170 thoughts on “Really Random Thoughts”

1. We call the game Soccer as well. Our Aussie Soccer team is known as the Socceroos. To me football is AFL (Australian Football League) which is Australian rules football. It evolved from Gaelic football and every year AFL players and Irish football players play a few games of International rules football. In regards to soccer I am a little uncomfortable that the NZ soccer team is known as the ‘All whites’. I know this is in reference to their other sporting teams- the rugby team is known as the ‘All blacks’ and the cricket team is known as the ‘Black caps’. But if people in the world don’t know these references they may think it is an offensive name. By the way, congratulations to New Zealand for being the most peaceful nation on Earth. Australia could only manage 19th place.
   I am really looking forward to getting to know Richard I. I was just saying to someone the other day that because of legends like Robin Hood he has become such a caricature. He is ‘good King Richard’ as opposed to ‘evil Prince John’. Or he is this great battle commander who bled the country dry to pay for his warmongering. That he was homosexual and had little time or regard for women. These are just some of the views from people I know who don’t know the full story. I want to get to know Richard the man. It sounds like it will be fun if he has a sarcastic and wicked sense of humour. Thanks to all your recommendations of books to read in the mean time I think I will just be able to wait until the book is published!

2. Sharon, thanks for the update, I’m so disappointed you won’t be in Phoenix, I’m going to the conference and was so hoping to meet you, but I live in NJ, so maybe one day I will get my wish one day! 🙂
   I’m in the midst of DB right now, and find all your posts about Lionheart intriguing, I envy you and your research, how thrilling to read these first- hand accounts of medieveal battles – amazing! And then to be able to use the accounts in your novels – the best of both worlds!
   I’m glad to hear Shadow is thriving, as a dog lover myself, I’ve enjoyed your posts about your dogs (sad, and not so sad) I can relate to them and often find them inspiring.
   Again, I’m sorry your won’t be at the PP Conference – you will be missed, but I’m looking forward to the mini-vacation and chance to meet the other authors who will be there!
   All the best,
   Julie

3. Does it drive anyone else nuts that a movie like BECKET which is so adored gets Matilda, Eleanor and for that matter Henry so wrong??? I adored the movie when I saw it as a teen back when it first came out. It was the first record I ever bought and I would listen to it over and ober. It’s practically scriptural for me. But I saw it again for the first time in 40 years and thought.. this movie isn’t wuite qwhat I remember. Henry tells his mother “The only time I ever saw you when i was a boy was when you passed me in the corridor on your way to a ball.” I doubt Matilda was having a “ball” fighting Stephen. He says to Eleanor “Your bed was a dry desert to me, madame.” Excuse me??? And he says to her, “You bore m e four children, none of whom I can stand.” She did better than four, and you were way into them, Harry. And what a whiner Henry is anyway. And to think he was the model for my King Lawrence….
   Just curious.
   Nan

4. I would recommend the Robin Hood movie, simply because movies of Ridley Scott’s style and aesthetic sense are rather lacking nowadays. Historically, it pushes the boundaries of “artistic license,” especially with regards to Richard. The timeline is also unfamiliar to those who have grown up on Howard Pyle’s stories (like me). That being said, it is a “gritty reboot” which advertises its postmodern sympathies, and includes a fair bit of action and witty dialogue. It was a good movie. I don’t know if I’d write a paper on it though.

5. Nan, Becket is a historical mishmash, a bad joke, starting with Becket being a Saxon. They have Maude appearing years after she died, and as you said, their portrayal of Eleanor is ludicrous. Becket, BTW, never joined in Henry’s carousing; not even his worst enemies ever accused him of that. Such a pity, too, for the film had Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton in it! The Henry in Becket is something of a hysteric. However, I think in The Lion in Winter, Peter got Henry just right. That film has not stood the test of time in terms of historical accuracy; Richard and Philippe were never lovers, whatever Richard’s sexuality may or may not have been. And the portrayal of John was such a cartoon that James Goldman later apologized for it. But I still think it is a a wonderful film, and I willingly suspend disbelief to enjoy it for two hours, and continue to recommend it enthusiastically. Whereas I tell people to run for the hills where Becket is concerned! What a waste of two brilliant actors…sigh.

6. Nan, I was about to point you to this blog post because of the really nice words about your ‘today in medieval history’ blog, but I’m thrilled to see you’ve found it after all.
   Sharon, your random thoughts have reminded me that I’ve sorely neglected my own blog: Random Thoughts of an Accidental Author. *sigh* So much to do, so little time. Honestly, I don’t know how you find the time to do all that you post, let alone write these magnificent books. My mind boggles. And bravo to Shadow for his progress and his capacity to forgive. I believe you’ve hit a bull’s eye when you wrote that we should learn from Shadow’s example. Nelson Mandella comes to mind.

7. For those of you who may not know, Joan has written a novel about Richard III, called This Time, in which Richard is transported to our time. Because of the killer deadline for Lionheart, I have had almost no time for pleasure reading, which is truly penance for my sins, past, present, and future. But I was so intrigued by the premise of Joan’s novel that I had to go check it out on Amazon, and couldn’t resist buying it. I will probably have to hide it when it arrives until I can find the time to read it! But for you lucky people who still have reading time, you ought to check this one out. Not only is it a very clever idea, but it sounds as if Joan had lots of fun with it, too, as Richard struggles to adjust to his new life. Just imagine for a minute what it would be like for a medieval man to be transported into the world of computers, air travel, the internet, etc! Joan, we’d love to hear your thoughts on your novel, how it came to be, etc, if you have the time.

