From 515671e936c500346506ec94c36b73e40a5af8b2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Trent Palmer Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2021 11:48:02 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] add links to lohengrin --- content/lohengrin.md | 73 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------- 1 file changed, 48 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/lohengrin.md b/content/lohengrin.md index 28455da..aca4259 100644 --- a/content/lohengrin.md +++ b/content/lohengrin.md @@ -4,58 +4,81 @@ Tags: Opera, Franks, Magyars, Mongols Category: Opera -Have you heard of Lohengrin? It is a German Opera written and composed by -Richard Wagner in 1850. I happen to think that German Opera is more +Have you heard of [Lohengrin](https://open.spotify.com/album/3NtcDdgDLlnptu72CWBxWM){target="_blank"}? +It is a German Opera written and composed by +[Richard Wagner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner){target="_blank"} +in 1850. I happen to think that German Opera is more entertaining than Italian Opera, but enough about me. ### King Ludwig II -Which brings me to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. If I understand correctly, -King Ludwig was very fond of Lohengrin, and built Neuschwanstein Castle +Which brings me to +[King Ludwig II of Bavaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria){target="_blank"}. +If I understand correctly, +King Ludwig was very fond of Lohengrin, and built +[Neuschwanstein Castle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle){target="_blank"} as a private world for himself where he could live alone in a fantasy -inspired by the *Knight of the Swan* Legend, on which Lohengrin -is based. +inspired by the +*[Knight of the Swan Legend](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_of_the_Swan){target="_blank"}*, +on which Lohengrin is based. But don't judge King Ludwig II too harshly: he was after all a cigar connoisseur, drove a smoking-hot golden carriage, and Neuschwanstein Castle is an excellent place to take selfies. You really should visit the -Marstallmuseum at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and see the golden -carriage. +[Marstallmuseum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marstallmuseum){target="_blank"} +at [Nymphenburg Palace in Munich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphenburg_Palace){target="_blank"} and see the +[golden carriage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Dress_Coach_of_King_Ludwig_II.jpg){target="_blank"}. -Needless to say, Lohengrin is quite different from the Strauss Operas +Needless to say, Lohengrin is quite different from the +[Strauss Operas](https://open.spotify.com/album/2g12QZ0wXFoyOyDo8nUUsM){target="_blank"} that your great-great-great Grandmother used to listen to on her smartphone in the bathtub. ### Lohengrin -So what happens in Lohengrin? King Henry the Fowler fights the Magyars. -This means we have to talk about the Magyars, King Henry's Son Otto, -the Battle of Augsburg which is sometimes called the Battle of Lechfeld, -and the Mongols! +So what happens in Lohengrin? +[King Henry the Fowler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Fowler){target="_blank"} +fights the [Magyars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarians){target="_blank"}. +This means we have to talk about the Magyars, King Henry's Son +[King Otto I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor){target="_blank"}, +the [Battle of Augsburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lechfeld){target="_blank"} +which is sometimes called the Battle of Lechfeld, +and the [Mongols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongols){target="_blank"}! ### Magyars Ok, the Magyars are descended from a nomadic-steppe-people who settled on -the Hungarian Plain, which is sometimes called the Carpathian Plain. +the [Hungarian Plain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hungarian_Plain){target="_blank"}, +which is sometimes called the Carpathian Plain. Unfortunately for them, the Hungarian Plain was not quite vast enough to support a prosperous nomadic lifestyle. And so for some hundreds of years, the Magyars raided and pillaged all over Europe. It should be noted that -Hungary considers 1896 to be the 1000th anniversary of the Magyars entering -the Carpathian Plain, and in that year many memorials, monuments, and museums -were built in Budapest. +Hungary considers 1896 to be the 1000th anniversary of the Magyars entering the Carpathian Plain, +and in that year many memorials, monuments, and museums were +[built in Budapest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Budapest#19th_century){target="_blank"}. As stated above, the Magyars came into conflict with King Henry the Fowler -who was the King of East Frankia. East Frankia evolved from the Eastern Parts of the -Carolingian Empire that was originally put together by Charlemagne. Indeed, -there is today a region of Bavaria called Franconia, which has excellent -regional passenger trains connecting innumerable picturesque little cities and towns -which are perfect for taking selfies and drinking the local bier. But I digress. +who was the King of +[East Frankia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Francia){target="_blank"}. +East Frankia evolved from the Eastern Parts of the +[Carolingian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_Empire) +that was originally put together by +[Charlemagne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne){target="_blank"}. +Indeed, there is today a region of Bavaria called +[Franconia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia){target="_blank"}, which has +[excellent regional passenger trains](https://www.vgn.de/en/tickets/all-day-ticket-plus/){target="_blank"} +connecting innumerable picturesque little cities and towns +which are perfect for taking [selfies](https://photos.app.goo.gl/odqMdaJvpB528WaQ8){target="_blank"} +and [drinking the local bier](https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLCGa7c8xAqEJ15D8){target="_blank"}. +But I digress. ### Battle of Lechfeld The Magyars were finally defeated by King Henry the Fowler's son King Otto I -near Augsburg in 910, Augsburg being an ancient city in Bavaria that goes all +near Augsburg in 955, [Augsburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augsburg){target="_blank"} +being an ancient city in Bavaria that goes all the way back to the Roman Empire. King Otto I of East Frankia was the greatest King since Charlemagne, and the -Battle of Lechfeld was equal in importance to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, +Battle of Lechfeld was equal in importance to the +[Battle of Hastings in 1066](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings){target="_blank"}, in the context of European History, but deeper analysis of that is above my pay grade. (This is a free blog post) @@ -63,7 +86,7 @@ pay grade. (This is a free blog post) Anyway, the Magyars gave up their raiding, became Christianized, and adopted a more agrarian lifestyle on the Hungarian Plain where they founded the Nation of Hungary around the year 1000. In the 13th Century, the Mongols invaded Hungary, -but were never able to advance beyond Hungary into Western Europe. +[but were never able to advance beyond Hungary into Western Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Mongol_invasion_of_Hungary){target="_blank"}. For more riveting entertainment about the Mongols, I recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast, in particular the subseries *Wrath of The Khans*.