APPALLING FATE OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR’S BODY | Gruesome dead body story

APPALLING FATE OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR’S BODY | Gruesome dead body story | History Calling. Normans

Рет қаралды 33,524

Жыл бұрын

WHAT HAPPENED to William the Conqueror’s corpse after his death in Rouen in 1087? He may have won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and gone down as one of the most important Kings in English history, but William, Duke of Normandy was shown very little respect in death and the fate of his remains is one of the more disgusting stories from the annals of Norman history.
In this English history documentary from History Calling, we travel back first to 1087 and to the rather horrible death of William the Conqueror after a horse-riding incident caused the overweight king to apparently burst his bowels. We’ll then look at the shocking neglect of his body within minutes of his passing which resulted in him being left naked on the floor while his servants plundered his residence for all they could steal. Moving from bad to worse, we’ll come to his disastrous funeral, which included a fire and an appalling incident resulting from his rotting corpse being forced into a coffin which was too small for it (spoiler alert - if you’ve ever wondered why do corpses explode, this is the video for you). As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, William has also been disinterred multiple times, first by the Papacy, then during the French Wars of Religion and the French Revolution. As a result, his remains have been terribly abused so that very little of him remains today in his grave in the Abbey of Saint-Étienne in France. In short, the death of William I of England (to give him yet another of his titles) was just the start of a gruesome dead body story spanning six centuries.
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Пікірлер: 232

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Do you believe the femur is likely to be the real deal, or is it a fake? Let me know in the comments below. You can also find me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/historycalling and on my Amazon storefront at www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling

@sweptashore Жыл бұрын

So very doubtful. As you mentioned, the "chain of custody" is a disaster of epic proportions. The near-contemporary accounts and later exhumation details are wildly disparate. It would be interesting to get a bone sample for dating and DNA analysis.

@ItsJustLisa Жыл бұрын

What SweptAshoreStudios said. ☝️

@Amaleen6 Жыл бұрын

I think it's probably fake. However, given the unreliability of the witnesses, I'm sure of nothing other than he's definitely dead.

@JohnTLyon Жыл бұрын

Is this the same chap referred to as Longshanks?

@Amaleen6 Жыл бұрын

@@JohnTLyon No, that was Edward I, a while later.

@bevinboulder5039 Жыл бұрын

I'm beginning to think that the Pharaohs of Egypt had the right idea by being buried in some obscure canyon in the dessert . . . except that didn't work either. The chances that the femur buried under that slab is actually from William are slim and none IMO. Thank you for another great video.

@claire2088 Жыл бұрын

I feel like a big theme to the stories of dead monarchs seems to be 'they waited too long to bury them and the body got nasty af'

@sonder122 Жыл бұрын

Honestly the story of William’s death and burial sounds like something dreamt up by Monty Python. Also the repeated digging up and pilfering ofWilliam’s bones reminds me of the late Dave Allen’s joke about the medieval hawker offering to sell the skull of St Peter to a visiting clergyman. When said clergyman points out that the skull of the saint it supposedly buried in the Vatican the hawker replies that the Vatican skull is from when he was an adult and his one is from when he was a youth. So I’m not sure, that without being able to somehow genetically test the femur, anyone can be sure that a 1000 year old bone belongs to any named individual; particularly with the, shall we say, exciting afterlife that the king’s corpse has led.

@sweptashore Жыл бұрын

Very, very Python-esque. 🥥

@greywebs1944 Жыл бұрын

Well we did do the 👃🤣

@kristinawilde5931 Жыл бұрын

😂❤ Just going through comments coz sometimes bored of the video, you're s the one I loved, thank you 😊Realised how bad that sounds, ABSOLUTELY love this channel which is why I binge old videos

@elisabethhopson5639 Жыл бұрын

Loads of excellent research here, so thank you HC. Since William the Conqueror was such a brutal king, it isn't surprising that his body was mistreated right from the minute he died. People think that Daenerys from GoT, went mad at the end, but in comparison to William the Conqueror and how he treated the people of southern England after the battle of Hastings, she was positively mild. His middle name was "destruction" and he reaped what he sowed. Is the thigh bone his? Highly unlikely and a bit of poetic justice really. Somebody else's bones in your coffin. Again the peace of the dead completely ignored, which I find abhorrent and unchristian. I fail to understand why other generations think that this is ok. They should have left him to rot in his own box. Thanks HC.

