Today is St. Crispin's Day. St. Crispin and his bro' St. Crispinian were cobblers who shod the poor for free and had their leather stores restocked at night by angels. (Elves are not real, you know).
Naturally, because they were saints they were beheaded. (Why this is so consistently true is beyond me). Post-decapitation their bodies were floated across the English channel where they became revered. Now that is weird. As an aside - did you know that in olden days commoners were beheaded with an axe, but noblemen were beheaded with a sword? Now you do.
If you are a real Poindexter you probably already know that St. Crispin's Day is famous as the day of the battle in Henry V by William Shakespeare.
Here's the part (Act 4, Scene 3):
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
BTW - I am not such a Poindexter. My Saint-A-Day guide pointed out the literary link. Happy St. Crispins. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow...oh, forget it.
8 comments:
What kind of parents would name their sons Crispin and Crispinian? How confusing is that? What were they medieval George Foremans?
I loved him in Back To The Future.
Jess! Welcome back! In my life as a teacher, I get to see all kinds of good sibling names: There was Lyle and his sister Lylene (dad's name: Lyle,) the twins Lloyd and Floyd, Kavon and Kavonia ... then there are my cousins Janelle, Elinda, and Jalynn -- all variations of their mom's name Eleanor (or at least she thought so.)
Strangely enough, I knew that about beheadings, because I watched the Masterpiece Theater production of Henry VIII, where Anne Boleyn was greatful for the kindness shown by her estranged husband when he decided she could be beheaded by sword instead of axe. (What a guy!)
When you run out of saints, I'll give you my book of uppity women of the Middle Ages.
I however was such a Poindexter. I remember that speech from the Kenneth Branagh version of Henry V.
sorghum they were shoddy parents indeed. (that's a shoemaker joke) (it's lame) (lame, get it?)
I'll quit now.
splotchy he was (mc)Fly
Suzy what say we start a new chapter of uppity women from the Middle West?
Dr. MvM you smarty monkeypants!
It is interesting to note that the famous speech in Henry V was about rallying the troops for before the Battle of Agincourt during the 100 years war between France and England. England decided that they were going to be greeted as liberators in France for 116 years, from 1337 to 1453. In the end, Joan of Arc taught the British soldiers a lesson in the basics of advanced political theory before her eventual rendition and slow broiling in French Gitmo. She is the patron saint of marshmallow roasts.
Forget my local Catholic church! It is to Jess' that I shall run to get all my saintly information!
It is delivered with such style and verve!
And let us not forget... St. Hubbins... The patron saint of quality footwear.
Battle of the saints, 2007:
New Orleans Saints: 31
San Francisco: 10
Poor Saint Francis was out-numbered.
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