We didn't start the fire, medieval and Renaissance version

[selenak]

Okay, this is one of the geekiest things I've ever seen, and I love it. Also, am somewhat proud a getting most of the references. Though I have to say having spent the last year listening to the History of Byzantium podcast helped, because the references aren't all anglocentric but really try for European (and part of Asian) history. And everlasting kudos to the lyricist(s) for coming up with this gem: "Few things here to read but the Nibelungenlied"!

Watch on YouTube

Now I want to do a Frederician or 18th Century Enlightenment version, hmm..... When I have time! Whenever that will be! But I want to do it!

Comments

[vivdunstan]

Yup it’s fab :) I adored it as a historian too. And shared it on my Facebook the other night.

[selenak]

The only thing I found weird was the Thomas More line - as he denied not the Church but the Royal Supremacy - but hey, everything else is so wonderful!

[mildred_of_midgard]

Okay, so I'm not the only one who spent several iterations of the song thinking, "He denied what, now?"? Eventually I convinced myself that if you squint, you could see that as denying the Church of England, but I was still rather uncertain. Thank you for confirming it struck you as weird too.

Still a great song, and I look forward to our salon productions!

[vivdunstan]

I was wondering if they'd muddled up their Thomases ...

[selenak]

Thomas Cromwell doesn’t fit, either, though, since he died for the entirely unreligious reason of Henry VIII being unable to cope with the Cleves marriage, the principal mover of which he’d been. And William Tyndale, who died in between Thomases for actual line fitting reasons, was a William, not a Thomas.

(Even going back to Thomas Becket makes no sense - that one died for representing the Church in a very medieval Church versus State showdown, too, not for denying it.)

[vivdunstan]

I was thinking of Cranmer.

[selenak]

By Jove, I think you've got it! That WOULD make sense. I'll have to rewatch and check which illustration they use in the background for this verse, since the depiction of Cramner getting burned is pretty iconic.