@andrealuisecandido1154 Жыл бұрын

and am born as a daughTer A girl i === will have no battle

@marywest2896 Жыл бұрын

Elizabeth Hopson, I always say the difference between archaeology and grave robbing is 100 years..

@chrismc410 Ай бұрын

Real question is why would anyone bother to dig him up to desecrate his grave?. Number one and/number two on his grave and call it....well bad and leave it at that. He's well past caring at that point. Everything else was too much work.

@philipthomas8893 Жыл бұрын

It is amazing that the two Caen churches in which the tombs of William and his wife are located survived the mass bombing of Caen shortly after D Day in 1944. My dad was located and watching outside the city, apparently both churches remained upright whilst the surrounds were flattened.

@markadams7597 10 ай бұрын

Great review, Ty. I can hear Harold Godwinson, and all the other Saxon rulers, cheering and laughing at "the conqueror" (from wherever monarchs go for death)! "Dead famous", nicely done!!

@davidlancaster8152 Жыл бұрын

Wow! So much to happen to just one person's remains. It's like the stories of apostles remains. Incredible. The provenance of thigh bone is definitely dubious and I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone else's. Stellar story. Thanks for all your hard work and knowledge. You are one of a kind. A good kind. Lvya much

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Thanks David. Yes, I have my doubts about that thigh bone as well. It was essentially missing for a very long time after all.

@beth7935 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting! I'd heard a couple of details (the Horrible Histories Monarchs Song has the line "so fat on death, my body burst", so I'm not going to forget that!), but I didn't know it was this whole saga over 1000yrs, ending with a single possibly-misidentified bone. I also didn't know that some Huguenots went around destroying tombs in the French Wars of Religion- I was expecting William's to be messed with during the French Revolution, ofc, but large-scale destruction before then surprised me.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

I actually didn't know about the destruction during the French Wars of Religion either. Like you, I was waiting for some French Revolution action, but nothing else.

@LisaBlauvelt Жыл бұрын

You have retold my daughter's bedtime (she is an adult now) story so very well and with more detail than I could remember. Though, I ended the story with the statement that during WWII British forces made a point of not damaging the abbey. Then, I would end the story with the statement that the king received the most respect in his death by the people he had conquered.

@stephencarrillo5905 Жыл бұрын

A very worthy addition to your gruesome corpses playlist, HC. Wow. After my second viewing I'm tending toward the view that William's actual femur is long gone based on your thorough examination of the sources. Just another testimonial to peoples' disrespect for historical remains. Still, a little mystery is not a bad thing in this case. A bit late today in dropping a Like; was out until the wee hours of the morning attending a rock concert. Getting old really sucks sometimes. 😉

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

I've never been to a rock concert. I hope you had a blast :-)

@chrisbanks6659 Жыл бұрын

Us old hippies, eh? Living life - how dare we? 😂🤘🤘

@stephencarrillo5905 Жыл бұрын

@@chrisbanks6659 🤣🤣 Actually, I was at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco and their gallery is full of posters from The Summer of Love. ☮

@crysblac4944 11 ай бұрын

One of the reasons I subscribed is the breathtaking footage of the castles and what's inside . I almost feel like Im there, just incredible. Such a silent and strong witness of so many generations of activities nd the lives therin. Thank you

@JohnTLyon Жыл бұрын

I think we should all remember that Willaim the First's moniker was "the Conqueror." He led a foreign force to British shores and took the land by force. I don't believe the native people and the deposed King had any love for Willy. I feel certain that the native Brythons would do all they could to desecrate his corpse.

@allewis4008 Жыл бұрын

William was a vile butcher who made the English second class citizens in their own nation to the Norman French.

@reaymackay7634 Жыл бұрын

I remember reading a book about this story in a library as a kid, in Valcartier Quebec (in French). It was a VERY long time ago, but l do recall reading that the stone was broken apart by revolutionary soldiers and the pieces were sold as relics. Don’t know if that was accurate though. Keep up the good work. Thank you!!

