On June 29, 1613 during the first on-stage production of Henry VIII, the Globe Theater of Shakespeare fame burned to the ground. Quickly erected and quickly raised, the theater reminds fans of the Elizabethan era that even the best figures from history had their problems.

Built in a few short months in 1597 and 1598, the Globe was an open air amphitheater constructed of wood with two flights of stairs on either side of the stage and a single entrance for performers and theater goers. With the capacity to house over 1500 guests, the theater was not small by old or new standards and was the venue for the latest Shakespearean productions. Unheated and with very few lights, the theater had high balcony seats covered with thatch straw roofs. A veritable overcrowded and unsafe tinderbox.

Shakespeare and his band of thespians known as “The Chamberlain’s Men” performed theater in the round which meant that the audience and the actors had the intimate experience of close proximity. There were no female actors at the time as such a practice was illegal and viewed as obscene. So whether the character was Romeo or Juliet, the actor was male and this was not strange. In fact, the tradition of male actors playing female leads continues today in British pantomime (Christmas Plays) performances.

As theater developed into its modern form, the plays, performances and skills of the various actors and writers were a constant source of conversation. Those who performed best, created the most drama and put on the most captivating stories were rewarded with packed houses and good reviews in the morning papers. For this reason, special effects played a large role in productions and Shakespeare and his company were no exception to this as during his life, he was just another writer trying to improve his credentials.

And so it was that in the arsenal of Globe Theater special effects (that included fireworks, trap doors and pulley operated flying systems) was a small cannon that was fired to mark the onstage arrival of prominent characters. The cannon was loaded with gun powder and fired during the performance of the play, igniting the roof of the theater.

There appears no record as to the number of casualties or whether anyone died that night. But with 1500 people trying to flee a burning building by one exit with little light and a burning roof, there must have been quite a panic. The stampede effect of such circumstances is well known. No one was available to put out the fire and the first Globe Theater, the jewel of London’s theater circuit, burned into oblivion.

Without modern safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and smoke alarms and without the close proximity of a municipal fire brigade, devastating structural fires were common during the period. In fact it would be only a few decades later that the Great Fire of London (1666) would take place, raising a vast portion of the capital to the ground.

In 1614, a second Globe Theater was built on the same spot but would only last for 30 more years. In 1644, the Puritan movement swept through England and public theatrical performances were banned. Considered heretical and distracting, theater was not the choice of the conservative simple life outlook of the Puritans and the Globe was demolished never to be rebuilt.

After the English Civil War, theater came back into fashion but too late for the famous bard to enjoy. William Shakespeare died in 1616. The Swan Theater in Stratford Upon Avon Shakespeare’s birthplace still stands today and is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Renaissance Store Renaissance Breast Plate with leather back Renaissance Noble Bodice (Reversible Black) Renaissance Style Fencing Rapier - CAS Iberia Garden of bagatelle Tapestry (Jardin de Bagatelle)

The Renaissance Store offers a product selection of interest to the reenactor or collector of Renaissance History mementos and replicas. Choose from reenactment and theatrical gear, authentic items and collectibles.

Tags: 1597, 1598, 1613, 1666, British pantomime, Christmas Plays, Elizabethan Era, England, English Civil War, Garden of bagatelle Tapestry (Jardin de Bagatelle), Globe Theater, Globe Theatre, Great Fire of London, London, Puritans, Renaissance Breast Plate with leather back, Renaissance Noble Bodice (Reversible Black), renaissance store, Renaissance Style Fencing Rapier - CAS Iberia, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare

Queen Elizabeth I is considered by many to be one of Britain’s greatest leaders. Her strength and resolve in the face of overwhelming odds, as the Spanish fleet entered waters with the threat of land invasion, remains one of the Empire’s most enduring stories. The attack of the Spanish Armada of 1588 began in mid May and was the culmination of conflicts between Britain and Spain.

Catholic Spain was led by King Philip II who had at one time been married to Mary, the sister of Queen Elizabeth, with the hopes of making England a country of Catholicism. In the heat of the Reformation, Elizabeth chose Protestantism for her country which better suited her socialistic leanings and belief in the ability of her subjects to think for themselves. The contention between the former allies grew.

The rebellion against the Roman Catholic faith was widespread with rioting and destruction of popish artifacts taking place in Europe’s major cities. King Phillip was Dutch but leaned towards his Spanish possessions which had only increased after the abdication of Charles V and the break up of the Hapsburgs territories. It was a tumultuous time across Europe as old and new ideas clashed, often violently. When Philip sent troops to the Netherlands to quash the rebellion, he only created more resentment and confused loyalties.

Elizabeth had funded the rebellion for some time but didn’t want direct open conflict with Spain. But problems with the Dutch had split the nation. Elizabeth sent troops to prevent a total collapse of the area. By 1586, small run ins, pirateering and growing hostilities resulted in both England and Spain building up their navies.

