history
-
by Ian Wilson Why do the Wars of the Roses feel like endless vendettas? At first glance, because the language of honour hadn’t changed: nobles still cried, “My blood has been offended,” or “My lineage must be avenged.” That patina of chivalry, though, concealed something very different. The talk set out to understand why so…
-
One of our contributors, Maria Leotta, recently posted this blogpost about a house belonging to Francis Lovell in York – read about it here. However, she has also now sent me a photograph of the beam that was apparently in said house, and on it is a depiction of a man wearing a medieval-style hat.…
-
My local group, the Mid-Anglia, recently held our AGM at the White Hart (Toby Carvery) in Colchester, and combined it with a lunch meeting and a couple of relevant presentations. It was very convivial and informative. The presentations were on St John’s Abbey, Colchester and Henry VII’s suspicious interest in it and the differences in…
-
Today is St Andrew’s Day, 30th November. St Andrew was one of Jesus’ apostles. and is also the patron saint of Scotland and other countries like Romania and Greece. His feast day celebrates him as one of Jesus’s first disciples and is marked by cultural celebrations in Scotland, whose national flag is the saltire, a…
-
Here is a new song about Richard III’s visit to Exeter – have a listen! It has a very nice melody and some great mediaeval vibes. Click here! If you like it, here is the link to buy it for just 50p: Here These are the lyrics of the song: After leaving Salisbury he headed…
-
Recently I came across an archaeological article which I found very interesting as it had similarities to Richard III’s finding and identification. Duke Bela of Macso was a young Hungarian nobleman who was assassinated, aged approximately 25, in 1272. On August 6, King Stephen died, and his young son, Ladislaus, IV ascended the throne. Infighting…
-
The link below just cropped up in my Facebook feed, alleging that, because Richard III’s Y-DNA didn’t match the modern supposed bearers of the Y chromosome, it would cause a royal scandal regarding who is the rightful monarch of the UK. Also it states that the ‘false paternity’ occurred between Edward III and Richard III,…
-
Vervain (Verbena officinalis) is another fascinating medieval herb with a rich history! Here are some interesting facts about vervain: Magical and Superstitious Uses Sacred herb: Vervain was considered a sacred herb in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and was associated with the gods. Protection and purification: The herb was believed to offer protection against evil…
-
“….Back during this time [1381] King Richard III was on the throne….” Quote taken from https://tinyurl.com/3558yumz. It would seem that the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, during which the famous rebel leader Wat Tyler was murdered, has become somewhat fashionable. Articles about it are frequently dropping into my in-box and there is even to be a…
-
By Maria Leotta It was 2017 when I first heard of a film about the life of Philippa Langley. I immediately called her to congratulate her but I knew nothing specific about the film. I followed every update, I read every article and I waited in trepidation for the trailer. When the cast was revealed,…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 