About the Episode
Episode 95 covers two great stories of international competition. First, The Field of Cloth and Gold was a historic summit that brought together Henry VIII and Francis I with the hopes of peace, competition, and maybe a bit of wrestling. In a short period of time, a temporary city was built with golden tents and other splendors for a 16 day summit of international leaders and athletes.
Second, the 1904 Olympics put a Cuban runner named Felix Carvajal on the map. He didn’t win the Olympic marathon, but his spirit made him the winner among the crowds who saw him. He barely made it in time, had unusual attire, ate food, took a nap, and generally lived it up.
Transcriptions:
Field of Cloth of Gold by Mick Sullivan
If you go back in time, before the modern day and the rise of republics and democracies and representative governments, kings and queens were very important – and powerful – in Europe. But sometimes it was hard to know who was in charge of what. Heck, for a period of time King Henry the VIII – you know, the very famous, very frequently married, and very British King of England believed he was also King of France. This isn’t because he was confused or delusional, The Pope had given French King Louis XII the boot and might have sorta kinda told Henry that he was the top dog in the foreign nation. But then a new pope soon came along who was cool with Louis #12 and Henry was out again – if he was ever really in at all. No one in France would have recognized him as their king anyway. He was the King of England which wasn’t as powerful as France at the time.
But if you know anything about England and France in the past, you’d know that most days, they were not getting along. From the year 1202 to the year 1815, when Napoleon was exiled, France and England managed to start 23 different wars with each other. Clearly, the expanding nations with high aspirations just could not get along. Maybe you’ve heard about the hundred years war? That was also between the Feuding France and Expanding England. But relax Hundred Years war is just a name. It didn’t actually last 100 years. In reality, it lasted one hundred and sixteen years…and four months…and three weeks…and four days. Which I guess makes for a less catchy name.
But for one stretch of time in June of 1520, both nations got along; Even acted in a friendly manner. Shared dinners, music, and competed in sporting competitions. Maybe, and we’re not totally sure about this, but there is some belief that King Henry the 8th and King Francis of France might have even participated in a wrestling match with one another – not for riches, or dominance of the seas or kingdoms or anything…but just for funsies.
In this corner, 28 years old and standing 6-foot-2, sporting fine golden fabric, we have the Hank the Tank coming for you. He can eat an entire turkey and a ham then give his opponent the old chokeslam, he can wrestle a wild boar, He got married to the widow next store and she’d been married seven times before – now everywhere he goes it’s henry henry henry!
That’s right it’s henry the five no, six, no , seven no, eighth! YEAH!
And in the opposite corner…
Age of 25 and very much alive – He’s the First of his name and far from tame. You might call him the king of cheese, but then he’d wrap you up in a half-nelson and you’d beg “Let me go please.” I’m telling ya, This guy bought the mona lisa but in wrestling ring we call him the bone squeeza – his name is Francis and he’s king of France. Who can top that? It’s King Francis the first of France! YEAH!!
Okay, no it certainly didn’t happen like this. And the wrastlin’ might not have happened at all. There don’t seem to be any firsthand accounts of this match of kings. But…the fact that they met and laid down their arms and celebrated something close to peace while dressed in gold in a temporary town of tents and makeshift castles certainly did. It was called the Field of Cloth of Gold. And it wasn’t an Olympic event – but has some similarities: it cost lots of money, many temporary structures were built, there was lots of athletic competition between different nations, and it was intended to create a sense of peace and unity. But we know how that goes…right?
So yeah, France and England were not really good friends. But the Pope was worried about the rise of the Ottoman Empire to the east and through it would be a good idea for everyone in Europe to get along so they could work together to keep the ottoman’s out of the area.
Five years, that’s all he wanted. Five years of everyone getting along. And two of the most important countries in Europe – France and England notoriously did not get along. But now, both nations had young, splendid, cultured, ambitious, strong and charismatic Kings. Henry the 8th and Francis the First. Can’t we get along for 5 years guys? Is it too much to ask?
Well they sure tried. It was agreed that they would hold a summit and celebration on a big patch of open land – basically an 18 day long party with athletic competitions, an absurd amount of food, a bunch of temporary buildings, and the fanciest tents imaginable. Because both of these dudes liked to spend money and act real fancy, much of the fabric used for the tents, and even some of the clothes, actually included real gold thread woven into the fabric. So thanks to the shiny, expensive material everywhere – The international festival became known as the Field of Cloth of Gold.
