Yesterday I found this and I thought it was beautiful.
Absolutely, totally beautiful. A beautiful tribute to "The Tudors" but more than that an amazing compilation of "small hours" from Henry's life. I wonder if that's really the sort of thing that went through his head towards the end of his life when he was ill and knew he was going to die. Did he dream of the wives and friends he had lost? When he closed his eyes did he see Katherine in all of her quiet dignity? Did he see the beautiful young princess he had married or the old woman she became? I'd like to think that he remembered the best of her, when she was young and sweet, and he was in love with her. Did he see Anne, standing regally on the scaffold? Did he see Catherine Howard smiling and dancing? Was he haunted by the quiet martyrdom of Thomas More, the pleading of Cromwell or the tears of Wolsey? God I hope so.
I think what gets me so much about this video is that when you watch it you see how odd Henry's life really was. He had so many different "lives" and "families." Who does that? Generally, when you look at the course of a person's life, even a king's life, they have one person who was their mate for life, maybe two or three, but not six. If you take the time to think about it, how strange must it have been for him to go from being married for twenty years and being sure of your wife and who your child is to a new wife and a new daughter, and then another wife and another child? I was talking to someone a few years ago and at some point they said to me that something they had done "was with another wife and another family." I remember thinking at the time how odd it was, you have one life that you are used to and one set of children, and then, 20 years later, you have another? Something about seeing Henry's whole life strung together like that made me so very sad. You can really see how he made some people truly happy, and how he was so viciously cruel to those same people in the end. It has always broken my heart how he turned on his closest friends and most loyal servants, More, Wolsey, and Cromwell. I don't know that I would have liked these men in life, but their sadness when he turned on them is painful.
I hope, after Henry became the evil man that he was when he died that every time he slept he dreamt of someone he had wronged. I hope his last memories caused him to feel regret. I love that the last thing he dreams of in this video is three of his wives begging him for mercy, for that must be a truly horrible thing to remember, especially little Catherine Howard screaming his name while running towards the chapel in a desperate bid to gain his forgiveness. Since her ghost is said to repeat this scene almost daily it obviously left an emotional impression somewhere in time, either in the minds of those who recorded the scene or on the veil between this world and the next. Somehow though, I think those he rid himself of got the last laugh, as they watched his spirit moving in a decidedly downward direction!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
In Memoriam...Katherine Howard
Today in 1542 Henry VIII executed a second wife, his infallible "Rose Without a Thorn" Catherine Howard. My heart goes out to this child who walked out to her death on Tower Green on a cold February morning. She had been abandoned by her husband, what little family she had, and her lover Thomas Culpepper had been executed. She was truly alone, and left the world with a reputation as a harlot.
Lady Jane Grey was executed in the same spot several years later, on February 12 1554, completing a trio of queens executed on the lawn of the royal palace turned prison. Jane left this world under Henry's fanatical daughter Mary, and died with the reputation of a sainted martyr. She too, however, was alone. Her husband had been executed and her parents had gone back to the country, leaving her to die. Her father, fool that he was, more or less brought down the axe on her head by trying to raise a second rebellion in her name after she was imprisoned and Mary had been declared queen.
Two girls, near to each other in age, who died a day and 12 years apart in the same spot, and yet they were so different, but found themselves in similar situations. Catherine had a reputation as an empty-headed wanton and Jane was a pious scholar. Both were trapped in marriages that they probably did not want, at least in the sense of loving their husband. I think (and this is just my opinion) that Catherine loved Henry in some sense, but not with the passion and exhilaration that a young girl feels when they first fall in love. That first blush of infatuation and the crazed things that teenagers will do for it most likely was not for Henry, but for Culpepper, Catherine's alleged lover. Jane was forced into marriage by her ambitious parents and married Guilford Dudley, the son of Edward VI's chief counselor.
But this article is not about Jane, it's not that I do not feel sorry for her or do not admire her faith and strength to the very end, but Jane was all that she should be as a young woman of her time. She was learned, obedient, and a faithful protestant. She had lived for a time with Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's last wife and had been educated for several years with her royal cousins, Edward and Elisabeth. She was an exemplary young woman and her death was a tragedy.
Catherine Howard, however, was not all that she should be. She was raised by her grandmother, the dowager Duchess of Norfolk, and was quite experienced in the love of men for her young age. Some say she was sexually abused, which perhaps she was, but girls married and became mothers at such a young age in Tudor England that perhaps she considered herself of an age to experiment sexually. At any rate, she was young and pretty and most likely wanted attention from men as her own father had left her to be raised by the Duchess upon the death of her mother. Today we talk about the importance of a father figure in a young girl's life, and we know that without that guiding influence many young girls seek attention in all manner of unhealthy ways.
