Phil Andrade
London
UK
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Posts: 6386
Joined: 2004
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Potential History Changer.
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Tremendously exciting stuff, Brian !
It makes me think of the discovery of Richard the Third’s skeleton under a car park space several years ago.
A moment when history comes to life.
It has an impact on the emotions as well as the intellect.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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Brian Grafton
Victoria
BC Canada
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Posts: 4720
Joined: 2004
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Potential History Changer.
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Phil, strange you should think of Richard III; I thought of what are usually called the Chronicles written by Hall (1542) and later Holinshed (1577; 2nd ed. 1587). Between them, they carried the seeds of a number of Shakespeare’s Histories and tragedies, including MacBeth and – of course – Richard III. This pretty much fixed the character and story of Richard III, but there has always been some awareness of Tudor pressure in the writing of both Chronicles – Hall’s reflecting perhaps the last of the medieval world view and Holinshed’s reflecting the birth of renaissance values.
Both, of course, would be happy to please Tudor kings. They were protestants, and would want to protect those who were moving away from Rome’s theology. The question, of course, is how much their support of the Tutors impacted our understanding of the 15th century. This revelation about the end of the Tudor dynasty echoes rather eerily the literary constructions which enhanced the viability of Tudor beginnings. Henry VII (the first Tudor) became king in 1485. Anne, the last of the Stuarts, died in 1714. That’s a long historical period to consider, given two major possible distortions of real occurrences.
Nevertheless, I think there is, as you suggest (“It has an imact on the emotions as well s the intellect,”). For those who have an interest in British history, these things are very real! Very visceral!
Cheers
Brian G
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us." Walt Kelly.
"The Best Things in Life Aren't Things" Bumper sticker.
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