Category Archives: United Kingdom

Tammy and Tommy in Fairyland

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Nathan

Picture by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law I’ve come across multiple mentions of the Ballad of Tam Lin, so I thought that might be something worth addressing in a post. The Scottish song is thought to have existed as far back as … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, British, Celtic, Diana Wynne Jones, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Halloween, History, Holidays, Magic, Music, Mythology, october daye, Poetry, Relationships, Scottish, seanan mcguire, United Kingdom, Welsh | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Angling for the Saxons

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Nathan

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s idea for an America First Caucus based on Anglo-Saxon values sounds kind of bizarre to those of us who don’t run in white supremacist circles. Like, why Anglo-Saxon in particular, and why would a group focusing on … Continue reading →

Posted in Arthurian Legend, Authors, British, Celtic, Colonization of America, England, Ethnicity, Etymology, History, J.R.R. Tolkien, Language, Lewis Carroll, Monarchy, Monsters, Mythology, Names, Norse, Politics, Prejudice, Roman Empire, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Give Me Back My Name

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Nathan

A subject I’ve sometimes seen come up on Dragon Quest fan communities is that of the names in DQ2. You give the hero, the Prince of Midenhall, whatever name you want, and that somehow determines the names of your companions, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arthurian Legend, British, Buddhism, Comics, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Food, History, Holy Roman Empire, Language, Mythology, Names, Norse, Religion, United Kingdom, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child

Posted on December 6, 2020 by Nathan

Beth has mentioned to me that she really likes the Coventry Carol, which I can’t say I was particularly familiar with. It’s a very bleak sort of song, which makes sense considering what it’s about. But we both know it … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Christmas, Donkey Kong, History, Holidays, Mario, Middle East, Music, Mythology, Plays, Religion, Roman Empire, Tori Amos, United Kingdom, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cole Mining

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Nathan

While we know that Old King Cole was a merry old soul with a love for music, whether he actually existed is a matter of some debate. There are records of a few different British rulers named Coel, dating back … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, British, Comics, England, History, L. Frank Baum, Mythology, Nursery Rhymes, Oz, Oz Authors, Robert Rankin, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s a Round, Round Table

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Nathan

We all know about the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur’s fierce warriors, initiators of chivalry, hunters of the Holy Grail, and able to take out Sephiroth with no trouble at all. But did the Knights really exist? I … Continue reading →

Posted in British, Christianity, Final Fantasy, History, Mythology, Religion, United Kingdom, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Merlin Makes It Magic

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Nathan

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s long been fascinated by the character of Merlin, the wizard who’s appeared in various media as everything from a vat-dyed villain to a kindly old man. I’d have to say my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in British, History, Mythology, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Angling Toward Anglicanism

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Nathan

We’ve been looking in previous weeks about how Protestantism took hold in various European nations, but I think England might be the only case where it was instituted by a king, and for personal reasons at that. The monarch in … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglicanism, Catholicism, Christianity, Historical Personages, History, Protestant Reformation, Religion, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knox

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Nathan

In the past few weeks, I’ve looked at some of the major Protestant reformers on the European continent, but the British Isles remain to be addressed. The story of how King Henry VIII split with the Catholic Church for personal … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Historical Personages, History, Presbyterianism, Protestant Reformation, Religion, United Kingdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Talk Like a King, My Son

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Nathan

The King’s Speech – I hadn’t originally intended to watch this movie, but my mom had received tickets from her work for agreeing to work on Christmas, so we went to see it today. I didn’t really know anything about … Continue reading →

Posted in History, United Kingdom, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments