Ireland

  • The Spanish Dancer and the King

    In a previous post, we took a look at the life of Ludwig, the Mad King of Bavaria.  (Please see this post:  http://www.historynaked.com/ludwig-mad-king/)  He was not the only odd ball in the Wittelsbach family.   The grandfather for which he was named had a distinctly overbearing personality and an obsession beautiful actresses.  Ludwig came to the throne at the age of thirty-nine and cut a rather unimpressive figure.  He was known as a stingy eccentric, who liked to wander the streets of Munich dressed in threadbare clothes and carrying a broken umbrella.  As previously mentioned, he loved beautiful women and courted a string of women to whom he wrote reams of bad…

  • St. Patrick’s Day

    Everyone has heard of St. Patrick.  The patron saint of Ireland who drove the snakes from the island.  However, the famous Irish saint was not even Irish by birth.  It is thought that he was born in Scotland, England, Wales or even on the coast of France around 385 CE.  He wasn’t named Patrick either.  It is thought his original name was Maewyn or Succat.  When he was sixteen, a group of Irish pirates sacked his village and took him for a slave.  As a slave shepherd in Ireland, he turned to the religion of his youth- Roman Catholicism.  He eventually escaped and studied in a monastery in France under…

  • Twelfth Night and Nollaig na mBan

    Traditionally, the Christmas season lasted from Christmas Day on the 25th to January 5, and there was a celebration and a holiday for each one.  These were typically in honor of a specific saint.  In medieval Europe, the Christmas holidays were: Day 1 (25th December): Christmas Day, which celebrated the birth of Jesus Day 2 (26th December): St Stephen’s Day. Day 3 (27th December): St John the Apostle. Day 4 (28th December): The Feast of the Holy Innocents.  This celebrated the babies killed by Herod in his search for Jesus Day 5 (29th December): St Thomas Becket. Day 6 (30th December): St Egwin of Worcester. Day 7 (31st December): New…

  • The Naughty Hellfire Club

    Prince Regent:   Last night, I was having a bit of a snack at the Naughty Hellfire Club, and some fellow said I had the wit and sophistication of a donkey. Blackadder:   Oh, an absurd suggestion, sir. Prince Regent:   You’re right. It is absurd. Blackadder:  Unless, of course, it was a particularly stupid donkey. If you are like me and a fan of the greatest television show in the entire world-  Blackadder- you will have heard them make mention of the “Naughty Hellfire Club”.  This was not a fictional club, but the name of several actual organizations which existed in the mid 18th century.  Were they actually “naughty”?  Well, that depends…

  • Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels

    The Order of St. Patrick was created in 1783 by George III as a corresponding association to the English Order of the Garter.  The king was the head and Sovereign of the Order; and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the Grand Master in the absence of the Sovereign.  At ceremonies the Sovereign or the Grand Master wore a jeweled insignia.  In 1831, William VI replaced the insignia with a more elaborate one.   394 stones were taken from English crown jewels and the Order of the Garter star.   Rumor had it Queen Charlotte donated the jewels because they belonged to her husband’s mistress, but no matter. The Honours of St.…