It is quite rare that solving a crossword inspires me to write a post, but today it happened! Hubby and I were struggling with a clue varjagsfurste (Swedish, sorry for that) and it took me some time to work out that varjag in Swedish is Varangian in English. Once I got that far, the hitherto […]
Meet Olga (or is it Helga?), bloody avenger – and saint Read More »
Those of you who follow my blog, know I have written several posts about the Spanish Hapsburgs (I have provided selection at the bottom of this post) Obviously, I am rather fascinated by this family and its penchant for incestous marriages–but I have been stuck on the Spanish branch of the family. Well, beyond casual
Anyone who has a thing about Tudor England will have heard of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife—the second one he divorced. Some say he felt tricked by Thomas Cromwell (and, I suppose, by Holbein) stating the real-life Anne was a far cry from the beautiful woman in her portrait. Whatever the case, Anne
From portrait to Protestantism – a post about Sibylle of Cleves Read More »
Today, I am hosting Rosemary Griggs and her book Mistress of Dartington Hall as part of her ongoing Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Now, I am not generally a big fan of Tudor England, but I really enjoyed Ms Grigg’s previous book about Dartington–well, more specifically about the female protagonist, Roberda–so when the opportunity came
I was recently in Dresden, which has absolutely no connection to the books I am writing or planning to write. But sometimes, life invites you to stroll down an alternative path, which is why my friend Alison Morton and I took a long weekend in Saxony. Alison, of course, had a reason for wanting to
When Death calls your name – a reflection on the Moritz Monument and a gagged lady Read More »
Recently, I posted about a book dealing with Inés de Castro, a purportedly very beautiful woman who caught the eye (and heart) of Pedro of Portugal. Now, it would seem the de Castro genes were very good genes, because Inés had a younger half-sister named Juana whose beauty also caught the eye (but not the
Hands up those of you who’ve heard of the Battle of Cartagena de las Indias. Hmm, very few, apparently. Now, I had heard of this battle before, because as a child I grew up in Colombia, and on several occasions I had the pleasure of visiting Cartagena de las Indias. And once there, it was
The consequences of Jenkin’s ear – the story of a naval battle Read More »
It has been quite some time since I indulged in my fascination with the Hapsburgs, this once so powerful family that controlled most of Catholic Europe and preferred to marry very close kin—which, eventually, led to disaster, at least for the Spanish Hapsburgs. But the Hapsburgs weren’t always an inbred dynasty on the brink of
Anna and Maria – Holy Roman Empresses that took their procreating duty seriously! Read More »
As long as human civilisation has existed, a dark stain has existed right alongside: slavery. Sophisticated cultures have arisen and functioned based on slavery. Ancient empires, the predecessors of most countries that are still around—once, slaves was an integral part of the economy. In early medieval times, the Slavic tribes were repeatedly raided for new
Cryssa Bazos is a 17th century enthusiast – as am I. We do not agree on Prince Rupert, she tends to lean Royalist where I am more Parliamentarian, but those minor differences aside, I find her books set in the period utterly enthralling. In Cryssa’s novels, gorgeous descriptive prose marries convoluted plots, further enhanced by
Marching through history – on opposite sides of the divide Read More »