So It's Almost Certainly Him

[poliphilo]

And now I'm thinking about the burial.

A rushed job by the look of it- showing at odd mixture of respect and dis-respect- no shroud, no coffin, the grave cut too small- but in a place of some prestige. Is any of that surprising? There's been a battle, authority is in flux and the town is still full of armed men- their temper and sympathies uncertain.

What's the proper thing to do? What will people praise us for doing? The body of an anointed king can't just be thrown on the dung heap. Neither do we want it to become a rallying point.  The friars say they'll take it? Fine. Let 'em have it. Get the damn thing underground before I change my mind

Did it take courage to mount that funeral? Did it happen by night? Was there anybody there that Richard would have counted as a friend? 

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

They said the grave was too small. Also, his feet are missing. I put two and two together and shudder.

According to folk legend, the locals didn't like Henry Tudor, who marched his troops across the wheat fields instead of using the lane like a decent Englishman. For them, Henry Tudor was the man who spoiled their harvest.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

According to an article I read the feet were removed long after burial.

Henry Tudor was a very effective king but I don't think there's any doubt that he was also a grade "A" bastard.

[sovay]

Did it take courage to mount that funeral? Did it happen by night? Was there anybody there that Richard would have counted as a friend?

Poem?

I was wondering what kind of ceremony they'll give him now: the Church in England is not Richard's now, but I think if he is not buried with ritual and honors, something will have gone wrong.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Poem? Probably not. I wrote a Richard poem a couple of months back.

They're planning to bury him in Leicester's Anglican cathedral. You're right, it'll be a headache to devise an order of service.

[all-unnecessary.livejournal.com]

Just in case you haven't seen this yet: 'Well, That Was Cool,' Say Archaeologists Before Dumping Bones Of King Richard III Back Into Hole.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The Onion is always good value.

One teensy-weensy objection: Leicester isn't a northern city. It's in the Midlands.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Undoubtedly it took courage to accept the body and bury it. Bless them for the courage of their convictions. Too small it might have been, but he was dead, it's not like it mattered. I hope there was a friend there to wish him farewell, but it was probably just monks. So happy he has really been found. I am fascinated with this story.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I can't get enough of it. I'm eagerly awaiting the publication of pictures of the facial reconstruction. We got a glimpse of it in last night's Channel 4 documentary. The presenter (they'd chosen one from Richard's native Yorkshire) said, "Eh, but he's a bonny lad."