Richard III : Skeleton Unveiling

[Leifr Eiríksson]

It's been reported for some time in the press now although I am unsure of how far it reached outside of England through the media. The remains were dug out of a car park some months back.

There will be an official announcement in approximately thirty minutes, hopefully, as to the final decision on the remains. Here's to that discovery! It's thought that Richard III was a victim of a Tudor smear campaign after his death, hence our ill-disposition towards the crooked King. Cannot wait to see what happens.



BBC News Conference is up and running. So far, so good...
Heavy curvature upon the spine from the age of ten onwards. No withering of either arm as the Tudors oft' put it.
Lithe man, of similar build to that of every description found of Richard III.
Ten wounds found upon the skeleton thus far, still waiting for the conference to unveil more. Most of them around the head; sword, halberd and spear.



Announced to be Richard III. 

 

[Orchid]

Ha, I was just about to put up a thread about this as well! His remains seem to display several humiliation wounds, consistent with historical literature. Image of the skull.

 

[Leifr Eiríksson]

Indeed! He had quite the beating before and after death, it seems. I'm going to assume that the BBC link will not work for those outside of the UK, I would think that this will end up on YouTube within the next hour.

Going to head down to Leicester (I live in Nottingham) for re interment when it occurs. 
Damn, this is great news.

 

[Orchid]

I think BBC News should work for all if not most, it's the non-news programmes that the BBC's put a tight leash on. Yes, I'm curious as to what they'll do with the exhibition.

But what the hell was the Leicester cathedral canon chancellor on about nearer the end? "May he [Richard III] rest in peace so that he may rise gloriously" *awkward silence followed by slow clap* Was typing while listening so I dearly hope I misunderstood 

 

[Leifr Eiríksson]

I know that a few German friends have had problems accessing the website before, oh well. I did particularly enjoy how they stopped broadcast just as the C4 representative was discussing tonight's show (at 9!), bastards. 

I don't know, turned off mentally when the clergy stood up. I cannot help but wonder if it would be better to bury him in the north (York?) though, rather than Leicester.

 

[Lord Burgess1]

I think BBC News should work for all if not most, it's the non-news programmes that the BBC's put a tight leash on.

Because the BBC is paid for by the TV license rather than by advertisements.

 

[Orchid]

You don't say?

The broadcast was still running on BBC World News (on television) a few minutes ago, though the livestream has stopped now.

 

[Leifr Eiríksson]

It's somewhat depressing to read the negative comments on the various news outlets. It beggars belief that people are that disinterested in the history of their nation and fail to recognise the ramifications of a dynastic changeover for the generations down the pipe. I like to imagine that these people are the types of people who spit on the street, **** each other with unwashed genitals and generally roll around in their own muck and filth. Probably not far off...

Typical of this government.
More money wasted on utterly pointless vanity projects such as this.
99% OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS GUY.
THE MONEY WASTED ON THIS COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT PROPPING UP UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. NOT CUTTING IT!


Is this really that interesting? Thank goodness for cremations at least someone wont be digging me up in a few hundred years!! Must be no news today.


It's all very nice for the bearded little men in sandles, with their girlie little trowels, make-up brushes and 1/2 pints of real ale, but what has it done to further the human cause? Will it help prevent future wars? Will it finally determine if York is better than Lancaster? Will it cut the defecit? Will it reduce crime?

 

[Bromden]

99% OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS GUY.

Yay, I'm more educalimized than 99% of Britain! 

But anyways, great news, I always loved the character.

 

[Devercia]

The true question is, can his skeleton play M&B?

 

[RalliX]

The true question is, can his skeleton play M&B?

Well, he already played War of the Roses.

Spoiler

 

[Feragorn]

Welp. I guess Lancaster got the last laugh.

 

[noosers]

Still, that crooked spine... Must have been a quite repulsive sight - though I reckon people in the middle ages were far more accustomed to such things since they were a tad more frequent than nowadays.

 

[Justiciar]

Apparently it wouldn't have been that obvious when fully clothed, and wouldn't have effected his gait too much. One shoulder would've been marginally slumped. However twisted, his spine was clearly sturdy enough to support him in full 15th century armour. A disability to be sure, though not too crippling.

 

[Kobrag]

York and Leicester are arguing over whom has entombment rights.
York wants him because of his familial ties and Leicester because the people who killed him threw him in a pit there for 500 years.

In my opinion, they should throw the child murdering sod in a river.

 

[Leifr Eiríksson]

Best throw every King into the river then...

 

[Lord Burgess1]

It was quite funny when someone said 'The Tudors weren't evil then'

 

[Lascivo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6JczvS1PL4

 

[Amman d Stazia]

but what has it done to further the human cause?

in itself, nothing, but as an example of how we as a culture embrace the idea of learning about (and from) our past, rather a lot.
Examination of history allows us to see how bad things came about, and conversely may in future be avoided, rather than simply believing the government message of the day.

Take an extreme case: The rise of the 'backstabbing' conspiracy theory and later of the NSDAP in Germany.  When the suggestion was made that Germany had lost WW1 because of a betrayal on the home front it found widespread support.  When the Nazi party in particular began associating this 'betrayal' with a 'Jewish-communist conspiracy' that found additional support.  The real history was not examined in public.  Had it been, German public opinion might have been very much against taking up where the military had left off in 1919, and equally unreceptive to the idea that Jews and Communists were to blame for all their misfortunes.

 

[Kissaki]

Announced to be Richard III. 

Yes, with still more DNA work to be done. Personally, I don't think it's him, never did. The deformity thing was blown all out of proportion by Shakespeare, and though they allude to contemporary sources speaking of his deformities, they don't say what these sources are. And the skeleton was identified based on how well its deformities conformed to Shakespeare's description. They have been very optimistic through all this time, but the whole thing has been driven by wishful thinking and now they leap on the news that the partial DNA analysis suggest there may be a link. What they don't say, or even seem to realize, is that not all DNA results are 99.9% accurate. Even if the samples are pure, the more distant the relation the less accurate the samples are going to be. And when one sample is from someone who has been dead for many generations, and the other is from the present-day descendants of the dead guy's sister, the results are not going to be conclusive. At best, they can say that the tests did not disprove the hypothesis.