The Early Fur-Trading Days

“What do we know of the manner of the laws

and customs of the white people?”

-Black Hawk

Sauk

The history of wilderness travel represented a most enthrall-ling chapter in American history. From 1634 to 1850 the Michigan fur trade was a prominent business and control of such trade started when the French and the British decided to take part in this profitable business venture. Many battles were fought between various Indian tribes, between the British and the French, between the French and Indian tribes against the British and other Indian tribes, over the fur-trading business. Everybody wanted a piece of the lucrative market.

            At first the Indian people were duped into trading furs for mere trinkets and such. Then they demanded to trade for items such as guns and unfortunately rum and brandy. Liquor became one of the main trade items. Many of the fur traders were of a rough sort, drank plenty, beat on one another and the Indian people and defied the laws of a civil society. Others delved into the wilder-ness to barter with the Indian people, adopt their ways and marry their daughters. 

            Different classes existed amongst the fur-trading population. There was the unlicensed trader, the coureurs de bois, the lawless trader, and the licensed traders. The number of men in this field increased considerably and the distinct classes of traders became more evident and more categories were created: bourgeois, the voyageur, the mangeurs-de-lard, the clerks, engages, hivernans or winterers. A lot were employed by the large fur-trading com-panies.

            The Jesuits, or they were referred to as the black robe priests, did not endorse the use of alcohol as a trade item. Intoxicated Indians were unlikely candidates to be converted to Christianity. The Jesuits lobbied in Europe against the use of brandy and rum as trade commodities. Their lobbying efforts were generally unsuccessful. If French alcohol was prohibited, it would be substituted with alcoholic beverages supplied by British colonies.

            The Jesuits, followed the fur traders wherever they went. Both were interested in working with the Indian people. The Jesuits wanted to save the Indian people by converting them to Christianity and the fur traders wanted to obtain furs from them at the smallest cost possible. The fur traders were considered a bad influence on the naive tribal people.

            The daily life of a fur trader was somewhat mono-tonous and often filled with hardships. Their food and dress, recreation, methods of trade, character, and relation-ships with the Indian people had been a continuing point of interest. They had to be of a rugged sort, people who could withstand the elements of harsh weather, and life threat-ening obstacles such as hostile Indians, competing fur-traders, starvation and wild animals. Sometimes they had to portage their canoes, supplies, and packs of fur. They were expected to carry a pack of furs that weighed up to 90 pounds sometimes for great distances.

            Their food, which was not of variety, consisted of pemmican, pea soup, wild rice and lyed-corn. To prepare the corn, the corn was boiled in strong lye, then the husk was removed, and the corn was washed and dried. It became soft and could be fried like rice. Pemmican was a dried meat, usually from deer, elk or bison. Later on beef was used to make pemmican, also. Their daily routines consisted of paddling, hauling, and portaging for approximately 16 hours and then they would collapse from exhaustion. At night they slept by some small or large body of water with a gun by their side. Their coverings would be a blanket and perhaps some brush to add cushion to the hard surface of the ground. [i]

            What enticed these foreboding individuals into these dangerous hunting exploits? Was it the money, was it their relationship with the Indian people, or was it the sheer danger of it all? Men who could paddle, hunt, trap, and speak parts of the Indian tongue proved to be the heartiest of fur traders. These men were a combination of being somewhat civilized and part savage with the latter being the most prominent. 

            The fur-trading business ended up being cata-strophic for the Indian people. Not only was the beaver population depleted, the population of the native people was decreased considerably by the ravages of traders’ diseases to which they had no immunity. Smallpox was the number one killer, with measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhus, whooping cough, and influenza following suit. Also, the fur trade created an upheaval of tribal com-munities as they fought one another and joined forces with European allies to gain control of land bases and its resources.[ii]  

            The stage is set for this chapter in a community currently referred to as Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan nestled in the eastern northern part of the state. The Sault is one of the oldest cities in the United States and it is the oldest city in Michigan. Over 2,000 years ago, Native Americans be-gan to gather at this location due to its abundance of fish and fur bearing animals found along the rushing waters of the river which is linked to the Great Lakes of Superior and Huron. They called the area “Bahweting,” or “the place by the rapids.”

            Bahweting served as a meeting place because of the availability of food. The first full-time residents lived in lodges framed of wood poles, covered with bark or animal hides. In the 1600’s, more and more French missionaries and fur traders began to venture into this beautiful part of the country. The traders began calling the area Sault du Gastogne. In 1668, the legendary Jesuit missionary and explorer Fr. Jacques Marquette renamed this settlement Sault Ste. Marie, in honor of the Virgin Mary as the first city in the Great Lakes region.[iii]  

---

xxxi  Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Amherst, Jeffery, 1^st Baron Amherst. Retrieved on September 25, 2014 from

[ii] Conlan, R. (1994). People of the Lakes: The Native Americans. Virginia:  Time-Life Education, 133.

