Friday, May 31, 2013

Let the nice day for a white wedding begin...

I have been thinking about weddings a lot lately. They are crazy expensive and I doubt I will ever have the type of period/film type wedding reception that I have always wanted. But I started looking back at my favorite white wedding dresses from period films and I just had to make a list of the most beautiful white wedding gowns that are inspiring as I plan this long overdue reception. 
Did you know that brides started wearing white gowns and dresses until Queen Victoria of England wore white to her wedding to Prince Albert? Before Victoria set the stage and caused a long standing tradition that is even followed today, women wore gowns of color, brocaded and embroidered heavily with silver and gold thread. Red dresses were commonly worn by brides since dyed fabric was difficult to come by and showed the wealth of the family. Hollywood, of course, ignores this and has historical/medieval brides in white since it connects to the current perception of weddings.  With Victoria's wedding, however, the use of white gowns symbolized the family's wealth even more since it is such a delicate and easy-to-ruin color.




 

1. Genevieve Bujold's court dress (right) and coronation gown (left) in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) has always been my favorite version of a white gown. The coronation dress with the gold underlay and the pearls on the bodice has always been my absolute favorite. I hate the puffed up sleeves underneath the bell cap sleeves but that could easily have been remedied with simple long lace sleeves. 

 2. Marrying a vicious-looking horse-lord, she had no language in common with, didn't stop Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) from looking amazing at her wedding. The light flowy silver fabric was perfect for the hot temperatures of the vast grasslands across the Narrow Sea in Game of Thrones, Season 1 (2011). The perfect touch was the brooch like pendant holding the fabric together right in the middle of the bodice as well as the hanging sleeves around the arms.


 

 3. The lady that began it all, nicely portrayed by Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria (2009), is seen here with a traditional Victorian dress covered in lace, modestly covering the upper chest, and flowing widely over the hips. I especially love the flower wreath with the veil. I dislike the idea of flowers for decoration in a room but flowers on a person can make a difference at such a joyous event.


 
4. Two thumbs up for the most original and exquisite of the dresses used in recent film goes to Legend of the Seeker's series (2008-2010) portrayal of Kahlan (portrayed by Bridget Regan) and Richard's wedding. The very sexy and delicate looking gown is a corset tied with a simple ribbon and flower arrangement at the waist, and flows down the legs with an A-line mixture of a mermaid skirt. I especially like that it isn't simply white but a mixture of golden white giving it an old rustic feel.  And to top it all off, the gown is covered in lace on the back and follows the bride everywhere she goes. Lace just makes everything prettier! 

 
5. Finally, Bella and Edward's wedding in the Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) takes the cake for the most simple yet elegant look. The use of lace and buttons on the sleeves and back make the simple looking dress so much more elegant and ethereal. The use of the veil in the film is not to my liking but in general I dislike the idea of wedding veils and prefer flower wreaths or accessories.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Let freedom ring...

Is the country becoming more fascist? I think about this often. Are people forgetting what the Revolutionary War was fought for in the first place? Do they even know anymore? Sometimes it is crazy at how little the new generation knows about history and its significance. Sad grumbles for the day after a depressing history tutoring session.

Is freedom dying?  Is the world from "V for Vendetta" so far off? Is it already here? Le sigh.



Friday, May 24, 2013

Let the Summer reading start...

It is funny how we keep blogs, facebook statuses, tweets, and picture grams to document our lives as if what we do everyday is super important. Sometimes I wish historical figures could have foreseen their importance in the future and documented their lives even one half of what we do. It would have been so nice to actually knows the thoughts and emotions of the people whose lives have influenced me throughout my life. I guess historical fiction will have to do until some casket or chest is discovered with all of the diaries or letters of my favorite historical people.

Recommended Historical Diaries/Narratives (fiction):

Ancient Egypt:


Camelot  (Queen Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arthur):

About Tudor England: 









 For CHILDREN:
Scholastic's The Royal Diaries
(These books were my first interaction with historical women . I have read Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, and Isabel: Jewel of Castilla )


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Let the Mother of Dragons win...

How I hope Daenerys will conquer the Seven Kingdoms!
















Dear George R.R. Martin, 

Don't Kill Daenerys Targaryen! Your book series A Song of Ice and Fire is amazing. You have great characters, rich histories, complex characters, and real heart! But, please don't kill the possibly last Targaryen in that world and leave all of us fans in deep depression for at least as long as it has taken you to write the series. If Daenerys Stormborn, of House Targaryen, Rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Khaleesi of the Great Grass, Chainbreaker of Slaver's Bay, Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, the Silver Queen, the Bride of Fire, the Dragon Queen, Princess of Dragonstone, Queen of Meeren, Blood of the Dragon, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, and the Slayer of Lies, never wins the Game of Thrones then what was it all for? Who the heck is Fire in your series if not her. You killed Ned, you killed Mormont, over half of the Starks are gone and separated, the Baratheons are nearly extinguished, and Winter has yet to come!? What can we even expect in winter? Winter is coming! has been proclaimed since the very first book. We are five books later and the series has yet to make any crazy impact that brings Dany closer to Westeros. When will her dragons grow big enough for her to control them and rule the Seven Kingdoms with? Just don't kill her. 

