Introduction
I know what I am about to tell you seems crazy. It's crazy to me
too! You're just lucky this isn't happening to you...try to keep
that in mind. It may sound exciting and, I guess, it is.
But, it is definitely a complex and complicated situation I find myself
in. I know, I know, you're ready for me to get to the
point. Well, the truth of it is, I have inherited a wee
problem. I recently found my great-grandfather's journal, which
is full
of his youthful escapades. It was really entertaining to
read about what trouble a man in the early twentieth century could get
into, until...his escapades starting popping into my bedroom. Do
you know how difficult it is to hide a two-thousand-year -old woman in
your
closet? Sorry. I tend to get ahead of myself. I guess
great-granddad (he was a British viscount), somehow found a time
portal. My great-grandfather kept this journal, which I will
inherit, to remind
himself of his time in the past. For whatever reason, the portal
that he found didn't close all the way. When I opened up his
journal and started reading the entries,
instead of me being transported back, the people he had met in the past
came forward to my time. So, I find myself in a
particularly fascinating position; I have historical house
guests!
Whoever thought Queen
Boudicca, Horatio Nelson, King Arthur, and Guy Fawkes would find
themselves situated in my bedroom in the year 2009. Certainly
not me. What's more, I would imagine none of these historical
figures envisioned it either. Who would have ever guessed that my
education in British history would come from...the sources
themselves? Certainly not me. Here, I'll introduce them to
you, if you don't believe me.
Now that the introductions have been made and are out of the way, let me tell you about my first encounter. It was quite shocking! I had just reached a good part. My great-granddad had found his way back to the time of the Romans. In particular, he wormed his way into the household of Queen Boudicca. Things were just reaching a critical boiling point; all of the tribes of what is modern-day East Anglia were rising in rebellion. All of the sudden, BOOM! The sound of crashing made me jump out of my bed. The next thing I knew, something or someone was banging on my closet door...from the inside. I grabbed my pillow for self-defense purposes and skeptically crept toward my closet door. Hey, don't judge! You wouldn't think clearly either! Besides, it was the first thing I could get my hands on. I tentatively turned the handle when a woman with hair that looked like spun fire fell onto the floor in front of me. We stared at each other stunned. I don't think either of us knew what had just happened. Once the tension dissipated she started to tell me her story.
King
Arthur and Excalibur
I'll admit, I was a
bit relieved to send King Arthur back to his quest. I wouldn't
change my experience for anything, but he was intense! I cannot
imagine being a member of his Round Table. I would constantly be
intimidated! I heard a distinctive CRASH come from my closet.
It was the same sound that I had already heard twice that
evening. I had already started the story of Guy Fawkes and I
wasn't quite sure how I should interpret this person's motives.
He tried to blow up the British Parliament for goodness sake! I
seriously considered locking him in my closet. I didn't want to
find out if this extreme Catholic had naturally violent
tendencies. It became apparent, quite quickly, that Guy Fawkes
was not going to be content tangling himself in my clothing. I
had to let him out.
1) "Death of the Iceni Queen" by Matt Hughes, 2005, at Epilogue
2) "King Arthur" by Charles Ernest Butler, 1903, at My Art Prints
3) Guy Fawkes at Bonfire Night
4) "Portrait of Lord Horatio Nelson" by Friedrich Heinrich Fuger at All Posters
1)
Queen Boudicca is fierce! She ruled over a British tribe called the Iceni when the Romans invaded England around 60 B.C.E.. She is truly impressive. Several of the local tribes nominated her to lead them into battle. If you ask me, considering the time she lived in, that is a pretty impressive accomplishment!
2)
You must have been born under a rock if you have never heard of my next guest. His name is King Arthur. That's right, the same guy with the Round Table. For some reason, this particular character is highly debated by historians. Did he exist only as myth whose story was retold over and over again? Or, was he the famous king responsible for defeating the Saxons in the sixth century? We'll have to ask him.
Queen Boudicca is fierce! She ruled over a British tribe called the Iceni when the Romans invaded England around 60 B.C.E.. She is truly impressive. Several of the local tribes nominated her to lead them into battle. If you ask me, considering the time she lived in, that is a pretty impressive accomplishment!
You must have been born under a rock if you have never heard of my next guest. His name is King Arthur. That's right, the same guy with the Round Table. For some reason, this particular character is highly debated by historians. Did he exist only as myth whose story was retold over and over again? Or, was he the famous king responsible for defeating the Saxons in the sixth century? We'll have to ask him.
