Paula’s Comments (group member since Jun 06, 2013)

Paula’s comments from the Ask Carol McGrath group.

Wow Zoe you are so informed! If you put all that into a book I would definitely buy it. Thanks for all this info!

Martin wrote: "Great discussion as always. It's astonishing how blood runs hot about the Norman Conquest even after all these years. It was probably the most fundamental shift in society these islands have ever e..."

I dont really believe in the mass invasion of Britain by the germanic peoples. I think it was something that happened gradually over a few hundred years from the 4th/5th c till the 7th. sometimes there were conflicts between the two races, other times there were peaceful settlements and also i bleieve from what i have researched that a lot of the eastern settlements were in places not already inhabited

Its a great book isnt it. But no matter what slant he puts on it, you cannot get a way from the fact that the William and his Normans were very destructive in their rule. I rather liked the way Marc validated the devastation of the Harrying of the North by using entries into the Doomsday book. On the whole, I have not yet read a book that has convinced me that the Normans weren't as bad as they were.

Zoe wrote: "Carol wrote: "Thank you Zoe for commenting. I think Alan could well have known Edith Swan-Neck ..."

My understanding is that her nickname was "Swannesha", naively translated as "Nice Swan", but ac..."

I thought it was Swannehaels

Carol wrote: "A Tudor period or early Stuart novel set in and about a tower house would certainly make for an atmospheric read."

I totally agree! Carol i'm going to tweet your group because more people should know about it!

I loved the blog post Carol. Lots in there that I didn't know but do now!

Carol wrote: "http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot...

This is a link to my blog today on how it is possible that panels of the tapestry were made at Wilton Abbey."

Carola Hicks I think-dont quote me- believes Queen Edith had something to do with its making

Wow! thats interesting! Thats going to make for some really decent author material!!! Carol, you have to write this!

Zoe wrote: "As Carol already knows, Alan Rufus and his family are an interest of mine. Is there any witness to his bearing some guilt for the Harrying? The record suggests that he had, if anything, a fondness ..."

Its a very interesting story and the remarks made by Orderic are very poignant. I wonder though, how Orderic knows that Alan was well loved, especially when he had spent so little time in the country of his mother's birth (i think he may have been born in England himself). But if we believe he had good reason to disparage William, I suppose we should believe that he was right about Alan

Sadly for Wulfnoth, Harold's brother who had been taken to the Duke's Norman court in 1051/2, he was released on william's death but then imprisoned almost straight after by Rufus as he took over the crown. Nothing much else has been said about that, but i do wonder why it was thought he was a threat, when Ulf wasn't?

oh thanks Carol. No i dont have a card :( I wil at some point investigate how to get one!

I might come with you ;)

What about the Crowland chronicles? Weren't they telling Hereward's story? I'm not sure cos I haven't looked into that properly yet

English survivors? I only know of Eadmer, who told the story that the Bayeux Tapestry appears to have been based on. That Harold went to Normandy to secure the release of his brother and nephew who were hostages at the Duke's court and that he apparently went agaisnt the advice of his King who had warned him not to go

Carol wrote: "Actually she advised me on some of the research I integrated into The Handfasted Wife. Henrietta is an Oxford academic. She teaches at St Peters. Her book is highly regarded and really accessible a..."
I have this book too, ive only read women in the earlier periods though. Very knowledgeable lady.

Excellent! I'd like to go there one day! Plus its always a good excuse to visit a city and country I've never mean to before

Carol wrote: "It really is a great picture, Paula. To think it was silk!"

I know! And it survived! They say that so much stuff survived from the Viking period because the ground was so moist! Have you been to the Jorvik centre Carol?

http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/theme...

Click on the link into your browser to view just one of the finds that my fellow re-enactors have used to provenance our head gear. This little silk cap may have had ribbons attached at the corners with which to tie and secure on the head before placing a full wimple over the top to which we then use our pins to attach it to keep it in place

Carol wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "Regarding the marriages of this time like Emma of Normandy's and Elditha's to Harold. Is there any evidence that Elditha's father or others felt these relationships would last or w..."

But what evidence is there to say that Harold was ever unfaithful to Edith? And there isn't any way of knowing that they were related. I know that Edith was likely to have been a great wealthy heiress but Harold was the son of an Earl, he would one day become an Earl himself and might need to pursue a political union just as he actually did later in life. I like to think that he married her for love and that love endured for 20 years probably right up to his death.

Oh dear what happened there?