Ideas

The house is about 600 years old. In the gradual addition of one wing and then another, and in their sturdy and conservative style, it is typical of the evolution of the old family houses of Gwynedd. The word "bod-ysgallen" has been interpreted as "house among the thistles"; but Thomas Pennant in his Tour in Wales (1781) wrote "Bodscallan," as a corruption of"the house of Caswallon." The tradition that this was the dwelling-place of Caswallon Law-hir, Cadwallon of the Long Hand, is an ancient one - for Cadwallon is said to have died in AD 517. The key to the origin of the present house at Bodysgallen is the construction of Conwy castle. It seems that the tower at Bodysgallen was built as a watchtower for Conwy castle to command the slopes south-west of the low-lying castle against surprise attack. The place is first mentioned in the mid-14th century Record of Caernarvon, as Bodscathlan. While the tower could hardly be claimed as a work of Conwy's master engineer James of St George, the evidence of the masonry of the spiral staircase is that this is indeed a late-13th-century tower. It has five storeys, consisting originally of a single room on each floor, with the stair turret on the west angle, against the later chimney from the hall and drawing room. Another link with the castle is that the only known source for the pinkish stone in its window mullions is the quarry in a nearby field.

By Elizabethan times Richard Mostyn was the owner of Bodysgallen whilst his elder brother William owned nearby Gloddaeth. Richard had learned Latin and Greek, and collected manuscripts of Welsh literature, and one must assume structures appropriate to his status as a High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire. With the marriage of his daughter Margaret to Hugh Wynn of Berthdu the house came into the Wynn family, who dominated the Conwy valley. It is the son of this marriage, Robert Wynn, whose initials with that of his wife Katherine appear on the datestone with the year 1620 on the south-west gable.

Its two main storeys comprise a large low hall entered at terrace level from the west, and an equally large chamber above, which became the drawing room. Both rooms open in one corner into a curious little bay, with windows on two sides and a fireplace on the third; and both have heraldic overmantels. The hall is carved, with the arms of Gruffydd ap Cynan, Wynn and Collwyn. In the drawing room the chimney-breast has the shouldered form which occurs in Plas Mawr, the magnificent Elizabethan town house built in Conwy by another branch of the Wynns. On it is the Mostyns' motto, "Auxilium Meum a Domino," Psalms 121:2 - [Vulgate 120:2] and above, painted on plaster, are the arms of Wynn and of the Vaughans of Corsygedol. These shields date from the 17th century Colonel Hugh Wynn, born in 1620, was like his young cousin Colonel Roger Mostyn an ardent Royalist, and like him "at his own expense raised a regiment of Foot for the service of King Charles the First." He held Flint castle for his cousin, the Governor, played a prominent part in defending Chester against Parliamentarian siege, and was one of two hostages specified in the Articles of Surrender on February 3, 1646. He also deserves notice for his protest at Lord Conway's despoliation of Conwy castle,

Have you heard about Regina (probably not her original name)? She came from south-east England but was sold into slavery, possibly by her parents or alternatively by a raiding party from a different tribe. She was bought by Barates, some sort of official in Roman Britain. He then fell in love with her, paid to free her so that he could marry her, and they moved to South Shields. Sadly, she died aged 30, and he had a very expensive tombstone with a full-length portrait of Regina, whose face has unfortunately been chipped away. This is really a very poignant object, as it shows that he must have loved her very much.

Influenced by the appearance of 12 constellations across the night sky, the Egyptians divided the night into 12 equal intervals. The ancient Greeks went a step further and divided the day into 12. But these hours were not of equal length, they divided the time from sunrise to sunset into 12 "seasonal hours"

Babylonians gave us 60 second = 1 minute

In a vast number of languages, the names given to the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the seven heavenly bodies which were in turn named after contemporary Hellenistic deities. This system was introduced by the Babylonians and later adopted by the Sumerians.

The Romans gave us months. The first Roman Calendar is introduced consisting of 10 months (September means 7th, December means 10th, etc) with 304 days in a year which starts in March. January and February are only 29 or 30 days long and an extra month has to be intercalculated every second year making 11 months.

In 46BC Julius Caesar adds 80 days to the calendar making that year 445 days to bring it back in line with the vernal equinox. This new calendar is influenced by the Egyptian calendar and purely solar (as opposed to a lunar or combined one). (In 423 BC the Egyptians fixed 365 days In a year) Julius Caesar fixes the normal year at 365 days and then leap year at 366 days. This is more accurate but unfortunately 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year. The order of the months and days of the week are also estabished.

45BC The Julian caledar begins; In 8BC Augustus names Caesar's month Sextilus' August after himself. The senate decides that it should have fever days tha the month honouring Julius Caesar (July) and thus steals a day pron February thus leaving it with only 28.

In March 7, 321 Emperor Constantine issued an edict that stated: “On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.” It was a civil law, not purely a Christian religious law — it reflected Constantine’s effort to align Roman tradition (the veneration of the sun) with the growing influence of Christianity, which worshiped on Sunday in honour of Christ’s resurrection.