@greywebs1944 Жыл бұрын

Never trust the French 🤫

@reaymackay7634 Жыл бұрын

@@greywebs1944 as someone from Quebec, l can confirm that.

@csh43166 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for another interesting, albeit gruesome, tale. So much disrespect! I agree - the chain of evidence is so shaky here, and so far removed, it's hard to say if it's really William's femur in the tomb. I admit, I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if it actually is. On a bit of a lighter note, I keep thinking about all those poor people around when the corpse exploded. That must be a truly horrific thing to witness - a horrible assault to the senses. Ewwww...

@savagedarksider2147 Жыл бұрын

My Yorkie dog has volunteer to be your guard dog; he gets overprotective over you. He doesn't want to lose his second favorite aunt.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Very kind of him :-)

@WVgirl1959 Жыл бұрын

@History Calling i think it is very kind. ❤️

@triciaphillips4271 Жыл бұрын

You had me at bursting bowels 😍

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that usually gets people's attention (as I'm sure it did on the day of the funeral too!)

@simon112 Жыл бұрын

There is no way of knowing if the femur bone is William's, chances are it is not, yet another grusome tale to the list, thank you HC as always. 😊

@susanlett9632 2 ай бұрын

I haven't watched yet. Just started. DNA test would prove it if you tested it against some of his descendants

@Metadasius Жыл бұрын

I'm not going to lie. I love these stories.

@TheTesemeau Жыл бұрын

Thank you, your scholarship is impeccable and your delivery immaculate.

@amymahers2957 Жыл бұрын

I don’t believe the thigh bone is the real deal. I’m sure he never imagined that as “the Conqueror” we are now debating the authenticity of body parts. HC your video, as always, informative, and obviously well researched. You do it every time and I thank you for your hard work. You are very talented. Have a great week!

@jamesmackey2120 Жыл бұрын

Hi HC, thanks for another brilliant video and opening these events up to us. A pleasure to watch this again tonight. 👍🏻

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Thanks James. It's always fun to go medieval for a little while :-)

@auntlynnie Жыл бұрын

Great video. Also, I’d like to thank you for the work you do on the captions. ❤

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Thank you. The captions are created using my script, so they should be nearly perfect (though I confess I do make the odd typo). It's lovely to know they're helpful for some people. The auto-generated ones were, I discovered, pretty rubbish as they couldn't understand my accent! :-)

@sarahkoch7694 Жыл бұрын

I have to say, I'm not a fan of the gory episodes, but many are and it's so smart to offer the wide variety of subject matter that you do. Your so-pleasant voice and well-phrased scripts make it a lot easier to take! Speaking for myself, should you want to offer more episodes like those about the Amber Room or about crown jewels, or the exploration of characters like Robin Hood, et al., that'd be terrific, too. Thanks for what you do!

@titanscerw Жыл бұрын

My lady historian, dear, just had to pause (even after binge listening to several of your exposes here) and run check the channel info as for the source of your beautiful accent. It is absolutely lovely and it gives such human dimension and personal flair to your oratory work. God bless! :) Also couldnt help but comment on that :)

@tonyk1584 Жыл бұрын

As a historian, you are excellent. I would suggest that you stay out the interior decorating field. Unless, of course, using bones as fireplace ornaments is a fashion in Ireland of which I am totally unaware. Good stuff though : > )

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Haha, no. We don't really go in for that thankfully :-)

@caramia4143 Жыл бұрын

The highlight of my Fridays (besides pay day lol). Can't wait to see what next Friday's video is going to be!

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

OH WOW! THANK YOU SO MUCH CARA MIA for such an incredibly kind donation. It's something Tudory on Friday. No dead bodies, promise :-)

@FandersonUfo Жыл бұрын

God bless you for awesome dead body content

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I aim to please :-)

@FandersonUfo Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling - 🛸👽💚✨

@lindasadler6338 Жыл бұрын

I bet you never thought you might have a “Dead Bodies Playlist”??😂 Love your channel!