I'm not sure that Catherine was empty-headed either. Though we will never know one way or the other, I think she was a typical teen, and she still possessed the idea of "it won't happen to me." Teenagers today think that pregnancy won't happen to them, that car accidents will not happen to them, that alcohol poisoning will not happen to them. They think this because they are so young, and death is such a foreign idea to them. The mind of an adolescent is till growing and changing, so rational thought is not always something they have the ability to produce. Catherine simply thought she would not be caught when she had an affair with Culpepper. She was probably in love, and felt that she would do anything to be with him. Who among us cannot remember sitting by the telephone, praying that it will ring and that special boy or girl will be on the line? The euphoria that came with that phone call beat out all other feelings did it not? I'm sure it was the same for the doomed young queen, contact with Thomas thrilled her, and she threw caution to the wind. Poor child, she thought her crazy, tyrannical husband would forgive her anything, that he adored her that much. She was wrong. She should have taken the example of her cousin Anne to heart. A wife that caused trouble for this king, especially in any way that unmanned him had only one fate. Death. The video below shows Anne Boleyn's spirit watching over Catherine, and I like that idea. If Anne was with her, then she was not alone.
Lady Jane Grey was executed in the same spot several years later, on February 12 1554, completing a trio of queens executed on the lawn of the royal palace turned prison. Jane left this world under Henry's fanatical daughter Mary, and died with the reputation of a sainted martyr. She too, however, was alone. Her husband had been executed and her parents had gone back to the country, leaving her to die. Her father, fool that he was, more or less brought down the axe on her head by trying to raise a second rebellion in her name after she was imprisoned and Mary had been declared queen.
Two girls, near to each other in age, who died a day and 12 years apart in the same spot, and yet they were so different, but found themselves in similar situations. Catherine had a reputation as an empty-headed wanton and Jane was a pious scholar. Both were trapped in marriages that they probably did not want, at least in the sense of loving their husband. I think (and this is just my opinion) that Catherine loved Henry in some sense, but not with the passion and exhilaration that a young girl feels when they first fall in love. That first blush of infatuation and the crazed things that teenagers will do for it most likely was not for Henry, but for Culpepper, Catherine's alleged lover. Jane was forced into marriage by her ambitious parents and married Guilford Dudley, the son of Edward VI's chief counselor.
But this article is not about Jane, it's not that I do not feel sorry for her or do not admire her faith and strength to the very end, but Jane was all that she should be as a young woman of her time. She was learned, obedient, and a faithful protestant. She had lived for a time with Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's last wife and had been educated for several years with her royal cousins, Edward and Elisabeth. She was an exemplary young woman and her death was a tragedy.
Catherine Howard, however, was not all that she should be. She was raised by her grandmother, the dowager Duchess of Norfolk, and was quite experienced in the love of men for her young age. Some say she was sexually abused, which perhaps she was, but girls married and became mothers at such a young age in Tudor England that perhaps she considered herself of an age to experiment sexually. At any rate, she was young and pretty and most likely wanted attention from men as her own father had left her to be raised by the Duchess upon the death of her mother. Today we talk about the importance of a father figure in a young girl's life, and we know that without that guiding influence many young girls seek attention in all manner of unhealthy ways.
I'm not sure that Catherine was empty-headed either. Though we will never know one way or the other, I think she was a typical teen, and she still possessed the idea of "it won't happen to me." Teenagers today think that pregnancy won't happen to them, that car accidents will not happen to them, that alcohol poisoning will not happen to them. They think this because they are so young, and death is such a foreign idea to them. The mind of an adolescent is till growing and changing, so rational thought is not always something they have the ability to produce. Catherine simply thought she would not be caught when she had an affair with Culpepper. She was probably in love, and felt that she would do anything to be with him. Who among us cannot remember sitting by the telephone, praying that it will ring and that special boy or girl will be on the line? The euphoria that came with that phone call beat out all other feelings did it not? I'm sure it was the same for the doomed young queen, contact with Thomas thrilled her, and she threw caution to the wind. Poor child, she thought her crazy, tyrannical husband would forgive her anything, that he adored her that much. She was wrong. She should have taken the example of her cousin Anne to heart. A wife that caused trouble for this king, especially in any way that unmanned him had only one fate. Death. The video below shows Anne Boleyn's spirit watching over Catherine, and I like that idea. If Anne was with her, then she was not alone.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tudor Vampires?
