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Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Monday, 14th March 2011
Watching telly and reading history, I've noticed that there are some pretty insulting and unflattering nicknames and epithets? I'm guessing that they never heard these said direct to their faces? But which are the most accurate and/or deserved?
William (I) "the bastard"?
James (II) "the shit"?
Duke of Cumberland - "Butcher" or "Stinking Billy"?
William (IV) - "Silly Billy"?
Malcolm (III) Canmore ("Bighead")
Hermann Goering - "Fat one"
Are there many others?
Ivan IV the Terrible (although terrible has a different meaning to the current meaning of Terrible - as in "Oz the Great and Terrible")
Juana the Mad (Queen of Spain 1516 to 55)
Charles II of Navarre, known as Charles the Bad.
And of course "Bloody" Mary 1 of England.
Good ones, Mr E.
Charles 'the Fat'?
I don't know whether Ivar would have been insulted by 'Boneless'?
The Norse have some great names, just can't think of any right now!
I don't suppose Vlad the Impaler would be insulted either, he seemed quite proud of the reputation.
"Tricky Dick" Nixon.
"Slick Willie" Clinton.
Just let your imagination run!
Matilda 'the Haughty'?
I think the vikings quite liked their nicknames?
That comedy duo -
Ragnar Hairybreeks
&
Harald Bluetooth.
Séamus a’ Chaca = James_the_Shit
That’s what we Irish called James II.
Séamus a’ Chaca = James_the_Shit
That’s what we Irish called James II.
Ìý
Er - so it wasn't a warming-pan for his missus, but a bed-pan for himself.
And is it true that the Vatican rang bells to celebrate his defeat at the Boyne?
I think I read that in something by Brendan Behan.
Jeez, I'm confused.
But Vlad the impaler had a brother known as Radu the Handsome who probably WOULD have been offended because the implication of the name was that his people believed him to be kept as a catamite by the Ottomans.
Life must have been difficult for poor Henry IV of Castile (1425 - 1474). Even his mates referred to him as Henry the Impotent ( Enrique el Impotente).
I have an excellent book on this very subject! And written by a clergyman, no less!
'Fat, Bald and Worthless' by Revd Robert Easton.
Interesting read!
KOTR
, in reply to message 12.
Posted by Minette Minor (U14272111) on Tuesday, 15th March 2011
I'd love to read that Grasshopper, any details?
But we do have Edward Longshanks, Henry Curtmantle as well as Philippe the Fair, Charles the Bold etc., So, and apologies for flogging a dead horse, but why wasn't Richard III called Richard the Hunchback? Call a spade a b....y shovel! No one ever did.
If you can "drive" a destrier, big as a cart horse, who can bite or stamp on bodies on command with one hand and your knees, whirling a battle axe/ broad sword/ mace with the other, both wearing full armour for 24 hours non stop...Raising your visor due to heat or to get a drink was asking for an arrow through the eye...Personally I think one must be quite healthy and fit.
Apparently his "intended" was Joanna the Blessed of Portugal. Not a lot of people know that....
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Wednesday, 16th March 2011
I've just ordered my ultra-low priced copy, thanks Grasshopper!
Minette, there is no evidence (only dodgy Tudor proaganda in the form of touched-up paintings and hagiographies) to suggest Richard- a capable soldier, rider and dancer- was a hunchback?
Minette - you could try asking for the book at your local Waterstones or WHSmith. If no joy there, then maybe Amazon. Perhaps Man Alive could help, as he's just ordered a copy?
I also agree with him about Richard - the tudors invented the hump when they accused him of murdering his nephews.
HTH
KOTR
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Vizzer aka U_numbers (U2011621) on Thursday, 17th March 2011
Edward LongshanksÌý
His younger brother was Edmund Crouchback.
To modern English ears this sounds like a reference to a deformity (i.e. a crookback or a hunchback) but some suggest that it refers to a crusading honour regarding wearing a cross on one's back. Does anyone know?
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Thursday, 17th March 2011
Yes, Wiki says;-
"Some historians, including the authors of the Encyclopædia Britannica article on him, state that it was because of this that he received the nickname Crouchback (which means "cross back") indicating that he was entitled to wear a cross on his back."
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by Vizzer aka U_numbers (U2011621) on Thursday, 17th March 2011
Thanks for that - although that Wikipaedia entry doesn't seem to give any references other than a general pointer in the direction of another encyclopaedia.
Another interpretation could be that while Edward was called 'Longshanks' which would suggest a tall and presumably proud bearing, Edmund on the other hand might have been being contrasted with his elder brother and the nickname 'Couchback' (rather that refering to a crusading honour or even to a physical deformity) might perhaps suggest a somewhat obsequious bearing on Edmund's part.
Edward was called 'Longshanks' which would suggest a tall and presumably proud bearing,Ìý
I seem to remember a while ago now, that Edward's coffin was opened. On examining and measuring the bones it was concluded that he would have been about 6ft in height. Not all that tall these days but for the time, he must have towered over most.
I was in Waterstones this morning looking through "The Best Loo Book Ever" ( a publication described by Jeremy Paxman - or was it Jeremy Clarkson - as "more interesting than the Bible") and I came across a whole page devoted to unkind nicknames.
Malcolm IV of Scotland, apparently a perfectly harmless and decent young chap, was called Malcolm the Maiden.
Rudolf III of Burgundy ( a bad enough name in itself) was Rudolf the Sluggard.
, in reply to message 20.
Posted by Patrick Wallace (U196685) on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011
The French had a good line in blunt nicknames for their royalty: Bigfoot Bertha, for one.
And hunting around the internet, I discover a reference to Ulick Burke Bod-an-Balcuigh, Lord of Clanricarde - the nickname apparently means Penis of Power.
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