Who's Your Daddy?

No, this post isn't about the Moray Povich show, or about a woman who sleeps with like 20 men and can't figure out who the father is.  Then goes on national television accusing every man she's slept with for fathering her child.. Moray isn't the only one fascinated by paternity mysteries.  We all want to know who the father is.

When I was in college, I was surprised to learn that if a child's mother isn't Jewish and the father is, he or she is treated as a gentile and must go through the conversion process.  In other words, a person is ethnically and religiously a Jew if their mother is, not the father.  I was surprised to learn this, since women have been oppressed.  Seeing the shock in my face, my professor told the story of when he witnessed a child being born.  He spared no detail, the blood, fecal material, the screams of pain, nothing.  Wanting to faint, I remember him saying that after that moment he never doubted that she was that child's mother.  

After I recovered from my story induced nausea, I began thinking about that last comment.  You see, women are always 100% positive that their child is the fruit of their loins.  Men, however, may never know they have a child or be 100% certain that the child belongs to him.  Even with modern DNA testing, I know many husbands (mine included) that nervously joke about the mailman fathering their children.

Paternity mysteries are very common in history.  Politicians, kings, emperors, rich and important men all seem to have paternity problems.  Thomas Jefferson, Charles II (he had at least 19 bastards), Henry II and countless others have lingering paternity questions.  Plentiful women, forced marriages, lust, vanity and alcohol have all contributed to this common problem.

My boyfriend Henry VIII (see previous post) is no stranger to paternity mysteries.  Henry is known to have at least one illegitimate child, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, son of Elizabeth Blount, a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine of Aragon. Henry Fizroy, who reportedly looked exactly like his father, died young without an heir.

Henry VIII was king for a long time, had plenty of sex and mistresses, so he may have had more illegitimate children.  Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister, was Henry VIII's mistress before he met Anne.  At the time, Mary was married to William Carey, a gentleman of the privy chamber.  According to Genealogy Magazine and countless historians, Mary Boleyn bore two children while she was the king's mistress:  Henry and Catherine.

In the world of popular history, there are always paternity rumors.  Some are obviously false, while others have some merit.  It is likely that Mary's two children were fathered by the king, not her husband.  William Carey was known to be impotent and with no Viagra he was unlikely to have fathered children.  Henry VIII never shared his mistresses like the king of France and was the only one sleeping with Mary during this period. There is even more evidence of his paternity, including the preferential treatment given to Henry and Catherine by Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth, which can be found at http://www.genealogymagazine.com/boleyn.html.  

Even with modern science, we are still fascinated with paternity rumors.  Johnathan Edwards (the politician not the theologian) is just one example of a powerful man who's paternity story engrossed us all.  Perhaps the only thing that has changed is that men who father children out of wedlock, regardless of station, have to financially support their children.  No longer are they nameless bastards longing for a connection.

A Faith Worth Dying For

A Faith Worth Dying For

I've dated Charlemagne, St. John, Henry VIII and John Adams. Yes, I Realize They are Dead.

Before I progress any farther, I must confess something personal.  I have dated many men from history and if you think a long distance relationship is hard, try living in different centuries!  See I just don't study history, I sometimes become so involved with a particular person, it is almost as if we have developed a relationship through time.

First came Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, ancestor of the kings of Europe and ruler of a vast and cultured domain.  Our relationship began innocently enough, as I was researching his involvement in the theological debates of his time.  Before I knew it, sparks had flown and I wistfully spending my Saturday nights with a dead man.  I know this sounds strange.  After all, what could a man who died over thousand years ago and I have in common?  Maybe it was his promotion of arts and learning throughout his empire, or the rumor that he was well endowed, or even the manly way he conquered enemies.  

Whatever the reason, I soon found myself in a most unusual courtship.  He was married, lived over a thousand years ago and a very learned man.  I was a socially awkward college student, who had never seen the lands he conquered.  Nevertheless, I was drawn to him like a jaundice patient to the sun.  In a sense, my desire to understand him, drove my desire to understand myself and to heal the socially awkward person within.

However, good things don't last forever and soon I found myself dating another man.  The apostle, or St. John, became my next boyfriend, as I began research on the canonization of the Bible.  I liked that he was less impulsive than Peter, more trusting than Thomas and seemed to have a gentler spirit than the other apostles.  Being in a relationship with a saint is not easy.  Between the visions of the apocalypse and suffering at the hands of disbelievers, he became to "high maintenance."  I did learn, however, that sometimes you have to suffer for your beliefs and even when you think your fate is sealed, a man named Jesus comes along and changes your life.

After college I stopped dating historical figures for awhile.  They were simply to exhausting, to smart, to devote, or to awesome for me.  I simply felt I wasn't good enough for them.  After all, they had been granted immorality through history books, performed great deeds and changed lives, while all I had done was go from one dead end job to another and was quickly fading into obscurity.

