Cultural depictions of Henry I of England
King Henry I of England has been portrayed in various cultural media.
Theatre
Henry I of England, a play by Beth Flintoff, was first performed in November 2016 at St James's Church, Reading.[1][2][3] The drama follows the story of the three sons of William the Conqueror and ends with the early reign of Henry I. The narrative continues in Flintoff's second play Matilda the Empress which depicts the king's later life and The Anarchy period after his death when his daughter Matilda and her cousin Stephen were rivals for the succession.[4][5]
Fictional portrayals
Henry I has been depicted in historical novels and short stories. They include:[6]
- Pado, the Priest (1899) by Sabine Baring-Gould revolves around Henry's conflict with the Welsh.[7]
- A Saxon Maid (1901) by Eliza Frances Pollard. Reportedly "a good short story of the Norman devastations", taking place in the reigns of William II and Henry I. The latter being a prominent character.[6]
- "Old Men at Pevensey" by Rudyard Kipling, a short story included in the collection Puck of Pook's Hill (1906). Features both Henry I and Robert Curthose.[6]
- "The Tree of Justice" by Rudyard Kipling, a short story included in the collection Rewards and Fairies (1910). Features both Henry I and Rahere.[6]
- The King’s Minstrel (1925) by Ivy May Bolton. The title character is Rahere, depicted as "part jester, part priest, and more wizard than either". The King of the title is Henry I who is "prominently introduced".[6]
- Henry appears in two novels by George Shipway, The Paladin (1972) and The Wolf Time (1973). In these books, Henry is depicted as organizing the death of King William II.[8]
- Henry appears briefly in the short story "A Light on the Road to Woodstock" (1988) by Ellis Peters, one of her Brother Cadfael stories. "A Light on the Road to Woodstock" is collected in A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael.[9]
- The Pillars of the Earth, a 1989 novel by Ken Follett, set during the Anarchy period. In the miniseries based on the book King Henry was portrayed by Clive Wood.
References
- ^ "Henry I of England". Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ "Review of Henry I of England". 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ Moss, Stephen (2 November 2016). "Henry I leads the charge to crown Reading as a cultural hotspot". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "Matilda The Empress". Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- ^ "Review of Matilda the Empress". Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ a b c d e Nield (1925), p. 28-29
- ^ McGarry, Daniel D., White, Sarah Harriman, Historical Fiction Guide: Annotated Chronological, Geographical, and Topical List of Five Thousand Selected Historical Novels. Scarecrow Press, New York, 1963 (pg. 59).
- ^ Tate, Peter. The New Forest, 900 years after. London : Macdonald and Jane's, 1979. ISBN 9780354043625 (pg.124 )
- ^ Lewis, Margaret. Edith Pargeter : Ellis Peters. Bridgend Seren 2003. ISBN 9781854113290 (pg. 91)
Sources
- Nield, Jonathan (1925), A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales, G. P. Putnam's sons, ISBN 0833725092
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Cultural depictions of English and British monarchs
English
886–1066
- Alfred the Great
- Edward the Elder
- Æthelflæd
- Ælfweard
- Athelstan the Glorious1
- Edmund the Magnificent1
- Eadred1
- Eadwig the Fair1
- Edgar the Peaceable1
- Edward the Martyr
- Æthelred the Unready
- Sweyn Forkbeard
- Edmund Ironside
- Cnut1
- Harold Harefoot
- Harthacnut
- Edward the Confessor
- Harold Godwinson
- Edgar the Ætheling
England
1066–1649
- William I
- William II
- Henry I
- Stephen
- Matilda
- Henry II2
- Henry the Young King
- Richard I
- John2
- Henry III2
- Edward I2
- Edward II2
- Edward III2
- Richard II2
- Henry IV2
- Henry V2
- Henry VI2
- Edward IV2
- Edward V2
- Richard III2
- Henry VII2
- Henry VIII2
- Edward VI2
- Jane2
- Mary I2 with Philip2
- Elizabeth I 2
- James I3
- Charles I3
England, Scotland and Ireland
1653–1659
England
1660–1707
- Charles II3
- James II3
- William III and Mary II3
- Anne3
Scotland
843–1707 (traditional)
- Kenneth I MacAlpin
- Donald I
- Constantine I (II)
- Áed
- Giric
- Eochaid
- Donald II
- Constantine II (III)
- Malcolm I
- Indulf
- Dub
- Cuilén
- Amlaíb
- Kenneth II
- Constantine III (IV)
- Kenneth III
- Malcolm II
- Duncan I
- Macbeth
- Lulach
- Malcolm III Canmore
- Donald III
- Duncan II
- Donald III
- Edgar
- Alexander I
- David I
- Malcolm IV
- William I the Lion
- Alexander II
- Alexander III
- Margaret
- John
- Robert I
- David II
- Robert II
- Robert III
- James I
- James II
- James III
- James IV
- James V
- Mary I
- James VI 5
- Charles I5
- Charles II5
- James VII5
- Mary II5
- William III5
- Anne5
the Acts of Union 1707
1Overlord of Britain. 2Also ruler of Ireland. 3Also ruler of Scotland and Ireland. 4Lord Protector.
5Also ruler of England and Ireland. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.
5Also ruler of England and Ireland. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.