@AnnaAnna-uc2ff Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@crysblac4944 11 ай бұрын

New subscriber from the Bay Area in Cali 😊 Your videyare fascinating, no doubt a lot of work and personal integrity goes into them. I don't know anything near what the group here does, but I'm loving the history, and personalities, and just how brave people were in such awful circumstances. Enough of my run-on sentences, lol Anyways, thank you. I absolutely the fact that you do one every week! ❤🎉

@Sassenach4life Жыл бұрын

Wow, how amazing and gross lol! I had no idea Williams’ body endured such treatment after death! I don’t believe it to be his thigh bone! Also, I have a question for you. I am not sure if I missed it if I did forgive me, long day, but why didn’t his son come in immediately and take over the funeral processions? Now I will look at William and remember the story of his corpse! Poor man!

@michellebruce5092 Жыл бұрын

Hi, how are you? I'm doing well. Awesome live video I enjoyed it can't wait to see more soon. Have a great day greetings from Canada 😀

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Hi Michelle. I'm not doing too bad. Have a lovely day over in Canada :-)

@jldisme Жыл бұрын

Very interesting. Thank you.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it :-)

@nathanfisher1826 Жыл бұрын

Very good , thank you!

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Thanks Nathan :-)

@nefarious67 Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

THANK YOU SO MUCH EMMA for such a generous donation to the channel. I hope the story of William's icky corpse didn't gross you out too much :-)

@woodenbeast9337 Жыл бұрын

Very good story and always well done delivery. Parts of the story did Stink, I also keep hearing that old song Dry Bones The toe bone connected to the heel bone,The heel bone connected to the foot bone,The foot bone connected to the leg bone, etc. Even back then people in power were allowed to do whatever they wished. *-)

@hannahb5411 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for doing this video! William is my 30th Great Grandfather through my father's maternal side and i've always struggled to find enough information about him. I knew his body 'exploded' after death but i didn't know about all the desecrations! Very sad tale indeed. I don't think the thigh bone is his unfortunately as too many stories of him being desecrated. Would be wonderful to know where his body actually ended up. It's a shame really as i would love to have gone to his grave. Really informative video! I hope you'll do more on William and his family ❤️

@alabamatruthseeker454 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so very much for this video. Like millions of others, I descend from William I (my 32nd ggrandfather). I knew that there had been an "explosion" of his body at his burial, but learned so much more here.

@myaa1636 Жыл бұрын

I love your accent so much lol. It’s so soothing.

@annmoore6678 Жыл бұрын

This is another fascinating video, meticulously researched and presented with your usual dry wit! It really is impossible to tell whether the femur is that of William the Conqueror or a later substitution. I suppose a DNA study could be done, but since the present royal family has been reluctant to allow that for the (possible) bones of Edward V and his brother which are now located in that urn in Westminster Abbey, I doubt they'd allow anyone to go taking samples from what's left of either of William's sons who ruled after him, and I don't know whether any of his many other children's remains are accessible. So I won't speculate further. I'm sure one of your other fans will decide to point up something I've missed with this comment, as simple as I've tried to make it, but that's all part of the fun, so please keep bringing us these fascinating historical tidbits!

@ernestgrouns8710 Жыл бұрын

I'd hate to see the photo from that "photo finish" of who was the most desecrated. Yikes! :). Fantastic video to an always phenomenal channel!!

@Bus_Driver_Jay Жыл бұрын

So damn strange to think that such a fate fell upon one of englands most famous/infamous kings. The tomb being raided is why many famous ancients didn’t want a big tomb. Cao Cao, of Romance of the Three Kingdoms fame, is a good example. His so , Cao Pi, built one against his wishes then realised he was forever having to have it guarded, so had the building removed stone by stone. As for the bone, it’s damn hard to call. It certainty wouldn’t shock me to find out it’s true. It’s probably in a loft somewhere in England. 😂

@thomasspicer4130 9 ай бұрын

Williams brother Robert is buried in Gloucester cathedral too I believe it would be interesting to see a video on him

@terryroots5023 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the warning. My wife found me retching, 'History Calling?', green faced nod from me. But seriously, the trade in femurs and other relics must have led to false attributions galore. It's not William's.

@nancyhammons3594 Жыл бұрын

William is my 28th Great Grandfather on my father's maternal side, so I've done as much research that I could do on line. William's mother was Herleva de Falaise, in the Find A Grave Memorial is the name Herluin de Conteville, her second husband. Perhaps this is the man who "claimed" the body. Thank you for this story.