I know with the release of the Twilight series came plethora of vampire books, but I am not sure what I think of Anne Boleyn as a vampire and Elisabeth as a slayer. I think that maybe just takes it a little bit over the top for me. But, who am I to criticize published authors right? I read their books and they made money off of it so hey, I guess they are one step ahead of me. The book advertised at the top of the blog entry "The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer" is, in my opinion actually pretty good for what it is. It is well written, with subtle hints at Anne Boleyn (Elisabeth's mother for those of you who don't know) and a very well developed main character. Weston's Elisabeth has believable feelings and desires, and she does a good job of portraying the farce of queenship. Always having to smile, always having to appear entertained by every idiot ambassador who comes through the door when really she wants to die from boredom. The plot of the book is well thought out and based in the mythology of King Arthur.
Arthur's son, Mordred made a pact with a group of vampires that came to England during his father's reign. He agreed to let them rule England with him as their king if they would help him fight off the Saxon horde. Mordred is in love with Morgaine, the daughter of a knight who died in Arthur's service, but she becomes a vampire slayer, and therefore, cannot be with Mordred. Morgaine dies fighting him and hundreds of years later she visits Anne Boleyn in the chapel at Saint Peter ad Vincula to tell her that the child she is carrying is not a prince, but a girl who will inherit of all of Morgaine's slaying powers. Anne eventually ends up being buried in Saint Peter's and her daughter is taken there on the night off her coronation where she is visited by Anne and gains her slayer powers. She then goes on to be both attracted and repelled by Mordred. She knows she must defeat him, that is her destiny, and so on. I won't reveal the ending, but the book is worth reading. I liked that Elisabeth got to have a small moment with Anne, the mother she most likely could not remember. Since she wore a ring all of her days as queen that secretly carried her mother's portrait in it I'm sure she longed to know her. She could never say it in public, for that would be acknowledging that she was the daughter of a convicted traitor, but Anne was her mother, and no matter what she would have loved her. I have always wondered what Elisabeth was told about Anne. Henry tried so hard to eradicate anything that would remind him of her, but he could not dispose of the daughter who grew to look more and more like her with each passing year. In fact, as the most famous portrait of Anne has now been determined to have been painted within living memory of the dead queen, and commissioned by someone who knew her, Elisabeth may have looked more like her mother than anyone ever knew. Check this out:
Honestly, though I don't want to imply that I wanted Henry to think ill of his daughter, I hope it galled him until the day he died. She was every bit her mother's child in temperament and intelligence and she had her black eyes, though she had Henry's red hair. A living reminder of the woman he had loved so fiercely, and so cruelly destroyed.
But I digress, the topic of this blog entry is Tudor vampire books. The second of this strange new literary genre that I read was "Boleyn, Tudor Vampire" by Cinsearea S. This book has Anne Boleyn hanged instead of beheaded so that she can reawaken in her grave as a vampire. She then digs up her brother George, who is more like a zombie than anything else and he becomes her undead servant. Next she raises Mark Smeaton, who decides that does not like bumbling about the country as a zombie who is falling to pieces, so she reburies him and he returns as a ghost. Anne and her crew spend the next year or so terrorizing Henry, Charles Brandon, and anyone else they run across. Thomas Wyatt is their willing accomplice and he himself becomes part vampire. I have to admit, I loved the idea of Anne, Mark, and George doing things to purposely annoy and torment Henry after what he did to them, it satisfied my need for revenge in terms of wanting fairness for everyone, and really, revenge is just plain fun at times, isn't it? The book is pretty gory and I would not recommend reading it while eating. Don't expect a great story, but if you want a sort of ok zombie-vampire read, it will suffice. It's not great literature, but then, what do we expect of Boleyn vampires and zombies?
Arthur's son, Mordred made a pact with a group of vampires that came to England during his father's reign. He agreed to let them rule England with him as their king if they would help him fight off the Saxon horde. Mordred is in love with Morgaine, the daughter of a knight who died in Arthur's service, but she becomes a vampire slayer, and therefore, cannot be with Mordred. Morgaine dies fighting him and hundreds of years later she visits Anne Boleyn in the chapel at Saint Peter ad Vincula to tell her that the child she is carrying is not a prince, but a girl who will inherit of all of Morgaine's slaying powers. Anne eventually ends up being buried in Saint Peter's and her daughter is taken there on the night off her coronation where she is visited by Anne and gains her slayer powers. She then goes on to be both attracted and repelled by Mordred. She knows she must defeat him, that is her destiny, and so on. I won't reveal the ending, but the book is worth reading. I liked that Elisabeth got to have a small moment with Anne, the mother she most likely could not remember. Since she wore a ring all of her days as queen that secretly carried her mother's portrait in it I'm sure she longed to know her. She could never say it in public, for that would be acknowledging that she was the daughter of a convicted traitor, but Anne was her mother, and no matter what she would have loved her. I have always wondered what Elisabeth was told about Anne. Henry tried so hard to eradicate anything that would remind him of her, but he could not dispose of the daughter who grew to look more and more like her with each passing year. In fact, as the most famous portrait of Anne has now been determined to have been painted within living memory of the dead queen, and commissioned by someone who knew her, Elisabeth may have looked more like her mother than anyone ever knew. Check this out:
Honestly, though I don't want to imply that I wanted Henry to think ill of his daughter, I hope it galled him until the day he died. She was every bit her mother's child in temperament and intelligence and she had her black eyes, though she had Henry's red hair. A living reminder of the woman he had loved so fiercely, and so cruelly destroyed.
But I digress, the topic of this blog entry is Tudor vampire books. The second of this strange new literary genre that I read was "Boleyn, Tudor Vampire" by Cinsearea S. This book has Anne Boleyn hanged instead of beheaded so that she can reawaken in her grave as a vampire. She then digs up her brother George, who is more like a zombie than anything else and he becomes her undead servant. Next she raises Mark Smeaton, who decides that does not like bumbling about the country as a zombie who is falling to pieces, so she reburies him and he returns as a ghost. Anne and her crew spend the next year or so terrorizing Henry, Charles Brandon, and anyone else they run across. Thomas Wyatt is their willing accomplice and he himself becomes part vampire. I have to admit, I loved the idea of Anne, Mark, and George doing things to purposely annoy and torment Henry after what he did to them, it satisfied my need for revenge in terms of wanting fairness for everyone, and really, revenge is just plain fun at times, isn't it? The book is pretty gory and I would not recommend reading it while eating. Don't expect a great story, but if you want a sort of ok zombie-vampire read, it will suffice. It's not great literature, but then, what do we expect of Boleyn vampires and zombies?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Pied Piper, Fact or Fiction
I found a book in the library the other day (a young adult book) called "What happened in Hamelin." Since I love historical fiction I decided to give it a whirl. It is of course, based on the story of the Pied Piper. I remember feeling a shiver, or a thrill at something creepy and not quite right about that story when I was little, and to be honest, I have never really thought much about it. Since I wanted to read this book, I decided to research the history behind the story. This how it played out.
There is a replica of a stained glass window from the 1300s in a church in Hamelin, (the original was destroyed) that shows a large group of children following a man in multi-colored clothing playing a flute. The inscription below, which is from the 1300s reads:
In the year of 1284, on John's and Paul's day
was the 26th of June.
By a piper, dressed in all kind of colors,
130 children born in Hamelin were seduced
and lost at the calvarie near the koppen.
Another theory is that a disease, not unlike the black plague swept through the village, killing many of the children and elderly, who would have been the weakest. In the middle ages, (so I read) death was often portrayed wearing multi-colored clothing, so this theory would make sense as far as the figure in the picture in the stained glass window. Although to be honest, I was hard pressed to find such an image of death when I searched.
It is always possible that these children were led away by some strange deviant who killed them, but such a large number is unlikely. Of course, one must remember Michael Jackson and Neverland Ranch, a children's paradise created by a very strange and charismatic man...so it is entirely possible. Never the less, The Pied Piper remains a fairy tale mystery. In 1284 something very bad happened in the town of Hamelin, but unless some new primary source is found, we will most likely never know exactly what that thing was.
Sources:
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-based-on-an-actual-event.htm
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2060/was-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-a-child-molester
http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/3805/the_lost_children_of_hamelin.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/410409/the_legend_of_the_pied_piper_all_fiction.html?cat=37
There is a replica of a stained glass window from the 1300s in a church in Hamelin, (the original was destroyed) that shows a large group of children following a man in multi-colored clothing playing a flute. The inscription below, which is from the 1300s reads:
In the year of 1284, on John's and Paul's day
was the 26th of June.
By a piper, dressed in all kind of colors,
130 children born in Hamelin were seduced
and lost at the calvarie near the koppen.
So, the meaning of Calvarie or Calvary is really unknown. It is speculated that it was a place of execution. But, as Calvary (the hill where Christ was crucified) was also called Golgotha, or the place of the skull, and koppen means head, it could have been a skull or head shaped hill. What really happened to the children of Hamelin remains a mystery. There are many stories and theories, for instance some scholars propose that the phrase "children of Hamelin" is figurative and does not mean children in the literal sense, but means people who were born in Hamelin. These same scholars think that possibly a person trying to recruit peasants to colonize the eastern block, and present day Romania came through the town and talked many of the people into leaving. As people at the time generally did not leave their home village, this was a strange and traumatic event for those left behind.