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/amherst_jeffery_4E.

A Demonic Tale

A dark cloud formed over Jayne as she raised her hands up to the sky. She welcomed the mysterious visitor with open arms. She was tired of being poor and dreamed of a happier future, one filled with enticing rewards. Her siblings were none the wiser when she returned home after her stint in the meadow with a demon. Demons must be asked to come to the aid of humans. Once invited in, all hell can break loose. Azmedi was more than happy to come to Jayne’s aid. Thirteen-year-old Jayne had hopes of breaking free from the depths of despair brought on by poverty.

A sly smile crossed Jayne’s face as she walked into her home. Her parents were sitting at the table discussing bills. Some of her younger brothers were chasing each other through the small cabin, wielding sticks pretending they were swords. Tim, her oldest brother, kicked open the door to the kitchen and walked inside carrying two dead rabbits. Jayne’s mother thanked Tim and started cleaning the rabbits to prepare them for the family’s dinner that evening. Terrance was more than happy to carry out this chore because it meant she was able to serve her family a good meal this evening. Dandelion soup can only carry a family so far. As she placed the rabbits that were skinned into the boiling water, Jed walked into the kitchen with two whitefish.

“It’s going to be a feast tonight. Rabbit stew and whitefish. I am going to pick some turnips from the garden to add to our meal,” said Terrance.

“I will pick some blueberries,” added Jayne. She was excited to be outside again away from her family. Jayne saw that her wish to have more in her life and be taken care of was already being answered.

“Thanks, Jayne,” said Terrance.

The meal was wonderful. Everyone could fill up their plates as many times as they wished until they were full that evening. It’s been a long time since that happened.

Jayne retired to her bedroom with her two of her sisters, Dorothy and Helen, for the evening, sharing a full-size bed and one blanket. During the winter months they went to bed with their winter coats on to stay warm. They were talking about their day except Jayne decided to leave out her deal with the demon.

The next day her father, Adam, reported that he was given the job as constable for the small town of St. Mary. The family rejoiced. Her father was doing odd jobs such as repair work and yard work to provide for his family’s needs.

Jayne was by herself in the woods sitting on a log when Azmedi sat next to her. He reminded Jayne that there were stipulations to the deal they made. He needed to be fed on a regular basis. He required energy from humans: sexual, negative energy associated with anger, sadness, and frustration along with life energy. When the fallen angels were banned from heaven they were also banned from God’s grace which provided them with their main life force.

“You can feed off my younger siblings at night,” Jayne said.

“I like that idea. Young children usually have energy to spare.”

As part of Jayne’s bargain, she had to give up her soul. She ended up not caring about her family, her friends or anyone else. Jayne felt care free. She didn’t need much sleep and best of all she was going to be taken care of forever.

Azmedi was hovering above Mary Sue, Jayne’s three-year-old sister. Looking forward to feeding on her life’s energy. She was stirring and opened her eyes and looked up at Azmedi. She screamed louder than Azmedi has ever heard a child scream before. Terrance and Adam ran into the bedroom. Azmedi disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Her parents did not see the demon. Billy her twin brother saw the demon and he was looking with terrified eyes at Terrance when she was bent over their bed.

“It was a monster, mommy, with black eyes and it was flying over Mary Sue,” said Billy. He jumped out of bed and into Terrance’s arms.

Adam picked up Mary Sue and held her close to him.

“I told you those bite marks I had on my arm were from something evil,” said Terrance in a low voice.

Jayne was the only child who did not come into their bedroom to see what was going on. She feigned that she was sound asleep and did not hear the scream the next morning when she was asked why she didn’t check on her younger sister.

“I was sound asleep. I did all that blueberry picking yesterday. Are you okay?” asked Jayne. She looked at Mary Sue. Mary Sue crossed her arms and looked defiant. She hung out with Jayne a lot and Jayne protected her from her brothers when they were picking on her. Mary Sue could not believe Jayne did not come to her aid when she was so scared the night before. Jayne seemed different to Mary Sue. She did not trust her as much as she did before.

Jayne sat and closed her eyes while she sat in the living room with the rest of her family. It was a way she communicated with her demon friend when other people were around. Her family was listening to Little Orphan Anny on the radio. She was working with Azmedi. They were working on placing attachments on Tim, her brother, so they could invade his sleep during the night to have sex with him. He would think he was dreaming and the sexual experience would feel as good as real sex. Considering his age, he had sex on his mind a lot. Tim was none the wiser that this was being done to him. The partners in crime placed attachments on him so they could feed off of him. Jayne enjoyed the energy she was stealing from her siblings, also. Without a soul, she was not provided God’s grace anymore and she felt somewhat empty unless she was feeding off another human.

