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By a nose!
2004-06-30 at 3:51 p.m.
Lunch went well. Expensive, seeing as we ate at the Gaylord Texan (snicker). It's this new hotel in Grapevine, and it's really big and pretty, and frickin' expensive.
But anyway. I'm back home, took a nap, read more of my book.
1066, ah yes. The year of the Invasion of Normandy on poor England.
The author of this book is able to keep my interest held pretty well. The way he writes includes both the Norman side of the story (often over-exaggerated to make their flimsy case work), and the English side (often under-stated, as the English felt that they were not in the wrong, and that was that.)
The main difference between the two countries, Normandy and England, is that while they both came from Norse/Viking descent, they both seemed to end up with one of the "dual characteristics" of the Norsemen.
Normandy ended up with the war-happy, vicious side of their ancestors, and England became the peaceful, farm-land owning society that the Norsemen were on their off-time.
So when the king of Normandy was promised to be heir to the throne in England when King Edward died, by, according to the over-played Norman accounts, both Edward and Harold, Edward's Subregulus, his pride swelled.
Of course, once a ludicrous offer such as that is proposed, it is nearly proven that something, inevitably, will go wrong.
Harold, rather than King William of Normandy, became the next king, by the witan's (think Congress, in English terms) choice. It isn't recorded whether Harold attempted to point them towards King William, as they had become friends, and I'm sure he meant to keep the promise he made, but he could not go against the popular decision.
Because if he did, rather than choosing William, the witan would have chosen another on their own.
So this damaged King William's pride. He'd boasted to his country that he was heir to the throne, so he must have been made somewhat of a laughingstock.
Wounded pride. That's what led this poor sap on. He immediately started planning a (first-ever!) attack by sea to England. On horses. On boats. He wanted to put knights on horses on boats, and send them tightly a-floating in a well-controlled and together fleet, to attack England.
Don't you know that was a fantastic sale opportunity: For the first time ever, get your equestrian ya-yas whilst spending time close to the ocean! Great for a honeymoon vacation. Those only happen once anyway, right? Cheap tickets! Support your king, and kill the usurper of the throne in England!
All sales final, trip may be one way. Inquire at offices once invasion is complete as to whether you qualify for a trip back. Void where prohibited, and in Puerto Rico.
Anyway, Harold, was already gathering forces to wait on the coast, just in case William would be planning something. The word came that he was, because nobody understood secrecy and sneakiness in those times. It was all about the boasting.
And this is about where I am right now. Half of the book was backstory, and I've got like 70 pages left. Woopie!
Tostig, Harold's brother, is already clambering to come attack as well, and William's pulling a dirty trick over the Pope.
He knew his wounded pride wouldn't be enough of a reason to get Papal blessing, but this Lanfranc character, introduced the idea of telling the Pope they were going to reform the English church.
Because we all know, if you can't find a good reason to fight, even if you really really want to, go crusade!
Yay Holy Wars, jihads, crusades, whatever!
I don't know how many people would actually read that. But it doesn't matter. I basically wrote it so that I could show that I've got the story down. That I'm keeping it up in my brain, because if I just read it and let it go in one eye and out the other, I'm Oompa Loompa Doopity-screwed.
I'm gonna go see what else there is to find out about this wonderful little moment in history.
And so far, what I've learned? Don't make promises you can't keep. And don't offer things you don't have.
Let your "Yes"s be "Yes"s and your nose be your nose. I mean, well, you get what I mean.
Adios.
<-Ghost->
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