8. Thank you so much for providing me with the space to expound on my novel about Richard III in the 21st century, especially as your “Sunne in Splendour” was the catalyst for my writing this book (and its sequels). Prior to SiS, I saw only the Shakespearean Richard. SiS birthed a new and improved Richard for me and I had to learn all that I could about him. My next book was “Richard the Third” by Paul Murray Kendall. By then I was hooked and found that I wanted to speak the man himself, rather than rely on 500 years of distilled history that imposed each historian’s agenda on him. Not being smart enough to actually invent a real time machine (if it’s even possible), I decided to invent a virtual one to form a picture of his character.
   This is the product description that I have on Amazon:
   The story starts moments before Richard III loses to Henry Tudor on Bosworth Field near Leicester, England on August 22, 1485. In ‘This Time’. A team of Ricardians (people trying to restore the name and reputation of Richard III) substitute an armor clad corpse for the king and bring him into Portland, Oregon. Richard awakens August 21, 2004 to an alien world where even the English he speaks is different.
   The story follows two parallel paths: the present where Richard must learn how to adjust to not only the technological advancements but also the more difficult cultural differences; and looking back at the past to solve some of the mysteries that have haunted and maligned his image for over 500 years.
   To read the first chapter, go to my website (my name links to it) and select ‘Excerpt’ in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

9. I saw Becket for the first time a few weeks ago, and yes it did in fact drive me nuts. I watched it with my kids, and I wanted to point out all the inaccuracies, but of course I managed to restrain myself because it makes no difference to them.
   Joan, your book looks fascinating — I’ve often played with the thought experiment of either going back to the MA myself (but then I get stuck because I come to the conclusion that I probably wouldn’t live very long, having no immunity to their germs, being too soft, and having very few transferable skills) or bringing one of them back here and imagining how he or she would deal with the differences (although despite having had a long-standing crush on Richard III, I’m not sure I’d ever dare reach quite as high as a king or queen!).

10. Oh, and I looked at that list of the 100 best historical novels. I’ve only read a little over a quarter of them, but I can’t say I have a lot of confidence in their judgment. Why are both London and Sarum on the list? IMO, they’re both practically the same book! And with all that has been written about the Tudors over the years, were 4 Philippa Gregory books (of which I admit I’ve only read one) really the best they could do? Does Wuthering Heights really count as historical fiction? Are they just calling any novel set in the past historical fiction?

11. You have not abandoned my reports, have you, Sharon?
    Actually, we’re probably in sync, since she reports on general history and I try to concentrate on what is relevant to your books…

12. Re the new Robin Hood film. I don’t know what Russell Crow’s attempted wandering accent sounds like to foreign ears, but to a born and bred East Midlander – and to many other English ears – it sounds like a joke!
    Over the sea to Ireland via Yorkshire and a few other points in between.
    Maybe he should have stuck with Costner’s ‘Tonight we dine in Nottingham’ – by the way even if he had landed in Skegness I would have liked to have seen him reach even Newark or Lincoln in a day! – and then the film, as in ‘Gladiator’ or even ‘Kingdom Of Heaven’ would have been more enjoyable as just a film.
    Also is everyone aware that much work is being done here at the moment on the real site of Bosworth field, maybe a few miles away from the actual visitors site, flags markers etc.
    Finally, if any visitors from abroad find themselves in the English East Mids, I would heartily recommend visits to, Ashby De La Zouch, Gracedieu Priory, Calke Abbey, Bradgate Park, Ulverscroft Priory and other hidden gems within Derbys/Leics.
    Sorry to ramble on. Off to Turkey for ten days now armed with some of your excellent books Sharon. Many thanks for all the reading pleasure you have given me over the years.

13. Hi Kevin. Even to my Australian ears Russell Crowe’s accent in Robin Hood sounded funny. But I think the whole thing was a big joke. In interviews with Russell he would spout historical facts that he thought were true and I would cringe. I also cringed when he called Richard I an assassin for the pope and for Christianity. Did Richard go to the Holy Land just to kill as many people as possible? That’s a rather simplistic summary. At times we Aussies like to remind ourselves that Russell is actually a Kiwi by birth.
    On the other had I would forgive Cate Blanchett for a lot of things. I think her portrayal of Elizabeth I was amazing even if the film was not strictly historically correct. And she is one of the few good things about the Robin Hood film. The only other thing I liked about the film was William Hurt as William Marshall.

14. Sharon – Incredibly tacky of Henry VIII to bed sisters! it’s almost like he didn’t consider that history might view him as a bit of a skank. Foolish, foolish man! I loved hearing about how Richard grew throughout your books, I am so looking forward to the next instalment!
    Suzanne – so glad I’m not alone in being outraged by the four (FOUR!!) Philippa Gregory books that somehow equal Tudor fiction. Uh, what? I find her to be one of the least historically accurate authors out there, taking many liberties without fully explaining why: doesn’t she realise that pretty much all historical fiction readers love a good (and by good I mean long) Author’s Note?
    It’s been a while since I read Girl with a Pearl Earring, but I don’t recall thinking whilst reading it “My, now that was a fascinating fact right there about life in the American frontier”.
    How did Wuthering Heights get in the list and Jane Eyre not make the cut? In the battle of the Brontes, I would always support Charlotte over Emily.

15. Paula, Ted etc.
    What we have to do when viewing so called historical films is to judge them as entertainment only. Case in point being British war films of the fifties. Over the years, in Britain, in any case, they have somehow become the accepted view of the war and how it was fought. Instead, as I subscribe, an attempt to revive and revert to the ‘cap doffing’ status quo of pre-war Britain.
    When an actor suddenly sets himself up as an expert after playing a character from history, that’s when it gets ‘cringy’ and laughable.
    The same goes for the accents. Mel Gibsons’ Braveheart attempt at Scots!!! The aforementioned R. Crowe. Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman’s cod Irish.
    Should I mention Dick Van Dyke as a ‘cockney’? No, not an historical context I suppose.
    Stick with your own accent – Katherine Hepburn, `Lion In Winter’, even Errol Flynn’s ‘Robin’ – it makes the film – as entertainment remember – more, much more, enjoyable.
    Right, off to Turkey and 10 days of relaxing reading.