It is said that Henry Tudor prayed to St Armel at Merevale Abbey on the night before the Battle of Bosworth. He commemorated his victory by sanctioning a new stained glass window depicting Armel (second from the left). The decision to use a saint that was very personal to him suggests Henry felt a deep connection with Merevale and wanted to convey his gratitude. Armel also appears twice in the Lady Chapel which Henry built at Westminster Abbey and where he is buried.

When the Yorkist Edward IV regained the throne in 1471, Henry aged 14 fled with other Lancastrians to Brittany. He spent most of the next 14 years under the protection of Francis II, Duke of Brittany. There are a number of churches consecrated to Armel in Brittany. It’s quite possible that Henry developed a feeling for St. Armel while he was in Brittany.

The tapestry hanging in the chapel at Chirk Castle comes from a series of seven scenes from the life of Diogenes, with the subject 'Plato's Academy'. The 'Diogenes' tapestries were made at Mortlake and/or smaller London workshops at the end of the seventeenth century. Purchased by Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1672 £49 12 s Od" -Chirk Castle Accounts.

These tapestries were very popular amongst the landed gentry. The six other scenes are 'Diogenes in Meditation', 'Diogenes Beside his Barrel', 'Diogenes Washing Plants', 'Diogenes Discarding his Cup', 'Diogenes Writing on the Wall' and 'Alexander Visiting Diogenes'.

1️⃣ Constantine’s rise and conversion (early 4th century)

Constantine became emperor after a series of civil wars. He famously converted to Christianity (or at least favored it) after his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, which he attributed to the Christian God.

Before Constantine, Christianity was often persecuted in the Roman Empire. His Edict of Milan (313 AD, co-issued with Licinius) granted religious toleration to Christians and restored confiscated church property.

2️⃣ The Roman Empire and sun worship

Many Romans venerated the Sun god (Sol Invictus — the Unconquered Sun).

Sunday (the “day of the Sun”) was already associated with the sun cult.

Constantine himself, even after supporting Christianity, continued to use sun symbolism — coins, monuments, and titles — blending old Roman solar piety with his new Christian patronage.

3️⃣ Why the Sunday law mattered

The decree of 321 AD served both religious and political goals:

For Christians, it aligned with the established custom of gathering on the first day of the week (Sunday) to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

For pagans, it honored the traditional veneration of the sun god.

By making Sunday a legal day of rest, Constantine unified religious and civil life under an imperial framework, encouraging social stability and showing that Christianity was now a faith protected and favored by imperial authority.

4️⃣ Was it purely religious?

Not entirely — it was also practical. Urban business closure helped enforce a regular public rhythm and supported Constantine’s efforts to position himself as a divinely favored ruler.

Agricultural labor was exempt because food production was vital and time-sensitive.

🔑 Impact

This decree was a big step toward the Christianization of Roman law and society.

Later Christian emperors expanded Sunday observance more explicitly as a religious duty.

Modern Martyrs

St Maximilian Kolbe from Poland

Manche Masemola from South Africa

Janani Luwum from Uganda

Grand Duchess Elizabeth from Russia

Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a civil rights leader who was assassinated

St Oscar Romero, Archbishop in El Salvador who was assassinated

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from Germany, killed by the Nazis in 1945

Esther John from Pakistan

Lucian Tapiedi from Papua New Guinea

Wang Zhiming, a pastor killed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Early Anglo-Saxon Period (before 1066)

The earliest surviving coronation order (the Second English Ordo, c. 973, probably used for King Edgar at Bath) was written in Latin, the liturgical language of the Church.

However, parts of the service (especially the oaths) were sometimes delivered in the vernacular Old English, so the people could hear and understand. For example, the coronation oath of King Æthelred II (978) survives in Old English.

Latin for prayers and liturgy, Old English for the people’s oath.

Norman and Angevin Period (1066–c. 1300)

After the Norman Conquest, Latin remained the language of the Church and the main text of the service.

However, the vernacular oath now shifted to French, since that was the language of the Anglo-Norman elite.

Chroniclers note that William the Conqueror’s coronation in 1066 involved both French and English for certain acclamations, to reassure both the Norman lords and the English people present.

Latin: “Promitto sanctae Dei ecclesiae… ut eam tuear et defendam.”

Henry I’s coronation oath (1100) — still Latin liturgy, but oath given in French. French oath text (cited in later copies): “Sainte Eglise de Dieu et le peuple chrétien garderai en tout mon pouvoir, et ferai tenir droiture et justice...”

Latin liturgy, French (and sometimes English) in the oath and acclamations.

Late Middle Ages (c. 1300–1500)

The coronation rite remained largely in Latin, with the coronation oath generally still given in French.

By the later 14th century, Middle English began to appear. For example, Richard II’s coronation (1377) included acclamations in English, and the English Parliament began pressing that the oath should be in English so the people could understand.

Henry IV’s coronation (1399) is often cited as the first where the oath was definitively given in English.

Tudor & Stuart Periods (1500s–present)

With the Reformation and the use of the Book of Common Prayer (1549, 1552, 1559), the service was translated into English.