That night Tim was dreaming and in a deep sleep. He became aroused. Tim was dreaming he was with a girl he really liked. The sexual sensations felt so real. He reached a climax and woke up satisfied and elated. He did not notice Azmedi sitting on the chair in the corner of his bedroom smiling wickedly. Tim got up, walked over to the water basin that was sitting on top of his dresser and cleaned himself. Jayne lay in her bed smiling. The experience was so rewarding, the burst of energy that flowed through her system made her feel alive.

Demons also feed on chaos. Azmedi decided to liven things up at the Paulsen household. He planted thoughts of hatred and malice in the minds of Jayne’s family. Before they knew it, they were at each others’ throats. Billy pushed Mary Sue and she fell on her face in the mud. She ran into the house crying and full of mud. Terrance looked at Mary Sue with disgust and ordered her to bring water in from the well to pour into the metal tub and give herself a bath. They only got baths on Saturday nights so this came as a surprise to Mary Sue. She was also ordered to wash her own clothes. She felt she was being punished for being pushed by her brother. Billy was smiling when he entered the house. Terrance told Billy that she would slap the smile off his face if he didn’t stop. Terrance was usually a mild-mannered woman and never said a cross word to her kids. Things were quickly changing in the Paulsen household.

Adam walked into their home after work and slapped Terrance across the face and told her it was her fault that his boss wrote him up for being late for work. Her eyes teared up and she ran from the room.

Helen accused Dorothy of stealing her necklace. Jayne actually stole the necklace and told Helen that she saw Dorothy with her necklace. Helen punched Dorothy in the arm and told her to give back her necklace. Adam came into the room wielding his belt in his hands. He ripped the belt across Dorothy’s and Helen’s backs leaving long red welts. They were both crying and holding each other.

Tim asked Jed to join him at the barn. Jed was confused but followed his brother. He discovered that two of the barn cats were laying on the barn floor dead as doornails. Jed was shocked to see the dead cats. It appeared that they were strangled. Tim accused Jed of killing the cats and punched him in the face with a lot of force. He fell to the ground and rubbed his face gingerly.

Jayne was the only person not negatively affected by the chaos. She was in her bedroom reading a book. Azmedi asked her what she thought of the household.

“I feel alive again. Energy is energy. There is also so much energy from negative circumstances,” said Jayne.

“Your family hates one another and they can be ruthless when I plant the right thoughts.”

“Can we get a different home. I hate the smallness of this cabin. I want more space and privacy until I am old enough to leave this place. I hate it here,” said Jayne.

“Do you like the new you, Jayne?” asked Azmedi.

“Yes, I do. It is so much easier to not care about anyone,” replied Jayne.

“About the new home. I will see what I can do.”

“Thanks. I would like to live in town so I can sneak out and do things at night and have a little fun,” said Jayne.

Azmedi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The cabin was in the woods two miles from the town of St. Marys. It was a four-room cabin. Some of the eight children had to sleep on cushions on the floor in the living room. They took turns sleeping on the worn-out sofa. The children had to share beds. As sparse as the cabin was, the rest of the family loved the cabin. They could go hiking in the woods and swim at the lake down the hill from their home. They had to use an outhouse. There was no indoor plumbing and no electricity. They had to go to bed when the sun went down in the evening and they rose when the sun came up in the morning. An ice chest was used to preserve their food when they had food and could afford ice. Not a problem during the winter months. They cooked on a wood stove. Terrance learned how to bake bread and biscuits by using the woodstove. Most of the time before Azmedi came into their lives the family was happy and learned how to make the best out of their situation. They read books and played games together. They were a loving and caring family until Azmedi invaded their lives.

Azmedi arranged for Adam to have a job as a constable. Finally, the family had a steady income to rely on. Azmedi also found a home in town a couple of doors down from the constable’s station. Adam could easily walk to work. The house had an additional two bedrooms and the bedrooms were larger. Helen and Jayne shared a bedroom with twin beds. Tim and Jed shared another bedroom and the youngest children shared a bedroom that was downstairs next to their parents’ bedroom. Jayne wanted the bedroom that was above the kitchen. She could climb out of the window and down the roof above the kitchen when she wanted to sneak out at night.

They had electricity and Terrance enjoyed buying lamps for each bedroom and the living room. There was indoor plumbing and the family had a bathroom to use with running water. A large claw foot tub was in the bathroom. Running water also ran in the sink in the kitchen. They didn’t have to haul water from the well to wash dishes. Terrance was beside herself. She was more than happy to take in people’s laundry to help pay the electric and water bills. Everyone in the family was happy with their new home including Jayne. She enjoyed sneaking out of her bedroom window to join kids her age and older while they partied and fooled around.

“We love the new tub, mommy,” said Mary Sue. She was splashing in the water with her brother Billy. Terrance had put suds on their heads with shampoo and created mohawks with their hair. Things were going well for the family. Azmedi decided to give the family a break from his evil influence. He found another family to pick on for a while and then he would turn his focus back on the Paulsen family with a vengeance. Demons made multiple bargains with various humans. They would bounce from one individual and family to the next raising havoc with their lives. They had huge appetites and needed to be fed often.

