Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-14
Reviews Legends Of
Former Wars Il
By Frederic J. Haskin.

people look for the intercession of what
ordinarily would be called supernatural
aid. On the German side the people are
half-believing that the great Barbarossa
has risen again from his long sleep to
redeem the Teutonic people and lead
them to victory. On the British side
there is hope Of the resurrection Of the
Kings Men, who, for many centuries,
have been awaiting the stroke Of time
when the people of the British Isles shall
be in sorest need Of defenders.
In Goth century world, these ancient
superstitions may seem curiously out Of
place. Old tales Of early paladins do not
seem to sort well with 80-ton tanks and
with bombers flying through the air at
200 miles an hour, with fame throwing
weapons and splitting machine guns. And
yet back of all these ult-amodern phe-
nomena there remains the human mind
which has but the thinnest veneer Of
modernity.
The German legend of Barbarossa is
among the most fascinating of relatively
modern mythology. Barbarossa was
Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, who be-
came Emperor Of Rome. He sprang from
the Hohenstaufen line and was connect
ed by blood and marriage with Bavaria
and other small German states. Early
In life he accompanied his maternal I'M
Gle, Conrad III, King of Germany, on q
crusade. The adventure ended disas-
trously, but the young Duke Of Swabia
conducted himself so well that he won
renown and when Conrad died, he was
elected King of Germany at Frankfort
and crowned at Aix-la- Chapelle In
March, 1852.
The new King had an ambition to re-
store his realm to the position it had
held under Charlemagne, and he imme-
diately set about that task. He was
skillful not only in warfare but in diplo-
matte intrigue and it was not long be-
fore he had made progress. The story is
long and as involved as only medieval
historical romance can be.
Quite early he fell into the bad graces
Of the Pope, then Eugenius, because Of
some fancied slight about the notifica-
ton of the election and perhaps this
turned Frederick's attention toward
Italy. At any rate he began a series Of
invasions Of the peninsula. The hold Of
the Catholic Church was tremendous,
but so also was the pride Of the German
mobiles. For example, the Pope sent a
protest to Frederick, accusing him OF be-
ing lax in protecting certain archbishop
and, in his letter, the Pope mentioned
that Frederick should remember he held
his position by grace Of the Holy See.
This enraged Frederick and his mobiles
and the reply was made that Frederick
held only from God.
~ -
This is mentioned as largely typical of
the long years Of alteration between
Frederick and Rome, through a success
sion Of Popes At times there was friend
illness and alliance, and at other times
rancor and war. At one period the
Catholic clergy Of Germany split of from
Rome entirely and paid homage to an
other Pope who had the support Of Fred
erick
At any rate Frederick made tremen-
dous conquests in Italy and elsewhere
md was known chiefly as q special rep
resentative and defender of the German
people as against the whole world out
side. In 1888 Frederick took the cross
for the last time and set forth on a
fresh crusade to check the victories OF
Saladin who had taken Jerusalem. In
June, 1870, while crossing the River Caly.
cadnus near Seleucia in Asia Minor.
Frederick was swept away and his body
never recovered.
The important fact of all this Is that,
for centuries, Germans have believed
that this conquering hero, who modelled
all his actions and conquests on Charlie
magne, is not dead but sleeps in a cave
in the Kyffhauser Mountains of Thur
ingia. Indeed, many now believe that
he has been reincarnated in the person
of Adolf Hitler. Hitler has done nothing
to disparage this belief. It will be re-
membered how he has placed his resi-
dence at Berchtesgaden, in the old place
of the gods and has revived much Of the
feeling of Wotan and the elder pagan
belief which, in the early days Of Bar
barossa. was strongly mixed with the
more formal ritual of the Roman Church.
In all the intervening centuries there
have been many survivals Of paganism
and it is not at all strange that many
Germans should think that Barbarossa,
in accordance with the old legend, has
risen to lead the German people to VIC
tory again.
In Britain there are various legends
of the same type. Probably the most
apt is that concerning the Kings Men.
There Is no such single individual as
Barbarossa in this case, but there Is q
definite story. At a place called Roll
right, in Oxfordshire. England, there are
vestiges of barrows and there, the old tale
tells, lie the Kings Men, or the Sleeping
Warriors, as sometimes they are called.
Once they fought to defend Britain
against invaders and merely wait the
time of greatest necessity to do 50 again.
X ~
During the 900 years since the Nor
man Conquest, England has been under
frequent threat of invasion, but has al.
ways successfully repealed its enemies.
Only a short time ago, as history talks.
the Martello towers were built all along
the coast to repel Napoleon. The forces
of the Duke of Monmouth did actually
land at Lyme Regis, but were defeated.
Then the Scots invaded and were fought
on at Preston Pans and Culloden, and
there was the Spanish Armada when
thu hea ron free f1arAd over ENGLAND