3)
Guy Fawkes left his mark as a true revolutionary. He tried to blow up Parliament in protest of Protestant rule. This happened in 1605 by the way. Did I mention that King James and most of the clergy, Protestant and Catholic, were inside at the time? Pretty radical, huh? The British still celebrate this event to this day. Bonfire Night, held on November 5th, is still celebrated in the United Kingdom to commemorate Guy Fawkes failed attempt to assassinates King James. For those of you who don't really know the difference between the United Kingdom and England, I'll fill you in: at the present time the United Kingdom is comprised of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.
Guy Fawkes left his mark as a true revolutionary. He tried to blow up Parliament in protest of Protestant rule. This happened in 1605 by the way. Did I mention that King James and most of the clergy, Protestant and Catholic, were inside at the time? Pretty radical, huh? The British still celebrate this event to this day. Bonfire Night, held on November 5th, is still celebrated in the United Kingdom to commemorate Guy Fawkes failed attempt to assassinates King James. For those of you who don't really know the difference between the United Kingdom and England, I'll fill you in: at the present time the United Kingdom is comprised of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.
4)
Meet Horatio Nelson; he was born in 1758 and died in 1805. His accomplishments in the British navy are unfathomable. The British people truly love this man...still! A bit of an eccentric, he fought courageously for his country during the Napoleonic Wars with France. Many Americans have been to the famous Trafalgar Square in London, but many are unaware that that particular location is named after this man's last battle off Cape Trafalgar, on the Spanish coast.
Meet Horatio Nelson; he was born in 1758 and died in 1805. His accomplishments in the British navy are unfathomable. The British people truly love this man...still! A bit of an eccentric, he fought courageously for his country during the Napoleonic Wars with France. Many Americans have been to the famous Trafalgar Square in London, but many are unaware that that particular location is named after this man's last battle off Cape Trafalgar, on the Spanish coast.
Now that the introductions have been made and are out of the way, let me tell you about my first encounter. It was quite shocking! I had just reached a good part. My great-granddad had found his way back to the time of the Romans. In particular, he wormed his way into the household of Queen Boudicca. Things were just reaching a critical boiling point; all of the tribes of what is modern-day East Anglia were rising in rebellion. All of the sudden, BOOM! The sound of crashing made me jump out of my bed. The next thing I knew, something or someone was banging on my closet door...from the inside. I grabbed my pillow for self-defense purposes and skeptically crept toward my closet door. Hey, don't judge! You wouldn't think clearly either! Besides, it was the first thing I could get my hands on. I tentatively turned the handle when a woman with hair that looked like spun fire fell onto the floor in front of me. We stared at each other stunned. I don't think either of us knew what had just happened. Once the tension dissipated she started to tell me her story.
The Story of Queen Boudicca
After, finally, returning Queen Boudicca home I had to worry
about what
I was going to do with my next visitor. King Arthur was royally
upset that he had had the misfortune of landing in my shoes. I
can guarantee that my shoes were less than thrilled too; at least, I
was for them. He began to make quite a ruckus and it took every
ounce of persuasion that I had to convince him to stop. I
couldn't afford waking up my parents, could I? I can imagine the
look on my father's face if he were to run into my room at that
moment. I can't imagine that he would be pleased to find a man,
dressed in armor, "hidden" in my closet. Needless to say, my
life would be over!
King
Arthur and Excalibur
GUY Fawkes AND PARLIAMENT
I
had come to the final entry in my great-grandfather's journal. I
had never heard of Horatio Nelson before, but it was easy to see that
this person meant a lot to the British people. In fact, he STILL
means a great deal to the British people. I had even heard of
Trafalgar Square in London. I knew that my guest would arrive
soon and I wondered what Admiral Nelson would be like. So far,
all of my guests had taken me by surprise. Queen Boudicca is the
bravest person I have ever met. King Arthur was the biggest snob
I have ever met. Finally, Guy Fawkes, for a radical, was the
saddest person I have ever met. CRASH!
I knew that sound quite well and I knew that I was about to make
Admiral Horatio Nelson's acquaintance.
MY OU HOMEPAGE
1) "Death of the Iceni Queen" by Matt Hughes, 2005, at Epilogue
2) "King Arthur" by Charles Ernest Butler, 1903, at My Art Prints
3) Guy Fawkes at Bonfire Night
4) "Portrait of Lord Horatio Nelson" by Friedrich Heinrich Fuger at All Posters