@maureentweedly Жыл бұрын

Moi Aussi....so we are really distant cousins. Also, this makes you a descendant of Charlemagne. Great story!

@donnamcnicol5247 Жыл бұрын

I'm a descendant as well from both parent's lines. I hadn't heard about all this but I admit I haven't put a lot of research in as of yet. I find all of this very interesting. I also have a DNA match to him but now I'm wondering if they got that DNA from that bone but I can't seem to find how they have it. Very interesting and thank you for talking about it.

@areiaaphrodite Жыл бұрын

Mine too. I'm his descendant of William's through Edward I (Longshanks) of England 😊

@areiaaphrodite Жыл бұрын

@@maureentweedly Apparently so am I lol

@maureentweedly Жыл бұрын

@@areiaaphrodite Me too. There are thousands of descendants but not all have a link.

@SurferJoe1 Жыл бұрын

Nobody does exploding corpses like History Calling!

@stuffedninja1337 10 ай бұрын

Video: “I hope you’re not eating.” Me: * continues making dinner *

@susanlett9632 2 ай бұрын

I'm in the drive thru waiting for my Arby's. I'm a home health aide. It takes a lot to make me sick! 😆

@Yeoman1346 Жыл бұрын

This was really interesting. Thank you. This part of English history is so very fascinating to me. This and the White ship disaster are the least talked about by historians. At least as a Yank any history of this kind is hard to find. Let me say again, Thank you.

@therealhellkitty5388 Жыл бұрын

Charles Spencer has written a book about the White Ship. Haven’t read it yet but it would be interesting to hear what he said.

@beastieber5028 Жыл бұрын

Good morning to history calling

@annabasnatural Жыл бұрын

The quickness at which they got out the incense and candles has the exact energy of my mum and dad when they dont have time to take the bin out before company arrives 😂

@zulu7441 Жыл бұрын

Your a very clever young lady. Excellent history. UK veteran

@COBO2 Жыл бұрын

I wonder what happened to the rest of his remains. People are so weird I don’t know why some people would steal bodies 😂

@PrincessQ-fj9ly 11 ай бұрын

Some people are just sick. At least that's what my mom says when it comes to things like this. And I share her opinion. The fact that we humans are capable of desecrating and destroying the remains of our fellow humans is sickening. 🤢

@Ellen24493 3 ай бұрын

What a clusterfuck of a funeral.

@sallyspencer5624 Жыл бұрын

The first skeleton shown had a pelvis that looked like that of a female, the 2nd skeleton looked like a male pelvis. I look forward to History Calling each week and enjoy your presentations.

@MissMentats Жыл бұрын

Now that’s a funeral that would have been worthy of televising 😂

@chrisbanks6659 Жыл бұрын

So about 400 years in the past from a Tudor perspective. Excellent. Something I know very little about - Harold at Senlac and all that!! I shall watch later and, as ever, thanks for the Friday post. Nearly as regular as 5pm Crackerjack (if you're old enough you'll remember it 🤓)

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

I'm not I'm afraid. Sorry! Hope you enjoy the video though.

@chrisbanks6659 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling Crackerjack - a British children's television series which was initially aired on the BBC Television Service between 14 September 1955 and 21 December 1984 (with no series in 1971). The series was a variety show featuring comedy sketches, singers and quizzes, broadcast live with an audience.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Ah, I see. No, I'm afraid I wasn't around for that. I don't really remember any TV before the 90s (not to give away my age or anything!)

@elisabethhopson5639 Жыл бұрын

@@chrisbanks6659 I always wanted to win those covetted colouring pencils. Never did. Never forgotten. Totally scarred for life! It's Friday, it's five to five and it's Crackerjack! Hey ho. 😁

@chrisbanks6659 Жыл бұрын

@@elisabethhopson5639 Me neither re the pencils. BUT - I do have a Blue Peter badge from Peter Purves!! 😂

@redemptivepete Жыл бұрын

There's no way of deciding whether the femur is what remains of William beyond hoping it is! Along with Catharine Parr a very good argument for cremation rather than burial. Don't even want my ashes collecting even though I hope and believe it will make no difference to 'me!'