Another theory is that a disease, not unlike the black plague swept through the village, killing many of the children and elderly, who would have been the weakest. In the middle ages, (so I read) death was often portrayed wearing multi-colored clothing, so this theory would make sense as far as the figure in the picture in the stained glass window. Although to be honest, I was hard pressed to find such an image of death when I searched.
A third theory poses the idea that this story is about the children's crusade, which actually happened in 1212. This odd and frightening event started with a boy named Stephen of Cloyes claimed that Christ had personally given him a letter for the king and that he was to lead a crusade of children to the Holy Land to recover the Holy Sepulchure. The boy must have been very charismatic because thousands of children followed him. This happened in France and also in Germany, but was led there by a boy named Nicholas. These children eventually made it to port cities and were sold into slavery if they did not die on the way. Over 30,000 children went on these "crusades" and never returned home. It is a frightening example of the instability and zeal of adolescents and the strength of mob mentality. You can read more about the Children's Crusade here: http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/the-childrens-crusade.htm
It is always possible that these children were led away by some strange deviant who killed them, but such a large number is unlikely. Of course, one must remember Michael Jackson and Neverland Ranch, a children's paradise created by a very strange and charismatic man...so it is entirely possible. Never the less, The Pied Piper remains a fairy tale mystery. In 1284 something very bad happened in the town of Hamelin, but unless some new primary source is found, we will most likely never know exactly what that thing was.
Sources:
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-based-on-an-actual-event.htm
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2060/was-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-a-child-molester
http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/3805/the_lost_children_of_hamelin.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/410409/the_legend_of_the_pied_piper_all_fiction.html?cat=37
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Shakespeare's Henry VIII, A Review
I had the opportunity to view Shakespeare's play Henry VIII this past weekend at the Folger theatre in downtown D.C. While I enjoyed the play itself, it was historically an atrocity. I suppose it was written to appease Elisabeth I by making her parents look good, but she was dead by the time it was performed so I am not sure what the point of that was really. The program says that during one of the first performances cannons were fired to signal Henry's entrance and that the cannons caught the roof of the Globe theatre on fire. Perhaps the Globe could not stand for such a historical travesty to be performed within it's walls.
The play covers a period of 16 years during which Henry executes the duke of Buckingham, divorces Catharine of Aragon, marries Anne Boleyn, and ends with the baptism of the princess Elisabeth. Henry is portrayed as an innocent victim of his conscience and has no choice but to divorce his first wife so that he can beget an heir. Anne Boleyn is seen as a mincing innocent who is soooo surprised that Henry has bestowed honors on her and wants to marry her. Catharine of Aragon is the real showstopper however, she is portrayed as I think she really was. A kind, intelligent, sensible woman with a backbone of steel. A capable queen steadfast in her beliefs.
When Elisabeth is born everyone is thrilled, just thrilled and what celebrations are had to honor the tiny princess. No mention is made except in passing at the disappointment that she is a girl. Hmmmm, something is lacking there I think.
Henry was no innocent victim, though he wanted everyone to think he was, and in real life he played his part well, especially at the trial at Blackfriars where the validity of his first marriage was being judged. He was an intelligent, conniving, lustful man who was in love with another woman. I truly believe he loved Catharine, just no longer in the way of a wife. I think it hurt him to be cruel to her, but all too often Henry's pain seems to have turned to anger and she was sent from court to drafty Kimbolton castle and forbidden to see her daughter. Never mind that he himself caused the whole situation.
Anne Boleyn was no innocent bystander either. She had had her heart broken when she was forbidden to marry Henry Percy. Like many young girls who are desperately in love and are forbidden to see the objects of their affection Anne's parents had to resort to changing her bedroom in Hever castle to one that she could not escape from so that she would not run off and find him. This story repeats even today. Who has not been grounded and devastated and angry and tried to sneak out?
I think Anne lived life with her whole heart and because of this she was greatly broken when she was not allowed to marry Percy. Out of this came her love for Henry? Maybe not at first, maybe not for years, but I think she grew to love him passionately. Passionately enough to be humiliated when he had affairs, passionately enough to put her whole heart on display for him everyday, be it happiness, anger, or sadness. She let him have it. Henry complained that Catharine had never spoken to him thus. Oh well, you wanted her brilliant light, but brilliant light cannot be contained. It is said that the candle that burns the shortest time burns the brightest, and her candle burned so very brightly. At least her candle was not snuffed out at the end of that awful play. I am sure some kind of propaganda spin would have been put on it. Blegh. Viva la Reine!
