BBC2 are repeating this wonderful series in Sunday evenings.
Last night’s hot and spicy serving covered Henry III, Edward I (and William Wallace), Edward II (the king who allegedly died from a red hot poker thrust up his sit-upon, and thus a particular favourite of mine), and Edward III.
Edward I, as we all know, was known as the Hammer of the Scots, and the background music during some sections, played on the Uilleann pipes, was presumably supposed to reflect the Scottish theme.
Imagine my suprise then, when I recognised the themes as Taimse im Chodlagh, and Roisin Dubh.
Go on, imagine it. Bet you can’t.
Ever since I ate those cheesy puffs…
[ This Message was edited by: Martin Milner on 2002-09-24 04:24 ]
Ah yes, dear olde civilised Englande, where they came up with things like being hanged, drawn, and quartered…the red hot poker was tame by comparison and probably much quicker as on occasion the person being executed would be hanged in one town, “drawn” in another, and finally beheaded and quartered in yet another!
Susan
I should add that Eddie2 was assassinated (by his wife and her lover) in this inventive way because it leaves NO VISIBLE MARKS. I have no information about the look on his face when the body was found.
Willam Wallace suffered the fate of live dis-embowelment. We learnt a lot from the Romans.
Oh, and there was one very chivalrous part of the “drawing” - the victim (although supposedly a bad guy/traitor/etc.) would be offered a glass of wine during the disembowelment. (Do you suppose they could request a fine year?) And after the quartering, each body section was sometimes sent to a town where the victim’s death might bring some glee and displayed proudly until it rotted away.
Susan
[ This Message was edited by: susnfx on 2002-09-23 14:37 ]
Actually I find this whole business of using uilleann pipes on the soundtracks of films and TV programmes about Scotland hilarious.
For years, I had to explain even to Irish people who had never even heard of, never mind seen uilleann pipes, that bagpipes are not exclusively Scottish. Now the poor old Scots have to put up with being automatically associated with uilleann pipes - even in the battle scenes scenes where what we call the “war pipes” would be most appropriate.
On 2002-09-24 07:07, Roger O’Keeffe wrote:
What about rotgut to speed up the process?
Actually I find this whole business of using uilleann pipes on the soundtracks of films and TV programmes about Scotland hilarious.
For years, I had to explain even to Irish people who had never even heard of, never mind seen uilleann pipes, that bagpipes are not exclusively Scottish. Now the poor old Scots have to put up with being automatically associated with uilleann pipes - even in the battle scenes scenes where what we call the “war pipes” would be most appropriate.
Quite. Irish tunes on an Irish instrument as background to the wars waged by Edward I against the Scots and Welsh.
There was a bit where Robert the Bruce’s brother invaded Ireland to open up a second front against the English. Her was supposed to be enlisting Irish aid, but unfortunately Ireland was going through a lean period, and the troops robbed food off the Irish peasants, so they were generally not made very welcome. Maje that was what the pipe music was supposed to refer to?
True Scottish bagpipes would probably have been to loud for the background music, designed as they are to be heard over the roar of a battlefield.
On 2002-09-23 06:50, Martin Milner wrote:
… Edward II (the king who allegedly died from a red hot poker thrust up his sit-upon…
There are echoes in fiction of course, most notably The Miller’s Tale by Chaucer. When a certain poster recently invited another to bestow an affectionate gesture on a prominent part of his anatomy, I was tempted to warn him of what can happen to those who hang their arses out be kissed. Remember Nicholas!
Another salute to Edward’s fate came in the name of a prominent English folk-dance band, “Edward II and the Red-Hot Polkas”. (Tip of the hat to Chilli Willie, there, also.)