Each king travelled with 6000 people in their party. That was the number they both agreed to. Henry’s people were dressed in the fancy gold fabric. Which from a distance kinda sorta looked like armor.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Looks like more than 6000 people they got there. Are they trying to pull something over on us? Is this an ambush?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, are they dressed in armor? Are we about to get double-crossed?
Both parties were cautious and worried for their safety. This was a possibly volatile situation and the groups didn’t exactly trust the other.
No No No! It is six thousand – just as we agreed upon. Just like you. Six thousand is a lot of people, so maybe you’re just surprised to see it in real life…
5098, 5099, 6000! Yep it’s six thousand on the nose, boss. Everything is tip top.
What did you find out about the armor?
Oh, it’s ain’t armor. It’s just gold fabric. And it’s awesome.
Oh, wow, I wish I had thought of that…
(both) Well alright then, let’s party!
Getting two kings together with as much ambition and power was a bold move. They admired each other, yes, but that didn’t mean they were friends. They wanted the same things, and were in competition. Nevertheless, they found it in themselves to set it aside and get down to business.
Francois.
Henry.
Francois.
Henry.
Francois!
Henry!
Get over hear you old so-and-so. The kings embraced – then they walked arm in arm into one of the fanciest golden tents, and so began the party.
Hundreds of other tents provided lodging. They even built a fake palace for Henry – it looked like a stone castle, but was actually a wooden frame with fabric sides, painted to look like the stone walls of a castle. There was a fountain which constantly filled a pool with wine. There were 98,000 eggs onsite for people – and that’s just a small sampling of the food. There was beef, mutton, duck, veggies and fruit galore. Meals were decadent, and always being prepared because 12,000 mouths are a lot of mouths, ya know.
There were masquerades, religious services, and most notably competitions. In preparing the site, people had built areas into the grounds for combat and jousting. These competitions were friendly in nature – as was common in the time – but to prevent anything from getting weird or out of hand, anytime the two kings got involved, they fought on the same side. That way the competition wouldn’t spill over into conflict.
Never-the-less it was reported that Henry the 8th just couldn’t help himself and challenged Francis to a wrestling match. What he didn’t know was that Francis was a really good wrestler. It is said that Henry hid his embarrassment well when the younger, smaller king sent him toppling to the ground, heels over head. Henry might have gotten him back when he offered his longbow to Francis while taking target practice. Because the bow was made for muscular and tall Henry, it was often too hard for others to draw. Apparently Francis was one of these others.
At any rate, the 18 days were fun-filled, extravagant, expensive and ultimately inconsequential to altering to the balance of power in Europe. It didn’t seem that way at first. On the penultimate day – which is my favorite was to say second to last – a gigantic dragon appeared in the sky. Some reported that smoke poured out of its nostrils while sparks and fire came from its mouth. Of course, it was not a live creature, but a gigantic kite, pulled by a fast wagon and equipped with fireworks. decorated with imgaes to honor both Henry and Francis. And both men left the event in great spirits, and with super sweet parting gifts they gave to one another.
As much as everyone loves a party favor, the trinkets, fun, gold fabric and good vibes weren’t enough to keep the peace for long. The other major king in the area, Charles the V of Spain soon got into a conflict with France, and Henry’s England, who had also had some chummy moments with Charles, soon got involved too. That was in 1521. Less than a year after the Field of Cloth of Gold they were at each others throats once again. While it might have been unfortunate and unnecessary, it wasn’t unusual. It was just like old times!
The fantastic festival of sport, parties, food, and costume has lived on in memory over the centuries. Though there is nothing left, physically speaking, there is, of course, a pretty famous painting, made a few years later, depicting the event. You should check it out. I’ll include on the website. I always thought the dragon flying over the scene was fantasy, and something that gave it a Harry Potter-esqe Quidditch World Cup Vibe. But I was delighted to learn that the dragon was actually a pretty accurate depiction of something that happened.