The 16th century was a time of discovery and expedition, especially by the Spanish and English. The Spanish fleet, or armada, was financed totally by the gold “retrieved” during visits to the Americas but the choice of vessel although new was no match for what would become the Royal Navy. Britain was an island country and therefore of a seafaring mind. Their ships were great and, coupled with the assistance of their Dutch allies, the armada could only win by careful planning and a lack of confidence by the British. Fortunately for history and England they had neither.

The Spanish set sail for Britain in May of 1588 accompanied by their German and French allies. The armada consisted of approximately 130 ships and they were making straight for British waters with the plan to invade the country. But the Spanish fleet was a miss match of vessels from cargo ships to small boats and many never made it to English waters. After rough weather and the loss of several ships, the Spanish went to harbor only to sail again in June. They reached Calais in July where they anchored making ready to attack England.

England’s highest military advisors held counsel with the Queen to determine the best course of action given the circumstances. The British Navy had increased its strength in the previous months and needed now only the rallying cry of a Queen to get them motivated for the fight. It was Elizabeth’s words to her troops that helped spur the British fleet onto victory and have gone down in history as one of the world’s greatest speeches.

“And therefore I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation or sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down, for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honor and my blood, even the dust.” –Elizabeth I

Duly inspired by a determined queen, the British attacked. They began by sending eight ships covered with ignited pitch (tar and straw on fire) into the Spanish fleet causing chaos and a number of other fires. Then the guns began to boom. Both sides were heavily armored but the rumored 190 British ships carrying 17,000 men quickly claimed victory. Although Spanish vessels weren’t captured by the British navy, they were forced to flee and hopes of a respite, rendezvous and return attack quickly fell from favor. The British were determined to win and the British Isles remained free of foreign invasion then and to this day.

“I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realms.”-Elizabeth I

There never was another great fleet of ships attempting to pull down the crown, nor was there another royal like Elizabeth I. The victory of 1588 did not end Spanish aggression and conflict between the two nations went on for several more years but Phillip did not try his luck again. Today, every British school child is told the story of the Spanish Armada when Britain was tested and not found wanting. And although this once global empire would go on to invade, plunder and colonize the world, that night in July of 1588 will always remain a positive victory.

Replica Ships San Felipe Museum Quality Replica Ship The San Felipe Model Ship - 1690 (Museum Quality) The Spanish Armada Spanish Galleon Museum Quality Replica Ship

Tags: 1588, Britain, British Isles, Catholic Spain 16th century, Catholicism and Reformation, defeat of Spanish Armada, Elizabeth I, England, Hapsburg territories, King Phillip II, Queen Elizabeth I, Reformation, Replica Ships, Royal Navy 16th century, San Felipe Museum Quality Replica Ship, Sea invasion of Britain, Spain, Spanish Armada, Spanish Galleon Museum Quality Replica Ship, The Spanish Armada DVD, UK

It was February 24, 1917 when the British government presented then American president Woodrow Wilson with the now famous Zimmermann telegraph. Although not the only factor, the telegraph’s message, along with the increase in German submarine warfare, would take America out of its traditional and seemingly steadfast policy of isolationism and hurl it full force onto the world stage.

The war to end all wars, also known as World War I, had begun in 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand by Serbian freedom fighter, Gavrilo Princip. The international incident brought the dizzying map of European alliances into a war nobody had expected. The main players became Germany, Russia, England and France although nearly every European country as well as their allies from other continents took part in the devastating warfare. America declared itself to be neutral. 

Despite fantastic trade and friendly relations with most European countries, the United States had little desire or indeed means to be involved in a war. After the Mexican American War in 1848 and the crippling bloodshed of the American Civil War, Americans had little desire to involve themselves in the conflicts of other nations. Friends with both England and Germany, to take sides would mean a drop in trade as well as a commitment the country may not be fit to undertake.

Woodrow Wilson was enjoying his second term as the president after campaigning on a platform of keeping the country out of the war. This college professor turned governor made for a balanced president, drawing on both the academic and real world experiences to run his administration. Having lost his wife in 1914 and remarried in 1915, Wilson had experienced a lot of personal ups and downs but managed to keep the country out of the European war claiming that as long as Germany and her allies did not attempt to interfere with American trade or travel, there really was little reason to involve the nation in a war that was not theirs.

In 1915 the British luxury liner, the RMS Lusitania was sunk by German u boats, at a cost of over a hundred American lives. Most of the public had determined with whom their sympathies lay but Wilson still resisted involvement.

By early 1917, the British were feeling the pinch of battle, low on troops, supplies and morale. German subs filled the waters surrounding the proud island and trench warfare in France was taking its toll in bodies and spirit. Help was needed in order for the Allies to successfully defeat Germany and her forces.  In January of that year British code breakers stumbled across the Zimmermann telegraph.

“FROM 2nd from London # 5747.
“We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The settlement in detail is left to you. You will inform the President of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative, invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves. Please call the President’s attention to the fact that the ruthless employment of our submarines now offers the prospect of compelling England in a few months to make peace.” Signed, ZIMMERMANN.”

Arthur Zimmermann was the then foreign minister of Germany and he sent the intercepted message to von Eckhardt who was the German Ambassador to Mexico. It would take the British almost a month to present the intercepted note to President Wilson. