Episode #257 - Was There a Children's Crusade?
Summary
This episode investigates the "Children's Crusade" of 1212, analyzing how a real grassroots religious movement was transformed into a tragic myth over centuries. Host Sebastian Major contrasts later, dramatic accounts of child martyrs with contemporary sources suggesting a more mundane event involving shepherds and peasants. The discussion explores the concept of "myth history," explaining how the event became a powerful metaphor for youthful idealism and political anxiety in the 1960s. By examining medieval chronicles and modern scholarship, the episode clarifies the gap between the histor…
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