The Misunderstandings of History

In the not-so-distant future, one of the copies of the Magna Carter will be put on display at the Getty museum. As one of the strongest and greatest forerunners of modern Democracy, the Magna Carter represents a change from the purely tyrannical model of the “divine right of kings” by codifying an agreement between the King and his representatives, thus creating the first significant limitation upon the powers of the King – an incredibly radical concept for early medieval thinking, and one that would change the development of government for centuries to come. Yet, one thing that I do not believe we often consider is the person responsible for this document – King John of England.

 

Now for most of us, our first introduction (and impression) to King John is that of Prince John – the nasty, smarmy, eeeeeeevil enemy of Robin Hood. The classic play, “Lion in Winter” portrays Prince John as a snivelly suck-up, while being described by his older and tougher brother as a “that walking pustule”. In classic Hollywood wide-screen, he is represented as an evil and smarmy tyrant as only Claude Rains could portray him against the ever-so-good-good-goody-good-good Errol Flynn. Heck, even Disney portrays him as a short, thumb-sucking cowardly lion. Yet, much is actually owed to what is described as the disastrous reign of King John.

 

What many people do not often realize is the fact that John was, in many ways, no better or worse than any of his other power-hungry brothers. Richard “the lionhearted” owes a tremendous amount of debt to the Robin Hood legend. Yet, when it comes down to it, he was not a particular effective King. Known for his military might and his ability to command armies against the “infidels” during the crusades, Richard legitimately earned a reputation as a man of might. Yet, much of his actual reign was spent away from England, leaving Prince John as regent, dealing with the problems at home. The real King Richard ruled as a true medieval tyrant, showing no mercy or tolerance. Upon his ascension to the throne, he banned all Jews and women from attending his Coronation. Accounts tell of a contingent of Jews who came to bear gifts. According to these accounts, he had them stripped, flogged, and thrown out of Court. Rumors of this act spread quickly, resulting in acts against Jews, including beatings and burnings – a far cry from the just and noble portrayals of Hollywood.

 

While King Richard was off in the holy lands, Regent Prince John was, needless to say, in a tough position. Not having the might, the power, or the reputation of the King, he still had the responsibility of fixing the problems, and financing things while the King was away playing war games. Richard, meanwhile, gained some victories, and suffered equal losses – eventually succumbing to an injury suffered while on campaign. This left Prince John to ascend to the throne already under the shadow of a poor reputation and strained relations with the Barons of England.

 

Viewed as a set-back to the power of the Crown, this Plantagenet/Angevin noble compromised with the Barons by signing the Magna Carter – which effectively saved the monarchy from a potential rebellion. And while viewed as weak and ineffective, this stroke of the quill changed the course of history. Winston Churchill summarized the legacy of John’s reign. "When the long tally is added, it will be seen that the British nation and the English-speaking world owe far more to the vices of John than to the labours of virtuous sovereigns". And in so many ways, he is right.

 

When it comes down to it, there is no possible way for us to accurately critique the events and happenings of history from roughly 1,000 years ago. Not only are accounts vague, at best, but they are written through the eyes of people whose view of the world is so very different than our own. Yet, when all is said and done, we should give credit where credit is due. Regardless of the reasons, and regardless of the reputation, our world of today would not be where it is had it not been for the actions of our forefathers. I, for one, look forward to seeing this document!