Arguably one of the best known and most controversial monarchs in British history, Henry VIII was prepared for a life in the church. As second son he wasn’t meant to be King. That bitter inheritance fell to his older brother Arthur. However on Arthurs death, the young Henry was whipped away from his mother’s household… Continue reading Henry and Anne: The Great Matter
Category: One Minute History
Aspects of the Gods
A friend has been writing an assignment on Dionysus. The Hellenistic God of booze and questionable life choices. I found her enthusiasm for the subject infectious and it has led to a lot of discussion, debate and reading. I also mentioned in my post on Camulos that in particular Gods of war often come in… Continue reading Aspects of the Gods
Poetry: Words of the Gods
Words have power. This seems to be a universal truth that transcends culture and time. George the Poet said in his podcast that “nothing is ever said without reason, even if it’s a lie”. Words are important and they convey meaning, not just meaning intended. This is particularly evident in what we know of the… Continue reading Poetry: Words of the Gods
Maria Beckett: From Madness to Murder and Back Again
Maria Beckett was the widow of a well-known brewer in Buckinghamshire, England. at 66 years old, she lived between various children. She was regarded as an intelligent, kind and generally well-respected member of the local community. When her husband died in 1854, his business passed to their son with the provision for an allowance for… Continue reading Maria Beckett: From Madness to Murder and Back Again
Sarah Jupe: Murder at the Pure Drop
The rain fell in the city, the scream sounded. “Murder, Police Murder!” crowds shuffled, an impenetrable wall of the disinterested. The blood flowed and the rain fell.
Battle of the River Idle: A nation is born.
One of the most incredible events in this history of Britain. A story full of passion and intrigue, glorious and sinister characters, a battle that defined the political landscape of post-Roman Britain. An event which, for the first time, elevated a king of this island above all others to the status of Bretwalda. A point… Continue reading Battle of the River Idle: A nation is born.
Strigoi: Fear not this night.
In a remote village in the hills of Romania a young boy hides under the covers of his bed, the bright moonlight and trees cast gruesome and terrifying shadows against his bedroom wall. His grandfather’s stories of dragons and demons race through his mind. He takes a deep breath and rallies his courage, and then… Continue reading Strigoi: Fear not this night.
Camulos: The Lost God
The Romans brought a lot to the world. Incredible construction and logistical techniques, bleeding edge technology, technical democracy and law. They also wrote the textbook on cultural genocide. It’s well established that as a rule the Romans absorbed cultures and traditions, blending them with their own interpretations. However this process significantly, yet subtly changes those… Continue reading Camulos: The Lost God
Death Masks: Momento Mori
When I was at college my class were studying the Mycenaean’s, there was lots of stuff about cyclopean walls and the lion gate, I find all of that interesting now however at the time I was so dull and not at all what I expected studying classical civilisations to be like. And then our teacher… Continue reading Death Masks: Momento Mori
Romani non Invicta: Brennus the Badass
Rome in the fourth century BCE was not the imperial powerhouse we would recognise from the history books. It was a fledgling nation. This however didnt mean it lacked any of the narcissism, hubris and self-entitlement of its later glory days. Rome had only been founded a century earlier but already its ambassadors and its… Continue reading Romani non Invicta: Brennus the Badass