Anne Boleyn, the play

Hey all! My penpal in England recently saw this play at the Globe Theater and encouraged me to watch the trailer! It looks amazing; take a peek!

Women in History

Hello followers,

Today I was reflecting about my history degree and the amazing friends who made it so much fun to study the past. These are my two good friends Hannah and Rashelle, both incredible, beautiful female historians. Together with our generation of historians, we are working to break the mold of historian stereotypes and inform the public about the importance of historical knowledge. We all have our own interests and strengths, they make me hopeful that we can overcome the challenges faced by teaching and learning history in our modern times. 

Confessions of a "Super Fan"?

Hey followers!
I recently recieved an email from a great new site I'm following entitled The Boleyn Project. Several master's degree students are making video interviews of scholars, researchers and fans of Anne Boleyn to glean vast opinions on her. In her interview, historian Alison Weir (author of The Lady in the Tower and many other Tudor history books) stated that "virtual fan clubs on the internet" are "obsessive" and "have gone too far from objective research", and that an emotional engagement with an historical character "can distort your view" (See the video above for the full interview)
I think Weir's views are somewhat distorted; as a historian and super fan of Anne I am definitely emotionally engaged in her life. This engagement constitutes more than superficial interest, it makes me want to read more, the research deeper and to question everything I see or hear about her. Despite my admiration of her, I still recognize Anne's inherent faults, which are entirely human. What do you think? Can super fans be objective?

George Boleyn and Questions of Sexuality

I have once again received a query regarding my post. Emilie asked about the nature of Jane and George Boleyn's marriage, saying from her readings she assumed that they had a strained relationship due to George's homosexuality. I have decided to weigh in on what I think regarding these rumors:

The idea that George Boleyn was a homosexual comes from respected Tudor historian Retha Warnicke. Her theory has led many people to believe in the unhappy union between George and Jane and shaped the Hollywood portrayal of George in TV series and movies such as The Tudors.  Retha M. Warnicke based her thesis on three pieces of evidence:

1)  George Cavendish’s ‘Metrical Visions’: In his writings, Cavendish described George Boleyn’s ‘unlawful lechery’ that suggests that young Boleyn committed a grave sin; but was homosexuality one of them? The answer is no. While it is highly possible that George Boleyn was unfaithful to his wife (quite common for this time period) and that he had many extramarital affairs, but there is no mention of him being a homosexual in this primary source writing. In the 16th century every sin, no matter the size or scope, was considered as a great offense against God, be it theft, sodomy or envy. It is safe to assume that as a human George Boleyn committed some sins (adultery is a possibility) but there is no specific mention of homosexual behavior. What makes for very interesting reading is Cavendish’s description of George Boleyn as a womanizer (A fact Retha fails to take into account):

“I forced widows, maidens I did deflower. All was one to me, I spared none at all, My appetite was all women to devour, My study was both day and hour.”

2)   George Boleyn’s last words: Warnicke argues that in his last words, George confessed that he was a sodomite. Yet, I would argue that George’s last speech differed very little from any other scaffold speech of the time; he simply admitted that he was a sinner, like all people, and that he deserved to die, a common phrase during the era. Perhaps he meant that he did not lead a chaste life, but it is a stretch to say that his words make any remark about his sexual orientation. (For a full text version of George's last words, please see my post on the Execution of George Boleyn and Anne's Other "Lovers" available here)

3)   Retha M. Warnicke states that George Boleyn had an affair with Mark Smeaton, Anne's favored court musician because at some point in time they both had access to the same book. This, again I believe is a very weak point to base an argument on. George Boleyn was known as a man of reform ideals and he often was in possession of books deemed heretical by Church leaders. Mark and George both having access to the same book could merely suggest that Mark, much like the Boleyns, was interested in new learning and perhaps George lent him the work.

In all of my research about the Boleyns, I have never come across anything that would lead me to assert that George was a homosexual. I believe he was powerful and rich and that he used these assets to his best advantage, be it through the obtaining of banned books or vast sexual liaisons. Rumors regarding his sexuality are very recent and unfounded. George serves as another example of a reputation ruined by historical sensationalism and the modern portrayal of him does not serve his memory justice. Thank you for all the great inquiries lately!

An Inquiry into Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford

I have been asked by a regular site contributor to speculate on why Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, was spared during the investigations and subsequent executions of several Boleyn family members. First of all, I want to clarify that these are merely my conclusions and cannot be taken as fact.

So to begin, if you have read my post on the religious nature of Anne's fall you will notice that Anne and Cromwell had had a falling out over the use of monastic funds. Anne wanted to see the money used for charitable purposes while Cromwell was using it to fill the King's coffers and enrich himself. Anne's family, whose ancestral seat was in Norfolk, were known for their reformation ideals especially her brother who has been cast by some historians as a reformist book smuggler. In fact, it is recorded that George was the one who first put the heretical book The Obedience of a Christian Man into Anne's hands. The book had a significant impact on Henry's religious thought. Not only was George influential in religious ways, he was also a close advisor of the King and a member of the Privy Council. The same can be said of Anne's father Thomas Boleyn. I would speculate that Cromwell had a large part in the set-up and carrying out of the trials of Anne and George. Furthermore, I would argue that Cromwell sought to do away with them because of the drastic influence they had over the King, religiously and when it came to international/domestic affairs,  which undermined his own power and authority. Thomas, who was also imprisoned, was not executed but so shamed by the incidents that he never returned to court. His influence over Henry was ended as swiftly as if he had died. Jane, in direct contrast to members of her family, did not share the same influence over the King. She was merely a lady in waiting. Cromwell, I believe, would not have seen fit to implicate her because it served no purpose for him. Several site has claimed there is evidence that Jane gave testimony against Anne and George which is why she was spared. Again, as I have stated, there is no evidence to support this claim. Trial records do not indicate that she was ever involved. Some sites also claim that she gave a scaffold confession of her involvement in their downfall, this is again untrue. Below is the text of her last words:

“ [I]committed many sins against God from my youth upwards and have offended the king’s royal Majesty very dangerously, so my punishment is just and deserved. I am justly condemned by the laws of this realm and by Parliament. All of you who watch me die should learn from my example and change your own lives. You must gladly obey the king in all things, for he us a just and godly prince. I pray for his preservation and beseech you all to do the same. I now entrust my soul to God and pray for his mercy.”

The sins against the King's majesty of course refer to her being an accomplice to Katherine Howard's affair with Thomas Culpepper. As you can clearly see, she never mentions George or Anne. Jane Boleyn is a polarizing and controversial character in the Tudor era. The myths about her person have blackened her historical reputation and made her an easy target for misplaced hate. It is our job as lovers of history to dig and find the truth regarding events and people as well as to never accept legend or myth as fact. For more information on Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford please read a great book entitled The Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox. I hope this post has been informative and answered many of your questions!
Cheers,
Tanya