Sunday, April 27, 2014

Freckles, they are good.


That's an amazingly long neck as well.  Could she be the reincarnation of Edith Swan Neck, the consort of Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England?


7 comments:

  1. Harold might have fared better had he not screwed over the Black Prince (he swore a holy oath to William when he was shipwrecked in Normandy to support him in his claim for the crown on the death of the Confessor), and he could have lived a long life with the Swan Neck. William marched on England with a Papal Bull and Papal Flag recognizing his claim. William Godwinson thus became an enemy of God in his rebellion against Papal authority (purchased with good gold).

    I'm with you, she's pretty.

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    1. It would have also been better for Harold if his army hadn't had to march to Stamford Bridge, nearly to Scotland, to defeat the invasion of Harald Hardrada ( Hard Ruler) of Norway immediately before William's invasion. Godwinson's army was exhausted from literally tramping up and down the length of England.

      It was also said that the Papal Bull did dishearten him, when he saw it with William. The Norman was nothing if not politically astute.

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    2. Yes, Tostig (who had a claim on the throne) stirred up Harald and the two invasions closely coincided. Had William not had the misfortune of early bad weather and an aborted invasion, he would have faced fresh huscarls and the feared rather than dribble of a worn out force that trickled south to form a shield wall.

      Fate.

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    3. Fate indeed. In my earlier life I think I might have been a huscarl. I still own a double bitted fallers ax, which I think would have done good double duty in battle. ;-)

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    4. AND won the heart of the fair swan necked queen...

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  2. Wonderful story which I wasn't familiar with. Thanks.

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