Attendant's View
  • Cartoons and Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Links Elsewhere
Picture

Everybody wants a a king - they're all the rage

29/9/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture"twang!"
King Harold was somewhat notoriously so battered after the Battle of Hastings, that there was trouble IDing him (one of those facts many kids know - an arrow to the face + battle wounds = childhood gore levels to the max) and due to his then death, the way was clear for us gaining a new ruling class, some ace tourist attractions and extra set of words to our mongrel language.

However... there's a bit of an idea that Harold survived, and lived locally and secretly as a religious hermit, before confessing his true identity on his deathbed and being buried at Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Cue a very keen author and "amateur historian" Peter Burke and the same production team, Oval Films, who worked on Richard III's discovery. They've just had the licence for archaeological shenanigans approved by English Heritage, and work can begin on playing Hunt the Harold.

PictureIs there a king under here?
Not to belittle how overjoyed many folks must be, as it must now make pitching a case for "we want to dig up X to find famous Y, we know it seems far fetched, but look what they found in Leicester..." much easier. Researchers and fans of the more unusual rumours of history finally have some great evidence to show it's worth taking a punt and following those threads, and popular consciousness has taken a keener interest in archaeology and DNA and all that stuff. 

Now, call me jaded, but this now feels a little like a band wagon of a very strange flavour. Deceased royalty of yore becoming the must have for any tourist economy, as well as a string of TV shows and book opportunities. Yes it has engaged media and the public further with archaeology, but in a glory seeking way, rather than showing how the painstaking study of medieval ghost villages, combined with parish records can help us understand the development of towns and cities and how migratory people were. It encourages people to visit because of a 'celebrity' skeleton rather than reasons of specific archaeological or historical interest (e.g. "This helps us understand how people with a disability lived and worked..." although, being fair on Ricky, he has helped us with that)

I'm also a little amused at how two different sources have described Oval Films. "which also helped to find Richard III’s remains in a car park in Leicester" and "the team behind the discovery of Richard III’s remains in 2012". Fine, if they funded it, organised it, whatever, but reporting so far is a touch muddy, and I feel a sorry for the University of Leicester Archaeological Services given they are seemingly incidental in all of the archaeological work required! (not to mention the Richard III Society, assorted researchers, experts...) 

There is a long held belief that William permitted the burial, in secret, of Harold's mutilated body at Waltham Abbey (as well a few other claimants to his final resting place) so it could be that he rests there not as an elderly survivor, but rather as a slightly dismembered corpse. I'll be keeping an eye on the developments, but my initial hopes are low, and I'm hoping that Peter Burke isn't left too disappointed if it all obviously falls apart a bit early on. 

Sources:
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/efnews/11501908._/?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2744368/Author-s-quest-prove-Anglo-Saxon-monarch-died-30-years-Battle-Hastings-buried-Essex-churchyard.html (sorry for the daily mail, but they seem to provide very thorough articles!)

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Webcomic and occasional blog about the heritage sector.

    ​Follow The Attendant:

    Facebook
    Twitter
    Tumblr

    RSS Feed

    Topics

    All
    Archaeology
    Art
    Behind The Scenes
    Blog
    Book
    Cartoon
    Castles And Houses
    Complaints
    Daft Questions
    Don't Do That...
    Don't Do That...
    English Heritage
    Entrance Desk
    Forrin Tourists
    Guided Tours
    Handy Gallery Attendant Tip #
    Happy Stories
    Kids
    Mischief
    Museums
    National Trust
    Old Dears
    Parents
    Parks And Gardens
    Review
    School Visits
    Submitted
    Tourist Information
    Yuk

    Author

    All text and images are produced by and copyright of the artist, holder of the domain name of attendantsview.com
    Please contact for permission to use images, which will probably be gladly given, but it's only polite to ask first!

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Cartoons and Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Links Elsewhere