The White Queen

[Onkel Neal]

I'm on episode 5 of this Starz series. It's very well-made, and the acting is good. But I cannot keep up with who is who, which side they are on, who is the King/Queen du juor, and where the heck they are. Calais, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Burgundy, Flanders--goodness, you would think there was some kind of medieval mass transit. Man, them English are a little crazy when it comes to getting someone on the throne and keeping them there. Right now there are at least 4 guys all trying to be king. Lancasters, Yorks, Tudors, wow.

I don't know how this ends up, I don't know English history that well. I don't want to hear any spoilers, but if you have seen this series (or read the books), chime in, I have some specific questions to ask.

Naturally, I may be the sole person on this forum watching or have watched this series, but who knows.

[Skybird]

No chess in here, nothing to see, move on folks, move on...

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I'm on episode 5 of this Starz series. It's very well-made, and the acting is good. But I cannot keep up with who is who, which side they are on, who is the King/Queen du juor, and where the heck they are. Calais, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Burgundy, Flanders--goodness, you would think there was some kind of medieval mass transit. Man, them English are a little crazy when it comes to getting someone on the throne and keeping them there. Right now there are at least 4 guys all trying to be king. Lancasters, Yorks, Tudors, wow.

I don't know how this ends up, I don't know English history that well. I don't want to hear any spoilers, but if you have seen this series (or read the books), chime in, I have some specific questions to ask.

Naturally, I may be the sole person on this forum watching or have watched this series, but who knows.

You are not alone! Ask away! PS: the story really ends in 2013 at Leicester when they found Richard III-a little hunchbacked & worse for wear...some times it's NOT good to be a (de-feeted?) king! 'A horse A horse' ...and always wear your helmet!

[Oberon]

I've seen bits of it, good series from what I can tell.
In regards to dramatis personae, it boils down to the two rival houses of Plantagenet, the House of York and the House of Lancaster and their fights for power which became known as the Wars of the Roses (named after their respective symbols, the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster).

[Betonov]

"Off with his head, off with his head!" Heads lying about everywhere. One could hardly take a step without tripping over a fallen crown. We're much more civilized now, I assure you.''

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

Ah the war of the roses, the white rose crops up throughout British history.

VERY FUNNY! but actually not a bad idea at Isandlwana: "March slowly, attack at dawn and eat up the red soldiers." The Zulus had been commanded to ignore the civilians in black coats and this meant that some officers, (The only five who survived) whose patrol dress was dark blue and black at the time, were spared and escaped.

[Eichhörnchen]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

the story really ends in 2013 at Leicester when they found Richard III-a little hunchbacked & worse for wear...

The joke going around at the time was that the controversial company contracted by the government and charged with assessing disability benefit claimants, had found Richard III "fit for work"...

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

and always wear your helmet!

That's a post-mortem bone destruction you nincapum!

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

That's a post-mortem bone destruction you nincapum!

WHA!.....NAME CALLING at ! BACK to your PORT! Good eye on the one severe cut over the left frontal bone though. "Three of the king’s injuries - two to the skull and one to the pelvis - had the potential to cause death quickly, according to the university’s forensic imaging team. They used whole body CT scans and micro-CT imaging of injured bones to analyse trauma to the 500-year-old skeleton carefully and to determine which of the King’s wounds might have proved fatal. They also analysed tool marks on bone to identify the medieval weapons potentially responsible for his injuries.
The results, published today in The Lancet, show that Richard’s skeleton sustained 11 wounds at or near the time of his death: nine of them to the skull, clearly inflicted in battle and suggesting he had removed or lost his helmet, and two to the postcranial skeleton." http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/16/richard-iii-died-battle-losing-helmet-new-research PS:I did take a course or two, 1 year, in forensics! Bottom Line: he's missing some big parts to the cranium- And have a glass of Malmsey...on me!

