slavery, and he himself taken captive back to Peace Town, where he was, if the Chronicles of Rineen are correct, “castrated, blinded, robbed of his tongue, and made to sit in a cage, only brought out to dance for the amusement of the Pagans.” This harsh example seemed to cow the Britons and Fanaithe into general acceptance of his rule, though sporadic resistance is reported until the 1020s; those that accepted tended to do better, however, as Arvid was quite generous with the land and spoils taken from rebels.
Arvid may have distracted the nobility, however, by his choice to not invoke the “peace of the realm”, something that the Gorfodi’s had taken very seriously the century previous. The House of Owain had taken the responsibility to enforce the “Peace of Armagh” to heart, intervening in disputes between noblemen. With the order upset by the Filleadhaite Rebellion, the extended fighting between the claimants to the Gorfodi’s office, and the final consolidation under Arvid Far-Seeker, that had changed. Disputes over farmland, titles, or pure revenge for being on the wrong side of the civil conflict fueled the rise of new violence. Arvid refused to intervene in this, though he did make it clear that any warring grandees still had to fulfill their allotted tributary requirements- as made evident in his destruction of the Finsnectha Company and Arglwyð Gwydion’s forces when their feud prevented them from meeting their quotas.
With a new rise of violence, however, a new sort of soldier made an entrance onto the scene- the marchawc. This tied in with the development of Talbeahan manorialism, as the marchawc were men that were granted land and workers in exchange for their military service. This distinguished marchawcs from previous household retainers that the nobility and company-chiefs on the continent had employed. Another distinction, however, was their general adoption of mounted tactics. Cavalry, spread from the exodus of the Island Measctha after their failed revolt, had proved its worth during the Filleadhaithe Revolt, and many noblemen were eager to field mounted horsemen against their rivals. However, comparisons with the cavaliers of continental Europe, especially those fielded by the Frankish Emperors, are not completely accurate, as the marchawcs were generally more lightly-armored and relied more heavily on speed and maneuverability than their European brethren. There also existed a tradition of spear throwing that did not exist in the cavalier tradition.
Marchawcs and the new rising period of inter-feudal violence were on the backdrop of a greater change in the New World- that of the sugar trade. Arvid Far-Seeker had found in maple sugar a commodity that would bring him and his descendants' great wealth. And it was just in time as well- the fur trade that had previously characterized trade from Talbeah had been usurped by his Ostish brethren, who hauled cheap furs from the vast East at less of a cost and with less risk than the transatlantic voyage. Sugar, though, was special- the only other sugar that one could consume in Europe had to come on long journeys and change hands many times, and, to make matters worse, one would have to purchase from Rhomanian or Ismaili merchants. Many European traders felt they could stomach their pride and buy sugar from Ostish pagans at cheaper rates.
However, the nature of maple sugar made extraction a difficult prospect. One couldn’t simply create vast estates of maple trees- that would take years to get a return on investment. Instead, the nobility and company-chiefs saddled with the maple tax would pass the buck down to the villages under their control. The early months of new years were filled with the “maple time”- villages going out into the woods, finding maple stands, tapping them, and turning the sap into sugar. If villages failed to meet the quotas set by their lords (which were often higher than necessary, as they wanted some business for themselves on the side), they would be subject to harsh punishments in the vein of Arvid’s example. The status of the freemen of Talbeah had fallen far from its previous, lofty position.
This change in economic patterns also extended to the Afonbren Confederation. The Afonbren, content as they were to engage in the blade trade, were confused when the traders downriver began to ask for maple sap. They were accommodating, however, and soon exchange rates of some kind were established- blades for syrup. This fueled, in turn, a new rise of development of the Afonbren culture, enriching further the Christian merchant class of that nation, as well as their supportive population of Iohristani. This would have tragic consequences for the Confederation later in the century, but for now spirits were running high and wealth was flowing both ways along the Tullaha River.