Jayne turned 16 and she was looking for a man to marry. Azmedi agreed to work with Jayne when she wanted to place attachments on other humans. Attachments created a means of controlling, planting thoughts and feeding off of humans. Jayne wanted to place attachments on her perspective spouse so she could own and control him. She learned that men serving in the Korean War were in town on leave for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Her and her friend Georgia were making up their faces with blush and bright red lipstick. They were looking forward to meeting some young soldiers, dancing, making out and perhaps finding a future husband. Azmedi was looking forward to finding another human to feed on and perhaps make his life somewhat chaotic.

The dance hall was crowded and people were already dancing. The band was playing all the popular music. Jayne looked at Georgia who already had her eyes on a blond haired man standing next to a couple of other men. Jayne was amazed at how fast her friend was working.

Jayne scoped the crowd and found a man leaning against the wall with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was a strikingly handsome man. He was six feet tall, had brown hair and a slender build. Jayne fluffed up her hair and walked towards the young man. He noticed her as she got closer to him. He smiled at her. She extended her hand and said “Hi.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. “Let’s dance,” he whispered in her ear.

She was amazed at how fast this man was working. “What’s your name?” asked Jayne. Trying to keep her breath under control. She could not believe how handsome he was.

“My name is Carl. What’s your name?” asked Carl.

“Jayne.”

“I am going to be in town for a week. I am looking for someone to hang out with. Are you game?” asked Carl.

“I would like to hang out with you,” said Jayne. She looked dreamily into his eyes. She was 16 and her hormones were in overdrive. Her first time with this handsome stranger would be great. Hopefully, he would be okay with this being her first time.

“I think you are easy on the eyes, Jayne.”

“I think the same about you,” said Jayne.

He put his finger under her chin and raised her head so he could kiss her.

It’s working, he’s falling for me.

Azmedi was standing in the corner watching the couple. He aided Jayne with placing attachments on unsuspecting Carl as he did so himself.  He fully anticipated feeding off their sexual experience.

Carl acted rather fast and pulled her really close to him while they danced. Other dancers stopped to watch them.

Jayne went with Carl to his friend’s home. They made love that evening. Carl thought it was endearing that he was Jayne’s first lover.

Jayne and Carl had to have Terrance and Adam sign a form so they could get married since she was only 16. They were married before Carl went back to Korea.

Jayne patted her belly hoping she was pregnant. Georgia did not have as much luck as Jayne and was completely surprised they were already married.

The Carlson home was in complete chaos. The five siblings were hurting each other constantly. An older brother, Tommy, actually shoved his little brother, Micky, down the stairs and he broke his arm. Micky was scolded for upsetting his older brother. Things were being moved around in front of the Carlsons. A chair would skid across the room. Doors would open and close. Large dark shadows would appear out of nowhere. A couple of his demon colleagues joined Azmedi with terrorizing the family. Azmedi was having fun toying with the family. Little Amy was Azmedi’s favorite target. He fed off her almost nightly. She was only six years old. She would sit at the breakfast table with dark circles under her eyes and would fall asleep at the table. If Susan, Amy’s mother wasn’t being beaten up by her husband, George, on a daily basis, she would have noticed her poor daughter’s state. They were also a loving family before Azmedi visited their home.

Peter, the oldest son, called on Azmedi to help him with their family’s poverty. He wanted better for himself. Peter was the only person in the household who was not being affected by the evil influence of demonic activity. He fed off his family’s distress without feeling any remorse for what they were going through. Peter did not miss having a soul.

“I like hitting you Susan. I like it when you cry. You look so pathetic. If only that John guy who wanted to marry you, could see you now. You look scrawny and scared. Look at that hair,” said George. He pulled her up to look at herself in the mirror.

“I didn’t think I looked that good,” whimpered Susan.

Susan had no one on her side. George convinced all of their children to be against her and to treat her horribly.

“Get that kitchen cleaned up before I give you something else to cry about,” ordered George. Their children were smiling at George when he yelled at her.

Azmedi and his peers were happy with their work. The energy that was emitted through the anger, sadness and despair fed them for days. Peter lay smiling in his bedroom. He loved seeing his family suffer.

Carl was home for good from serving his country. Jayne was elated. She worked at signing, sealing and delivering their wedded agreement by trying to get pregnant. Carl was concerned about finances, but she assured him everything would work out.

“Azmedi, Carl needs a good job, a job that would keep me in the manner I believe I deserve,” demanded Jayne.

Azmedi rolled his eyes. He was beginning to think Jayne was not worth the trouble. Some of her siblings have grown and have left the nest. Her parents, Adam and Terrance, have become so worn and tired, they didn’t seem to have the energy to fight or even raise their voices. Then he had a glimmer of hope that perhaps Jayne and Carl would have children he could feed off of. He perked up with the thought and decided to get Carl a very good job, one that paid well. He attended a Mason meeting to learn about what positions were available in the community. Then he went to work lining up a position for someone with very little skills and education could do.