16. Oh, and regarding Soccer/Football and the World Cup: I have no objection to the game, nor to people who enjoy watching it, but I cannot help but remember the words of (I think) Yeshayahu Leibowitz regarding the game: “Twenty two hooligans chasing a ball.”

17. A very interesting and insightful post, Sharon.
    So despite his reputation for being a warrior king and a man’s man (no undercurrents intended here), he wanted his wife and his sister close to him. I would assume it was his desire to have them in the camp, rather than theirs to dwell there – or was it mutual? It was obviously by his consent. So does it suggest a warmer, family side to Richard? A need for softer company at the end of the day sometimes… That in itself is a very fascinating insight and not one any historian seems to have picked up on. When I give talks and readers sometimes bring up the subject of Richard , often as your above mentioned stereotype, I always tell them to just wait for your book on him, and then see if they think the same way.
    I also nodded with wry recognition re the way that subsequent research changes views on characters and the way we might have written them on another occasion. That has happened to me so many times!
    The Robin Hood film. I was lucky enough to get to see an exhibit of props and costumes from the film in Nottingham Castle Museum a fortnight ago. Some of the pieces are just fabulous exact replicas of items around in the late 12thC. There was a reliquary cross that I know I’ve seen before – might be in the treasure of Basle Cathedral – set with precious stones and no expense spared. An ivory book cover, an ornate casket. Wonderful banners and hangings. I was impressed. The costumes were a lot more theatrical than realistic. Marion’s hunting ‘corset’ was a bit mind-boggling and Robin’s short tunic would have been utterly scandalous. It was very interesting to see the selection of exhibits though. I haven’t seen the film so can’t comment on Crowe’s accent, but living in Nottingham myself, like Kevin, I am daily exposed to the East Midlands accent. Here’s a Wikipedia url to some of the phrases Russel should have been using for authenticity – scroll down slightly on the Wiki page for a list. 🙂
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Midlands_English

18. What wonderful responses this blog is getting! I have to go take Shadow and his little pal out for their walk before it gets too unbearably hot; almost as hot here as in Outremer, Koby 🙂 But I’ll get back later today and respond to them. We could probably do a dozen blogs just on the topic of best historical books or even what constitutes a historical novel.

19. Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your progress in your next novel and your insights into Richard. I love hearing about him, almost as much as when you write, however briefly, about Philippe Auguste…

20. Kevin Hough wrote: “Re the new Robin Hood film. I don’t know what Russell Crow’s attempted wandering accent sounds like to foreign ears, but to a born and bred East Midlander – and to many other English ears – it sounds like a joke!”
    I did some research on the English accent as well as the actual language as it might have been spoken in the mid to late 15th century for my book and came to the conclusion that the Early Modern English accent would be more like what we might hear in isolated pockets of the American Appalachian mountains than what we would hear in England today. To get a sense of what this might have sounded like, listen to some of these audio files from “The American Front Porch Digital Library: http://ils.unc.edu/afporch/audio/audio.html#
    I haven’t seen the latest “Robin Hood,” but from what I understand from the posts here and elsewhere, it takes place during Richard I’s reign. I believe that the English spoken then would have been Middle English, which is very different from Early Modern English. So different in fact, that it’s unlikely that all but a few scholars would be able to understand them. Perhaps it would be better if the producers would let the actors speak in their normal voices.
    I’m reminded of “A Knight’s Tale”–a fun spoof of a movie–where the producers knowingly broke all the “medieval” rules, and yet succeeded in presenting an entertaining version of Chaucer’s tale. Chaucer even had a major role.

21. Oh, Sharon, since you asked us to comment freely, I was reminded of two questions I had while re-reading Here Be Dragons: Bleddyn ap Ranulf (Gilbert fitz Ranulf), the son of Ranulf and and Rhiannon in Time and Chance and Devil’s Brood: Was his son Morgan ap Bleddyn, Llewellyn’s chaplain in Here Be Dragons? I like to think so – it’s nice to think that fictional characters stay with us.
    Secondly, do you have any information or thoughts on Nicholaa de la Haye? She’s mentioned in Here Be Dragons as the hereditary castellan of Lincoln Castle, and you mentioned that John made her joint sheriff with her husband, Gerard de Camville. I wondered on this unusual situation – I cannot remember any other woman who herself ruled rather than her husband, even if she was the heiress. So do you have any idea how Nicholaa got to be so lucky?
    Now that I think of it, there’s a Robin Hood connection – I believe Nicholaa was part of the inspiration for the character of Isabella of Gisborne from the BBC’s Robin Hood.

22. Paula, sorry about Germany beating Australia yesterday at the World Cup ‘-)
    Sharon, I just finished a trilogy by a German author about the 1170/80s rise of the silver mining industry, including Emperor Barbarossa and his feud with one of his Dukes, Henry the Lion – who was married to Henry IIs daughter Mathilde. Of course, I wrote in the margins “See SKP”! It escapes me which of your books it happened in, but I remember when you mentioned that Henry the Lion seeks asylum at Henry IIs court, which is also mentioned this trilogy. What a small world this is ‘-)
    Glad to hear Shadow is thriving.
    My random thought: I am baffled at the fact that Hollywood studios always want to make accents “authentic”. Clearly, we know the film is entertainment, so if one lets the actors speak in their normal voice/accent, one could simply concentrate on their good acting and enjoy the film, rather than be distracted by their “funny” accents. It is such a riot to see an American actor speak Englisch with an Italian or German accent, for instance. We, the audience, know the role is a foreigner, you don’t have to hammer it over our heads with dumbed-down accents.

