Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Prophecy and the Tudors

From author Nancy Bilyeau
In legitimizing a mystical prophecy, Henry VII was unleashing a certain kind of power that would reach across the entire 16th century. Rebels against various Tudor regimes would repeatedly use their own prophecies to rally support. They effectively co-opted Henry VII's modus operandi, down to the symbolic banners. A frustrated Henry VIII sought to ban prophecy from his kingdom after he was nearly engulfed by seers, witches, and necromancers spouting predictions, many of them derived, allegedly, from Merlin and yet coded and obscure, open to many interpretations. (Read entire post.)
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