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Monday, September 14, 2009

Margaret of Anjou

Author Susan Higginbotham is writing a novel about Margaret of Anjou, the queen of Henry VI of England. Susan's research is fascinating, leaving no stone unturned. To quote:
Much of Margaret’s bloody-minded reputation, of course, comes from the chronicles that describe the devastation inflicted by her troops following the Battle of Wakefield. B. M. Cron, however, has analyzed the evidence supporting these accounts and found it markedly lacking. Both she and John Gillingham cast doubts on the accounts of the Croyland Chronicler and Abbot John Whethamstede: Gillingham writes that Croyland’s account does not specify any places that were actually pillaged, but rather “is couched in the vague and emotional rhetoric of unsubstantiated atrocity stories.” Cron concludes that there would have certainly been “pillaging, petty theft, and unpaid foraging” by Margaret’s troops, marching in mid-winter, but that the army “did not indulge in systematic devastation of the countryside, either on its own account or at the behest of the queen.”

2 comments:

  1. Hi Elana,
    I'm not sure if this is the right spot or not...I tried to post on the article on "The Myth of Lady Jane Grey" after scrolling through the comments...since it seems to be part of you blog, maybe yes? I read with interest your comments, and I think with regard to your musing on out attraction to the Tudors that it is all three. That and the fact that I suppose one should not be surprised that the magnatism that they cultivated in life has outlived them by several centuries. It's rather similar to the comment I once read about Marie Antoinette continuing to exert a "pull" on the heart-strings of men even after 200+ years!
    Can't remember if I said this before, but I love your blog. O look forward to the up-date e-mails, lol!
    As for the other comments...
    I am a committed, more or less "traditional" Protestant--at least I feel as such, but without the invective. However, I have a few icons and other religious art around my house which I enjoy and which enrich my devotional life. (I also have an autographed photo of John Paul II.) Also some Roman friends and family. And I do the Hours inasmuch as I can, as a facet of my prayer life. While I do have some theological differences with Roman Catholics, I very much view them as my brethern in Christ and look forward to seeing individual ones in Heaven at the Lord's feet. Finally, I respect the obvious intelligence and piety of Benedict XVI, even if I might disagree with a point here and there. Union will never be perfect this side of Heaven, but living in peace is not beyond us at this point. I seem to remember St. Paul saying something about that...
    History is, unfortunatly, easily "used" by some to further agendas at times. My training as an historian taught me to be aware of my own biases, and those of other authors...not easy but it can be done...

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  2. Aron, thank you so much for your kind words about my blog and for expressing your thoughts with honesty and charity. I am sorry that you were not able to leave a comment on the Lady Jane post. I appreciate hearing from you. It sounds like God is leading you on a very exciting and amazing spiritual journey!

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