The BBC News website reports that significant progress is being made on the building of a replica of the Sutton Hoo ship that is being undertaken, close to the site of the discovery of the ghost of the ship in the burial mound, at Woodbridge on the banks of the Deben in Suffolk.
The article can be seen at Sutton Hoo replica build takes next step forward
Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph recently had an article about a French project to recreate and sail William the Conqueror’s flagship from 1066, La Mora, and, hopefully, for it to visit London in 2027, the milleniary of the King-Duke’s birth. The design of the ship comes in part from its depiction on the Bayeux Tapestry and also from knowledge about ships of that time.
Don’t be put off by the Telegraph’s obsessive Eurosceptic headline* and read the report which can be seen at Norman conquest boat project could be dead in the water - because of EU red tape
* I do rather wonder, given their attitude, why the Daily Telegraph would wish to report on a story that might just suggest that this country has ever had a creative engagement with the rest of Europe.
The schematic drawings in the Telegraph article don't look quite right, because the ship had a front figurehead of a young boy (his then six year old son William Rufus) blowing a trumpet.
ReplyDeleteOne can well imagine the young William having previously been given a trumpet as a present, and driving everyone potty by marching around constantly blowing it!
John R Ramsden
P.S. It was his wife, Matilda, who had arranged for the Mora to be built and given to Duke William as a birthday gift. The following is an interesting article on the origin of the name "Mora":
https://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2014/09/12/the-meaning-of-mora-the-flagship-matilda-of-flanders-gave-william-the-conqueror-a-guest-post-by-elisabeth-waugaman/
Thank you for this and for the link to the Waugaman article.
ReplyDeleteI have now read the Elizabeth Waugaman article which makes a very credible case indeed. Thank you once again.
ReplyDelete