Sincerely, 
An Anxious Fan Waiting for Winds of Winter


Emilia Clarke as Daenerys in "Game of Thrones"



Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Let the war rage on...

The War of Roses that is! Civil war and destruction separated the Yorks, Lancasters, and Plantagenets; the ruling royal families of England in the 15th century. As a Game of Thrones fan (of course, I had to mention it in this post), you can tell that a lot of the civil war and strife in the imaginary land of Westeros was inspired by the families of this actual period in time. Essentially one guy, Henry, had the crown, Edward-this distant cousin wanted it and took it through defeat in battle by getting help from an influential Earl of Warwick who captured Henry- peace semi-remained for a while. Peace remained until Edward fell for and secretely married, much to the annoyance of other royals at court, Elizabeth Woodville. This pissed off the Earl of Warwick who tried to supplant Edward with his younger brother, more battles followed. Edward won and ruled longer, had daughters and sons, then died. Nobody ever liked the Woodville family when Edward was alive but she was queen so they had tolerated it as best they could. But the king is dead, so long live the new king. King Richard III that is, another brother of the late king Edward. What about the kids Edward sired with Elizabeth Woodville? Meh! To the tower...literally (the lost princes of the tower were those kids). So how was this war ended and who won? Why is it called the Wars of the Roses? (their family sigils were red and white roses respectively, so figuratively the roses were battling each other).

The Wars of the Roses ended with the women behind it. Elizabeth Woodville after loosing her sons in the tower, looked to her oldest daughter as the rightful heir of Edward's throne. But a woman being queen in her own right? That is preposterous, haha! Did you hear that joke Elizabeth Tudor, Victoria, Elizabeth II, Daenerys Targaryen (hehe, Game of Thrones again)? So what is a devastated mother to do to secure her daughter's place on the throne- marry her off, of course. Enter Margaret Beaufort and her only son, Henry Tudor, who has a very tiny claim to the throne. So Richard III is dethroned and literally killed off in the Battle of Bosworth. Henry Tudor marries Elizabeth of York (Elizabeth Woodville's oldest daughter) and from these two roses branches the Tudor Dynasty which springs forth peace and prosperity. With peace, there is time again for art and music, and thus the English Renaissance brings forth a new spring (not to mention Henry VIII, his six wives, the Reformation, Shakespeare, and the Golden Age of Elizabeth I).

What I really wanted to say in this post, is that I love that the epicness and awesomeness (those are real words, I promise) of Game of Thrones and The Tudors as period dramas because they were/are big hits, and that makes other studios make more period dramas. This is a history nerd's biggest dream! I even heard they are making a series on Mary, Queen of Scots (another descendant of the Tudors) but it might be on CW so it's not looking to be more than teenage angst in pretty dresses. What looks really promising this summer (August) is Starz's The White Queen, based on the Philippa Gregory historical fiction novel on the women of the Wars of the Roses (Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Neville, and Margaret Beaufort). As much as I dislike the inauthentic history presented by Gregory as a fiction writer, it is hard to ignore an awesome period piece with wonderful costumes.  Check out the trailer below:


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Let the month of May continue...

It is May 14. Every year around this time, I feel very compelled and emotional by the events that transpired 477 years ago on May 19. For the first time in English history a queen was executed, beheaded for treason and unceremoniously buried in a chest box in an unmarked grave. Anne Boleyn, the second wife, and crowned consort of Henry VIII was charged with adultery, treason, and incest against her beloved husband Henry Tudor, the eighth of his name. Was any of it true? Or did Henry simply want to erase his past with a woman he once passionately adored to marry wife number three in the hopes of a son?

