Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 35

The fatal February 10th

February 10th was the date of death of two dukes, a king, one of those treacherous Stanleys, and the worst king-consort ever. Only two of them—maybe two and a half—were worth mourning.
On February 10, 1126, William, the ninth Duke of Aquitaine, also known as the first troubadour duke, died after a long and eventful life. He had a keen sense of humor so he may have been amused that today he is mainly remembered as the grandfather of our Eleanor. But he also had a healthy ego, so maybe not. I would have grieved for him—unless I was one of his wives!
On February 10, 1134, Robert, the Duke of Normandy died after being held prisoner by his not-so-loving younger brother, Henry I, for twenty-eight years. Robert seems to have been a feckless sort, certainly no match for the ruthlessness of Brother Henry, but he probably didn’t deserve nearly three decades of captivity.
On February 10, 1163, Baldwin III, King of Jerusalem, died. He was only in his 33rd year and by all accounts was a very good king, an adroit politician, and a courageous battle commander. He also seems to have been a genuine good guy, charming, affable, and handsome. His death dramatically changed the history of the Holy Land, for he’d not yet had children with his beautiful bride, the seventeen year old Byzantine princess, Theodora, and so the crown passed to his younger brother Amalric, the Count of Jaffa. Amalric had none of Baldwin’s charisma, was taciturn and introverted. He proved to be a capable king, though, but he, too, died prematurely, leaving a thirteen year old son as his heir, the boy who would tragically become known to history as the Leper king. Had Baldwin not died so young or had Amalric lived long enough for his queen, also a Byzantine princess, to give him another son, the kingdom’s doomed march to Armageddon might not have happened. There is no doubt that Saladin is one of history’s more fascinating figures, a brilliant politician, but his great victory at Hattin was based in part upon the disunity among his Christian foes, just as the first crusaders took advantage of Saracen discord to carve out the kingdom of Outremer eighty-some years earlier. Baldwin III does not appear as a character in my new novel, being dead by the time the book opens, but Amalric makes a few appearances before dying of dysentery and his son is a major character, of course. Had I lived then, I would definitely have mourned Baldwin.
On February 10, 1495, William, Lord Stanley, was executed by Henry Tudor, accused of treason, irony at its best. Party time!
Lastly, on February 10, 1567, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was messily murdered, a death that was richly deserved. One of my favorite scenes from the wonderful film, Mary, Queen of Scots, had Elizabeth (the incomparable Glenda Jackson) and Cecil practically falling on the floor laughing upon learning that Mary had been foolish enough to take the bait and marry Darnley.

The Proud Sinner

I know quite a few of my readers enjoy Priscilla Royal’s mysteries, set in 13th century England. So I am very pleased to remind everyone that her newest, The Proud Sinner, is being published this week. Her publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, has also republished her first novel, Wine of Violence, and I was very flattered when they asked me to write a new Forward for this new edition of Wine. I will be doing an interview on my blog with Priscilla after she gets back from Arizona; see below for details.
This next bit of information is for any of my readers fortunate enough to live near Scottsdale, Arizona. Priscilla will be signing copies of her new novel at The Poisoned Pen, my favorite bookstore, this Saturday, February 11th, between noon and 1 PM. If some of you live elsewhere and would still like an autographed copy, just contact the staff at the book store; they would be happy to accommodate your request. I copied this from the Poisoned Pen’s newsletter, which anyone can subscribe to; it is a fun way to keep up to date on new books and authors; sooner or later, all writers end up at the Poisoned Pen.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11 12:00 PM
Priscilla Royal signs The Proud Sinner (Poisoned Pen $26.95; $15.95) Medieval Mystery #13

"Royal's 13th medieval murder takes a page from The Mousetrap, forcing the detective to think outside the box imprisoning her and her suspects."-- Kirkus Reviews.

Ever wonder how medieval kitchens prepped food? and served it. They are truly precursors of today's Locavore cuisine. There's kitchen inspection too!

Prioress Eleanor of Norfolk's Tyndal Priory must play reluctant host to seven scheming abbots and their servants who arrive at her door. One, suddenly taken ill while riding, is taken to the infirmary--and soon dies. Sister Anne redoubles her efforts to discover the cause of Ilbert's death when Odo becomes ill and Abbott Gifre dies after eating mushroom tart. Are the priory's kitchens, or Sister Anne, to blame?