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Yes, it's a wonder more royals aren't cremated actually. I think Princess Margaret was, but she's the only one I can think of.

@redemptivepete Жыл бұрын

There's a memorial marker for Princess Margaret at St Georges Chapel Windsor though if I remember correctly? For my part I would want nothing at all on Buddhist lines. Still discussing this with my wife because, of course, all this is as much for the living than the deceased!

@PrincessQ-fj9ly 11 ай бұрын

@@HistoryCalling Maybe cremation wasn't possible during the medieval times. Or maybe they thought that by burning the body, you'd be condemning the late monarch's soul to hell. Who knows? 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠_⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠ㄏ

@johnslaughter5475 Жыл бұрын

The story of William's corpse is a tragic comedy of errors. Half the time I want to laugh and the rest I want to cry. I always thought that the peoples of that time had a reasonably high regard for the dead. They buried them respectfully. But, when it comes to royalty, the exact opposite seems to be true. As for his femur, I just don't know. If you believe in the theory of alternate universes created by each and every decision point, I'd love to visit the one where Harold defeated William the Bastard. Even that would have a couple universes created, one in which William survived the Battle of Hastings and another in which he was killed. I would be interested in just how England would have evolved without the Normans.

@nancyM1313 Жыл бұрын

🧡🤗thanks

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome :-)

@naomiskilling1093 Жыл бұрын

I feel like the funeral should have the Benny Hill theme playing over the top of it, as probably disrespectful as that sounds. It was just an absolute shambles. Man is arguably one of the most influential figures in English history and yet his death and afterlife was awful. I think tho that perhaps Katherine Parr may be slightly worse in that regard but I'd say William was a very close second place. At least William wasn't beheaded with a spade.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

That's true about the spade. Poor CP 😥

@EmoBearRights Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling Still at least it didn't happen while she was alive - that made her luckier than two of Henry's queen.

@Nana-vi4rd Жыл бұрын

I'm confused, you said that William had been embalmed if that is the case it would not have explored. Because even back then they would have drained the body of all fluids. Maybe when they attempted to force the body into the coffin it split opened but having no fluid in it there would not have been any horrid smell.

@gospelaccordingtojohn8959 Жыл бұрын

I wonder why Henry VIII wasn’t involved with the exhumation in 1522, since Henry was the descendant of William the Conqueror.

@savagedarksider2147 Жыл бұрын

I have A question: which wedding night was worse in your opinion: Ferdinand the seventh wedding night to his third wife or King George the fourth wedding night ?

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Oh no comment I'm afraid. I don't know anything about Ferdinand VII. As for George - it depends which wedding night you're talking about. He had that other marriage to Mrs Fitzherbert after all.

@d0lph1n63 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling I believe he’s referring to George’s wedding to Caroline of Brunswick

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Oh I know. I'm just teasing. I'm sure he and wife no. 1 got along famously :-)

@savagedarksider2147 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling Well, at least George wife didn't use the bathroom on herself while, you know.

@BarbosaUral Жыл бұрын

What???? 1:58...the monk on the far left is Mr. Bean! Or Tony Robinson on a bad day...lol.

@leticiagarcia9025 Жыл бұрын

I recall hearing about his bowels bursting but not what happened after he died and after he was buried. It was undignified leaving William’s body on the floor for some time. When it came to his burial and his bowels burst I don’t blame anyone his body for clearing the room. It’s sad that his remains were desecrated several times for morbid reasons and to find treasure. As for that femur there’s no way to tell if it belonged to William. This was interesting. Thank you. Have a lovely weekend.

@arenzefischer8090 Жыл бұрын

Tak!

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A GENEROUS DONATION ARENZE. I hope you found the story of William's corpse interesting.

@tinygrim Жыл бұрын

You could say anything grotesque and it would sound good. Or maybe its that your voice is so beautiful, its a bit awkward ... like 😮😅🤭 WHY ??? 😊 Love that thank you. And always, great videos.