The love story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII is one of the most perplexing, attractive, and enigmatic stories in history. Was it love? Was it lust? Was it ambition? Hollywood always likes to pick one of those reasons and exaggerate it to the extent that PG13 ratings will allow it. This is perhaps why the series "The Tudors" was one of my favorite Tudor England representations on film. Yeah, it was inaccurate. Yeah, it was a bunch of pretty costumes and unnecessary nudity at times. But it was deep, complex, and ironic in its usage of imagery, poetry, and symbolism. The character development of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII was my favorite. Two young people with dreams and hopes for a better England, starting as confidantes, lovers, and friends with things in common, become the bitterest enemies and strangers. Historically, I think this was a fair picture of Anne and Henry because it was documented that they were close friends and they had many things in common (music, poetry, theology, literature, hunting, and politics). Henry waited for her for seven years before consummating the relationship and finally marrying her to be his queen. He had her, this descendant of noble merchants and dukes, crowned as queen with the ancient crown of British history.  He abandoned his faith in the Pope, his friends, and his country's well being for her love. And this was perhaps their doom from the start. To love is good enough, but to love while hurting others tarnishes that love and the black stain simply grows with every argument, with every resentment, with every longing for what was promised and failed to be given. Henry wanted a son. Anne bore a daughter. It simply was not good enough. Henry never heard the Beatles play "Love is all you Need!".

What especially saddens me about May and Anne's execution is her manner of disposal. She was once the beloved lady of the monarch, a woman who could do no wrong, and suddenly slanders and truly heinous accusations were thrown at her. Not only was Anne the woman killed, but her name was marred and disdained for the years to come. It was this stain on her name which would affect her only legacy, her 2 year old daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth grew up to be queen, yes! Elizabeth ruled and led with brilliancy and cunning, yes! But Elizabeth lost so much, gave up so much, and never experienced the many joys of being a woman. Elizabeth never grew up with a mother. Elizabeth never married. Elizabeth never bore her own children. With Elizabeth died the Tudor dynasty and the whole point of what Henry was trying to establish by marrying six different times.

Sadly, Elizabeth grew up with a ghost, a faded memory of a laugh, of long black hair touching her cheek, of a sparkling eye looking over her clothing, but was any of it real? Did Elizabeth know that her mother was innocent? Did she perhaps think of her at times when things became difficult? Did she blame her like others did and maybe even believed in her treason? History is so uncertain, it is all conjecture. The only real proof anyone has of Elizabeth's love for Anne is the locket ring with Elizabeth's image and that of another woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and a french styled hood which was commonly attributed to Anne Boleyn and popular in the 1530s. To commemorate and honor these women, I present my video tribute to Anne Boleyn's fall, Elizabeth's rise, and the very different but interwoven lives they led.



(My youtube name used to be historygirl23 hence the logo on the bottom and this was a fanvideo I created for them last year) Enjoy!

Song: Christina Perri "The Lonely"
Films: The Tudors, Elizabeth, Elizabeth: Golden Age

http://youtu.be/4sCrU-0t2Nc

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Let the Games Begin...



 The Game of Thrones that is!

 If you ever need to watch something that reflects various eras from history that involve civil war, courtly intrigue, battles, family problems, incest, love stories, and overall epicness, then HBO's Game of Thrones is it. Based on the incredibly awesome and as yet incomplete book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, this fiery and jaw dropping series does great justice to the books. It is rare to be able to say that a show or movie is just as good/close enough to not make fans get the pitch forks and burning torches, but this show can take that honor.

Currently in its third season, Game of Thrones is titled after the first book and follows the many twists and turns of the noble houses of the seven kingdoms known as Westeros. The kingdom has a legendary history that involves the Targaryen bloodline, the ancient and now mostly dead rulers of the land who had the most powerful claim to the throne and right to rule: fire breathing dragons. When the series starts, however, dragons are dead, there remain only two Targaryens in exile, and the land is ruled by House Baratheon in the form of the loud, drunk, and indifferent King Robert. King Robert is married to the cold hearted but beautiful Cersei Lannister, the daughter of the richest man in all the seven kingdoms. Tywin Lannister is a man who was trusted by the Targaryens and who betrayed them fatally in order to make his daughter queen and his grandchildren the heirs to the land. We also have the Starks of Winterfell, the northern house that believes in honor and family above all things. The Starks however have their house motto "Winter is Coming" because in this land, Winter can last over a year, even ten, and Summer is about to end. Children of ten have yet to see a winter and when the cold winds rise, the darkness will cover the land. With darkness, the histories talk about monsters and the dead walking again. But none of this seasonal change matters to the lords and ladies of the land because all everyone cares about is who is closest to the iron throne (the spiky, sword welded throne of the ruler of Westeros) and who wins the game of thrones.

What is the most powerful and memorable thing about this book series and the show is the display of female empowerment, the different character stories and narratives, and the really harsh ends of some of the main characters. There are currently five books out 1) A Game of Thrones 2) A Clash of Kings 3) A Storm of Swords 4) A Feast for Crows 5) A Dance of Dragons. This book series and the show itself are my recommendations for the week. Beware, however, these are stories with adult and mature content which is gratuitously presented at times in classic HBO style.   