Felix Carvajal – 1904 Olympic Marathon
Typically speaking, people who show up to run a marathon have prepared themselves well for the long-distance running competition. Hopefully they’ve practiced before the big day. If they are Olympians, this goes without saying – they’ve been training for their entire lives. But it’s also safe to assume they will be wearing proper clothing and shoes for a long run, that they’ll be hydrated with plenty of water in their system, and that they will have been careful about meals before the race, and fed themselves food chosen to give energy and help with the competition. But in 1904, when Felix Carvajal showed up to represent his native Cuba at the Olympic marathon in St. Louis, Missouri he was far from prepared. Sure, he had spent plenty of time running, but that’s right about where it ends. Felix was hungry and he showed up with the only clothes he had in America, which included heavy long pants and old work boots that weighed about 2lbs each.
After a quick modification to his wardrobe, he was off and running. He didn’t win, but he came in first in the hearts of many. Felix was also one of the few runners that day who didn’t cheat or quit. But he did stop and take a nap along the way. I can’t say I blame him. But let’s start at the beginning – in Cuba, in the year 1875.
That’s when Felix was born. And he practically hit the ground running. His family was poor, but before long Felix made his place in school because the wiry little guy could easily outrun every other kid, and then keep going for miles once the rest had quit. As a young man he worked as a military courier, setting out into the Cuban countryside to run messages to people 30 miles or more apart from each other every single day. Later, he served as a postal worker, because yet again he seemed to never get tired, and he moved fast thanks to his quick feet. Good skills for a postal worker of the 1800s. Still, he never made much money. He thought 1904 might change his fortunes. The Olympics were taking place in St. Louis, Missouri and he knew he was a good runner. Probably the best in Cuba, but why not test his abilities against the best in the world? Who knows? He might become a star.
So the small man with a big bushy mustache visited the mayor of Havana. Felix’s plan was to tell him of his wish to run in the 1904 Marathon and get the mayor’s help in making it happen. Mr. Mayor was not interested.
No thanks. Take a hike kid.
That’s pretty much all I do. That’s the point.
Can’t you see I have real work to do, so if you please, I’d like to get back to it.
Felix was not a quitter – as anyone who ever raced him knew well. So he moved on to plan B. He’d make a point to the Mayor another way.
He started running circles around the city center, making sure to run right by the mayor’s window each time he rounded the circle.
Hello!
Hola!
Bonjour
Howdy Do!
Ni Hao!
GutenTag!
Pretty soon, a crowd assembled to watch the mustachioed man run all day long around the Mayor’s office. He was a familiar man to many. Some placed bets on how many laps he’d do.
Hallo!
Konichiwa
Namaste!
Okay, okay, okay. Enough. If I give you an official pass to America for Olympic competition will you leave me alone?
Felix was now official. He was Olympic bound – except he didn’t have any money. Felix guessed what a lot of middle school students working with a charity or towards a big field trip know today: walk-a-thons and run a-thons are pretty good fundraisers. So after a few weeks of raising money from pledgers by doing what he was best at – moving his feet – he set off on a steamer for New Orleans with a pocket full of cash.
New Orleans is notable for many things. A lot of travelers have arrived there, and through one way or another, quickly found themselves broke. Without a cent. It can go fast. Felix Carvajal was no different. Did he overspend? Did he gamble his money away? Was he robbed? We don’t know for sure. We just know that when he left New Orleans, he had only the clothes on his back – which were not ideal marathon running clothes.
His next problem was figuring out how to get from New Orleans to St. Louis – 600 miles away, mind you, without any money. So he hitchhiked, walked, and – you guessed it – ran. As you might imagine, he had very little to eat during this time too. So when he finally arrived in St. Louis, ON THE DAY OF THE RACE, he had barely eaten in two days. But at least he just made it in time!
At the starting line, officials paused when they took in the sight of his two-pound work boots, long postal worker pants, and the beret on his head.
You gonna run the race wearing all that?
As he stood there, one of the other competitors offered to cut his pant legs off, turning them into a pair of shorts. Felix obliged, but asked for the removed pant legs back. It was his only pair of pants, after all – he might need to sew the legs back on later.