23. I don’t guess the accents matter really. Crowe would either have been speaking in Anglo Norman or English as it was developing from old English into Middle English.
    Here’s Old English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfaEGU45lKA&feature=related
    Here’s Middle English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU&feature=related
    Re A Knight’s Tale. I think it worked because the script writers knew their Middle Ages very well indeed and could thus play about with it and spoof it with aplomb. There are lines in it from the Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal, but you wouldn’t know unless you’d studied it. Since the Histoire at the time that film was made, was very hard to get hold of and not translated into English by the Anglo Norman Text Society, I take it that the script writers were very keen indeed. A re-enactor/craftsman.acquaintance, ‘Jim the Pot’ made some of the drinking vessels used in that film.

24. Britta – Heinrich der Lowe, known in English as Henry the Lion and Matilda visited Henry’s court in Devil’s Brood. In fact, I’m in the middle of re-reading that part exactly.

25. Hi all… Koby, I caught your reference to Nicholaa de la Haye in the post above. I can’t say I know a lot about her, but what I do know is fascinating. She was castellan of Lincoln Castle in her own hereditary right, and her husband Gerard de Camville was one of King Henry II’s justices and an occasional sheriff of Lincoln… he lost the job and was reinstated a few times. He predeceased his wife. Nicholaa seems the more impressive of the two. Gerard’s loyalty to the crown wavered–he supported Count John’s famous revolt in the 1190s. Nicholaa defended her castle stoutly against siege on at least two occasions over a twenty year period or so. King John so trusted her that he made her Sheriff of Lincoln and even refused her resignation in 1216 (I think). She was still defending her castle during the Battle of Lincoln Fair, preserving it for the royalist cause against the rebel barons and Prince Louis of France. She died an old woman, but well-respected, maybe even feared.
    There is a pipe roll which records her payment of a fine to choose where her daughter might marry, on condition that it not be to the king’s enemies. I wonder if that was a commentary about the happiness of her own marriage (assuming it was arranged), or if I’m reading in too much!
    A formidable personality for her times!
    Maureen Ash has written a series of historical novels featuring Nicholaa and her husband as well as her sleuth, Sir Bascot des Marins.

26. Thanks, Blair. I knew most of this, and these facts were so intriguing that I wanted to know more. What fascinated me most is how she held on her position even without her husband, and was his equal, rather than subordinate.

27. Captain cook would be proud of Russell crow!…..A grand North yorkshire-Accent, touch;es of Sunderland Too Boot??……A Bit Too North For me?Kobe ?….twenty two Millionaires Trashing a Lawn??….Soccer-Stars. I wonder What medievil Film!…will be Next?

28. Sorry I didn’t have more to offer, Koby. Just based on what I know of Nicholaa makes me think she might make an interesting subject for a novel in her own right!

29. Sorry I didn’t have more to offer, Koby. Just based on what I know of Nicholaa makes me think she might make an interesting subject for a novel in her own right!
    Maybe someone will pick up that torch???

30. james watson Says:
    June 14th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
    I wonder What medievil Film!…will be Next?
    James, have a look at this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ECwQ8NKmb8
    Another King John/William Marshal movie… once more taking liberties with the history… (Marshal is a young man in 1216!)… release date to be announced.

31. Thanks for the update, Sharon! I think it’s so interesting when research takes us far afield from what we previously thought. It’s great! I was always interested to see that happen when I had to write papers in grad school.
    I’m so glad Shadow is doing well! LOL @ Velcro Dog. I love that he’s gotten so attached to you already. He sounded like he really needed some love and now that he has it, he just can’t get enough! Sweet boy.
    Thanks, too, for the awesome book list!
    Since you invited random questions, I had sort of wondered if you’ve ever come across anything regarding the eyesight of the warriors you write about? Surely not all the fighters had perfect eyesight, so how did they manage on the battlefield? Or did those with poor vision simply not make the cut to be a knight in the first place? But what about kings who were expected to lead men into battle?
    Also, another completely random question–can you recommend any books on medieval childbirth? I’m curious about the process and techniques they used. Is there any evidence that pregnant women ever did any sort of exercise or anything to help them prepare physically for the birthing chamber, or did they just hole up and hope for the best?
    Have a great day! 🙂

32. And today, I believe that King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta, in Runnymede.

33. Koby – thanx for the comment. I am awaiting the release date of Lionheart so I can re-read Devils Brood right before getting LH so I will be in the groove so to speak. Funny to see that you are half a world away but reading the same book(s). Thanx for all your medieval updates, too.
    Blair – I’ve heard about Nicholaa, too (in this blog I am sure) and was wondering the same thing: someone should write a novel about her in the line of Sharon’s well-researched ones, not just pure fictional ones. I’ll check out Maureen Ash’s, of course ‘-)

34. I still think Richard took the women with him because of the stories he heard in the nursery of his mother’s adventures on crusade. Even if the marriage was happy, I can’t see Richard being a “velcro” husband.
    On the subject of accents, some of the funniest stuff is in the medieval-themed movies Tony Curtis did in the 50’s (Black Shield of Falworth, The Vikings). Nothing compares to “Yondeh lies deh castle of my faddeh.”

35. Actually, to me, Life of Brian has the funniest accents. Seriously – people living 2000 years ago who should be speaking Aramaic/Greek/Hebrew speak with British accents? It’s especially ridiculous to hear those words in Hebrew.

