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February 16, 2016

BY CARINA WATSON

Just over 800 years ago in Medieval England, on June 15 1215, King John of England and his barons gave something great to the world; the Magna Carta, or as the Brits refer to it as simply "Magna Carta" (Latin at the time didn't include words such as "the"). Its title translates as "Great Charter", from Latin, which is the language it was written in.

The document itself contains a list of clauses, or propositions, that the noble barons of 1215 England wished to make into law. These range from basic human rights today, such as a free man not being able to be imprisoned without a fair trial and investigation, to one that states that all fish weirs (a structure built in water to redirect the movement of fish) must be removed from all rivers. However, before you start jumping to conclusions and idealizing this ancient document, remember that when the many clauses refer to "freemen", that excludes serfs, the peasants of Medieval Europe, and largest class. Also, there is one proposition that directly states that men can't be charged of murder on the testimony of a woman, unless it regards her husband's death. Thankfully, only three original clauses of Magna Carta are still law in the United Kingdom today, one on the "ancient rights" of London, one on the freedom of the English Church, and one on the human rights of freemen, which now refers to anybody and everybody.

There were many reasons and events that eventually lead to the drafting and signing of Magna Carta, but to generalize, it was because King John was a very unpopular monarch. Even the legends of Robin Hood tell us that John was not a wanted or beloved ruler, with him being portrayed as an evil, greedy, coward who was the opposite of his older brother, and preceder, King Richard, known as the Lionhearted. Though this is most likely an exaggeration, John had earned the dislike of many particular groups. When he was younger, he insulted some Irish barons because of their beards, he didn't make any effort to help his brother Richard when he was captured during the crusades, he imprisoned the other legitimate heir to Richard's throne, the twelve year old Arthur, he chose new church leaders without the Pope's (the church leader at the time) permission, and throughout his life he was known by nicknames like "lackland" and "soft sword". So, the English nobles met the king in Runnymede, a meadow beside the river Thames, and forced him to sign the list of grievances that they'd put together, and bound it upon King John and his heirs, even though the British Parliament has of course, refined it since.

Despite what you may have thought, Magna Carta was by no means a success. John later broke it, and for many years it was forgotten, with even "justice seeking" rebel Oliver Cromwell disregarding it. However, it is said to have influenced the American Declaration of Independence, even though it was Britain they were separating from, and it also helped the persecuted European aristocracy in the early 20th century. So, all in all, Magna Carta, even if it hasn't had its intended effect on England and the world, is still a remarkable historical document, with an even more remarkable story.