Arn magnuson biography of christopher

He decided to depict this political development by writing about the previous Holy War between Christianity and Islam. Although the majority of the Crusading Knights came from FranceGuillou needed a Swedish protagonist since he is mainly writing for a Swedish readership, even he admits that a Swedish crusading knight is less realistic.

With this decision a large part of the plot had to be set in Sweden, but when Guillou began his historical research about the 12th century he found that Sweden was yet to be created.

Arn magnuson biography of christopher: Arn Magnusson, born into an aristocratic

At his chosen period, the different realms that were to be consolidated into Sweden were still ruled by blood-feuding noble houses and many historical facts were vague and contested. The story follows Arn's childhood and upbringing and his subsequent involvement in the politics and events of the realm, before being banished to the Holy Land at the age of The second novel follows Arn in Palestinewhere he has become a Knight Templar and participates in the defense of Gaza and Jerusalem from the forces of Saladin.

At the age of five he has a life-threatening accident when falling from the tower of his family's fortress, and is believed to be saved from harm thanks to his mother's intense prayers to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The mother considers it a miracle and finds she must recompensate God by giving the boy to the monastery in Varnhem.

Arn remains with the monks for twelve years, largely isolated from the outside world, and in addition to studying the languages and the learned arts of the monks he comes to be trained in the art of medieval war by a brother Guilbert who is a former Knight Templar in Outremer. Brother Guilbert trains Arn in horse riding and the use of weapons, with the modern techniques from France and the Holy Land that are yet to be discovered in Scandinavia, where the men still fight like Vikings.

When reaching adulthood, the Prior Father Henri tells Arn he is to return to his family. Arn wishes to become a monk, but before being able to take the eternal vows of povertychastity and obedience q. Evangelical counsels he must witness the outside world. Arn gets involved in the deadly politics of the realm, both with his own family's local feuds and the blood-feud between the two royal families competing for the throne.

He proves himself as a superior swordsman when defending his family's honour and participates in the assassination of the king, making him a prodigious adversary in the feud for the throne. Through political schemes he is judged guilty of the terrible sin of arn magnuson biography of christopher before marriage with the noble daughter Cecelia Algotsdotter, who he is engaged to.

Cecelia has become pregnant and tells her sister Katarina. There is, however, a feeling of vindication in this seemingly little known collaborative production — not all medieval historical or fantasy tales jumped from the Lord of the Rings Bandwagon. Not all of them are billion dollar Hollywood flops or record setting excesses cashing in on fad timing or unnecessary sequels and multi part films coughthehobbitcough.

Arn takes its time with its epic material without flash or gimmicks, and this two movies together as 6 episodes format available on Netflix captures the entirety of the tale. Game of Thrones is perhaps drawing itself out with expositions and sex positions — will the dragons ever get to Westeros and is winter really coming? Successes like Arn done on this scale give me renewed hope in someday seeing my proper, long awaited, and far overdue Arthurian spectacles and Beowulf justices.

It helps to know some Scandinavian history to watch Arn, and the uneven middle hours may come from the originally meant for big screen two movie design or crammed in trilogy adaptation. Some critical elements may also seem skipped over or lost in the transition from page to screen even if you are unfamiliar with the literary source.

Arn magnuson biography of christopher: Born in to a noble

Labels: sactionbooksdramakid friendlyMedievalmoviestelevision. No comments:. Newer Post Older Post Home. Cecilia gives birth to Arn's son but the son is taken away from her and she hears only of his survival, and name of Magnus, through another woman who is also named Cecilia, the future queen of Sweden, Cecilia Blanka.

Arn magnuson biography of christopher: In Arn Magnusson is born

While pursuing a band of thieves, Arn comes across the enemy of all Christendom, Saladinand saves his life. Saladin thanks Arn by warning him away from Jerusalem because he is leading a vast army towards the city. As Saladin marches upon Jerusalem, Arn is given the order to intercept the Saracens before they reach the city, and he and his men successfully ambush Saladin's army in a mountain pass the ambush taking the place of the historical Battle of Montgisard figuring in the novel.

The movie ends with Arn gaining a letter discharging him from his service in the Holy Land from the Templar Grandmaster Arnold of Torroja and Cecilia giving praise to God on hearing news of Arn's survival. SVT originally was one of the biggest sponsors of the project, but they pulled out and their role as a major sponsor was taken over by TV4. Other scenes were filmed in Scotland and Morocco.

Most of the actors in the film speak Swedishwhile others speak LatinEnglishand French. The music for the movie was composed by Tuomas Kantelinen. The track was released as a single in and was later placed as a track on her album Me and Simon. The Guardian credited the film with an exciting plot and convincing acting, and locations that "you don't get bored [of] for a second".

However, it criticised the story for not being very believable as the Knights Templar were religious fundamentalists, not "tolerant and multicultural-friendly crusaders". Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. At the age of 27, Arn is already a veteran in the Crusader army, when he faces the strangest experience a Knight Templar can have.

While pursuing a band of Saracen thieves, he comes across the very enemy of all Christendom, Saladin, and saves his life. After this, both become very close friends, but great enemies at the same time. After a series of unimportant battles, Saladin seizes the city and fortress of Gaza, where Arn served as commander. Saladin spares Arn's life, while willing to get a bigger prize, the city of Jerusalem.

Arn is given the order to march with all his knights, and they finally defeat Saladin's army at the Battle of Montgisard. In the Battle of Hattin, Arn is severely wounded and spends several weeks at Saladin's hospital in Damascus, after that he accompanies him to Jerusalem, which is conquered