Finally solved- they found Richard III and confirmed it today!
Now that you see his complete skeleton, that is one bad curvature. He must have been in a lot of pain. It is interesting reading the archeologist's account of what he would have looked like. He would have been five foot eight- which is considered tall during the middle ages if he didn't have scoliosis. The curved spine made him a lot smaller than he really was. Ironically Princess Eugene had scoliosis so bad she had surgery where they inserted rods and she came out of the surgery about six inches taller.
So it makes me curious, how was he able to be such a good soldier with this curvature? Legend says that he also had a withered arm but one couldn't be found.
So was Shakespeare correct in his appearance?
ACT ONE, SCENE ONE
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amourous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp’d, and want love’s majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail’d of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform’d, unfinish’d, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;…
Or was Sir Thomas More correct?
‘…little of stature, ill-fetured of limmes, croke-backed,
his left shoulder much higher then his right,
hard-favoured of visage and suche as is in states called
warlye and in other menne otherwise.’
I do believe that the Josephine Tey's
The Daughter of Time. Had it right, Shakespeare's Richard III was a propaganda piece for the Tudors. So appearance was exaggerated but at the same time I am surprised to see some truth in it.
I am glad they finally found his remains.
Xoxoxo Nan and zzzing Aine
