Caroline Spearing traces the history of a tree rooted in English national identity, which saved the monarchy, and that the ancient Greeks held sacred to Zeus, the father of the gods, especially at his oracle in Dodona
In parts of England, 29 May is still traditionally celebrated as Restoration or Oak-Apple Day, when King Charles II’s Restoration to the throne (in May 1660) is commemorated by the wearing of sprigs of oak leaves, or oak apples – an allusion to the oak-tree in whose branches he successfully concealed himself from Cromwell’s soldiers. Charles II depicted sheltering in the branches of a mighty oak (1 and 2) is one of the enduring images of English history, all the more surely etched upon the national consciousness by its depiction on signs outside public houses across the country.
Remarkably, it would appear, in its outline at least, to be true: the story was in circulation soon after the event and it was written up and published in 1660 by one Thomas Blount. It was a favorite anecdote of the king, himself, who – happily for posterity – happened to tell it to Samuel Pepys who, in turn, dutifully recorded it in his famous diary.
Following Charles I’s execution in 1649, his son signed a deal with Scottish Presbyterians, which led to his coronation at Scone on 1 January 1651. From there, he mounted an invasion of England but suffered a calamitous defeat at Worcester on 3 September. With a bounty of £1000 on his head and cavalry detachments especially mandated to search for him, the king cut his hair short and adopted the dress of a countryman (including coarse stockings and rough shoes, which tore the royal feet to ribbons) as he embarked on his six-week odyssey to the coast and a Channel crossing.
Before heading south, though, he spent several days eluding capture on the Boscobel estate in Shropshire. On 6 September Charles and a Royalist officer, William Careless hid in the leafy branches of a great oak near Boscobel House (6) and watched the Parliamentary search parties fruitlessly crisscrossing the woodland.
Bu hikaye Minerva dergisinin May/June 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Minerva dergisinin May/June 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
ROMAN DISCOVERIES AT ANCIENT AUGUSTODUNUM
More than 230 graves have been uncovered at a necropolis in the French city of Autun, revealing a diverse mix in burial practices over a period of nearly 200 years, as well as luxury grave goods from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD that highlight the wealth of some of its ancient inhabitants.
INTO THE VALLEY OF THE QUEENS
The Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari, was buried in one of the most spectacular tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Queens. Well-educated and well-travelled, Nefertari played a crucial part in the political life of the pharaoh, and her importance was reflected through her magnificently decorated tomb. Lucia Marchini speaks to Jennifer Casler Price to find out more.
DEIR EL-BAHRI, 1894
Tensions were already high among the archaeologists, surveyors, and artists of the Archaeological Survey of Egypt in 1891 when an eventful dispute arose on Christmas Eve.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
When the Etruscans expanded to the south and the vast plains of Campania, they found a land of cultural connections and confrontations, as luxurious grave goods found across the region reveal. An exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples sheds light on these ancient Italians at the frontier. Paolo Giulierini, director of the museum, is our guide.
A STUDY IN PURPLE
A tiny speck of purple paint from the 2nd century AD may yield clues to how ancient artists created the extraordinary portrait panels that accompanied mummified bodies into the afterlife.
Rome In The 8th Century: A History In Art
John Osborne CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, £75 HARDBACK - ISBN 978-1108834582
Thebes City Of Myths
Sparta is famous for its warrior tradition, Athens for its intellectual and artistic achievement. But what of Thebes? As ancient historian Paul Cartledge explains, Thebes too had a most distinctive image.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX? PLYMOUTH'S NEW MUSEUM OPENS
stories from the world of archaeology, art, and museums
PARTHENON, ATHENS, 1907
In 1903, the photographer Fred Boissonnas made his first trip to Greece with his frequent collaborator, the writer and art historian Daniel Baud-Bovy.
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc 1814-1879
“Viollet-le-Duc needed connections: he had elected not to study architecture, preferring to learn on the job.”