36. And today, Pope Innocent II (the one hwo feuded with John) died, and the Battle of Stoke Field, the last battle of the Wars of the Roses took place, where John de la Pole, Richard’s nephew died.

37. Innocent II died in 1143. According to Wikipedia, Innocent III died on 16 July 1216. He was John’s (and Richard’s) contemporary.

38. And today, the hated Edward I ‘Longshanks’ was born. Also, I’ve heard they recently confirmed that the bones taken from the Magdeburg Cathedral are indeed the bones of Eadgyth, wife to Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, but more importantly, half-sister to the first King of all Britain, Athelstan the Glorious.

39. Innocent III is one of my least favorite popes, for he unleashed hell upon the people of what we today call Occitania. If he’d have been pope, however, in 1193, I do think he’d have done much more to secure Richard I’s release, as he was fiercely protective of the Church and holding a crusader king prisoner was a major violation of the crusading ethic.

40. Something interesting: I’ve been rereading Devil’s Brood, and on Wednesday we had a lesson from one of our Rabbi’s on David and Absalom. I couldn’t help but note the similarities between them. I could see Hal, Richard and Geoffrey as three aspects of Absalom, each with part of his traits – Hal with his handsomeness and charm, Richard with his ruthlessnesses and utter lack of affection towards his father and brothers, and Geoffrey with his cunning and deviousness.

41. Sharon, Gregory IX, who was related to Innocent III, was also no walk in the park. Christendom could have done well without that family. On a different topic, Koby seems to be following the description of Geoffrey by Gerald of Wales.

42. Not at all, Malcolm! I do not see cunning and deviousness as bad/evil traits. I was quite impressed with Geoffrey’s abilities to plot and get the best he could out of every situation. To me, cunning is always to be admired, and deviousness is simply advancing your own ends – which isn’t wrong unless you make it so. I think Geoffrey was perfectly justified in his plotting/scheming/rebelling in order to gain Nantes and Richmond and to protect Brittany.

43. I think a lot of people would be shocked, Malcolm, if they knew about some of the shenanigans of medieval and Renaissance popes. I agree, Koby, think Geoffrey was justified to do what he must in order to secure the rest of his wife’s inheritance. I also think Richard was justified in trying to hold onto Aquitaine and in being outraged that Henry would want to give it to John. Henry remains one of my favorite kings and favorit characters, but there were so many times in DB when I wanted to smack him upside the head. Don’t do this, Henry; you’ll regret it! Of course he paid me no heed whatsoever, any more than Richard did when I tried to warn him not to insult the Duke of Austria. Like father, like son.

44. June 19th is a sad day in Welsh history; on this date in 1282, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s wife, Eleanor de Montfort (Ellen in The Reckoning) died after giving birth to their daughter Gwenllian, who would spend her life in an English convent. Eleanor was buried beside her aunt, Joanna, consort of Llywelyn Fawr, in the Franciscan friary Llywelyn had founded in Joanna’s memory at Llanfaes. These last chapters in The Reckoning were the most difficult scenes I’ve ever had to write. I prefer to remember today with a quote from the Brut y Tywysogyon, the Chronicle of the Princes. After describing their wedding, he wrote, “And on the following day, Llywelyn and Eleanor returned joyfully to Wales.”

45. Unhappily, they only had a few short years together, before she died giving birth to Gwenllian. Gwenllian then being placed in the Priory of Sempringham after the war of 1282.
    The disposal of the children of Llywelyn and Dafydd ap Gruffudd was part of the determined effort of Edward I to extinguish the royal line of Gwynedd and as great-grand-daughters of Llywelyn Fawr, Gwenllian and Gwladus and her sisters all represented a threat. The fact that Gwenllian’s mother was Eleanor de Montfort, the sister of Henry III who was Edward I’s father, possibly increased any perceived threat from her in relation to future royal claims.
    There is a sense of ‘never to be released’ about the manner of Gwenllian’s confinement to Sempringham. The use by the Welsh chronicler when recounting Gwenllian’s fate of the expressions ‘taken into captivity’ and ‘against her will’ suggest the confinement was thought of as not for the well-being of the child, but rather for the political interests of the crown. The impression conveyed is ‘imprisonment’ rather than ‘refuge and nurture’ which are implied by the king’s letter to Thomas de Normanville in 1289 when he requested to be informed of their state and custody.
    In addition we must remember that, while Gwenllian and the others were ‘honourably imprisoned’ by Edward I, he himself died in 1307 so that their long imprisoments were presided over by Edward II and Edward III as well. The English crown appeared to consider that these women continued to constitute a threat to the crown while they lived.

46. Before I let my second trimester hormones do the talking, let me state once again that I have the UTMOST respect for you Sharon as an author. Not only is your work incredible to read, but it is also researched to a much more particular degree than any other ‘historical’ novelists I’ve read.
    That said, I think that many of us are resistant to the notion of Richard being any sort of decent husband because it is painfully clear that his priorities were very clearly to crusade, his friends, and Mummy. Even if we ignore the possibility/probability that he was bisexual, it’s fairly clear that Berengaria wasn’t anywhere near the top of the list in terms of importance to him. Truthfully, how many royal spouses WERE back then? It’s not as if he fell madly, passionately in love with her and moved heaven and earth to marry her. Richard bringing the ladies with him quite possibly had much to do with chivalry, and even more to do with not displeasing Eleanor. Can you imagine the fit she would’ve pitched if he hadn’t made at least a token attempt to protect his wife and sister? Appearances after all…
    Those of us who have read (and adored) Sunne in Splendour are clearly willing to suspend realistic belief in terms of your portrayal of Richard III, likely due to the rather obvious mudslinging done over the centuries to his memory. Is it likely that he was anywhere near as perfect as you wrote him? Definitely not! Is it more likely he was somewhere in the middle; a much more flawed and ambitiously ruthless, yet certainly not evil man who had the misfortune to die at Bosworth? I suspect so. Doesn’t change the fact that your Richard III is one of the greatest literary characters of all time and one whom your readers love.
    The point I am trying to make (as I said, hormones, bear with me) is that it’s not necessary for us to believe that YOUR depiction of Richard I is completely accurate in order for us to love him and the book. We don’t have to accept him as a good or loving husband in order to curl up in our comfy chairs and become enthralled with your latest work. We can simply enjoy and be grateful for the possibility you are offering us; the chance to look on him as something other than a complete ass.
    Not that I ever will; I’m a John fan. I look forward to embracing the opportunity though!