From Edward VI (1547) onwards, the coronation liturgy was essentially an English-language service, though still drawing on medieval Latin ordines. Some ceremonial Latin phrases lingered, but the dominant language was English.

Coronations since the 18th century have been conducted entirely in English, as part of the Anglican liturgy, though still with ancient elements (e.g. anointing, recognition, enthronement) rooted in the old Latin texts.

Summary of Oath Languages:

Before 1066 → Old English (oath), Latin (service)

1066–1300 → French (oath), Latin (service), occasional English acclamations

1300–1399 → English begins appearing, oath still sometimes French

From 1399 → Oath firmly in English

The Day of the Dead procession scene at the beginning of James Bond film, Spectre, 2015 draws on many Aztec characters and themes. Do processions like this date from the time of the Aztecs? Many people have assumed that people in Mexico were doing this long before the Spanish arrived and that it was christianised by the Catholic Church.

True, it takes place around the time of three Catholic feast days, all in succession; All Hallows’ Eve, better known as Halloween, All Saints Day or All Hallows following, and then All Souls Day. However, in terms of mentions of processions at this time as the day of the dead, the earliest references are in 19th century newspapers. Newspapers at that time mentioned people going in processions to their family graves, saying, “This is the Day of the Dead, and people have gone and had a little ceremony.” In 19th century Mexico it was treated as another Catholic ritual. There was nothing remarkable about it.

The Mexican Revolution, a tumultuous period that spanned from 1910 to 1920, was not only a pivotal moment in the nation’s history but also a transformative event that reshaped various institutions, including the Catholic Church. The Church’s land was nationalised. In the second half of the 1920s, Plutarcho Elias Calles and the Institutional Revolutionary Party were reshaping Mexico. They attempted to replace the Catholic religion of the Spanish invaders with Aztec culture.

In December 1930, the Mexican government built a pyramid in honour of Quetzalcoatl inside the National Stadium in Mexico City. The stage was set to deliver toys to poor children on December 23rd. President Pascual Ortíz Rubio decreed that Quetzalcóatl, the god of Mesoamerica, would represent the December holidays, replacing Santa Claus, who had recently arrived in Mexico in the 1920s and was not yet deeply rooted in Mexican culture.

“The power and the glory” by Graham Greene tells the story of a renegade Catholic ‘whisky priest’ living in the Mexican state of Tabasco in the 1930s. The suppress the Catholic Church meant that 4,500 priests in Mexico prior to the rebellion were reduced to 334 priests serving 15 million people by 1934. By the following year, 17 of the states of Mexico had no priests at all.

Mexican State sponsored art of the period also shows this influence. Diego Rivera’s mural “The Arrival of Cortés” depicts the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés. Rivera believed that Cortés’ body showed signs of dwarfism due to congenital syphilis of the bone system. This belief inspired Rivera’s portrayal of Cortés’ syphillitic body and face in the mural, representing the Spanish arrival in Mexico like a virus spreading through the land. Frida Kahlo was also influenced by Rivera’s work.

Prester John, a legendary Christian king, was believed to rule over a wealthy kingdom in the East, often associated with regions like India or Ethiopia. His story emerged during the 12th century and captivated the imagination of Europeans, particularly during the Crusades, as they hoped he would be an ally against Muslim forces. Portuguese explorers going down the Eastern coast of Africa as they searched for a route to India thought they might find a river leading to his kingdom.

I have mostly been very impressed with ChatGPT. I have asked about 30 enquiries in a variety of different areas of interest and fields of knowledge. A couple of times it failed to give an answer to a cryptic clue- fair enough- I find those hard enough myself!

However it did give a INCORRECT response to the following question;

I actually knew it wasn’t Cortes and thought it would be quicker to use ChatGPT rather than google it So I thought I’d try and wake it up to the correct answer by suggesting the name of someone who went on both expeditions;

So wrong again. I googled the answer and suggested it;

There are eight "classical" planets and five officially recognized dwarf planets in our solar system: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

Other possible dwarf planets In addition to these are; Gonggong, Quaoar, Orcus, Sedna and Salacia. Making 9 all together.

Others maintain that there are 19 dwarf planets. This is not univerally accepted.

Charles I saw the beginning of The Long Parliament. After Charles I had been tried and executed the British Parliament took the following forms whilst there was no monarch in England. The Cavalier Parliament followed the restoration of the monarchy and the ascension of Charles II to the throne;

The Long Parliament, 1640 until Pride's Purge' December 1642-8

The Rump' Parliament (Dec 1648-April 1653)

The Nominated Assembly (Barebone's Parliament) June-Dec 1653)

The First Protectorate Parliament (September 1654-Jan 1655)

The Second Protectorate Parliament (Sept 1656-Feb 1658)

First session: Sept 1656-June 1657

Seccond session: Jan-Feb 1658

The Third Protectorate (Richard Cromwell's) Parl. Jan-April 1659)

The Rump Parliament recalled (1659-60)

Tbe Long Parliament recalled (Feb 1660)

The Convention Parliament (1660)