Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 38
November 14, 2016
Vote for the medieval ruler of your choice
My favorite website, Medievalists.net is holding an election for medieval rulers. Among the candidates are Eleanor of Aquitaine, William the Conqueror, and Richard III. Want to bet that Eleanor will mention to Henry in the Hereafter that he did not make the list? Here is the link; go vote! It is embarrassing and baffling that American voters turn out in such low numbers; 47% of eligible voters did not bother to vote last week. Surely we can do better here?
http://www.medievalists.net/2016/11/v...
http://www.medievalists.net/2016/11/v...
November 12, 2016
A Devil's Brood bargain
This has to be a quick note--I am having computer woes again, this time trouble with my back up, Spock. I wanted to mention that Devil's Brood is highlighted today on eBookDaily.com at a bargain price. Here is the link for those interested.
http://ebookdaily.com/bargain-kindle-...
http://ebookdaily.com/bargain-kindle-...
A lost dog shall lead them
We have all shown admirable restraint here and on my Facebook pages in avoiding discussion of one of the most divisive and ugly campaigns in American history. We all love history and hopefully that brings us together. Something else that both sides have in common is shown in this video in which a young woman wearing a Hillary tee-shirt goes to a Trump rally to ask for help finding the owner of a “lost” dog. She then dons a Trump tee-shirt and does the same at a Hillary rally. The results are heartening. Whatever our other differences—and sadly they are deeper than the Grand Canyon---we all love dogs.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/christin...
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/christin...
November 3, 2016
An odd mix--the World Series and the House of York
Congratulations to all my friends and readers who are Chicago Cubs fans, and my sympathies to Cleveland fans; being an Eagles fan, I know a lot about disappointments.
On the historical front from yesterday, November 2nd is another important day on the medieval Church calendar, All Soul’s Day. And two of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s children were born on November 2nd, their ill-fated son Edward in 1470 and their fifth daughter Anne, later the Countess of Surrey, in 1475.
On the historical front from yesterday, November 2nd is another important day on the medieval Church calendar, All Soul’s Day. And two of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s children were born on November 2nd, their ill-fated son Edward in 1470 and their fifth daughter Anne, later the Countess of Surrey, in 1475.
November 2, 2016
Founding Fathers Quiz
On my continuing quest to distract us from reality, here are two fun tests about America’s founding fathers. Oddly, on both tests, I scored as James Madison. I really wanted to identify with my favorite founding father, Ben Franklin, so I kept taking the first test until we connected; it took me five tries, though!
http://blog.oup.com/2016/10/founding-...
https://constitutioncenter.org/founde...
http://blog.oup.com/2016/10/founding-...
https://constitutioncenter.org/founde...
October 31, 2016
A man of honor
Happy Halloween to everyone, though in the US, the scariest day of the year falls on November 8th this year.
October 31, 1147 was the date of death of a man I’ve always admired, Robert Fitz Roy, Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of King Henry I and half-brother to the Empress Maude. He was an honorable man who’d have been a good king, probably a far better ruler than either Stephen or his sister. Below are two scenes from Saints. The first scene is one of the few times when Robert’s self-control cracked. Maude is embittered that men still refuse to acknowledge her because she is a woman and her outburst touches a raw nerve with Robert.
Saints, page 343-344
* * *
Rising, she began to pace. “To have come so close and then to have it all snatched away like this….it is so unfair, Robert, so damnably unfair!”
“Life is unfair,” he said, sounding so stoical, so rational, and so dispassionate that she was suddenly angry, a scalding, seething, impotent rage that spared no one—not herself, not Robert, not God.
“You think I do not know that? When has life ever been fair to women? Just think upon how easy it was for Stephen to steal my crown, and how bitter and bloody has been my struggle to win it back. Even after we’d caged Stephen at Bristol Castle, he was still a rival, still a threat…and why? Because he was so much braver or more clever or capable than me ? No…because I was a woman, for it always came back to that. I’ll not deny that I made mistakes, but you do not know what it is like, Robert, to be judged so unfairly, to be rejected not for what you’ve done, but for what you are. It is a poison that seeps into the soul, that makes you half-crazed with the need to prove yourself…”
She stopped to catch her breath, and only then did she see the look on Robert’s face, one of disbelief and then utter and overwhelming fury, burning as hot as her own anger, hotter even, for being so long suppressed.
“I do not know what it is like?” he said incredulously. “I was our father’s firstborn son, but was I his heir? No, I was just his bastard. He trusted me and relied upon me and needed me. But none of that mattered, not even after the White Ship sank and he lost his only lawfully be-gotten son. He was so desperate to have an heir of his body that he dragged you back—unwilling—from Germany, forced you into a marriage that he knew was doomed, and then risked rebellion by ramming you down the throats of his barons. And all the while, he had a son capable of ruling after him—he had me! But I was the son born of his sin, so I was not worthy to be king. As if I could have blundered any worse than you or Stephen!”
Maude was stunned. She stared at him, too stricken for words, not knowing what to say even if she’d been capable of speech. Robert seemed equally shattered by his outburst; his face was suddenly ashen. He started to speak, then turned abruptly and walked out.