47. It surprises me that there still seems to be some confusion about Richard’s bringing his wife and sister to Jaffa. It was not a question of their safety. On the contrary, they would have been safer behind the city walls of Acre, which had not been destroyed, only damaged during the siege. The city rebounded quickly and Richard gave priority to repairing the walls before he departed. So by taking them to an army camp, he was actually exposing them to greater danger, for Jaffa had been razed by Saladin. Eventually he was able to repair the city walls and, I hope, make it somewhat more habitable. But he also took them with him to spend Christmas in another army camp by the ruins of Latrun, destroyed by Saladin, too.
    Adri, I have to say, too, that your comment about his attachment to “Mummy” is a bit snide. Why should he not have had such a close bond with Eleanor, given how much they had in common? He was her designated heir, sharing her love of Aquitainem music, and troubadour culture, and when he became king, he gave her something Henry never did–his complete trust.
    Someone else objected to my portrayal of Richard as a “Velcro” husband. Nowhere did I even imply that. I simply said that by bringing Berengaria to Jaffa and then Latrun, that indicated to me that they were on civil or even amicable terms at that point in their marriage. I am in total agreement that Berengaria was never a high priority with Richard; he was a military man and never happier than when he was compaigning. But I am coming to see that some of you have preconceived notions about Lionheart that you seem unwilling to surrender, more so than with any historical figure I’ve so far written about. I am sorry if this ruffles some feathers, but I have spent years researching the Angevins, and I feel that the conclusions I’ve drawn about Richard are based upon the known facts, not the Hollywood legend. I would suggest that anyone interested in the man might want to read John Gillingham’s biography, Richard I, the one published in 1999. There are numerous biographies about Eleanor and John, but in the case of Henry II and Richard I, I can recommend what are considered the definitive biographies of these two kings. For Henry, it is W. Warren’s Henry II, and for Richard, it is Gillingham’s work. Some of you might want to catch up on your John reading, too, with King John: New Interpretations. Scholarship is no more static than history, after all. I would also recommend Ralph Turner’s history of Richard’s reign; oddly, he ignores the most significant event of Richard’s life, the crusade, but he has an excellent final chapter called Richard in Retrospect, which discusses the fluctuations in Richard’s reputation over the years, and establishes convincingly that often people’s reaction to Richard tells us more about ourselves than it does Richard! Turner also has an excellent biography of Eleanor, which I highly recommend; an esteemed Eleanor scholar, Jane Martindale, has been working on a biography of Eleanor for a number of years, but it is impossible to say when it will be finished. Till then, Turner’s book fills the need admirably.

48. I can’t wait to kill the ‘Hollywood legend’. I want to get to know Richard the man, the one behind the legend. Amongst all the tidbits of information you give us I am most looking forward to finding out your theories on what may have started to go wrong for Richard and Berengaria. Devils Brood gave us glimpses of Richard, enough to whet our appetites for what is to come.

49. Small correction to my note above: it was Gwenllian’s ‘Grandmother’ who was the sister of King Henry 111. Sorry!

50. Britta, could you give me the name of the author of that trilogy you mentioned, please? I admit to having a soft spot for Heinrich the Lion; he was a very interesting character. 🙂
    Have you read Rebecca Gablé’s historical novels, btw? She covers some Mediaeval English history (Norman Conquest, War of the Roses).

51. Sharon, Richard Lionheart is quite popular in Germany, too*. There’s a new (and not the first) biography of him: Dieter Berg, Richard Löwenherz, Darmstadt 2007. His nephew Otto IV whom Richard wanted to make his successor, got an exhibition last year which led to a big, fat volume of essays about the man who became the only emperor of the Welfen family.
    * I blame it on the legend of his minstrel and friend Blondel who searched long and far for Richard, playing a song only they both knew, and finally found him in Trifels. There are several ballads about it.
    One movie version gives that part to Ivanhoe, btw. 🙂

52. Happy Midsummer’s Day! Today, Walter de Luci, the Abbot of Battle Abbey who appeared in Time and Chance died.

53. Sharon and Adri-
    Maybe I am misreading Adri’s post, and if I am, my apologies. I actually don’t think Adri meant to disagree with your portrayl of Richard as much as to say to others who have “dug their heels in” that its ok to think what you think about Richard, Sharon still rocks as an author. I’m a feather smoother, so those are my two cents.

54. Mebe;s (our Richard Had A Yorkshire Mentality-i,e, “A kingdom within a Kingdom!!”……….ie Dug there Heels in??

55. Hi Sharon,
    You say that a lot of people have fixed ideas about Richard I and don’t want to be budged off them. I’m sure you are right, and I can think of a few other historical characters of whom this is true. I suggest, in no particular order:
    Anne Boleyn
    Henry VIII (perhaps the most amazing contender for popular approval!)
    Katherine Swynford
    Isabella of France (Mrs Edward II)
    Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
    Robert the Bruce
    Anyone questioning their claims to sainthood is likely to get a strong reaction from their ‘fans’ – for want of a better word – as these individuals all seem to provoke strong protective feelings.
    Against this Edward II gets almost unrelieved stick, while Richard III is a special case. He seems to divide the world into those who adore him and those who hate him with a passion. Both sides of the argument can get very heated.
    I’ve been giving this some thought lately after an interesting discussion on FB about Isabella, and I wonder if this is a tribute to the power of fiction, and, to some extent, popular history in creating characters that people identify and sympathise with, or alternately hate.
    Just a thought.

