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Buddha in the Land of the Kami (Japan 7th–12th Centuries) (53:54)
The history of Japan past and present is the story of the kami, the supernatural, not quite godlike spirits who underlie the Japanese-ness of Japan—who created the Japanese islands at the beginning of time and remain today the ones responsible for health and luck, for success in childbirth and business, for the proper functioning of silicon chips and the uniqueness and unity of the Japanese. This program begins with the creation myth of Japan and explains the origin and scope of the kami concept; explains the arrival of Buddhism and how Buddhism and the kami were assimilated; discusses the role of Chinese culture, style, and writing in Japanese culture; and demonstrates how the Japanese garden epitomizes the Japanese view of the relationship between humankind and nature, space, time, and reality.
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The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross (01:29:49)
Description
A holy city to Christians and Muslims alike, Jerusalem had been under Muslim control for more than 400 years when Christian soldiers first besieged it in 1096 AD. Galvanized by Pope Urban II, waves of Christian warriors had fought their way from Europe to the Holy Land intent on finally bringing it under Christian control. Despite countless battles, total victory remained elusive, and only the 13th century and a new scourge from the steppes of Asia would ultimately bring an end to the Crusades. With breathtaking computer-enhanced visuals, vivid reenactments, and stunning footage from rarely seen locations, this A&E Special brings the first three Crusades alive.
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Into the Light (58:35)
Andrew Marr reaches the Middle Ages, when Europe suffered after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Vikings explored and pillaged from Northern Europe to North America, laying foundations of new trading states such as Russia. During the Golden Age of Islam, scholars in Baghdad's House of Wisdom built upon ancient Indian, Persian, and Greek knowledge. By exploring the conquests of Ghengis Khan, the adventures of Marco Polo and the story of an African King, Marr finds out how Europe emerged from the so-called 'Dark Ages' and used influences from around the world to rise again with the Renaissance.
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Medieval London: Filthy Cities (51:44)
This program uncovers the grimy truth as it illustrates just how filthy Britain’s capital once was, and how medieval Londoners took desperate measures to combat rubbish buildup. With detailed computer animation revealing London’s streets as they were 700 years ago, the film literally steps into a typical pedestrian’s shoes—wooden platforms designed to transcend the mess underfoot. Viewers also learn what it was like to be a medieval muckraker tasked with removing human waste, while the impact of butcher shops and their refuse is also examined. Finally, the program studies the remains of a plague victim to discover how the catastrophe forced a cleaner London to emerge from the muck of the past. A BBC/Discovery Coproduction. A part of the series Filthy Cities: A History of Public Sanitation (or Lack Thereof). (52 minutes)
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Medieval Spain
This program uncovers medieval Spain’s historical significance through four of its monasteries: Sant Pere Rodes Benedictine Monastery, Santes Creus Cistercian Monastery, Poblet Cistercian Monastery, and Miravet Templar Monastery and Castle.
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The Middle Ages (24:59)
This program traces the evolution of Europe during the Middle Ages from a group of loosely tied kingdoms to a prosperous community of nations. Topics include the role of the Church, development of the feudal system, the rise of the nobility, the Crusades, formation of the German Hanseatic League, the effects of the plague, the growth of trade guilds, the discovery of printing, the urbanization of the peasantry, and the rise of science.
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Series: Inside the Medieval Mind
“In many ways these were people very much like us,” says Professor Robert Bartlett of the University of St. Andrews, referring to the ambitions and emotions that colored the medieval mind-set. “On the other hand,” he continues, “they inhabited a very different world, in which it was believed the dead visited the living, and where somewhere there lived a race of people with the heads of dogs.” As writer and host of this spellbinding four-part series, Bartlett reveals the intellectual landscape of the Middle Ages in all of its diversity, rigidity, ugliness, and beauty. Each episode focuses on a specific aspect of medieval life—science and learning, love and sex, spirituality and religion, and power and politics. In the process, each visits a wide range of historical sites and includes lively readings from original medieval sources. A BBC Production. 4-part series, 57-59 minutes each.
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Series: Medieval Lives
Historian and author Helen Castor, presenter of the popular series She-Wolves, explores how the people of the Middle Ages handled the most fundamental moments of transition in life: birth, marriage and death. In doing so she reveals how people in the medieval world thought and what they believed in. For the people of the Middle Ages the teachings of the Catholic Church shaped thoughts and beliefs across the whole of Western Europe. But by the end of the Middle Ages the Church would find itself in the grip of momentous change and the way of medieval birth, marriage and death would never be quite the same again. 3-part series, 59 -60 minutes each.
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Series: The Crusades, EP 1 - Holy War (59:17)
Dr Thomas Asbridge re-examines the story of the Crusades. He traces the epic journey of the first crusaders as they marched from Europe to recapture the city of Jerusalem.
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Series: The Crusades, EP 2 - Clash of the Titans (57:00)
Historical documentary series. Dr Thomas Asbridge examines the two figures who have come to embody Crusader war: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin.
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Series: The Crusades, EP 3 - Victory and Defeat (59:00)
Historical documentary series. Dr Thomas Asbridge reveals that the outcome of these holy wars was decided not on the hallowed ground of Jerusalem, but in Egypt.
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The Word and the Sword: History of the World (58:35)
ndrew Marr plunges into the spiritual revolutions that shook the world between 300 BC and 700 AD. This was an age that saw the bloody prince Ashoka turn to Buddhism in India; the ill-fated union of Julius Caesar and Egypt's Cleopatra; the unstoppable rise of Christianity across the Roman Empire and the dramatic spread of Islam from Spain to Central Asia. The most potent human force on the planet came from combining faith and military power; both Christianity and Islam created new empires of 'the word and the sword'.
Try these videos to get started. Must be on campus or login with your COM account for off campus access.
