Chrono Quest II - Notes on the Thirteen Time Zones by Martin Gardiner (2) Zones 9 to 13 Time zone 9 is a one location nativity scene and is quite obvious. The next two time zones are also one location only, 10 is a desert and 11 a jungle. They appear to be completely anonymous, the only thing that can be said about them is that they occur between the birth of Christ and 778AD. Time zone 12 concerns events in the age of Charlemagne. This and other romantic fables of that era are not very well-known in this country. The historical facts are that Charlemagne and his forbears ruled the Kingdom of the Franks, a largely united Europe, towards the end of the dark ages when the Saracens or Moors (Muslims, followers of the prophet Muhammad) ruled over all of the lands surrounding the south, east, and north-east Mediterranean. It was largely due to their efforts that the Saracens were prevented from breaking out of Spain and overrunning northern Europe. For, at that time, Christianity was but a fledgling religion, great parts of this country and the rest of Europe were still pagan. Had the Saracens been successful it is unlikely that Christianity would have survived. In the year 778AD, after a moderately-successful campaign against the Saracens in Spain, Charlemagne decided to return home with his booty, crossing the Pyrenees through the pass of Roncesvalles. On the 15th of August the main body of the army, under the direct command of Charlemagne had passed safely through the narrow valley. Far in the rear was the baggage train, with its tempting booty, under the command of high- ranking soldiers, including Roland who was to pass into legend as Charlemagne's nephew. There is some doubt as to whether the baggage train was a part of the rearguard or behind it. Considering the events that were to follow the latter would seem to be the case. That would seem to be incredible carelessness, for having the baggage train behind the rearguard is an acceptable formation for advancing in open country with the enemy ahead, but madness in retreat, especially through a narrow defile where manoeuver is restricted. To add to this complacency these veteran soldiers failed to take the elementary precaution of sending out scouts or troops to guard the flanks. At the point where the pass was at its narrowest, the native Gascon/Basque mountaineers ambushed the baggage train and killed all those in charge. The mountaineers then plundered the baggage and escaped before the main body of the army was aware of the attack. The Franks were unable to take immediate reprisals, for after the attack the enemy scattered so widely that no one knew were to look for them. This debacle was one of the worst blows that Charlemagne's armies ever suffered. It was not even mentioned in the royal annals, but everyone knew what had happened and the events were chronicled later. Just as puzzling as the incompetence of Roland and his comrades is the fact that legend turned them into heroes, and the humiliating defeat into an act of noble self-sacrifice that has been immortalized in the "Song of Roland". In the fable, the guardians of the baggage train are lead into an ambush by the Saracens through the treachery of Count Ganelon, a purely fictional character. Some blame is attached to Roland, but that only arises from his noble refusal to call for help by sounding the great horn "Oliphant". Only as they are about to fall before the overwhelming force of the enemy is Roland persuaded to sound the horn. So we see that although both events, fact and fable, involved treachery, the situations are completely different. The common facts are the location and that Roland died. In the fable Roland or Orlando, (the former the French, the latter the Italian form of the name), is carrying the sword "Durindana", which he had previously taken from a Saracen warrior. This famous weapon was rumoured to have once belonged to Prince Hector of Troy. It was of the finest workmanship, and of such strength and temper that no armour in the world could stand against it. Most information on Charlemagne is only available from rather hefty text books so I would advise a visit to your local library. Relevant material can be found within the number code 940.14, or look in the microfiche under Charlemagne. The plot in time zone 13 is immediately recognisable as being based on a scene from Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers", published in 1844. Dumas was a prolific writer, and often used the services of collaborators, especially for the purpose of research. In the course of their research they stumbled on the "Memoires de d'Artagnan" and some other works by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras, a late seventeenth-century historical novelist. In these they found the outline of the story of d'Artagnan, the names of the Musketeers and some vague references from which Dumas partly derived the character of the branded woman, which was used as the basis for "Milady". We know that many of the characters that Dumas presents to us such as Richelieu, Anne of Austria, Louis XIII, Buckingham, and de Treville, all chief characters of the novel and many other minor ones all have a basis in history. As for the Musketeers, they did serve as a personal bodyguard to Louis XIII. It might surprise many to know that there was a really a d'Artagnan who became a King's Musketeer, but he served Louis XIV. As for Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, they too existed but Courtilz de Sandras gave them simplified names for the sake of orthography and sound. The only leading character that does not have a sound historical basis is that of "Milady" as there is no mention of her in historical documents. Her influence in the story grows as the affair of the diamond tags unfolds. From other more dubious contemporary so-called memoirs Dumas drew the idea of the secret activities and intrigues of the Court of Louis XIII. These include the Duke of Buckingham's infatuation for Anne of Austria, the Queen, and of her folly in presenting Buckingham with the diamond tags which Louis XIII had previously given her. Dumas takes all these characters and stories and invents further situations and dialogue. He alters both places and dates to suit his story and generally fitting them into a pattern of drama conceived in his own mind. When "The Three Musketeers" was published, Dumas hoped to get the credit for an entirely original work, the product of his own imagination. But this backfired on him and ever since the publication of this masterpiece Dumas' critics and philologists have searched endlessly to track down his true sources. There are several early translations available as reprints, but these I found rather difficult to read. A more recent translation can be found on the Penguin Classics label. This is much more readable and has the benefit of a comprehensive introduction.