He had just the right job, the Chief of Police. He planted thoughts in the mayor’s head to get ahold of Carl to offer him the job. Carl was shocked when the mayor contacted him and offered him the job that he didn’t even apply for. The mayor told him that several of the city commissioners recommended him. Carl did not know any of the commissioners but his father did. He smiled at the thought of his father pulling strings for him. He couldn’t wait to tell Jayne. On his way home, he purchased flowers to give to her when he broke the news.

“Where is my Jayne?” asked Carl as he walked into their home.

Jayne was taking a bubble bath. She called him into the bathroom.

“I have something to share with you,” said Carl.

“What Carl? Tell me. I can tell it’s good because you are smiling from ear to ear.”

“I was offered the job as the new chief of police,” beamed Carl.

Jayne was trying to hide her shock and replied, “Wow, that’s great.”

“I start on Monday,” Carl said.

“I have some news for you, Carl.”

“Tell me, my sweet.”

“We have a bun in the oven.”

“You are expecting a child, when, how,” stammered Carl. He was elated and surprised at the same time.

“I just found out. I will probably have the baby some time next summer.”

Azmedi was proud of how far Jayne has gone with her life since he met her when she was only 13. He has used her contacts in so many ways without causing harm to her. He’s given her everything she has asked for. Now she was going to have children of her own and he knew what that meant. More energy from a young source. What could he do to Carl to help his cause? He thought long and hard. He could not feel the effects of alcohol without being attached to a human. He decided to make Carl an alcoholic. Things are going too well for Jayne. She is a human, even though she does not have a soul.

Azmedi hated humans. He was one of the fallen angels that were banned from the heavens when Lucifer fell from grace. One of the reasons Lucifer fell from grace was because he didn’t want to serve humans. Azmedi felt the same way, that’s why he decided to fall from grace with Lucifer.

Carl left for work on Friday, not to be seen until almost midnight. He walked into their home staggering from having too much to drink. He had lipstick on his collar. Jayne was furious. She was not jealous by any stretch of the imagination, but she did not want to be shown up by any other woman. She wanted to believe she was the best thing that ever happened to Carl. Jayne was narcissistic and paid a lot of attention to her appearance. She never left the house without putting makeup on. She had to wear the best clothes.

Jayne could not understand what Carl was saying so she knew she had to wait until he woke up the next morning to find out what he was up to. She felt like she was as big as a house. She was seven months pregnant. The baby started kicking her in the side. She laid back down on the bed and tried to get some sleep.

“Where were you last night?” asked Jayne. Her hands were on her hips displaying her anger.

“Some of the guys at work decided to grab a few last night,” replied Carl.

“I waited dinner for you. Your parents stopped to see you. How could you?”

“I don’t know,” said Carl. He was rubbing his sore head. He had a hangover and was feeling quite miserable.

“It sounded good so I went along with the guys.”

“Where did the lipstick come from that was on your collar?”

“What lipstick?” asked Carl.

Jayne showed him his shirt with the lipstick on it.

Carl rubbed his head again and tried to remember what happened the night before to no avail.

Since Jayne does not have a soul, she really didn’t have any real feelings for Carl. But she decided to milk the situation.

“I am really hurt by your actions,” said Jayne.

Carl looked like he was feeling a lot of remorse.

Carl made it a weekly habit to go out with the guys. He started spending time with other women because he felt that something was missing at home. He needed to be more discreet and make sure there were no telltale signs like the lipstick that was discovered on his collar. He found it was easy to attract other women and they didn’t seem to mind that he was married. He had a preference for skinny, blond women. Jayne had long brown hair and the pregnancy left her a little pudgy. 

Jayne realized that Carl was not the same man she met when she was 16. Something was happening to him. She confronted Azmedi and asked if he was behind Carl becoming an alcoholic and a womanizer. Azmedi told her he didn’t know what was happening. Jayne realized that she could not trust Azmedi, he is a demon. Demons probably lie all the time.

Demons will grant humans their wishes to some degree. At the same time, they will make their lives miserable in other ways. Carl was given a great job, but at the same time he became an alcoholic who saw a lot of women. Jayne didn’t feel like she had as much control of him as she did in the past. She was alone a lot and felt empty and friendless. She blamed it on her looks. She thought that other women were jealous of her. Jayne stayed at home by herself a lot and only attended events associated with Carl’s position in the community. She was envious of Carl’s popularity but did not want to do anything to enhance her standing in the community.

Jayne had two more children and their children were five, three and a newborn. She placed attachments on her children when they were in her womb so she could feed off of them when they were born. Carl didn’t help her around the house and he was gone a few nights a week, hanging out at the local establishments. Both of them were getting their needs and wants met. She was feeding off the energy of her children and Carl. She would feed off of him when he was having sex with other women. In public, they pretended to be the perfect couple because he was in the public eye because of his job.

