Frederick Barbarossa

Frederick I., called Barbarossa (Red-beard), was Emperor of Germany (A.D. 1123-1190). He was a great statesman and a valiant soldier.

He had much trouble with his Italian towns, which rebelled against him, desiring to become republics in themselves. The Pope encouraged them at first, because he did not like Frederick; but after their celebrated reconciliation at Venice, these towns submitted to Frederick. One of his vassals, however, Henry the Lion, rebelled against him; and Frederick had no peace until he took from Henry his lands, and sent him out of the country.

The name of Henry's family was Welf; the Hohenstaufens, Frederick's family, were sometimes called Waibling.

The Italians called these names Guelph and Ghibelline.

In 1189, when Frederick was quite an old man, he set out, at the head of a large army, on the third Crusade. But he did not reach the Holy Land; for, while his army was crossing a river in Asia Minor, he grew impatient because the bridge became blocked, and dashed into the water on horse-back. The stream swept him away; and, before help could reach him, he was drowned, June 10, 1190.

He was buried in Antioch; but in after-times a story arose that he was not dead, but sleeping in a mountain cave in Germany, and that, when the ravens should cease to fly around the mountain, he would awake, and restore Germany to its ancient greatness.

According to the story, his red beard has become so long that it has grown through the table beside which he sits, and that it must wrap itself three times around the table before his second advent.