Both Crowner Ralf and Eleanor's right hand, Brother Thomas, work clear the priory while searching out a killer before they all die, one by one.

Also in paperback: Proud Sinner ($15.95). And Order the first 12 medieval mysteries by Royal

https://www.amazon.com/Proud-Sinner-M...

Gracie's Gifts

A number of my readers like to contribute each year to Gracie’s Gifts, so I am posting about their annual blanket collection drive. It is so sad to think that these newborns and their mothers are in such dire need. Here is the information provided by my friend Patrice:

On March 6 2003 my beloved granddaughter was born with OI & lived 19 hours. While in the hospital she received a home made blanket.
In her memory my daughter Holly collects blankets to be donated to be Temple Hospital's
Maternity ward, the poorest section in the city. We have been told that these blankets are the only new things these babies receive.
I have found the best way to send blankets is thru Amazon (make sure they put a tag with your name on it) to my address:
Patrice Batyski
2205 Benson Street 2nd Floor
Phila. PA. 19152
All new blankets or homemade ones are gratefully accepted.
February 28th is the last day.

The Aftermath and my favorite medievl website

Atlanta fans, I feel your pain, I do, for I’ve had lots of experience with heartrending losses. Hey, I’m an Eagles fan; we even lost a close one to the Pats in the 2005 SB. But I hope that even those who are not fans of the Patriots were able to enjoy a game that featured a comeback for the ages. Sorry, Joe Montana, I think you’ve been dethroned as the GOAT. (For non-sports fans, that means Greatest of all Time.) As for me, I am a happy camper this morning.
Back to medieval matters, it occurred to me that some of my new Facebook friends might not be familiar with one of the best sites for anyone interested in the MA. Here is the link; if you like what you see, you can subscribe to their newsletter, a fun way to start your day. http://www.medievalists.net/

The Super Bowl and the Queen of England, an unlikely pairing

I imagine many of you are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl, even non-football fans. A reminder for those utterly allergic to pigskin, the Animal Planet is running its Puppy Bowl all day long; surely no one is allergic to puppies? Back to the game, with apologies to my friends and readers who are cheering the Falcons on, I am on Team Patriots. Whatever their flaws, it is hard to argue that Tom Brady and Darth Vader are probably the best QB and coach we are likely to see in our lifetimes. Also, not being a Roger Goodell fan, I would enjoy watching him hand over the SB trophy to Brady, Kraft, and Belichick. As for the commercials, I fully expect another Budweiser Clydesdale ad to carry the day.
Historically, tomorrow will mark the 65th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the British throne. Normally I am not much interested in events that did not occur in the MA, but I think she deserves mention for such a lengthy reign; in September, she will overtake Queen Victoria. Here is a link to an interesting story about the queen. It also lists the ten people in line for the throne after Elizabeth, and #10 stumped me, a Viscount Severn. Yes, I could easily Google him, but I figured it is just as easy to ask some of the royalists in our group; who is this guy? Thanks! http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/que...