Azmedi continued to feed off of Carl and Jayne’s children. He enjoyed the fact that Carl liked sex as much as he did. The women he coupled with were often very attractive and possessed lots of energy and passion. Azmedi continued to seek other humans to strike a bargain with him. Sometimes he would let them hang onto their souls for a specific amount of time. During other transactions, he would let them live the life they wanted for a specific amount of time, ten years was the most common duration. Many people sold their souls to Azmedi and other demons to escape the lives they felt were unbearable. It was a vicious cycle. Instilling unhappiness and dissatisfaction in human lives was one of the common goals of all demons. If only demons were given free will like God’s precious humans.

Constantine

Murder and mayhem ran rampant throughout the Roman Empire. A hunger for power and wealth served as the driving force for the rulers. Many were losing their lives due to their religious views. Those worshipping multiple gods versus monotheism were at battle with one another, monotheism was losing the battle. Constantine believed he was a Messiah, who had a goal of finishing where Jesus left off. He felt he was an equal to Jesus in every sense of the word. He believed in one god, Sol Invictus, the pagan sun god. The only way he could serve as a priest-king and accomplish what he wanted to achieve was to be revered as the ultimate holy one. He gained a lot of power and respect from his followers. Constantine’s goal was to take over the entire Roman Empire and run things the way he saw fit.

            Kingship during Constantine’s time served as a conduit for individuals who wanted to be linked through lineage to the gods. Many in powerful positions became gods in their own right. Egyptian pharoahs commonly were deified who were associated with lineage associated with gods such as Osiris, Amun and/or Ra. Roman emperors appointed themselves to godhood, claiming lineage to demigods such as Hercules and gods such as Jupiter. Concerning Judaism, the prevalent monotheism of the time, acclaiming oneself as a Messiah served as deification. Constantine considered himself a warrior Messiah. The early Church recognized Constantine as a fully empowered priest-king in the customary biblical sense. They accepted Constantine’s claim of being a Messiah and a warrior who implemented God’s word by the use of a sword and Constantine’s military victories gained God’s favor. The Church also believed that Constantine achieved what Jesus failed to accomplish.

            Constantine looked upon his support from the Christians as a matter of expediency, one that would serve a politacl purpose of uniting his empire and gaining the support of the Christians as allies when he went to battle against Maxentius. Constantine had a vision in which he saw a cross luminating across the sky portraying a sign “Hoc Signo Vinces” (By this sign you will conquer). He ordered that his troops’ shields bear the Christian monograms of “chi” and “rho” from the words “christos.” Constantine’s victory over Maxentius represented a win for Christianity over paganism (Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln, 1986).

            In the following years, Constantine merged and strengthened his military supremacy over his rivals in the collapsing empire. In 313, he met with Licinius in Milan to secure his alliance by the marriage of Licinius and Constantine’s half-sister, Constantia. At the same time, the emperors agreed to the Edict of Milan, which officially granted tolerance to Christianity in the Roman Empire. Constantine gained favor with the Christians. They started to trust Constantine.

            Licinius had to depart immediately when his arch enemy Maximin crossed the Bosporus and invaded the European region. It took some time but Licinius finally defeated Maximin and took control over the entire eastern half of the Roman Empire. The relationship between Constantine and Licinius went south when Licinius tried to have Constantine assassinated. Licinius wanted to appoint someone else as Caesar in place of Constantine.

            “Be prepared my followers, because things are coming to a head with Licinius. There is going to be a nasty war between us,” warned Constantine. “My spies told me that Licinius is going to go against the Church very soon. He wants to have the inhabitants of this empire buy into his beliefs which honor multiple gods. This will thwart our future plans for this empire and the world as a whole. We must put a stop to this,” said Constantine.

            “We agree, sir,” replied many of the bishops and priests.

            The two emperors, Licinius and Constantine, ended the Battle of Mardia in 317 without a victor. They both agreed to a settlement in which Constantine’s sons, Crispus and Constantine II, and Licinius’ son, Licinianus, were made caesars. After this arrangement was made, Constantine ruled the dioceses of Pannonia and Macedonia and decided to reside in Sirmium. He could engage in wars against the Goths and Sarmarians more readily in this location. Constantine’s taste for bloodshed was being satisfied.

           

            “We are going to war,” exclaimed Constantine as he called upon his soldier slaves and  generals he had appointed from his Nephilim descendant followers. “We need to gain back control of the West from Licinius.”

            “We are ready to serve,” announced the generals.

            The tension between the two Caesars led to the civil war of 324AD. The Goths joined forces with Licinius to bring back and preserve the ancient Pagan faiths. Constantine and the Franks he enlisted were fighting to protect and secure the rights of the Christians. Constantine’s army was out-numbered but he provided the drive and his personal abilities needed to win the Battle of Adrianople. Licinius fled across the Boshorus and appointed his bodyguard as Caesar, Martius Martinianus, but Constantine continued to be victorious and won the Battle of the Hellespont, and finally won the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324.