The play covers a period of 16 years during which Henry executes the duke of Buckingham, divorces Catharine of Aragon, marries Anne Boleyn, and ends with the baptism of the princess Elisabeth. Henry is portrayed as an innocent victim of his conscience and has no choice but to divorce his first wife so that he can beget an heir. Anne Boleyn is seen as a mincing innocent who is soooo surprised that Henry has bestowed honors on her and wants to marry her. Catharine of Aragon is the real showstopper however, she is portrayed as I think she really was. A kind, intelligent, sensible woman with a backbone of steel. A capable queen steadfast in her beliefs.
When Elisabeth is born everyone is thrilled, just thrilled and what celebrations are had to honor the tiny princess. No mention is made except in passing at the disappointment that she is a girl. Hmmmm, something is lacking there I think.
Henry was no innocent victim, though he wanted everyone to think he was, and in real life he played his part well, especially at the trial at Blackfriars where the validity of his first marriage was being judged. He was an intelligent, conniving, lustful man who was in love with another woman. I truly believe he loved Catharine, just no longer in the way of a wife. I think it hurt him to be cruel to her, but all too often Henry's pain seems to have turned to anger and she was sent from court to drafty Kimbolton castle and forbidden to see her daughter. Never mind that he himself caused the whole situation.
Anne Boleyn was no innocent bystander either. She had had her heart broken when she was forbidden to marry Henry Percy. Like many young girls who are desperately in love and are forbidden to see the objects of their affection Anne's parents had to resort to changing her bedroom in Hever castle to one that she could not escape from so that she would not run off and find him. This story repeats even today. Who has not been grounded and devastated and angry and tried to sneak out?
I think Anne lived life with her whole heart and because of this she was greatly broken when she was not allowed to marry Percy. Out of this came her love for Henry? Maybe not at first, maybe not for years, but I think she grew to love him passionately. Passionately enough to be humiliated when he had affairs, passionately enough to put her whole heart on display for him everyday, be it happiness, anger, or sadness. She let him have it. Henry complained that Catharine had never spoken to him thus. Oh well, you wanted her brilliant light, but brilliant light cannot be contained. It is said that the candle that burns the shortest time burns the brightest, and her candle burned so very brightly. At least her candle was not snuffed out at the end of that awful play. I am sure some kind of propaganda spin would have been put on it. Blegh. Viva la Reine!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
What Did He Really Believe?
I just finished reading Suzannah Libscomb's book "1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII." This was a great non-fiction read and I finished it in one day. The book discusses how the year 1536 changed Henry VIII forever. It was in this year that he lost his first wife, Catharine of Aragon in January. A few days later Anne Boleyn miscarried another baby boy. Anne was accused of adultery in May of 1536 and executed in the same month, along with five men, all reputed to be good friend's of Henry's with the exeption of the musician Mark Smeaton. In July of that year Henry's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy died. Lipscomb argues that the horrible events of this year changed Henry's view of himself and the world forever. He suffered so much loss during this one horrible year that I imagine he did have a hard time recovering. He was reportedly close with his son Fitzroy and exhibited erratic behavior at the boy's death, ordering the Duke of Norfolk to bury him in secret and then reprimanding him for following these orders several days later. Are these the strange actions of a grieving father and a husband who's wife died, a wife he went to the ends of the earth to marry? Or, are they the early acts of a man who was going insane?
Lipscomb argues that Henry believed Anne Boleyn to be guilty of adultery, that this was the only way, as a sane human being, that he could have turned on her so viciously. The king and Anne were reportedly "making merry together" in late April of 1536. What happened in those few days that ended with the death of the love of Henry's life? I certainly have never met a man who would fight for and wait 10 years on a woman he did not love. Lipscomb reports that the rumors of the queen's infidelity came from the Countess of Worchester, one of Anne's ladies in waiting. She was chastised for her own loose behavior by her brother and apparently accused Anne of questionable behavior as well. These accusations were brought to the attention of Cromwell who brought them to Henry. An investigation ensued and Anne and several others were arrested. We all know how the story ends, but is it possible that Henry believed his wife betrayed him? Did this betrayal put him on the road to madness? I have discussed Henry's madness in earlier posts, but Lipscomb is right, until 1536, he was not nearly as crazy as he was after that year, at least he did not appear to be. I think betrayal and divorce is like a death, the death of a relationship and the death in one's heart of the one they loved. In this case it ended in the very real death of six people, which in reality probably compounded Henry's grief. If he in fact believed that Anne was guilty then he was most likely already mourning her and the person he thought she was. His grief most likely turned to fierce anger and ended up with him ordering her execution after her sham of a trial. Libscomb writes that Henry took a morbid interest in the practical arrangements of Anne's execution such as the building of the scaffold and the hiring of an extrememly expensive executioner from Calais. I would almost call this his final act of love as this French executioner cost more than most men made in a year and was reputed to be very skillful, killing his victims in one stroke of the sword. This would have been a wonderful alternative to the axe, a form of execution that was often botched and saw the executed literally hacked to death.
