He ruled for 10 years, but only 5 months in England. This is the length of the return narrated in the song. He remained in England for five months and then he left again to fight against the king of France, where he died at the ends of XII century.
Did you know Lionheart (the king) only stayed in England for 5 months?
- Thread starter Almogaver
- Start date
Funny how you brought up this subject I'm currently reading a book about this very same subject the crusades.
Almogaver said:
I can remember posting about this before when the titles of the songs were announced. Richard the Lionheart was a French nobleman, couldn't speak a word of English, spent all the English taxes on wars in the middle east (some things never change!), and was eventually killed in a war between various groups of Frenchmen in which the Normans were eventually driven out of France almost entirely and ended up living mainly in Britain as the ruling class.
Oh yeah, and even those 5 months he spent in England were mostly cos he had to come back and slaughter any peasants who were threatening to revolt.
I'm assuming Biff and co got their image of Richard from films like The Adventures of Robin Hood (the Errol Flynn classic). Neither the film or the song have what you would call historical accuracy, but both are bloody good romps!
Oh yeah, and even those 5 months he spent in England were mostly cos he had to come back and slaughter any peasants who were threatening to revolt.
I'm assuming Biff and co got their image of Richard from films like The Adventures of Robin Hood (the Errol Flynn classic). Neither the film or the song have what you would call historical accuracy, but both are bloody good romps!
mmurnau said:
Yeah, you're right. The historical facts usually destroy the mitified images that cinema or music have built over the decades in our collective imagery. But I think this imagery fits better with heavy metal music than the real history.
Paxoman
Member
Well why let the facts get in the way of a good song or film! Hollywood, and Mel Gibson have been doing it for years!
What I find so interesting about this topic is that it parallel's what is currently happening in the middle east right now, during the crusade's they were trying to bring Christanity to whomever they were trying to force it upon and right now the US is trying to bring Democracy which has it's basis in Christanity to the middle east.
mmurnau said:
Richard Coeur de Lion was also widely believed not to have consummated his marriage to Berengaria of Navarre for 5 years, and only then after being scared into doing it by a priest who had taken his confession of being gay. At any rate he died without having fathered any children.
So plenty of "scholars" reckon he was gay, but there are also others who say that his apparent lack of interest in women was down to the fact he was a complete psychopath whose only real love was war and killing!
I know which theory I'd like to believe, but either way, I don't think I would have shouted "Yoo hoo, king fairy" at him.
So plenty of "scholars" reckon he was gay, but there are also others who say that his apparent lack of interest in women was down to the fact he was a complete psychopath whose only real love was war and killing!
I know which theory I'd like to believe, but either way, I don't think I would have shouted "Yoo hoo, king fairy" at him.
Eorl
Matamoros
Badlad said:
I think he was more supposed to be bisexual than homosexual, but I must sympathise with him wanting to leave the dump of a country Britain was and go moor-slaying in the Holy Land. And even then, he didn't die honourably in battle, but killed by some frog peasant outside Chalus...
"the US is trying to bring Democracy which has it's basis in Christanity "
Actually Democracy has it's base in ancient Athens.
Actually Democracy has it's base in ancient Athens.
Yeah democracy is not really a Christian invention as such. But RicknRoll's right, there IS a big parallel between the old Crusades and whats going on now. A lot of the rhetoric being used is very religious on both sides. Perhaps it shows how little humanity really changes over the centuries, which is a depressing thought.
I suppose the main difference is that in the old Crusades the opposing armies were more of an even match. This time the Christian side has clear military superiority and the Middle Eastern side is resorting to guerilla tactics. But whether the outcome will be any better for anyone remains to be seen!
I suppose the main difference is that in the old Crusades the opposing armies were more of an even match. This time the Christian side has clear military superiority and the Middle Eastern side is resorting to guerilla tactics. But whether the outcome will be any better for anyone remains to be seen!
bloody Hollywood
Eorl
Matamoros
RicknRoll said:
Encompassing Turkish Muslims, Arab Muslims and pretty much every other Muslim to grace the Holy Land with their presence.
And, just to be pedantic, most sources suggest he was here for 6 months...
Obviously had his priorities right didn't he?
Actually now I think about it, having Richard Lionheart as a brooding psychopath killing everything in his way might have made an interesting song after all. Could have been one of Saxon's darker songs like, say, Unleash the Beast.
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