Richard III

[poliphilo]

They're scientists so they have to be careful not to leap to conclusions, but they've dug in the place where Richard was known to be buried and found the skeleton of a man with spinal curvature (which means one shoulder would have been higher than the other),  serious trauma to the skull and an arrow between the ribs; who else could it possibly be?

Redesmoor

With a gold ring round his helmet,
Fierce as a cornered hog,
The small man braved his enemies,
Unhorsed, down there in the bog,

Till William Gardner, commoner,

With knighthood on his mind,

And a damn big heavy poleaxe

Approached him from behind. 

Then all the saints and angels

To whom we used to pray

Came slithering out of heaven

Like trinkets from a tray.

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Remember before God
Richard III, King of England
and those who fell on Bosworth Field
having kept faith.
August 22, 1485
Loyaulte me lie.

I wish the latest report had included an estimate of the height of the man whose skeleton it is. Some reports say he was short; another says tall.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've assumed he was small. If he turns out not to have been it will be no hardship to change "small" to "tall".

I'm hoping they'll do a facial reconstruction.

[sovay]

I'm hoping they'll do a facial reconstruction.

Yes!

[sovay]

If he turns out not to have been it will be no hardship to change "small" to "tall".

He'd have been tall without the spinal curvature. With it, much shorter than usual.

All of this just makes me very happy.

[sovay]

Came slithering out of heaven
Like trinkets from a tray.

I like this.

I would like it to be him. And then I wonder where he will be reburied, with honors. I don't think going back under the car park is a reasonable option.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I favour reburial in York Minster. He was well loved up here in the North.

[sovay]

I favour reburial in York Minster. He was well loved up here in the North.

You should propose it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Someone already has. The discussion is well underway. I wonder who gets to make the final decision?

Another suggestion is the church of St Mary de Castro in Leicester. That would be my second choice. I'd rather he didn't go to London.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

And he loved the North. He had his son invested as Prince of Wales in York Minster.

[veronikos.livejournal.com]

Love the poem!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.