Medieval Europe

Medieval England

Crispin, the main character and Asta's son, was a poor peasant in 14th Century England. When Crispin was only 13, his mother died and his whole world crumbled. His mourning was soon replaced by inexplicable terror when, it seemed, the whole world was suddenly determined to see him dead! On the advice of his priest, Crispin escaped from the only home he had ever known and ran into a world he had never known. With him, he carried his only possession, a cross of lead. Young and possessing no experience in finding food with no friends nor family to turn to, Crispin with his limited skills, soon realized that his problems began to multiply. Crispin: The Cross Of Lead exemplified and vividly portrayed the existing society in Medieval England. Crispin saw the infrastructure of the existing communities in terms of achievement, commerce, and thriving population through his travel to several settlements in his quest for survival and adventure.

Queen of United Kingdom (as well as Canada, Austra...

First edition cover

Crispin, Broadgate, EC2

Through Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Avi portrayed that Medieval England was developed politically, socially, and economically.

During the Medieval era, the government refused to allow anyone other than those of royal blood to become the leader of the kingdom. Medieval England had a very strict monarchy. Crispin, the illegitimate son of the King, was to become the next king of England. However, he was, under extenuating circumstances, prevented from becoming the next king by John Aycliffe. Aycliffe, the brother of Queen Furnival, in his desperate desire to become the next king, entertained and hatched the plan to murder Crispin (Avi 9, 274). For Aycliffe, if Crispin were to be killed, he (Aycliffe) would be next in line to the throne since the current reigning monarchy did not have a child to assume the...