Lipscomb's book provided a unique and often untapped perspective on the change in Henry VIII after 1536. I also enjoy her theory that Henry believed Anne to be guilty, othwerwise how could so great a love turn so quickly to so much hatred and malice? I would fear to think that Anne was not savy enough to see all of this coming if in fact Henry was vindictive and nutty to begin with. I don't think she would have gone for that after loving a man so gentle as Henry Percy. She does not strike me as the type of girl who is so blinded by love that she sees no faults in a man. I think she saw plenty of them, and told him about them all. From all written accounts it does not appear that she held her tongue often. Maybe she would have, the truth is, we really don't know. All that does appear obvious is that something went horribly wrong and Henry turned on his wife like a mad dog turns on it's master. From 1536 on he appears to sink deeper into madness and tyranny.
The video below shows Anne and Henry considering the downfall of their marriage. Pure sadness.
Lipscomb argues that Henry believed Anne Boleyn to be guilty of adultery, that this was the only way, as a sane human being, that he could have turned on her so viciously. The king and Anne were reportedly "making merry together" in late April of 1536. What happened in those few days that ended with the death of the love of Henry's life? I certainly have never met a man who would fight for and wait 10 years on a woman he did not love. Lipscomb reports that the rumors of the queen's infidelity came from the Countess of Worchester, one of Anne's ladies in waiting. She was chastised for her own loose behavior by her brother and apparently accused Anne of questionable behavior as well. These accusations were brought to the attention of Cromwell who brought them to Henry. An investigation ensued and Anne and several others were arrested. We all know how the story ends, but is it possible that Henry believed his wife betrayed him? Did this betrayal put him on the road to madness? I have discussed Henry's madness in earlier posts, but Lipscomb is right, until 1536, he was not nearly as crazy as he was after that year, at least he did not appear to be. I think betrayal and divorce is like a death, the death of a relationship and the death in one's heart of the one they loved. In this case it ended in the very real death of six people, which in reality probably compounded Henry's grief. If he in fact believed that Anne was guilty then he was most likely already mourning her and the person he thought she was. His grief most likely turned to fierce anger and ended up with him ordering her execution after her sham of a trial. Libscomb writes that Henry took a morbid interest in the practical arrangements of Anne's execution such as the building of the scaffold and the hiring of an extrememly expensive executioner from Calais. I would almost call this his final act of love as this French executioner cost more than most men made in a year and was reputed to be very skillful, killing his victims in one stroke of the sword. This would have been a wonderful alternative to the axe, a form of execution that was often botched and saw the executed literally hacked to death.
Lipscomb's book provided a unique and often untapped perspective on the change in Henry VIII after 1536. I also enjoy her theory that Henry believed Anne to be guilty, othwerwise how could so great a love turn so quickly to so much hatred and malice? I would fear to think that Anne was not savy enough to see all of this coming if in fact Henry was vindictive and nutty to begin with. I don't think she would have gone for that after loving a man so gentle as Henry Percy. She does not strike me as the type of girl who is so blinded by love that she sees no faults in a man. I think she saw plenty of them, and told him about them all. From all written accounts it does not appear that she held her tongue often. Maybe she would have, the truth is, we really don't know. All that does appear obvious is that something went horribly wrong and Henry turned on his wife like a mad dog turns on it's master. From 1536 on he appears to sink deeper into madness and tyranny.
The video below shows Anne and Henry considering the downfall of their marriage. Pure sadness.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Anne Boleyn in Fiction: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
This summer I decided to go back and re-read The Other Boleyn Girl, the book that drew me into historical fiction as a genre, well, really the only genre that I want to read. I think that this book in particular drew many people into reading about the past, whether in novels or non-fiction books, this book, and the horrible movie made from it is what I feel started a passion for Tudor fiction in readers everywhere. The book was excellent, a page turner until the end, just as I remembered. What I also found to be true in this book is the fact that I despised Gregory's portrayal of Anne Boleyn. The Anne in this book had almost no humanity, no softness, no weakness which could be related to. She was all nerves and steel with a fake til you make it attitude and she did not mind stepping on anyone to make it. This Anne was conniving, self-centered, mean spirited and driven with some sort of inner tornado. This Anne was a horrible, spiteful person who loved no one, except her brother George. He a little too much it is suggested as he and Anne reference going to "the gates of hell itself" to get an heir for England. This Anne is a hard, dark person to me.