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Let the Queens Reign!

What makes a good queen? Having the love of the people, is that enough? What about being astute and cunning in the game of diplomacy? History has seen many a great queen; powerful, intelligent, and inspiring women who defied conventions and survived their era as best they could. But what makes a good TV queen? In an age where props, sets, and costumes from a now dead century can be digitally recreated or where hundreds of craftsmen give birth to imaginary worlds from dusty book pages, it is important to have everything that makes a good film queen. A good film queen needs to be elegant, memorable, and wear awesome costumes. Below are my top favorite portrayals of Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I on film:

Anne Boleyn

Genevieve Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
 "There is something deep and dangerous in you Anne. Those eyes of yours are like dark hooks for the soul" says papa Boleyn to his daughter as he asks her to become Henry VIII's mistress, in The Tudors, for the benefit of the Boleyn clan. The funny thing is that Anne Boleyn was known for her deep dark eyes which were not the epitome of beauty in the English court (blond blue eyed babes were preferred). Even funnier is that Natalie Dormer played Anne Boleyn for two seasons in The Tudors and she has really light blue eyes. My first impression of the show and the actress was disgust. How could they destroy and ignore the simple things of what made the Tudor era important? How much more wrong could I have been!

Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors
Natalie Dormer was amazing as Anne Boleyn, both as the lady in waiting trying to seduce the king and the ambitious queen fretfully loosing control of her husband and her life. What really makes the Tudor era so amazing is the passion of the people behind it and Natalie Dormer really captured the passion, the emotion, and the despair of doomed woman betrayed by the men around her. My first Anne Boleyn encounter though is also a very powerful one and that is attributed to the wonderful talents and fiery spirit of Genevieve Bujold as Anne Boleyn. Alongside Richard Burton, Bujold makes you wish you were right there next to her telling Henry VIII, "yeah, thats right!" as she promises in their final scene together that "Elizabeth will be a greater queen than any king of yours (any son he has with Jane Seymour who is replacing her), Elizabeth will rule a greater England than you could ever have built. Yes! my Elizabeth shall be queen, and my blood will have been well spent".

 

Elizabeth I

To love Anne Boleyn as a powerful female historical figure is almost synonymous with loving her daughter, Elizabeth I. Much of this admiration can be thanked to the beautiful, graceful, and powerfully voiced Glenda Jackson and Cate Blanchett. Can these women act, or can they act?! Cate Blanchett was my first Elizabeth portrayal to be experienced but upon seeing Mary Queen of Scots with Vanessa Redgrave, I had to see more Jackson portrayals of Good Queen Bess (nickname for Elizabeth). The woman was so good at being the English monarch that she was in a 6 episode series for BBC titled Elizabeth R (1971) and brought back to the English throne in the film Mary Queen of Scots (1971). Of course, my more modern tendencies with love for all things romance and hollywood really like Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth who swoons and doesnt learn her lessons about betraying men and power seeking courtiers until the very end of the first film, and who can ignore those fabrics, and those costumes! To have both actresses is the perfect blend of the woman the real Elizabeth was known to be, fiery and temperamental one minute while sweet and adoring the next.

All I can say is long live the queens!


Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth R
Cate Blanchett being crowned as Elizabeth (1998)



Sunday, May 5, 2013

Let the dissection begin...




"Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be"
-Anne Boleyn


Those are the words of a queen; it was her chosen motto, for a time. And now, those words inspire my title for this blog site. I have never blogged before, but I love to write. I don't think that I write well. I mostly write what I think, and when I think it all comes tumbling down in small clumps of moments, of memories, and hopes. 

Why would I be inspired by the words of a woman as infamous as Anne Boleyn? Why would a home wrecker, a usurper, a temptress, a witch with six fingers, and an adulteress inspire a random person from Los Angeles?* Why not? She was more than that. Everyone is more than meets the eye, everyone is more than the few seconds spent with them and later judged on for hours. 

The real question is, why wouldn't a woman from history inspire? History is the blood of the future and if we ignore that, then we are dooming the future to be catastrophic. I am no Eric Ives nor a self proclaimed Anne Boleyn expert, but she is definitely one of the most interesting historical figures I love. This blog site will not only focus on her, but on other rulers and leaders, in literature and history. This blog site might be personal and completely random at times, especially since there are days when my life takes a turn and it reminds me of something from the past. In these moments, I hope to gain the inspiration to seriously continue this blog. You can say this will be a dual dissection of both history and literature along with the crazy grumblings of a geek-for-life. 

*Note: Those are all the stereotypes, the inconsistencies, and the labels that have been given to Anne Boleyn over time because no one really knows who she was- life is all about hearsay.