@tomhirons7475 Жыл бұрын

i remember learning about all this at university many years ago.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

I'm quite impressed they taught you about what happened to his body. I studied the Conquest era too, but we never got to hear about William's gory end.

@tomhirons7475 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling its not heard very often, lucky to have a very over active tutor, who was great.

@tomhirons7475 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling and my last name is Norman french Hirons, meaning Lively one.

@itsjustme7487 Жыл бұрын

I know little about William I as an American. Do you have plans to make videos about his reign? Or possibly could you suggest any books that I might seek out?

@allewis4008 Жыл бұрын

Any youtube video on "William the Conquerer" should help

@itsjustme7487 Жыл бұрын

@@allewis4008 Thank you. 😊

@od1452 Жыл бұрын

Wow ! One , well .... I , would expect such a famous king .. even in the field, would be surrounded by loyal retainers who would treat his body with respect. and see to a proper burial. .... Although I have read of many desecrations of famous peoples graves and bodies that often happen in times of chaos like the French Revolution etc. I can understand the poor or thieves thinking they could find treasure in the grave as a reasonable motivation to dig them up... but it seems that all people would know of this possibility and long ceased to bury anything of value with a loved ones body ... But in my experience people's morbid curiosity or meanness is not to be underestimated. I wonder if Harold was chuckling up his sleeve from his grave.... ( I don't know what happened to his body.) William ruled when Might made Right..but I confess I am stunned to hear he had no close Number 2 who would insure his body was treated with dignity . Is this a reflection of what people really thought of their Warrior King? Thanks Doc for another visit into history's fun morbid past. lol. ..... Let me warm up my tea.

@ruthannemackinnon588 Жыл бұрын

Re onset of putrefaction after death has much to do with severity illness. An relatively healthy body with sudden death will be much slower than one with chronic illness that dies a slow death by infection for instance. With advanced protracted illness in fact decomposition can begin before the heart stops.

@2004082 5 ай бұрын

I’m guessing he’s under a car park somewhere…. I’m not even making a joke considering we found Richard III under one and it’s alleged that Henry I is under one 🤣

@susanlett9632 2 ай бұрын

He was saving the space!!😂😅

@chrisbanks6659 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I claim total ignorance on this and had no idea about all the mullarkey regarding Guillaume Le Conquerant! Sounds like he had an afterlife journey to make the Pharaohs of old envious.

@AXEL00754 Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for another interesting and thought-provoking video. I think the jury will be out on the identity of that femur for some time. I agree with the possibility of a DNA test on the femur which may confirm the age and period of the bone if DNA can be successfully extracted, of course. On another matter, it will be interesting to see if the exact location of the graves of King James I of Scotland and Cardinal Wolsey are ever confirmed, particularly after the success with Richard III.

@GrumpyMeow-Meow Жыл бұрын

Why did I look at this thumbnail and at first glance, think it was The Beatles?

@CaptRobertApril Жыл бұрын

I'd consider it a minor miracle that the femur can even be definitely said to be human.

@ns-wz1mx Жыл бұрын

i’m torn here, but i gotta say i feel like it is a fake. perhaps they gave him a description of being so large, to create a sort of “great”idea of him? either way i loved this vid HC, excellent work!

@sheilabloom6735 Жыл бұрын

I doubt if the thigh bone is real after so many centuries and such destruction. It really is a wild and wooly tale but then truth is stranger than fiction,

@konstantinavalentina3850 Жыл бұрын

I wonder if the original stone sarcofogus that william was supposedly too "big" for remains, or perhaps enough pieces what might inform us more properly with better provenance of this figure's height than the thigh bone? Much of his resting place was destroyed as described, if the stone casket were below ground, it may have not suffered as much interference. The interior volume could then be given some measure. Perhaps this can be done with ground radar data? Maybe there is a local academic PHd of History you may know you could ask and propose this to? Using GPR data is non-destructive, so getting permission for an updated scan may offer some answer?

@BrunoDeMarques Жыл бұрын

I’d like to know how this could have happened? No wife or children by his side (or in the next room)? No extensive funerary/parade honors? Is there a reason or are nobles and servants at the time such savages?