            Licinius and Martinianus were forced to surrender at Nicomedia. During their surrender they were promised their lives would be spared. However, shortly after-wards Constantine went back on his word and accused Licinius of plotting against him so he was arrested and hanged for treason. Licinius’ son, the son of Constantine’s half-sister, was also murdered because of his loyalty to Licinius. Finally, Constantine had achieved his ultimate goal of becoming the sole emperor of the Roman Empire while at the same time wiping out many of his opponents through his war efforts.

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            Constantine won outright in the west and the east, and as a result he gave gifts and property to the churches. In Rome, he renovated the Lateran Palace and had the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul built. During his reign over the Roman empire the area became a Christian territory. The inhabitants saw Constantine, the emperor, as sent by God. He became as powerful as he desired to be. He was revered as the all-powerful.

            Constantine appointed bishops who became influential with the rest of the inhabitants.   He pushed for the bishops to be given equal status with the emperors and others in a ruling capacity. During this time period, Constantine inspired the belief that all human beings were essentially sinners and their sins could be lessened by obeying their laws. 

            Soon after this proclamation the Church and the state were viewed as one entity, joined by similar goals to control the empire. The state became the ruler of the inhabitants and their actions, and the Church became the ruler of souls. Constantine was in his glory when this finally occurred.

            Within a short amount of time, the Christians were converted from being those who were persecuted and a large minority to members of the only lawful religion in the Roman Empire.  Constantine awarded a massive amount of land to the rule of the popes. These donations were referred to as Constitutum Constantini, or the Donation of Constantine (Chadwick, 1995). 

            Things were falling into place for Constantine. He wanted Rome to set a precedent for all churches in the world. Constantine announced that he had a vision at Mount Soracte. He saw Rome as the leader in religion. The Lateran cathedral was considered the birth place of all things religious. He gave endowments to the countries of Judaea, Greece, Asia, Thrace, Africa and Italy to the pastoral care of the pope, his appointee. The symbols of the empire were conferred on Constantine by the nations. He served as the sole holder of the symbols of the Roman Empire. Constantine was enthralled with what he had accomplished as a ruler.

            Constantine called upon his appointed rulers to discuss his future plans. “I want to thank all of you for coming today and meeting with me,” said Constantine as he viewed his audience. His followers looked at him adoringly.

            “I have some great things in mind. First of all, I want to create a city that will be named after me, Constantinople. I don’t believe I should remain here as the secular emperor in the city that represents the head of the Christian religion. I believe the rule should rest with the pope and the pope’s successors. I am going to make this well known all over the world that the pope should rule in Rome and I will put this decree in the tomb of St. Peter announcing this to be true for the rest of eternity. The main purpose of religion is to use it as a tool for the elite to prevent revolts and to keep our subjects in line,” said Constantine.

            Constantine raised the clergy to the rank of Senators, which elevated them to rulers of souls and bodies. Since the majority of the population was illiterate, the people had to turn to the priests for salvation.

            He constructed the citadel of Constantinople and it became the new capital of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire. Constantinople remained the capital for over a thousand years.  The city was a flourishing port that other countries envied and wanted to seize because of its location. It took over six years to build the capital city to the glory Constantine saw fit. The city was finally blessed in 330 AD. It was divided into 14 regions. He embellished the kingdom with public works to provide a constant water supply by the building of massive aqueducts. Senators were placed in charge of the food supply, police, statues, temples, sewers, aqueducts, and other public administrative offices. 

            Columns, marble, doors, and tiles were taken from the temples of the Roman Empire and moved to the new city. In the same manner, much of the great Roman and Greek art were moved to the new city and could be seen in the squares and streets. The growth of the city was stimulated by promising gifts of land to the common people. The location of the city provided easy access to the Danube. It soon became the envy of other empires due to its splendor.

            “Things are falling right into place for us,” said Constantine smugly.

            “We have a city that belongs to us to do as we wish, and you are the leaders. Things cannot go wrong,” replied one of the bishops.

            The new senate house was placed in a basilica on the east side of the city square. On the south side of the newly built square the Great Palace of the Emperor was constructed and contained a ceremonial suite known as the Palace of Daphne. A large dome shape structure referred to as the Hippodrome was where chariot races were held, and the arena contained seating for 80,000 spectators. The baths of Zeuxippus was also located in this area. At the western entrance of Constantinople was the Milion, a vaulted monument from which distances were measured from across the Eastern Roman Empire (Chadwick, 1995).

            “This city is so pleasing to the eyes. I love the artwork, the basilica, and the hot baths. These are luxuries we all have worked so long for and so much deserve. The inhabitants, our slaves, are working so hard to build up this city for a few handfuls of food we provide to them daily. I know I promised they would be given parcels of land if they worked hard, but I am not sure I will carry out that promise,” said Constantine.