February 2nd in history

I am behind schedule again; curse you, Deadline Dragon. But I could not ignore February 2nd, so here is my post for that date, better late than never.
February 2nd was an important day on the medieval Church calendar—Candlemas. And this date resonated in several of my novels. February 2nd, 1141 was the battle of Lincoln, in which Stephen was defeated and taken prisoner by Robert, the Earl of Gloucester, on behalf of his sister, the Empress Maude. At the risk of seeming blood-thirsty, I like writing of battles and this was a good one, filled with high drama and suspense. February 2nd was also the date of an important Yorkist battle, at Mortimer’s Cross in 1461. Edward, who’d become Duke of York and head of his fractured family upon the death of his father at the battle of Wakefield barely a month ago, was trying to prevent Owen Tudor and reinforcements coming out of Wales from joining the Lancastrians, and he forced a battle not far from Wigmore. Even before the fighting began, he faced a challenge when a parhelion appeared in the sky, a phenomenon that made it look as if there were three suns overhead. Naturally this frightened his soldiers, but the quick-witted Edward cried out that the suns represented the Holy Trinity and was an omen of victory; he would later adopt this as his cognizance, the Sunne in Splendour. Having staved off disaster, he then proceeded to defeat the Lancastrians, captured Owen Tudor, and had him executed—not surprising, since the heads of his father and brother and uncle were even then on poles above Micklegate Bar in York. Edward then went on to receive a hero’s welcome by the city of London and shattered the Lancastrian hopes in a savage battle fought in a snowstorm at Towton on Palm Sunday. What is truly remarkable is that Edward was not yet nineteen years old.
I thought of Edward’s parhelion when I was reading a chronicler’s account of the building of Richard I’s beloved “saucy castle, “ Chateau Gaillard. I was familiar with the exchange between the kings over Chateau Gaillard. Philippe, fuming at seeing this formidable stronghold rising up on the Vexin border, vowed that he would take it if its walls were made of steel. When he was told this, Richard laughed and said he’d hold it if its walls were made of butter. But there is another story about Gaillard not as well known. In the spring of 1198, Richard was personally supervising the construction, as he often did, when a shower of blood suddenly fell from the skies. Naturally, this freaked out everyone—everyone but Richard. The chronicler reported that “The king was not dismayed at this, nor did he relax in promoting the work in which he took so great delight.” Now I confess my first reaction to this story was an uncharitable one, wondering if the chronicler, William of Newburgh, had been hitting the wine when he wrote this. Shower of rain and blood? But when I Googled it, I discovered that red rain has indeed fallen at various times, and there were even some unsettling photos of a red rain in India that really did look like blood. Clearly strong-willed men like Richard and Edward were not as superstitious as their brethren.
For me, though, February 2nd has another, sadder meaning, for on this date in 1237, Joanna, daughter of King John and wife of Llywelyn Fawr, died at Aber and was buried at Llanfaes, where her grieving husband established a friary in honor of her memory. Last year, I posted her death scene here, so this time I am doing something slightly different, a scene from Falls the Shadow in which Llywelyn is still grieving for Joanna.
* * *
An intimate enemy, Death, capricious and cruel, ultimately invincible. But Llywelyn did not fear his own demise, and he truly thought he’d taken its measure, knew the worst it could do. And then Death claimed his wife.
There was a Welsh proverb: for every wound, the ointment of time. To Llywelyn, it was an empty promise, a hollow mockery. Time would not heal. Till the day he died, he would grieve for Joanna. Now he sought only to learn to live without her. But so far it was a lesson that eluded him, for Joanna’s was an unquiet grave. She came to him in the night, filled every room with her unseen presence, a tender, tempting ghost, beckoning him back to a past that was far more real to him than the joyless, dismal world he now inhabited. It had been more than two months, the longest he’d ever gone without a woman in his bed, but he felt no stirrings of desire. The woman he wanted was dead. It was April and all about him were the miracles of new life. He looked upon this verdant, blossoming spring, a spring Joanna would never see, he looked upon a field of brilliant blue flowers—the bluebells Joanna had so loved—and at that moment he’d willingly have bartered all his tomorrows for but one yesterday.
* * *

Free book today!

For those who have not yet read Stephanie Churchill’s The Scribe’s Daughter, I am happy to report that you can download it for free today at Amazon. It is technically fantasy, but the setting will be familiar to us medieval nerds, for Stephanie—like GRRM—turned to the Middle Ages for inspiration when she created her world; it is surprising how many fantasy writers do this, but I am very glad they do. How can you improve on moated castles and knights on horseback? In the interest of full disclosure, Stephanie is a friend of mine, but I would not recommend The Scribe’s Daughter if I’d not enjoyed it very much. Okay, admittedly, that would have been awkward if I’d not liked it after reading it—I might have had to join the Witness Protection Program if she’d been persistent about asking for my opinion. Thankfully, I was hooked from the opening paragraph:
“I never imagined my life would end this way. Not today. And certainly not in this place. Yet here I was. It was midday, and had I the ability to tilt my face toward the sky, I would have been blinded by the early summer sun, a silent observer of my murder.” Now who could possibly read that and not want to keep reading? Anyway, there are few bargains better than a free book, so take advantage of it while you can.
https://www.amazon.com/Scribes-Daught...

A lost republic, a loyal younger brother, an indifferent father, and a drowned city

I missed a lot of historical happenings for the month of January, so I will occasionally try to play catch-up. Here is one for the events that occurred on January 16th.
On January 16, 27 BC, Octavian was granted the title of Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
On January 16, 1245, Henry III’s second son, Edmund, was born. Edmund was a character in Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning, and I became quite fond of him and his French wife, Blanche. The history of kings is rife with troublesome younger brothers like George of Clarence. Edmund was an anomaly, for he was loyal to his own elder brother, Edward I. He was also the founder of the House of Lancaster, but I forgive him for that. 
On January 16th, 1325, the poet Petrarch’s beloved Laura was wed to a man named Hughes de Sade; it was Petrarch, of course, who would give Laura literary immortality.
On January 16th, 1409, Rene, the Duke of Anjou, King of Naples and titular King of Jerusalem, was born. Rene was the father of Marguerite d’Anjou, the Red Queen of Lancaster. Although he was known as Good King Rene, I’ve always regarded him with a jaundiced eye, for he did little to ease the last years of his unhappy daughter, who was dependent upon a small pension given her by the French king.
And also on January 16th, 1362, a prosperous German city, Rungholt, sank below the waves when a powerful storm surge of the North Sea engulfed the island of Strand. A medieval Atlantis, Rungholt, would give rise to legends like that other “lost city,” with people claiming that they could hear the church bells of Rungholt chiming beneath the waters of the North Sea.

No escaping the Tudors

Many of you know I don’t do much posting about those ubiquitous Tudors, who already enjoy a Hollywood monopoly, though in fairness, Hollywood was not to blame for the atrocious series, The Tudors. But it is impossible to ignore their annoying dynasty this week. On the 25th, Henry and Anne Boleyn were finally wed, surely one of history’s most accursed unions, not only for them but for the millions of Henry’s subjects whose lives and faith were turned upside down because of his illicit passion for Anne. Today was the birthdate of Henry VII in 1157 and the death date in 1547 of his son, Henry VIII. And tomorrow is the anniversary of the day in 1536 when Anne miscarried of a son. The Spanish ambassador, Chapuys, put it succinctly when he commented, “She has miscarried of her savior.” I personally think that even if she’d given Henry the son he was so desperate to have, her time as queen would have been limited, for Henry had already turned against her and his roving eye settled upon Jane Seymour. But there is no doubt that this miscarriage led to her execution at the Tower just four months later. And as improbable as it seems, the miscarriage that doomed Anne occurred on the very day that her rival and predecessor, Catherine of Aragon, was buried at Peterborough Abbey. No novelist would have dare to invent that, just as no novelist would have dared to invent an eclipse of the sun on the day of Anne Neville’s death or any of the bizarre coincidences and occurrences that cropped up so often in the lives of the Plantagenets and Tudors. I leave the last word to my favorite American writer, the incomparable Mark Twain, who explained that “Truth is stranger than Fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
And we have lost another talented actor, John Hurt. He had a highly successful career, but I will always remember him for his heartbreaking performance in one of the most powerful films I’ve ever seen, The Elephant Man.

Mary Tyler Moore, R.I.P.

It is unfortunate that many of today’s young women do not realize what a pioneer Mary Tyler Moore was. When she first pitched the idea for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, she’d wanted her character, Mary Richards, to be a divorcee. The studio heads (all male, of course) vetoed that, finding the idea of a young divorcee to be vaguely scandalous. And this was 1971! What struck me about all the tributes pouring in after her death was how often professional women acclaimed her as their role model; for many young girls, her show would be validation that women could aspire to careers as well as marriage and motherhood. It is not always easy to be a pioneer; I was one of the first female attorneys in Atlantic County, NJ and I lost track of the times that I was mistaken in court for a reporter or a plaintiff or a spectator, even judges finding it difficult to imagine a woman lawyer. So, I, too, am grateful to Mary Tyler Moore and like so many, I feel as if a light has gone out. Here is an interesting article about the impact of her shows, for she broke new ground with her role in the Dick Van Dyke Show, too.
http://www.vulture.com/2017/01/mary-t...