This, in turn, affected the development of the other native populations the Afonbren were in contact with. Some historians speculate the continued contact with the Afonbren and the Kingdom of Setraland likely hastened development of more complex, settled civilizations by hundreds of years, though more recent historians, especially those of native descent, dispute this. Whatever the case, proto-states continued to develop, clustered around trading centers. Several of these communities would rise to great prominence later, especially a small settlement called K’omani, located on the eastern bank of the Great River. [1]
The Confederation’s Christian community also saw one of the first “firsts” in world history, though the event is generally a footnote in most histories. In 1033, a band of Afonbren Christians decided to take a voyage to Rome, to engage in pilgrimage. They were assisted by Arvid Far-Seeker, who had the policy of trying to maintain friendly relations with the Afonbren to ensure the flow of trade continued. Fifteen made the voyage, sailing and encountering many hardships along the way, from storms to pirate attacks. However, they all made it to Rome, and marveled at the great buildings of the Frankish Empire and the churches of the Papal Seat.
They would be met with curiosity, and then confusion, as they performed the Christian rituals in the strangest way. The priest among them had his head shaven in the wrong pattern, they celebrated the holy day’s on the wrong dates- after all, the Church in Talbeah had missed a few Councils. This inspired the Holy Father to send a mission to Talbeah, to help turn that church back into order. This was welcomed by Arvid, ever hopeful of seeking to engender Papal favor to help save his Pagan siblings from the wrath of Christendom, but a few clergymen on the continent resisted. This marked, therefore, the beginning of “Goidelicism”, a heresy that, while small, nevertheless persisted in the backwoods of Talbeah.
In 1044, Arvid Far-Seeker died, in full possession of the realm that he had, as his father had commanded him, won with his own hand. His son, Bolverk, inherited in 1045 a realm much more prosperous than the one his father had found, and, despite the feuds between his tributaries, had not seen any major war for forty years. It was a realm that was once again integrated with the Old World’s economy and culture.
It was also a realm that, soon, would find itself involved in one of the defining conflicts of Talbeahan history...
[1] The rise and fall of K’omani, of course, will be discussed in detail later in this work.
With the rise of Arvid Far-Seekrr to the throne of the Kingdom of Setraland, the long-standing isolation of the New World with the Old World was over. The remainder of Arvid’s reign would be spent trying to ensure the profitability of his new realm, juggle the competing interests of untrustworthy continental Britonnic grandees, and keep the church in his favor. That last would prove fairly easy- with his presence established in Peace Town, the clergy knew better than to try to take back the crown that they had given the Ostman. Arvid was a merciful friend to the clerics, however- under his reign, a grand effort to rebuild Brendan’s Monastery took place, funded in a large part by the King. The King would also write to the Pope in Rome, seeking to have Brendan recognized as a Saint, writing at the behest of the local Bishopric.
This reconciliatory behavior did not extend to the Christian Briton nobility or Fanaithe companies on the mainland, however, if they proved disloyal or failed to meet his tributary requirements. One revolt, in particular, was treated with a heavy hand. Islwyn, a young and popular grandee, refused to pay his tribute and raised his flag in rebellion in 1004, hoping to encourage his friends and relations on the continent to join him. The rapid response of Arvid’s force, however, preempted any such spread of the revolt. Islwyn’s fort would be cast down, his people slaughtered or taken into slavery, and he himself taken captive back to Peace Town, where he was, if the Chronicles of Rineen are correct, “castrated, blinded, robbed of his tongue, and made to sit in a cage, only brought out to dance for the amusement of the Pagans.” This harsh example seemed to cow the Britons and Fanaithe into general acceptance of his rule, though sporadic resistance is reported until the 1020s; those that accepted tended to do better, however, as Arvid was quite generous with the land and spoils taken from rebels.