            “I wouldn’t. They already have a place to sleep,” replied one of the bishops.

           

                                   

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            Constantine pounded his fist on the large table to call the meeting to order of the First Council of Nicea in 328 AD.

            “You are probably wondering why you were appointed to the First Council of Nicea and why I called this meeting. Things need to be standardized within the Christian sectors in order to ensure further unity. We need to develop a creed that will give all Christians a document to base their beliefs on. This is a time of need for this empire. Our empire faces constant attack by outsiders. We need to promote this doctrine and put it into place immediately. We are facing some major opposition from pagans and the Gnostic group. They want to force us to accept their beliefs,” exclaimed Constantine.

            Constantine sighed and said, “We need to settle the issue of Jesus. There are varying degrees of how Jesus is viewed amongst the Christians. Some say Jesus was born without divine intervention from their god and others say god impregnated Mary.  What level of divinity do we want to give Jesus?”  

            “Jesus should be honored as the Lord along with God and refer to Jesus as God’s only son. We need to refer to the Father as the maker of all things. Humans are referred to as God’s children and then add that Jesus is his only son,” said one of the council members.

            “To accredit Jesus with divinity, we need to ensure Jesus is known to have skills that only the divine can possess,” replied Constantine.

            “Since you are considered the Messiah, should you be given the same notoriety as Jesus,” said one of the council members.

            “That should occur after I die and this book referred to as the Bible can be altered to include my name and the things that I have done,” said Constantine.

When Book of Enoch was discussed, the Council decided to leave the book out of the Bible which explained about the fallen angels and the Nephilim. Other books were discussed and many of the other books were allowed in the Bible.

            The Council of Nicea developed a creed that represented what they wanted the Christians to follow. The final creed was established years after the first one was written and it read: (Much of it remained the same as the original.)

“We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.”

            Christianity was indebted to Constantine. All of his efforts to bestow the importance of Christianity was a forgery. Constantine was not a Christian at all, he worshipped the pagan temple of Apollo, his visions and faith of the sun god was associated with the Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun). Constantine was newly initiated into a Sol Invictus cult after he forbade Christians from being persecuted and served as the Christian Messiah so he could exert his power over them and he truly believed he was the Messiah. After he led the Council of Nicea in determining Jesus’ divinity, standardization of Christianity was established and the creed was completed, he decided to head back home to Constantinople.

When he returned home, he murdered both his wife, Fausta, and his eldest son, Crispus. Fausta was Crispus’ stepmother. He believed the rumors that Fausta and Crispus were immorally involved with one another. Constantine had his wife slowly boiled to death in a bath and his son was poisoned.

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            Constantine had the Roman Senate erect an arch in honor of the sun god after the battle of Milvian. According to Constantine’s vision, he won the battle because of sun god’s blessing. The imperial banners and coinage also represented the sun god. The halo above Jesus’ head was actually the sun god’s emblem.

            Constantine ordered the state to set aside Sunday as the day of rest. Originally, Christianity chose Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath as the sacred day. Everyone needed to concede with Constantine’s wishes. Jesus’ birthday was actually January 6^th but the most important day for the Sol Invictus cults was December 25^th. This day was the festival of Natalis Invictus, the birth or rebirth of the sun when the days grew longer. Christianity aligned itself with the state’s main religion, Sol Invictus. To keep the peace, Constantine did honor the Christians by building Christian churches in parts of the city while other part of the city honored the sun god.

            When Constantine became older, he would be superstitious and worship the Christian God on occasion. He did not consider Jesus worthy of being held at a level he felt he did not deserve, he felt he was above Jesus and accomplished more as a Messiah than he did. He would only pray to God, the Father.

           

            Constantinople was the site of many hardships as well as commercial success for centuries. Being such a desirable site for commercial endeavors and because it was more easily defended due to its location, it became a target for nations that wanted to take over this valuable land base. Constantine continued to pursue his plans to promote the sun god and Christianity. He created a city associated with the Byzantine era filled with beautiful artwork and fabulous architecture. Constantinople still exists today under a new name of Istanbul. Many Christians still refer to the city by its original name and thus Constantine’s name lives on.

            The Roman Church believed at the time that Constantine was a powerful and successful Messiah. He was fierce warrior who ended up presiding over the Roman Empire from 312 to 337, time of his death, unchallenged. Many including Constantine equated his role of a Messiah as being more successful than Jesus’ and he was noted as completing what Jesus did not successfully finish. He has been referred to as the savior of Christianity by the Christian dignitaries. Because of his efforts to protect and procure Christianity, he was considered the savior of the world. What was Constantine? Was he fully human or did he possess his abilities due to some connection with beings that were considered superior to the humans? Why didn’t he want the Book of Enoch included in the Bible?