http://www.metafilter.com/tags/charlemagne Posts tagged with 'charlemagne' at MetaFilter. Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:49:31 -0800 Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:49:31 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://www.metafilter.com/55374/The%2DFirst%2DWhite%2DElephant%2DGift Around A.D. 800, the storied Caliph <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_al-Raschid">Haroun Al-Raschid</a> <a href="http://www.historybookshop.com/articles/commentary/charlemagne-elephant-ht.asp">sent a diplomatic delegation</a> some two thousand miles from Baghdad to Aachen, the seat of <a href="http://www.historybookshop.com/articles/people/monarchs/charlemagne.asp">Charlemagne's</a> empire. Among the many gifts for the Frankish ruler that accompanied the delegation was <a href="http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197702/an.elephant.for.charlemagne.htm">Abul-</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abul-Abbas">Abbas</a>, the first recorded elephant north of the <a href="http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/alps.html">Alps.</a> tag:metafilter.com,2006:site.55374 Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:49:31 -0800 abulabbas caliph charlemagne diplomacy elephants harounalraschid history whiteelephant Iridic http://www.metafilter.com/17074/ <a href="http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal03023">I am descended from Charlemagne!</a> And you are too. I found tantalizing ideas in this <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/int2002-04-26.htm">Atlantic Interview </a>of Steve Olson. Unfortunately, his <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/05/index.htm">Atlantic article </a>is not available (for free, anyways). He mentioned, in the interview, the work of Humphrys and Chang. A fwe Google searches later, among a labyrinth of pages about <a href="http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~humphrys/FamTree/Royal/famous.descents.html#introduction">Royal descents</a>, I <a href="http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~humphrys/FamTree/Royal/ca.html">FOUND! </a>what I was looking for [More inside] tag:metafilter.com,2002:site.17074 Sat, 11 May 2002 21:08:34 -0800 atlantic charlemagne genealogy steveolson vacapinta