Spanish Military Orders* -

Spanish Military Orders* -

The hard part is how to deal with those influential (and wealthy) orders that have grown up (in imitation of the religious monastic orders of knighthood) to fight in the "Reconquest of Spain" (remember the Spanish have been doing this since the twelfth century.) There are three of these orders in Castile: Santiago*, Calatrava* and Alcantara*. Not only are these very rich and powerful, they also have their own authority system. Each order has a Grand Master, officers and knights who all enjoy all the privileges of the clergy as well as the aristocracy. This system puts them outside the reach of most of the laws of the kingdom. [note: understanding this strange Spanish system is critical to following the plots of later Spanish plays about them.] Isabella and Ferdinand develop a clever way of dealing with these guys. They gradually get Ferdinand elected Grand Master of each of them as the posts become vacant. They get hold of the last one in 1499 and start moving most of the Orders' revenues into the royal treasury. This puts a real crimp in any possibility for rebellion. Membership in the Orders become essentially a matter of honors to be bestowed by the crown.

Another threat to civil order comes from the "Brotherhoods" (hermandades). These are bands of vigilantes financed by many of the Castilian towns to keep order and protect the interest of the town, a sort of early police force loyal only to the town. Isabella* creates a national one, the Holy Brotherhood* (Santa Hermandad), run by the Crown, to dispense justice impartially. It seems very much like a highway patrol or national police force. These guys are recruited from each village and town by quota. When the aristocracy objects to this the King and Queen also raise a permanent national army to keep everybody (including the aristocracy) peaceful and orderly. It takes about twenty years, but by 1500 the system brings reasonable order out of the medieval chaos and Spain begins to shape up as a Renaissance power. Unlike other countries the Crown also has control over the Spanish Church with authority to appoint all ecclesiastical positions and make church reforms in Spain. This makes it possible for the Spanish Catholic Church to avoid those problems that give rise to the Reformation in central Europe and make life difficult for the Italian papacy.

1479 - In Germany, Hans Folz*, a native of Worms who works in Nuremberg, is known as the producer and author of a bunch of comic Shrovetide plays called Fastnachsspiele*. [Remember that Shrovetide includes the Monday and Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday which makes it a big carnival and festival time before Lent.] These attack the political and moral decline of knights.

You will notice that the comic dramatizations performed for religious holidays become increasingly political. This will contribute to the problems the church has with secular productions for church events. Soon play production will split up and comedy will become entirely secular. From this date on the apprentices (Schembartlauf*) of Nuremberg guilds are organized.

1480 Every now and then a real person appears on the scene who will be taken up and used by writers, playwrights and painters later on. One such individual is born this year, Georg Faust*, who will become a German magician and the prototype of the Faust* legend.

1480 - Redemption is the big theme, especially in German countries. Drawing on legends of "Pope Joan" who was a terrific sinner but got redeemed as she died, they put together a work called Speil von frau Jutten*.

1482 In Spain, Isabella* and Ferdinand* open attack on the Moorish kingdom of Granada* 1483 Up in England Richard III* claims the throne when young Edward V and his brother

mysteriously disappear. (This is one of those events and set of characters that will show up in plays, stories and paintings.)

1484 Pope Innocent VIII* issues a Bull (that's what they call a letter communicating what the Pope orders) against witchcraft and sorcery. We are in for three hundred years of active witch hunting. Columbus* (Genoese map maker and would-be explorer) tries to interest the Portuguese in a voyage west to get to the East. The Portuguese, who currently have the monopoly on maritime exploration, are busy working their way around Africa to go east and turn him down. He tries the Spanish next. They are interested but can't afford it at the moment as they are fighting the Moors.

1485 Up in England Henry Tudor* defeats and kills Richard III*. The result is that he comes to the throne as Henry VII* (he'll rule into 1509) and starts the Tudor* dynasty (which will continue through Elizabeth I.**