* * *
In the next scene, Maude has come to Robert to apologize, something she rarely did.
p. 345
“I am sorry, Robert. I do not say that as often as I ought, but never have I meant it more. You have been my rod and my staff, more loyal than I deserved. You would have made a very good king.”
His shoulders twitched, in a half-shrug. “Well, better than Stephen, for certes,” he said, with the faintest glimmer of a smile.
Omission
“Robert.” Her mouth was suddenly dry. “I am never going to be queen, am I?”
“No,” he said quietly, “you are not.”
She’d known what he would say. But his uncompromising, honest answer robbed her of any last shreds of hope. She averted her face, briefly, and he, too, looked away, not willing to watch the death of a dream.
Omission
“Maude.” She turned back to face him, slowly, and he said, “You are not giving up?”
“You know better than that, Robert. I may have lost, but I’ll not let Henry lose, too. I shall fight for my son as long as I have breath in my body. He must not be cheated of the crown that is his birthright.”
She saw sympathy in his eyes, and what mattered more, respect. “I will do whatever I can,” he vowed, “to make sure that does not happen.” And in that moment, she realized the truth—that he’d been fighting for Henry all along.
* * *
October 31, 1147 was the date of death of a man I’ve always admired, Robert Fitz Roy, Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of King Henry I and half-brother to the Empress Maude. He was an honorable man who’d have been a good king, probably a far better ruler than either Stephen or his sister. Below are two scenes from Saints. The first scene is one of the few times when Robert’s self-control cracked. Maude is embittered that men still refuse to acknowledge her because she is a woman and her outburst touches a raw nerve with Robert.
Saints, page 343-344
* * *
Rising, she began to pace. “To have come so close and then to have it all snatched away like this….it is so unfair, Robert, so damnably unfair!”
“Life is unfair,” he said, sounding so stoical, so rational, and so dispassionate that she was suddenly angry, a scalding, seething, impotent rage that spared no one—not herself, not Robert, not God.
“You think I do not know that? When has life ever been fair to women? Just think upon how easy it was for Stephen to steal my crown, and how bitter and bloody has been my struggle to win it back. Even after we’d caged Stephen at Bristol Castle, he was still a rival, still a threat…and why? Because he was so much braver or more clever or capable than me ? No…because I was a woman, for it always came back to that. I’ll not deny that I made mistakes, but you do not know what it is like, Robert, to be judged so unfairly, to be rejected not for what you’ve done, but for what you are. It is a poison that seeps into the soul, that makes you half-crazed with the need to prove yourself…”
She stopped to catch her breath, and only then did she see the look on Robert’s face, one of disbelief and then utter and overwhelming fury, burning as hot as her own anger, hotter even, for being so long suppressed.
“I do not know what it is like?” he said incredulously. “I was our father’s firstborn son, but was I his heir? No, I was just his bastard. He trusted me and relied upon me and needed me. But none of that mattered, not even after the White Ship sank and he lost his only lawfully be-gotten son. He was so desperate to have an heir of his body that he dragged you back—unwilling—from Germany, forced you into a marriage that he knew was doomed, and then risked rebellion by ramming you down the throats of his barons. And all the while, he had a son capable of ruling after him—he had me! But I was the son born of his sin, so I was not worthy to be king. As if I could have blundered any worse than you or Stephen!”
Maude was stunned. She stared at him, too stricken for words, not knowing what to say even if she’d been capable of speech. Robert seemed equally shattered by his outburst; his face was suddenly ashen. He started to speak, then turned abruptly and walked out.
* * *
In the next scene, Maude has come to Robert to apologize, something she rarely did.
p. 345
“I am sorry, Robert. I do not say that as often as I ought, but never have I meant it more. You have been my rod and my staff, more loyal than I deserved. You would have made a very good king.”
His shoulders twitched, in a half-shrug. “Well, better than Stephen, for certes,” he said, with the faintest glimmer of a smile.
Omission
“Robert.” Her mouth was suddenly dry. “I am never going to be queen, am I?”
“No,” he said quietly, “you are not.”
She’d known what he would say. But his uncompromising, honest answer robbed her of any last shreds of hope. She averted her face, briefly, and he, too, looked away, not willing to watch the death of a dream.
Omission
“Maude.” She turned back to face him, slowly, and he said, “You are not giving up?”
“You know better than that, Robert. I may have lost, but I’ll not let Henry lose, too. I shall fight for my son as long as I have breath in my body. He must not be cheated of the crown that is his birthright.”
She saw sympathy in his eyes, and what mattered more, respect. “I will do whatever I can,” he vowed, “to make sure that does not happen.” And in that moment, she realized the truth—that he’d been fighting for Henry all along.
* * *
October 29, 2016
Best Bachelor Party Ever
Here is a story that made me smile as I read it, and they are few and hard to find these days. Enjoy, everyone. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/na...
October 26, 2016
October 25th in history
Some very interesting events occurred on yesterday’s date, October 25th. Here we go.
