Along with Alexander and Alfred, Charlemagne is one of a handful of kings who gets awarded the post-nominal accolade “the Great.” His early life remains mysterious and the stories are assembled from various sources, but it seems he was born around 742 A.D., just at the time when the Plague of Justinian was dispatching millions at the eastern edge of the moribund Roman Empire. The precise place of his birth is also unknown, but it’s likely to be in a town such as Aachen, now in contemporary Germany, or Liège in Belgium. Even Einhard, his dedicated servant and biographer, wouldn’t get drawn into the specifics of Charlemagne’s early life in his fawning magnum opus, The Life of Charles the Great. The very fact that this account exists—probably the first biography of a European ruler—is testament to how important he was (or at least was seen to be). In many European languages, the word “king” is itself derived from Charlemagne’s name.You’re Descended from Royalty and So Is Everybody Else | Adam Rutherford | January 2, 2018
A few years ago, the podcast “Our Fake History,” which covers controversial history-related theories, did an episode on this “revised chronology.” I am tempted to ask the podcaster if he ever heard of Dr. Velikovsky’s chronology.
>> In many European languages, the word “king” is itself derived from Charlemagne’s name. <<
Roy Charlemagne? Seriously, what’s a single language where the word “king” has anything to do with Charlemagne? I can’t think of one, which is something since ‘magne’ = ‘the great’.
Or Charles = Carol = Król? (Polish). Seems a stretch, since Charles = Carol = Carl.