56. Some people Might Hate Edward II,..But His Visionary-Plans For(Royal London) were Brilliant, most of wich Can Still Be Seen Today!, Also i Think He Started (Knights of the Garter)…..So he did his Bit, despite All the Adversity

57. An interesting post, Brian. Are there really fans of Henry VIII out there? Yikes. How about Edward I for a controversial figure? Those of us with emotional or actual ties to Wales or Scotland take a rather dim view of his kingship, but he definitely has his supporters. And I’d add Eleanor of Aquitaine to the list. Also King John, for he seems to stir passions both pro and con like the third Richard. Any other suggestions, people?

58. i am so pleased shadow is thriving! he looks so settled and happy in the photos.
    i love when my assumptions about history are completely undone. it is wonderful to think that richard wanted his wife with him so much that he brought her halfway across the world.

59. Eleanor definitely should be on the list. Nobody had better mess with her! Not so sure about John. Both he and Edward II seem to suffer from pissing off a relatively few of the wrong people.
    How about an update on Shadow?

60. Sandy, Shadow is thriving. Right now he is napping at my feet. He is the ultimate Velcro Dog. I will include a few photos in my next blog; for those who re my Facebook friends, there are quite a few photos already up. Now that he has put on weight, he looks like a sleek white wolf…assuming that wolves take stuffed toys to bed with them, of course!

61. “These last chapters in The Reckoning were the most difficult scenes I’ve ever had to write”
    As well as the hardest many of us readers have had to read! I was in San Diego at the time, celebrating our anniversary (5th or there abouts) and it definitely put a damper on things!

62. Today, Simon IV de Montfort. the father of ‘our’ Simon de Montfort died, and good riddance. Anthony Woodville was executed today as well.

63. Has anybody noticed a similarity between Ranulf Earl of Chester in here Be Dragons and his grandfather, Randolph de Gernons of Chester in When Christ and His Saints Slept? They were obviously very different, but they seem to share a very intense temper. I thought of this when I re-read the scene in Here Be Dragons when Chester gets angry at John for refusing to admit defeat during the first expidition to Gwynedd. He seemed to me like a copy of Randolph when truly angry in When Christ and his Sains Slept, like when Stephen released him form imprisonment. Especially the same description of thier black eyes. Anybody else notice the same?

64. Hi, Koby. An interesting thought, but I really don’t seem much of a reseemblance myself. The grandson was a man of honor, and the grandsire had the morals of a bandit. Ranulf de Gernons’ temper was probably a lot more fiery than his grandson’s, too. But it always fascinates me to get feedback like this from my readers, to learn how you all react to a particular character or interpret a particular scene. As to their appearances, unfortunately we know almost nothing obout the way either man looked. The only exception is that the grandson was of small stature…and I am not sure I knew that when I wrote about him in Dragons and Saints. I can’t remember back that far! I do mention it in Dragon’s Lair, though.

65. Koby-
    Why the good riddance when Simon de Montfort died?

66. He was a horrible man, in my opinion. One of the most fervent leaders of the Albigensian Crusade, as well as joining in on the attacks of Raymond of Toulouse, who was Joanna’s (Eleanor and Henry’s daughter) son.

67. I am 100% with you on this, Koby! Simon de Montfort, senior, the father of “my” Simon de Montfort in Falls the Shadow, was, as Koby says, one of the leaders of the Albigensian Crusade, which is surely one of the darker chapters in the history of the Catholic Church. A few things can be said in Simon’s favor–he was very courageous, a gifted battle commander. He didn’t believe in forced conversions and was disgusted when the Fourth Crusade veered wildly off course to sack the Christian city of Constantinople. But he was also very ruthless, very ambitious, merciless to his enemies, and to this day his memory is reviled in the south of France. Before Shadow was published, my English editor was there on holiday with her family. She later told me she was dismayed at first to visit castle ruins and read all these plaques describing the cruel deeds of Simon de Montfort, thinking at first that it was my Simon! She said it was a relief to realize all this hostility was aimed at the senior Simon. My Simon, by the way, was still a child when his father was killed at the siege of Toulouse.
    Koby, you astonish me sometimes by the depth and breadth of your historical knowledge. Not too many people have heard of the Albigensian Crusade, even in France itself.

68. In Carcassonne, they still celebrate the fact that Simon de Montfort met his death at the hands of women and little girls! Here is a description of his death from the contemporary Song of the Cathar Wars, laisse written in Occitan:
    “There was in the town a mangonel built by our carpenters
    And dragged with its platform from St Sernin.
    It was operated by noblewomen, by little girls and men’s wives,
    And now a stone hit just where it was needed
    Striking Count Simon on his steel helmet
    Shattering his eyes, brains, and back teeth,
    And splintering his forehead and jaw.
    Bleeding and black, the Count dropped dead on the ground. “
    The writer of this ‘Song of the Cathars’ scathing words about Simon’s glowing epitaph in the Cathedral of St Nazaire (now the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire) in Carcassonne are as follows:
    “The epitaph says, for those who can read it,
    That he is a saint and martyr who shall breathe again
    And shall in wondrous joy inherit and flourish
    And wear a crown and sit on a heavenly throne.
    And I have heard it said that this must be so –
    If by killing men and spilling blood,
    By wasting souls, and preaching murder,
    By following evil counsels, and raising fires,
    By ruining noblemen and besmirching paratge,
    By pillaging the country, and by exalting Pride,
    By stoking up wickedness and stifling good,
    By massacring women and their infants,
    A man can win Jesus in this world,
    then Simon surely wears a crown, respondent in heaven.”
    That about sums him up, don’t you think? Good thing ‘your’ Simon didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, even though Henry 111 accused him of doing so during Simon’s rule in Gascony!