At the sound of the starting gun, 32 competitors from seven different nations took off into a hot St. Louis summer afternoon. Felix was among them. What followed is one of the wildest races in history – one that involved someone using rat poison as a performance enhancing drug (it should go without saying, but don’t do that), someone hopping into a car and riding for a few miles before getting back on foot and crossing the finish ahead of everyone else (he quickly admitted to cheating, don’t do that either), and someone being chased off course by stray dogs. Also, it was over 90 degrees outside. And to make all of this worse there was a distinct lack of water for the racers to consume. Runners were given one single water station around the halfway point of the over 24-mile race. Note: Marathons today are 26.2 miles, but in 1904 that had not been made standard.
Despite everything, Felix ran like the wind in his work boots. I’d say everyone was eating his dust, but that wouldn’t be fair. Everyone was just eating dust – including him. The chosen route was mostly on unpaved roads. Heavy rain weeks before had left them deep with mud, but the rain stopped soon after and the sun went to work. – and the dry heat of summer had left paths of dust – dust which was kicked up by car tires, horse carriages, and crowds of onlookers ahead of them. I shouldn’t need to tell you that this is bad for running – but dusty lungs are bad for just about anything. It was blinding to the eyes at times, it filled people’s noses, throats, probably stomachs. And remember no water. Which might have helped, or might have left everyone with a belly full of mud thanks to all the dust they unwittingly swallowed.
At one point, one of those dust kicking cars pulled up next to Felix. He had already been having a good time, tipping his hat to the spectators, even stopping to chat and work on his English with whomever caught his eye. When the car appeared and drove alongside him, he noticed the race officials inside were chowing down on what looked like some delicious peaches. Felix turned on the charm, smiled under his big mustache and asked if he could have a peach or two. They said no. But Felix was hungry. So without breaking his stride, he got closer to the car, reached in the window and yoinked one of those peaches right out of the bucket.
He was doing okay in the race. Certainly in the running for a medal. Plus all around him competitors were dropping like flies from heat and dust. But he was still hungry. It had been days since his last real meal after all, and now here he was running an Olympic marathon on that empty stomach. So an apple orchard he passed along the way seemed inviting – what better reason for a man in his predicament to stop for a few minutes. He plucked a few apples off of a branch, ate them and set off again. He figured a little nourishment could only help in the race. Was he right? He was worse then right, he was wrong. Pretty quickly he was informed by his unhappy stomach, that what he just ate were bad apples.
Now a new dilemma troubled Felix, who so far had made it through a steady stream of problems without much stress. His apple-induced tummy ache grew worse, which compounded by heat, dust, lack of water, and you know running 24 miles, made him miserable. Then he did what any rational person would do. Nay, Should do. Felix took a nap. Right in the middle of the Olympic Marathon.
It must have worked, because when he woke up, he got right back on track and ran to the finish line – still stopping occasionally to schmooze with the people watching along the way. When he ran into the stadium where the finish line was, he crossed over and then ran another lap around the track by mistake.
Wait Felix! you’re done! You can stop! Good job – you came in fourth place!
Just out of the medal standings. It’s almost certain that if he hadn’t stopped for his Apple Nap he would have won. But it didn’t seem to bother him. He was happy to be there, and only wanted to enjoy his time. As a result, he was the fan favorite. Of the 32 competitors, only 14 racers made it to the finish line. Some went to the hospital, some went to bed. After crossing the finish line, Felix was still feeling fresh, and thusly decided to see the sights of St. Louis and enjoy the World’s Fair grounds following the arduous day. Most were amazed to find he didn’t even seem tired.
Felix hung around St. Louis for a few years after this but eventually made his way back to Cuba. There was another international competition marathon in Greece in 1906 that he decided to race in. Based on his St. Louis marathon run, you know, when he nearly won even with a tummy ache and a nap, Felix was considered a favorite to win. But not long after arriving in Europe, he disappeared and never arrived at the race. It was assumed that something tragic had happened so Cuban newspapers honored him with an obituary recounting his life and the big triumph of sorts in 1904.
Then one day, in 1907, he showed back up in Cuba very much alive, with no explanation, but with proof that he was in fact Felix Carvajal. Because there was some doubt. As soon as he got off the boat guess what he did…he ran for miles to an old friend’s house.
On the day of his last race, in 1949, he was 73 years old. He died that same week. For many good reasons: including incredible running skill, commitment to competition, a humorous spirit, and maybe a bit of mystery, Felix has remained a legend in Cuban and Olympic culture ever since.
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