Arvid may have distracted the nobility, however, by his choice to not invoke the “peace of the realm”, something that the Gorfodi’s had taken very seriously the century previous. The House of Owain had taken the responsibility to enforce the “Peace of Armagh” to heart, intervening in disputes between noblemen. With the order upset by the Filleadhaite Rebellion, the extended fighting between the claimants to the Gorfodi’s office, and the final consolidation under Arvid Far-Seeker, that had changed. Disputes over farmland, titles, or pure revenge for being on the wrong side of the civil conflict fueled the rise of new violence. Arvid refused to intervene in this, though he did make it clear that any warring grandees still had to fulfill their allotted tributary requirements- as made evident in his destruction of the Finsnectha Company and Arglwyð Gwydion’s forces when their feud prevented them from meeting their quotas.
With a new rise of violence, however, a new sort of soldier made an entrance onto the scene- the marchawc. This tied in with the development of Talbeahan manorialism, as the marchawc were men that were granted land and workers in exchange for their military service. This distinguished marchawcs from previous household retainers that the nobility and company-chiefs on the continent had employed. Another distinction, however, was their general adoption of mounted tactics. Cavalry, spread from the exodus of the Island Measctha after their failed revolt, had proved its worth during the Filleadhaithe Revolt, and many noblemen were eager to field mounted horsemen against their rivals. However, comparisons with the cavaliers of continental Europe, especially those fielded by the Frankish Emperors, are not completely accurate, as the marchawcs were generally more lightly-armored and relied more heavily on speed and maneuverability than their European brethren. There also existed a tradition of spear throwing that did not exist in the cavalier tradition.
Marchawcs and the new rising period of inter-feudal violence were on the backdrop of a greater change in the New World- that of the sugar trade. Arvid Far-Seeker had found in maple sugar a commodity that would bring him and his descendants' great wealth. And it was just in time as well- the fur trade that had previously characterized trade from Talbeah had been usurped by his Ostish brethren, who hauled cheap furs from the vast East at less of a cost and with less risk than the transatlantic voyage. Sugar, though, was special- the only other sugar that one could consume in Europe had to come on long journeys and change hands many times, and, to make matters worse, one would have to purchase from Rhomanian or Ismaili merchants. Many European traders felt they could stomach their pride and buy sugar from Ostish pagans at cheaper rates.
However, the nature of maple sugar made extraction a difficult prospect. One couldn’t simply create vast estates of maple trees- that would take years to get a return on investment. Instead, the nobility and company-chiefs saddled with the maple tax would pass the buck down to the villages under their control. The early months of new years were filled with the “maple time”- villages going out into the woods, finding maple stands, tapping them, and turning the sap into sugar. If villages failed to meet the quotas set by their lords (which were often higher than necessary, as they wanted some business for themselves on the side), they would be subject to harsh punishments in the vein of Arvid’s example. The status of the freemen of Talbeah had fallen far from its previous, lofty position.
This change in economic patterns also extended to the Afonbren Confederation. The Afonbren, content as they were to engage in the blade trade, were confused when the traders downriver began to ask for maple sap. They were accommodating, however, and soon exchange rates of some kind were established- blades for syrup. This fueled, in turn, a new rise of development of the Afonbren culture, enriching further the Christian merchant class of that nation, as well as their supportive population of Iohristani. This would have tragic consequences for the Confederation later in the century, but for now spirits were running high and wealth was flowing both ways along the Tullaha River.
This, in turn, affected the development of the other native populations the Afonbren were in contact with. Some historians speculate the continued contact with the Afonbren and the Kingdom of Setraland likely hastened development of more complex, settled civilizations by hundreds of years, though more recent historians, especially those of native descent, dispute this. Whatever the case, proto-states continued to develop, clustered around trading centers. Several of these communities would rise to great prominence later, especially a small settlement called K’omani, located on the eastern bank of the Great River. [1]
The Confederation’s Christian community also saw one of the first “firsts” in world history, though the event is generally a footnote in most histories. In 1033, a band of Afonbren Christians decided to take a voyage to Rome, to engage in pilgrimage. They were assisted by Arvid Far-Seeker, who had the policy of trying to maintain friendly relations with the Afonbren to ensure the flow of trade continued. Fifteen made the voyage, sailing and encountering many hardships along the way, from storms to pirate attacks. However, they all made it to Rome, and marveled at the great buildings of the Frankish Empire and the churches of the Papal Seat.