@MadMatTom7769 7 ай бұрын

His wife died before him, obvious. As for being savages, i think that's just germanic blood lol

@denyseleonard240 Жыл бұрын

I recently saw a « Who do you think you are » I think it was of Courtney Cox in which she is said to be a direct descendant of the Conqueror. Maybe they could make a DNA match with that femur 😊 just a thought. 💁🏼‍♀️

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

I don't think they could tell at this distance (even assuming DNA could be recovered), but if they were prepared to dig up a much closer relative of his, you never know! :-)

@michaelball93 Жыл бұрын

@@HistoryCalling DNA could be collected from inside the bone in theory but you would need to match it with DNA from the remains of one of his children. Henry I is missing (as you mentioned in another video) and William Rufus's bones are allegedly scattered around a group of mortuary chests at Winchester Cathedral (worth a video in itself) but the tomb of his eldest son Robert Curthose still exists at Gloucester Cathedral and is a possibility for further study if researchers ever wanted to seriously try and identify the bone.

@areiaaphrodite Жыл бұрын

"I'm William the Conqueror, my enemies stood no chance. They call me the first English King, although I come from France 🇫🇷 1066, the Domesday book, I gave to history; So fat on death my body burst, but enough about me!" - William the Conqueror (Horrible Histories) 😏 (First thing that popped into my head when I saw this video 😅)

@AK-dw8jo Жыл бұрын

Can I be honest? I fear dying on the bog with my trousers down but once I am dead, I won’t really care about my body whatsoever

@lionhawk555 Жыл бұрын

I was always told that he earned the name "conqueror" for the earlier conquest of Maine.

@sweptashore Жыл бұрын

I'm always keen for a tale of an exploding corpse. History does seem, uhhhhh, littered with them.

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

Yup, the downside of not having modern embalming techniques or refrigerators yet I guess.

@sweptashore Жыл бұрын

I never thought I'd feel nostalgic for evisceration, sere cloth, and a lead coffin, but 😱

@bauhnguefyische667 4 ай бұрын

I thought the channel thumb nail looked like the Beatles. Anybody else?

@susanlett9632 2 ай бұрын

😮😅😂 YES!!!! Me too!

@QueenY-co7es Жыл бұрын

Dear god

@stephenhoward2245 Жыл бұрын

I'm getting cremated.. just in case Sir Tony Robinson shows.up. What happened to rest in peace? Rest in pieces...

@DiddlyPenguin Жыл бұрын

The poor king. I’m sure that if the bone is his it’s a miracle, thrown around &’robbed several times. Not the way to treat a nobleman of his importance. But as been shown more than once. Bodies are unimportant & getting the jewels from his tomb is far more important. It’s sad really that he was treated like this.

@maryellencook9528 Жыл бұрын

Ahh! Plagiarism, gotta love it! I am referring to the alleged source who wrote the account of William 's demise closest to his actual death. At least William I didn't die from eating too many eels like his son, Henry I.

@plaarnold Жыл бұрын

A great warrior living amongst treachery from birth

@HistoryCalling Жыл бұрын

It was certainly an eventful and very interesting life, that's for sure.

@HLBear 11 ай бұрын

Obviously, no matter how "fat" someone is at death, they will be very thin as a skeleton. However, based on the 1500's unearthing, it does sound like the stories of Henry's miserable burial seem exaggerated. And I think the femur bone story is likely a myth.

@chrismc410 Ай бұрын

Check out Henry VIII's explosion. Personally, i think he wanted to torment, troll and punish his subjects and daughter severely one last time, hence he made himself explode from wherever he ended up

@dfuher968 Жыл бұрын

5:24 I wouldnt call William French. He was Norman, directly descended from the Danish Viking Rollo, who about 150 years b4 the conquest conquered, what became Normandy (named after the Normans aka the Men from the North) and became the first Duke of Normandy. According to some chronicles Danish was still spoken in the streets of Caen at the time of the Norman Conquest. So yeah, he and his men spoke Norman French and technically came from, what is now France. But ethnically? I would argue not really French.

@MadMatTom7769 7 ай бұрын

Rather obvious that it was about culture, not genes.

@dilly1863 Жыл бұрын

It may be possible today to do tests on bones claimed to be from the King's corps, through DNA. Descendants being from our Royals as a comparison group.