CNN'S MILLENNIUM SERIES: THE 12TH CENTURY, THE CENTURY OF THE AXE {THE TWELFTH CENTURY} {EPISODE 2} (TV)
Summary
One in this ten-part miniseries documenting historical events and developments around the world in the individual centuries of the past millennium. This episode focuses on the 12th century. The program begins by stating that the 1100s saw a considerable rise in the population of the world and of much “ambitious building,” particularly of religious establishments. In the southwest of North America, native tribes managed to cultivate the arid desert landscape; the ruins of the structure Pueblo Bonito still stand in modern-day New Mexico. Made of stone and adobe and other natural resources, their buildings contained sacred chambers for ceremonies, and many of the raw materials used had to be manually transported over hundred of miles. A system of roads stemming from the main canyon allowed for trade, particularly of turquoise, which was and still is often made into jewelry. Irrigation was also an essential technique, and it allowed for the cultivation of their most important crop, corn, although years of droughts put an end to life in many areas. However, as modern-day Native Americans explain, many of the traditions and techniques have carried over throughout the centuries. The forests of northern France were home to many abbeys, including the abbey of Vézelay, which had to be enlarged to accomdate its growing population. It was rebuilt in the new Gothic style, and soon its influence spread to the Church of Saint-Denis. The Abbot Suger began his remodel of the cathedral in 1136, emphasizing the use of natural light and adding stained-glass window and portals (also called rose windows) and vaulting the ceilings to extreme heights. In his writings, he documented his search for an extremely tall tree that would provide the necessary amount of material for his construction. Some objected to the new style, however: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux disliked the use of gold, jewels and other expensive material in the church, saying the money would be better served assisting the poor, but he was overruled. Saint-Denis was consecrated in 1144, and many other cathedrals were built around France as a result, including the famous structure in Chartres. In Ethiopia, the king Lalibela built a new holy capital in the style of Jerusalem, where Christians still gather to commemorate St. George’s Day. Believing himself ordained as an infant by a group of angels disguising themselves as bees, Lalibela had a number of cathedrals carved into a mountain, claiming he was inspired by his visions of heaven. The structures took twenty-four years to build, and were in reality a calculated political move from Lalibela: he may have come to power through force, and so wanted to prove himself a true heir and engineered a good deal of propaganda to legitimize his rule, also increasing the empire’s wealth through trade and creating a “religious state” to rival Jerusalem. He is still regarded as a saint by some in the country. In Italy, massive, populous cities were growing, particular Siena, which boasted a sense of civic pride that carries to this day, as exemplified in its annual horse race. One of its rival cities, the nearby San Gimignano, is now called a “medieval Manhattan” because of its many tall towers, several of which still stand. The growth of cities affected the balance of power within the country; the people claimed power over time and deposed various popes and emperors, declaring themselves a republic and electing their own leaders. The cities all had a sense of solidarity within them, having established themselves and “triumphed over nature.” In Australia, however, things were quite different. The nomadic people were content to live off the land without building or cultivating the land. They held tight to their elaborate creation stories, usually involving animals who made the world during the “dream-time.” Their “universal language was art,” and they communicated through images and designs created on the Earth, though none of them were made to last. They used fire to carefully “modify” the wilderness, burning certain areas to bring about regrowth and increased game, but did not farm or strive to leave evidence of their society behind. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CNN
- DATE: October 17, 1999 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100719
- GENRE: Documentary
- SUBJECT HEADING: Pat Mitchell Collection, The; History
- SERIES RUN: CNN - TV, 1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Pat Mitchell … Executive Producer
- Jeremy Isaacs … Executive Producer
- Vivian Schiller … Senior Producer
- Jody Gottlieb … Coordinating Producer
- Emma De'Ath … Producer, Director
- Gillian Widdicombe … Associate Producer
- Peter Sommer … Assistant Producer
- Henrietta Foster … Assistant Producer
- Sarah Newman … Assistant Producer
- Janina Stamps … Line Producer
- Neil Cameron … Series Producer
- Felipe Fernández-Armesto … Based on the book by
- Richard Blackford … Music by
- Ben Kingsley … Narrator
- Abbot Suger
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
- Gebre Mesqel Lalibela