They would be met with curiosity, and then confusion, as they performed the Christian rituals in the strangest way. The priest among them had his head shaven in the wrong pattern, they celebrated the holy day’s on the wrong dates- after all, the Church in Talbeah had missed a few Councils. This inspired the Holy Father to send a mission to Talbeah, to help turn that church back into order. This was welcomed by Arvid, ever hopeful of seeking to engender Papal favor to help save his Pagan siblings from the wrath of Christendom, but a few clergymen on the continent resisted. This marked, therefore, the beginning of “Goidelicism”, a heresy that, while small, nevertheless persisted in the backwoods of Talbeah.
In 1044, Arvid Far-Seeker died, in full possession of the realm that he had, as his father had commanded him, won with his own hand. His son, Bolverk, inherited in 1045 a realm much more prosperous than the one his father had found, and, despite the feuds between his tributaries, had not seen any major war for forty years. It was a realm that was once again integrated with the Old World’s economy and culture.
It was also a realm that, soon, would find itself involved in one of the defining conflicts of Talbeahan history...
[1] The rise and fall of K’omani, of course, will be discussed in detail later in this work.
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This timeline is one of my favorites on this site. I really love the detail put into the development of the New World. I can't wait to see where this timeline goes.
This definitely had to go on the backburner for a while, with Real Life issues taking precedence, but I think I've crossed the hump and can start working on this again!
Like maple sugar, it takes a long time to prepare, but the result is sweet.
Could there be a few expeditions seeking to find a way out from under the Ostman’s thumb? I could see it as a way to spark a period of exploration.
This will indeed be a period of greater exploration, though most seeking to avoid Arvid’s grip would have simply gone upriver to the Confederation.
This is an interesting, and highly enjoyable thread. I particularly like the way that the settlement has so far expanded only gradually, and therefore realistically, over four-five centuries.
I like the pilgrimage of the Confederation Christians to Rome. It may be only a 'historical footnote', but this is surely the start of a greater interest by the mediaeval Church in the lands in the far west. After all there ae not only errors to correct in local Christians, but also plenty of pagans to convert!
Perhaps you could say how things have developed physically? Have churches been built in Talbeah, at least in larger settlements like Costa Dhearg and Rineen, perhaps the first stone buildings in this part of the continent? Has Brendan's Monastery established any 'daughter' monasteries in Talbeah? And if yes to either of these, any churches in the Confederation yet?
I like the pilgrimage of the Confederation Christians to Rome. It may be only a 'historical footnote', but this is surely the start of a greater interest by the mediaeval Church in the lands in the far west. After all there ae not only errors to correct in local Christians, but also plenty of pagans to convert!
Perhaps you could say how things have developed physically? Have churches been built in Talbeah, at least in larger settlements like Costa Dhearg and Rineen, perhaps the first stone buildings in this part of the continent? Has Brendan's Monastery established any 'daughter' monasteries in Talbeah? And if yes to either of these, any churches in the Confederation yet?
But how would they get access to the Atlantic? With Carthage and western North Africa, and hence also Iberia, remaining Christian they are cut off from it. More likely to turn their trading efforts eastwards, and possibly south down East Africa?
Highly unlikely I would have thought. We don't yet know what the current situation in Rus is ITTL. The long route round the north of Scandinavia - not natural territory for Arabs at all! - is controlled by the Ostmen, as is the exit from the Baltic. Anything they need from North America they will prefer to gain through Ostmen intermediaries (as Muslims traded with the Norse OTL). Anyway, is there anything the 'Ismailis' need from North America at this time? Not even the fabled maple sugar; they have other sources of sugar.