So, I started thinking about Anne in other books that I have read over the years. I liked Anne Boleyn in "Secrets of the Tudor Court" which is told from the perspective of Mary Howard, Anne's cousin. This Anne is sharp, nervous, quick to sting, but also quick with kindness. Mostly she just seems a nervous wreck, a dignified one, but a nervous wreck. Who could blame her? Her husband was cheating on her, she was losing babies, rumors were flying, and her own family was spying on her to make sure she behaved in a way that would benefit them. She knew she would be betrayed and she was. This Anne I liked. This Anne was human.
I liked Anne in Dear Heart, How Like You This told from the point of view of Thomas Wyatt. She was lively and full of life, but was broken when she lost Henry Percy. She became vengeful and angry and won Henry as a means of revenge. This Anne just makes me sad. An Anne that I loved was the Anne in Brandy Purdy's "The Boleyn Wife." This Anne mocked Jane Rochford from the grave, something which I thought was appropriate to do to the woman who helped bring about her death and the death of George. I loved her black humor in this book and how she taunted Jane by removing her head and putting it back on in one of Jane's hallucinations.
My favorite Anne of all time is Natalie Dormer on "The Tudors" but a close second is the Anne in Nell Gavin's "Threads." This Anne is introspective, sad, alternately sympathetic and angry, and had a fully developed, well rounded character. At times I thought she was more of a girl than a woman, but I loved her insight and how much she grew and changed during her many lives. The insight she gained was invaluable and she learned how she became Anne Boleyn, and how this affected all of her lives afterwards. This Anne, she was amazing and how I like to think Anne Boleyn would have been. The story is complicated, allowing Anne to view many of her lives after her life as Anne Boleyn has ended and she comes to understand the complicated relationship she has with Henry. She learns to appreciate the simple, worship-like love that Henry Percy has had for her through several lifetimes. She finally understands that she and Henry are soul mates, and destined to be together over and over and over, forever, until they make it to heaven. It is a beautiful story with an amazing Anne Boleyn as the main character. This is an Anne that I can love. I can't wait to read more, no matter how many times you meet a character in a story, they are always different, never the same person. It's one of the best pieces of magic that books have to offer!
So, I started thinking about Anne in other books that I have read over the years. I liked Anne Boleyn in "Secrets of the Tudor Court" which is told from the perspective of Mary Howard, Anne's cousin. This Anne is sharp, nervous, quick to sting, but also quick with kindness. Mostly she just seems a nervous wreck, a dignified one, but a nervous wreck. Who could blame her? Her husband was cheating on her, she was losing babies, rumors were flying, and her own family was spying on her to make sure she behaved in a way that would benefit them. She knew she would be betrayed and she was. This Anne I liked. This Anne was human.
I liked Anne in Dear Heart, How Like You This told from the point of view of Thomas Wyatt. She was lively and full of life, but was broken when she lost Henry Percy. She became vengeful and angry and won Henry as a means of revenge. This Anne just makes me sad. An Anne that I loved was the Anne in Brandy Purdy's "The Boleyn Wife." This Anne mocked Jane Rochford from the grave, something which I thought was appropriate to do to the woman who helped bring about her death and the death of George. I loved her black humor in this book and how she taunted Jane by removing her head and putting it back on in one of Jane's hallucinations.
My favorite Anne of all time is Natalie Dormer on "The Tudors" but a close second is the Anne in Nell Gavin's "Threads." This Anne is introspective, sad, alternately sympathetic and angry, and had a fully developed, well rounded character. At times I thought she was more of a girl than a woman, but I loved her insight and how much she grew and changed during her many lives. The insight she gained was invaluable and she learned how she became Anne Boleyn, and how this affected all of her lives afterwards. This Anne, she was amazing and how I like to think Anne Boleyn would have been. The story is complicated, allowing Anne to view many of her lives after her life as Anne Boleyn has ended and she comes to understand the complicated relationship she has with Henry. She learns to appreciate the simple, worship-like love that Henry Percy has had for her through several lifetimes. She finally understands that she and Henry are soul mates, and destined to be together over and over and over, forever, until they make it to heaven. It is a beautiful story with an amazing Anne Boleyn as the main character. This is an Anne that I can love. I can't wait to read more, no matter how many times you meet a character in a story, they are always different, never the same person. It's one of the best pieces of magic that books have to offer!
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