[Oberon]

[Rhodes]

I was more on the joking side do to the picture Akty posted, since the skull injury showed there, in the picture, one can see some white on the borders, so indication of a post-mortem.
I went to see all the images of the skull around the web to see if I was right, and the large majority shows the Occipital injuries in detail. In the serious side, only seeing and analysing the skull in person I can say this or that with some degree of certainty, something I would love to!
In paleopathology, trauma injuries are my favourite, plus in medieval populations.

 

So, Richard the Third also rise up as a cyberman did not he?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I'm on episode 5 of this Starz series. It's very well-made, and the acting is good. But I cannot keep up with who is who, which side they are on, who is the King/Queen du juor, and where the heck they are. Calais, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Burgundy, Flanders--goodness, you would think there was some kind of medieval mass transit. Man, them English are a little crazy when it comes to getting someone on the throne and keeping them there. Right now there are at least 4 guys all trying to be king. Lancasters, Yorks, Tudors, wow.

I don't know how this ends up, I don't know English history that well. I don't want to hear any spoilers, but if you have seen this series (or read the books), chime in, I have some specific questions to ask.

Naturally, I may be the sole person on this forum watching or have watched this series, but who knows.

No spoilers Neal but a link to the BBC site and explanations regarding characters etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p018sxqp

[frau kaleun]

Lol Neal if you are going to try to keep track of who was who in the noble/royal families and what they were doing and why during that period of English history, you need a LOT of cheat sheets. Used to be a bit of an obsession of mine and I had multiple family trees drawn up and tucked into all my books, it was the only way to stay sane.

At some point they should have passed a law about not using the same damn name more than once during, say, a three-generation period in any one family.

Aaaaaand every time someone says "Plantagenet" I want to watch The Lion in Winter again, as if anyone needs an excuse to do that.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

In paleopathology, trauma injuries are my favourite, plus in medieval populations.

INDEED the KISS principle of paleopathology is sometimes best; you're in Gothic full plate with a Sallet helmet,(style BBY) generally over a mail coif or arming hood and your horse is down so you, as king, are no longer readily visible to your 'very mercenary' prepaid troops (oops the boss just croaked-we're done-style of combat) who will quickly lose heart and, as with William I at Hastings showing himself still in the fray, you remove said helmet....and most of the pole-arms are held head-high phalanx-style....and now everyone knows where you are....afoot, hunchbacked, unloved and sloooow movin'....

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Lol Neal if you are going to try to keep track of who was who in the noble/royal families and what they were doing and why during that period of English history, you need a LOT of cheat sheets. Used to be a bit of an obsession of mine and I had multiple family trees drawn up and tucked into all my books, it was the only way to stay sane.

At some point they should have passed a law about not using the same damn name more than once during, say, a three-generation period in any one family.

Aaaaaand every time someone says "Plantagenet" I want to watch The Lion in Winter again, as if anyone needs an excuse to do that.

Yeah, it's staggering the number of times the names Edward and Henry get used over and over.

I just started the Red Queen, seems to be the 2nd book in Philippa Gregory's series. The first I just finished, The Lady of the Rivers, sets up the story, and I can tell now, by starting the Red Queen, a lot more about the TV series The White Queen, as in who's who, etc. Seems the TV series skips all the stuff from the first two books and jumps right in, no explanations. Well, now I know who the wretchedly amitious and pious woman in the TV series is, she's Margaret Beaufort, and she's the protagonist in the Red Queen (book 2) ((did I mention there are several Margarets to keep track of, also?)). So, ah ha, I see, and now it's making more sense. Plus the books do an outstanding job of casually filling in the family histories.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

No spoilers Neal but a link to the BBC site and explanations regarding characters etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p018sxqp

Thanks, Jim, that seems to have a list of characters and their profiles, that will help.

I also need to read up on the Tower of London, I thought that was a prison, but it seems sometimes it also serves as a sanctuary/castle/keep?

One thing is for sure, the English are magnificent, their civilization, even in these early days of confusion and treachery, clearly sets the stage for modern civilization. God save the King! Whoever that happens to be at the moment.