69. Thanks, Sharon! I have this habit of gathering any information I can about anything. I don’t follow soccer/football, but I still keep up with who’s winning from a simple wish to know what’s going on. Actually, the only sports I truly follow are Basketball and Tennis.
    And I do believe Eleanor of Provence, Henry III’s (IV) wife died today/yesterday/two day ago.

70. Thanks, Koby–you’re our very own seer!
    This has nothing to do with the MA, but I challenge anyone to look at these photos without smiling.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wYBb8ZkulUI/S0_4DjPKV-I/AAAAAAAAEJE/6pddq-XOU6w/s1600-h/image00444.jpg

71. Me, again. Something went wrong when i copied and pasted this link. They are photos of a deer that comes every day to visit the cat. But for some reason, only one photo came out. I’ll try again for the full story tomorrow.

72. I really enjoyed Elizabeth Chadwick’s book ‘Daughters of the Grail’ which is about the Albigensisn crusades and features both ‘your’ Simon and his father (the nasty one).

73. Oh I see, I got confused as well. Koby I thought you were talking about Sharon’s “Simon” until I reread what you posted. Thank you for the clarification! I agree with Sharon, the amount of knowledge you share with all of us is incredible!

74. Was Older Simon!..told too Crudade,, or!..was it the Pope (Again) A general is just a General?? Brings us all back too The Mary Magdalane! Situation Again “Did she Land on the Camarque” also I wonder if our Elenor Knew the Truth?….Aquataine…. is;nt that far away from the Cathar Region is it?..Sharon ! we Need your Writings ..So much…I;d Love Your Take on this. and Paula I;ll Read Elizabeths Book?……..Thank-you.

75. And today, Elizabeth (Bess) of York gave birth to Henry, who would become Henry VIII (IX).

76. And today, Raymond Prince of Antioch (Eleanor’s uncle, the younger son of William IX of Aquitaine) was defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab. Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII (VIII) also died today.
    Lastly, easy fasting to those who fast today, on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, when the walls of Jerusalem were breached, Moses broke the two tablets of stone on Mount Sinai, The daily tamid offering ceased to be brought, Roman military leader Apostomus burned a Torah scroll, and an idol was erected in the Temple.

77. Thanks to Gillian at the Penman Review, I can recommend a fascinating article about Anne Boleyn in which the author makes a convincing (to me anyway) case that she was really born in 1507, not 1501. Obviously the dynamics of her relationship with Henry would appear in a different light if she were not yet 19 when he fell for her. It is well worth reading. http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com/2010/04/age-of-anne-boleyn.html

78. Thank-you Kobe,..wonderful Insights,….And Facts,.Dates Etc

79. And today, Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester, son of Maud of Gloucester and Randolf de Gernons died.

80. On the subject of Richard bringing his sister and wife to Jaffa: With respect to Berengeria, I wonder if Richard felt an imperative to produce an heir to the throne, with the idea of anticipating and addressing his John problem back in England. I know the distressing messages from home came later, but I’m sure Richard suspected what John might do in his absence. An heir would have weakened John’s position. And I get the idea Joan was a good companion for Berengaria, and companionship was not something Richard could offer in large supply during his move toward Jerusalem.
    On the subject of the movie “Robin Hood,” I found it to be a fact-stretch too far, particularly with respect to Richard. The movie seems to lump Richard and John together as being bad kings willing to exploit their subjects and brutalize anyone who gets in the way. Anyone familiar with this period in history knows Richard was not John! But this was a movie about class conflict, with some anachronisms as a result. I also sense that Richard is being offered as a “bad Christian,” as if to make some kind of politically correct statement that there were very bad Christians back then, engaged in those awful crusades. Those of us who know the period know that there was a lot more to it than that!

81. Since the school year is finally over and my class is done, I finally have time to breathe and catch up on all of Sharon’s blogs and all of the great comments. I want to thank Sharon and Elizabeth Chadwick for the great writing because I have had several students get turned on to reading good historical fiction this last year by reading your books. I had one student who read all of Sharon’s medieval mysteries and Saints. Another student read Sunne and Saints. A third student read Elizabeth’s books about Will Marshal and various other students read different books in Sharon’s medieval mystery series. I am always exciting when I can not only pass on my love of good historical fiction to my students, but also recommend two of my favorite authors.
    I would also like to say that as a history teacher, I completely understand that history is not static. As new historical items are uncovered, the things we think we know can be constantly changing. I just finished a class on strategies for teaching about the Holocaust. I have had other classes years ago on this topic, but with more technology available and more resources being found, especially after the fall of communist governments in Eastern Europe, there is so much more information available. I was amazed and impressed by the resources that are now available to me as a classroom teacher and the class has prompted me to restructure my whole unit with survivor testimonies, animated maps, more visuals, more information. I can’t wait to read about Richard because I know I will learn so much more about him and the time he lived in, just as I did about Richard III.
    Sharon….Shadow looks awesome. I also have a velcro dog, Zoe who at this moment is laying next to me while I write this.
    Have a great 4th everyone!

82. And today, Elizabeth Tudor, Henry VII (VIII) and Elizabeth’s (Bess) daughter was born.

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