Warwick by Motorhome
Warwick Castle.
In 1431 the Earl of Warwick supervised at the trial of Joan of Arc. The Maid of Orleans was later burned at the stake at Rouen in France.
A word of warning; steer the Motorhome clear of the spooky Ghost Tower.
La Pucelle d’Orleans.
‘I was in man’s clothes, holding in my hand a sword which Robert had given me and without arms, with a knight as esquire and four servants.’
Domremy de Greux was the birthplace in 1412 of Joan of Arc.
Joan had been in the oak-wood busily making garlands of daisies.
She was sitting beside the fairy tree when she heard her ‘voices.’
‘I saw them with these very eyes as well as I see you,’ she had said.
‘I am a poor girl. I do not know how to ride or fight.’
Her Captain, Robert, had given Joan a rubbish sword. She had asked the Dauphin if he would send a couple of labourers to dig up a magic sword buried underneath the altar of St Denis Basilique.
The soon-to-be King had been reluctant to do so, but when Joan had insisted that her voices had told her this, he sent two of his muckers to investigate.
Sure enough there was the sword wrapped up in greaseproof paper. There was an inscription engraved across the hilt;
‘A wee pressie from Paris’ and the initials ‘S.D.’
Underneath this there were three Roman numerals ‘XXX.’
Joan felt more secure when she had the magic sword and she happily went off to war.
La Saint Denis Basilique.
The most exciting attractions of the Basilique are the tombs of the Kings under the church. For centuries it was a holy tradition of the French Kings to receive a tomb in the church, there are 70 of them there.
‘With his head tucked underneath his arm he walked the bloody tower. With his head tucked underneath his arm at the midnight hour.’
Saint Denis and Rusticus had their heads chopped off circa 600.
They were then tossed unceremoniously into the river. At midnight the Saint’s corpse emerged from the river carrying his head neatly tucked under his oxter.
All the while complaining of a headache he is said to have walked to the outskirts of the town before realising that his mates were not there to give him a helping hand.
This sword’s a ton weight, he thought, I’ll hide it under this old pile of breeze-blocks for Joan. I hope she has better luck with it than I had. He lay down to have a wee rest and due to his ears being muffled by his clothing, he didn’t hear the builders moving in.
They built the Saint Denis Basilique.
To this day he is the Saint to pray to if you suffer from headaches, hangovers, or you feel that you might just be losing your head.
Lord Leychester Hospital Warwick.
You may enjoy reading the adventures of Francie and Josie.
http://purepoetry.co.uk/links_15.html