After I got married and had my son Luke, I began to date historical figures secretly.  Most married women secretly fantasize about Brad Pitt or some other godlike person.  I on the other hand, became obsessed with John Adams after reading his biography by David McCullough.  His devotion to his country, freedom and wife were so moving!  Who wouldn't want to date a man like that! 

My relationship with him ended, when I realized how much my husband was like him.  Reserved, intelligent, a lawyer and a devoted family man.  I had actually married one of my historical figures, except he was real and lived in my century!  I, however, didn't learn from that experience and began to date Henry VIII.  Yes, I don't know what was I thinking and I am convinced every women has dated a man like that.  Regardless, I realized that not only did I like having my head attached to my body, but I didn't need to date historical figures anymore.  I have grown into a strong woman, who is following her dreams.  I don't need a man (but I have a wonderful one), approval from others or have what is considered a "respectable" job.  I can now write freely about the world and show others what they have missed when they weren't looking.

History Resources on the Web

I feel like it has been forever since I have blogged.  A teething baby, scrubbing toilets and other domestic duties have kept me from writing.  While the apple pie I made was delicious, a finished blog post is more rewarding.


In a previous life I worked as a librarian at Indiana University, Purdue University, Columbus (IUPUC).  Besides being a mouthful, I realized  most students cannot research a topic to save their life.  Since term paper season is upon us, I have decided to share my favorite history websites.


Project Gutenberg:  Project Gutenberg offers free ebooks that can be downloaded to your computer, ipod or Kindle.  Since Project Gutenberg offers books no longer subject to copyright, many were written before 1926.  Primary sources, such as "Thomas Jefferson's Memoirs" and the "State of the Union Address" by George Washington are available. 
 http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

The Library of Congress, American Memory Project:  This website contains links to some of the United States' greatest documents.  The highlight of the collection is the first draft of Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence," which includes the statement made by Jefferson about the evils of slavery.  
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/constRedir.html
British History Online:  Contains primary and secondary sources of all things British from the Middle Ages to the Present.  You can search local laws, Acts of Parliament, taxation records and personal diaries.  Not only is this site useful for term papers, but for genealogical research as well.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/

I hope this helps you or your children get through the school year.  For those of you who miss Henry VIII, don't worry.  Like Jesus, he will return to this blog! 



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Don't Let it Fester Henry. Don't Let it Fester...

Continuing on our theme of Tudor England, I feel it is appropriate to discuss good old Henry VIII.  Oh Henry, where can we possibly begin?  Perhaps we should start with your birth and how you were intended to enter the church.  The infamous Henry VIII was one of three surviving children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.  Since Henry was the second son, he received an education fit for a bishop, learning Latin, French and Italian and other church related skills.  Arthur, Henry's older brother however, died of tuberculosis at age fifteen shortly after marring Catherine of Aragon.  This left Henry the heir to the English throne and he began ruling England at the tender age of eighteen.

Henry VIII is a wonderful example of how history is used as a morality play.  We all know that Henry had many wives, mistresses and plenty of sex.  As Henry aged, he began to suffer from open sores, ulcers on the skin and festering wounds.  He began to smell and one of his wives, Anne of Cleves, refused to sleep with him because of the pungent odor and oozing fluid that came out of his sores.  Luckily for Anne of Cleves, the feeling was mutual and Henry quickly had their union annulled.

Henry VIII's sores are often attributed to syphilis.  While historians debate how and when syphilis arrived in Europe, there is no doubt that it began to spread quickly throughout the 16th century.  Since syphilis is spread through sexual contact, it seemed fitting that Henry VIII should die from it.  After all, he was whoring around and for some reason we think that bad things should happen to bad people.  God was simply inflecting His judgment on Henry.

However, we now know that Henry didn't die from syphilis like his contemporary King Francis I of France.  Instead, his unhealed sores, possible impotence and lack of evidence for infections in his wives and mistresses, indicates type II diabetes not syphilis.  So much for Henry being the poster child for STD prevention.

Henry VIII, however, is just one of the many historical figures that are used to propagate good morals.  While STD prevention, sexual responsibility and instilling good morals in our children are important, Henry's death had nothing to do with his sex life.  

A Quick Note on Making Money from Your Blog.

Just a quick note...I know some of you blog, but have you considered making money from it?  I have recently found a blog that gives you tips on blog monetization.  It is a Christian based finance blog that shares insider tips on how to make money blogging.  Enjoy!

Concubine, Saint, Whore and Martyr: The Changing Image of Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of the infamous Henry VIII, is the perfect example how a person's image can change with time. Born the third child of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard (the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk), she was sent to be a Lady in Waiting to the Archduchess Margaret.  Fate, however, would not leave Anne in Continental Europe, but the education, style and wit she learned helped her land Henry VIII.

