King James II

James II was a stuart king of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1685 until 1688. At the beginning of his reign, he had to face a rebellion, which failed, resulting in savage punishments of all of those involved. Later on, the king clashed with the parliament for trying to give civic equality to catholics and protestants. So, he decided to dissolve it and ruled alone. He attempted to promote Catholicism by signing up Catholics to military, political positions and into universities. In 1687 he even issued a Declaration of Indulgence aiming at complete religious toleration .


When his second wife’s son was born, and fearing that a Catholic succession was now assured, a group of Protestant aristocrats appealed to William of Orange, husband of James's older, and Protestant, daughter Mary. In November, William landed with an army in Devon. But the King was abandoned by an army and navy who he had completely alienated; James completely lost his nerve and fled abroad. In February 1689, parliament declared that James's flight represented an abdication (or abandonment) and William and Mary were crowned joint monarchs.

When James landed in Ireland, with French support, he raised an army. Despite of this, he was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. Dying in exile in France on September 1701.



Not enough???

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/james_ii.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England

Not another Historical Thriller movie

Elizabeth: The golden age
It is an Impressive movie about the protestant queen of England, Elizabeth I. She stands against king Phillip of Spain and his feverous Catholicism. The story illustrates the “Enterprise of England”, a plan engineered in order to assassinate the queen, bring Mary Stuart “Queen of Scots” into the throne, and therefore convert England into Catholicism.
Elizabeth is also known as the “Virgin Queen”, since she hasn’t married. For that reason, her majesty hasn’t conceived an heir. The film confirms her image as a powerful woman, vain and intelligent, mother of her country. However, virtuous Elizabeth I is shown in the movie as human as we are, when perhaps falling in love with a (as described in the movie) pirate, Sir Walter Raleigh, who ends up in one of her favourite wards’ arms. Anyway, as soon as Mary Stuart is beheaded for treason, Spain calls to a holy war. How will both countries end this war? Will god be on Spain’s side or protestant England?



I do personally wonder about a couple of things… Mary Stuart was the Queen of England’s cousin, why couldn’t they just get along? Obviously, very different and difficult times, back then, Elizabeth I was in great danger, her cousin wanted her crown, and if she didn’t keep her in prison, she might have called to a rebellion or something against her. And was there another reason for her to be called “Virgin Queen”? An affirmative answer is possible; perhaps Catholics didn’t like her to be virgin, because that way she would be compared, in virginity, to Mary, mother of god’s son. Moreover, in England protestants loved their Queen, and they might have seen her as a goddess, a Queen so powerful and caring but also pure. The reasons I believe she didn’t want to get married are pretty obvious for me, probably she just didn’t want to share the power of the crown, she felt probably that she didn’t want to ask for her husband’s opinion, or wind up like her mother did.




Changing the subject, I can’t help but thinking about her conflict with the King of Spain, it is important to underline that the king was taking over several countries, and it was a political decision in the aspect that Elizabeth I didn’t want to be managed by any King and his beliefs, also since she didn’t want him in her plans for discovering “The new world” which was America. Religiously, she had to stand up for England so that inquisition didn’t take over her protestant country. She is very clear on this, when she says: “… God don’t permit that it succeeds for that there will be no more liberty in England, or conscious, or thought. We cannot be defeated.”
Undoubtedly, an enjoyable film for its diverse conflicts: power, religion, wealth, love, treason and so on. Its interesting look on the unknown private life of Elizabeth I, speculations of the reasons she neither married nor cared for having a husband. Also how Protestants in England are shown in the good side and Catholics like some drastic and cruel people: Is that so?
I was impressed by the locations, the setting ,really adequately chosen, specially the sights of churches and castles, not mentioning the beautiful garments like the queen’s dresses and men’s clothing.
You should definitely go and rent it, you won’t regret!

Secrets Revealed

Several myths related to the existence of Stonehenge have been developed over the years. Which Myths? Well, according to the article by C. Hibbert there were tales of esoteric ceremonies, priestly incantations, human sacrifices and it was even seen as a sanctuary connected with a “sun cult”. But it was not until archaeologists Geoffrey Wainwright and Timothy Darvill excavated Stonehenge, that the secrets of the mysteries and reasons of existence of this monument have been discovered. For instance, they can accurately say now the first bluestones arrived not during 2,600 B.C, but in 2,300 B.C. And skeletons findings have facilitated a new theory to arise: Stonehenge = a healing Center. What evidence makes them believe so? People buried around Stonehenge that came from Europe.
So, when will we really find out what the Stonehenge really meant 2,300 year ago? That is something we don’t know, but we’ll wait for an official and accurate answer. After learning about the mysteries and origins of this world’s wonder, I’ve come to think that it might have been a place for all the theories that Stonehenge carries. But since there is an uncertain belief of its origins, people see it as a holy place or temple in which ancestors left their energy and power for the people to come , feel and enjoy …maybe heal, who knows? We don’t know how powerful faith can be, let us see it this way… perhaps Stonehenge as one of the recent archaeologists that dug around it said “ a prehistoric Lourdes”.