On October 25, 1102, William Clito, Count of Flanders, was born. He was the son of Robert, the Duke of Normandy, and thus nephew to Henry I. Henry was not a loving uncle, though, and after he captured Robert in 1106, he made several attempts to get William Clito into his hands; luckily for William, he did not succeed. But William’s fortunes changed dramatically with the sinking of the White Ship, for many then saw him as the obvious male heir and preferred him to Henry’s daughter Maude. It is hard to say what may have happened had William not been wounded in July 1128 at the siege of Aalst. Gangrene set in and he died at only twenty-five, thus making it easier for Henry to force Maude upon his reluctant barons. His father, Robert, survived him by six years, dying in 1134 after over 28 years as Henry’s prisoner.
On October 25, 1147, the Seljuk Turks decimated the army of the German king Conrad at Dorylaeum, which definitely got the fiasco known as the Second Crusade off to a terrible start.
On October 25, 1154, Henry II’s Angevin luck continued to hold. Stephen died on that date, thus allowing Henry to claim the English crown at the age of 21. It probably would have been very difficult for the impatient Henry to have to wait around if Stephen had lived another decade or so after the peace pact that named him as Stephen’s heir.
On October 25, 1400, the great poet and story teller, Geoffrey Chaucer, died. As a writer, I admit I find this the most interesting happening on October 25th. But there was one more event, admittedly better known.
The battle of Agincourt took place on October 25, 1415, one of the great battles of the MA. Henry V was the victor, of course, and the French suffered a calamitous defeat. I highly recommend Bernard Cornwell’s Agincourt for a dramatic account of this battle.
On October 25, 1102, William Clito, Count of Flanders, was born. He was the son of Robert, the Duke of Normandy, and thus nephew to Henry I. Henry was not a loving uncle, though, and after he captured Robert in 1106, he made several attempts to get William Clito into his hands; luckily for William, he did not succeed. But William’s fortunes changed dramatically with the sinking of the White Ship, for many then saw him as the obvious male heir and preferred him to Henry’s daughter Maude. It is hard to say what may have happened had William not been wounded in July 1128 at the siege of Aalst. Gangrene set in and he died at only twenty-five, thus making it easier for Henry to force Maude upon his reluctant barons. His father, Robert, survived him by six years, dying in 1134 after over 28 years as Henry’s prisoner.
On October 25, 1147, the Seljuk Turks decimated the army of the German king Conrad at Dorylaeum, which definitely got the fiasco known as the Second Crusade off to a terrible start.
On October 25, 1154, Henry II’s Angevin luck continued to hold. Stephen died on that date, thus allowing Henry to claim the English crown at the age of 21. It probably would have been very difficult for the impatient Henry to have to wait around if Stephen had lived another decade or so after the peace pact that named him as Stephen’s heir.
On October 25, 1400, the great poet and story teller, Geoffrey Chaucer, died. As a writer, I admit I find this the most interesting happening on October 25th. But there was one more event, admittedly better known.
The battle of Agincourt took place on October 25, 1415, one of the great battles of the MA. Henry V was the victor, of course, and the French suffered a calamitous defeat. I highly recommend Bernard Cornwell’s Agincourt for a dramatic account of this battle.
October 24, 2016
The curse of the goat
As some of you know, I am a football fan, and I don’t really follow baseball. But who could resist a curse, especially one caused by a goat? So I’ve always had a soft spot for the Chicago Cubs and am happy to see them in the World Series. Yes, I know Cleveland fans deserve a title, too; the fates definitely owe you for the Cleveland Browns. But you still have LeBron James. Anyway, here is an entertaining article about the Cubs and the curse, written by a long-suffering Cubs fan. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion... As for me, Go, Cubbies!
October 21, 2016
Hamilton, the Musical, and our canine guardian angels
I am not sure if it shows at the same time all over the country, but PBS is airing a documentary tonight at 9 PM EST about the making of the Broadway sensation, Hamilton. I’m really looking forward to this one.
And here is a touching story about a five-year-old autistic boy named Kainoa meeting his service dog, Tornado, for the first time. Dogs do so much for humans. Earlier in the summer, I recommended a remarkable book, Underdogs, the story of a woman with severe health problems of her own who has formed a rescue group to pair needy children with canine guardian angels. She gets most of her dogs from shelters and then trains them to assist children with special needs; she also works with the families to help them raise the money needed, for it costs a lot to train one of these dogs. Here is the link to Kainoa’s story.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article...
And here is a link to Underdogs.
https://www.amazon.com/Underdogs-Chil...
And here is a touching story about a five-year-old autistic boy named Kainoa meeting his service dog, Tornado, for the first time. Dogs do so much for humans. Earlier in the summer, I recommended a remarkable book, Underdogs, the story of a woman with severe health problems of her own who has formed a rescue group to pair needy children with canine guardian angels. She gets most of her dogs from shelters and then trains them to assist children with special needs; she also works with the families to help them raise the money needed, for it costs a lot to train one of these dogs. Here is the link to Kainoa’s story.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article...
And here is a link to Underdogs.
https://www.amazon.com/Underdogs-Chil...
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