"She blinded me with science."

The rest of her story is infamous.  Henry fell madly in love with her, tried to divorce his present wife Catherine of Aragon and when the pope wouldn't grant him a divorce, Henry broke away from the Catholic church and married Anne anyway.  During her life Anne was very unpopular and many, including the Spanish ambassador, would only call her "The Concubine."  After her beheading, she was still considered the king's whore and concubine until the ascension of her daughter Elizabeth to the English throne.  Elizabeth adored her mother and during her reign, Anne became a saint and martyr for the Protestant Reformation.  

Today, Anne Boleyn is Henry's most famous wife and there has been an explosion of books, movies and television programs about the beheaded queen.  Depending on who you read or ask, everyone has a different opinion.  Some believe that Anne was power hungry and would have done anything to become queen, others believe she was simply a victim of her father and Henry.  If I didn't know any better, I would think that we weren't talking about the same person, except historical figures are often portrayed as heroes or villains, saints or sinners.  Just look at George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.  Both owned slaves, had mistresses, and other failings, yet they are considered American saints.  While we may realize the world isn't all black and white people, we fail to allow our historical characters to live in the gray.

In the book, "Anne Boleyn:  Henry VIII's Obsession" by Elizabeth Norton the author allows Anne to live in the gray.  She portrays Anne not as a sinner or saint, but simply as an ambitious woman who sought to better herself.  Today Anne Boleyn may have been a CEO, Congresswoman or trail lawyer, but in the 16th century her options were limited.  I urge all of you to rethink your opinions on someone from history and allow them to live in the gray. No one is absolutely evil or perfect not even our beloved or not so beloved historical figures.

Muslim and Catholic Kinship

Have some tea and relax.

 Last night I was reading the Progressive Catholic magazine Commonweal and stumbled upon an interesting blog excerpt from Paul Moses.  Moses's blog "Wrong Then, Wrong Now,"  explores the similarities between the Anti-Catholicism of the 19th century with Islamophobia today.  Researching old newspapers, Moses stumbled upon several incidences of Anti-Catholicism that eerily compare with today's current events.

In 1880 William R. Grace, a Catholic, was running for mayor of New York City.  Protestant clergy across the city were warning that if Grace became mayor, New York would be controlled by the Vatican and democracy would perish.  Sound familiar?  Just turn on the radio or television and you will hear similar ideas about Islam.  I love our great country, but it is time we become more secure in our identity and not be so threatened by other cultures and religions.  Vive l'Etats Unis.

A Mosque Near Ground Zero

It seems everyone has an opinion about the proposed mosque near ground zero.  Some say it is disrespectful of the many people who died by the hands of Muslim terrorists, while others feel that building a mosque so close to ground zero is no big deal.  After all, this is America right?

I agree, this is a free country and Muslims should be able to build a mosque wherever they chose.  However, I am left asking the question, "Why is it that the United States, a land of immigrants, hates immigrants so much?"  While I am appalled at countries like France who ban headscarves and other ethnic dress, they aren't a nation of immigrants.  Until the latter part of the 20th century, the population of many Western European countries were homogeneous.

Since colonial times, new arrivals such as the Germans in Pennsylvania to the Latin Americans and Middle Easterners today have not been welcomed.  Is it because new immigrants have a different language, customs or religion, which scares Americans or is it something deeper?  Derrick Bell, the first tenured law professor at Harvard Law School, believes that people of color and immigrants will only be treated better if there is a motive to do so.  The Civil Rights Act, which was passed in the 1960's to undermine Soviet claims of racism, seems to support this assertion.

Whatever the reason for America's intolerance of immigrants, we should strive as a nation to welcome the less fortunate, support immigration reforms, address issues that cause people to leave their homelands and for goodness sake let them build a mosque near ground zero!

History is the Opiate of the Masses

Voltaire may have pretty hair, but he was wrong!

Joseph Cropsey, an emeritus professor at the University of Chicago, states that history not religion is the opiate of the masses. When I first heard this as a senior history major at Butler University, I thought he must be crazy. Throughout high school and college, I was taught that the Enlightenment had saved us from the opiate of religion, not history. Voltaire and his Enlightenment cronies had freed us from the cult of the Virgin Mary and religious superstition. Religion and God were for the weak and reason will free us from despotic kings and the bondage of religious tyranny.

After class I went back to my dorm room and lied on my bed thinking. On a cool autumn day, I began thinking of Hitler and Stalin. Both didn't use God or religion to brain wash people to commit atrocities, instead they used "bad" history to justify their actions.  The point of this blog publicize the "bad" history that politicians, the news media and special interest groups use to manipulate us. I hope you will join me for this exciting journey in discovering the truth about the past.