Michael Baizerman Author

The English were not necessarily the best bowmen in the Middle Ages though both the habit and the law demanded that able-bodied men of all walks of life should have practiced archery on Sundays and holidays. The English kings often hired Welsh and French archers to serve in their armies. These bowmen served as levies or contractors. The latter were often semi-professional troops who lived on the lands controlled by noblemen or the crown. They were employed in the wars overseas. The system of low wages and irregular payments was counterbalanced by such "bonuses" as plunder and ransom. The transfer of a VIP prisoner demanded a circle negotiations; the warrior's captain, the superior commander and even the king were involved. The main sum was fairly paid for the captor. There were no training camps for the warriors to practice archery, just holiday recreation and hunting trips. Bowmen was a privileged business and the kings were responsible for their armory and weapon...

The second chapter in my current research is devoted to William of Rubruck who was sent by the French king to Sartack Khan to check up on rumors of his baptism and give spiritual aid to certain German slaves captured by the Tartars. The traveler reached the khan but made sure that the steppe notable stuck to his nomadic traditional values. William had never seen the prisoners. However, the Mongol chiefs were indecisive what to do with this weird monk and he eventually made his way to the court of the Great Khan Mongke and visited his capital city Karakorum. His account presents a wide range of data which I classified into a few topics: Appearance, Dwellings, Religion, etc. I find that William was neither an ambassador nor a missionary but rather a spy. The Mongol leaders probably understood this and wanted to manipulate him to serve their own interests. Now, when a draft copy is over, I will study materials connected to the life of a great missionary, John of Montecorvino, who wa...

My second champion is a Franciscan friar William (Guilliom) of Rubruck who insists on taking a missionary trip into the heart of the Mongol Empire. Unlike his repeated denouncements of the association with Louis IX of France, our monk seems to be one of the royal associates. He counts the king as one of his spiritual friends. He transmits the royal letter to Sartak Khan and agrees to pass the Great Khan's missive to his royal patron. On the other hand, Guillom is utterly unprepared to be a missionary. He is unaware of local languages and customs. He took with him an incompetent interpreter who cannot support most of spiritual dialogues but clings to bottle on every feast. He is too critical of other faiths-not exactly a kind of conversationalist you would like to have at your dinner table. William probably acts as a royal spy disguised as a missionary. Anyway, his description of the Great Khan's entourage and the capital city Karakorum cast light on political developments...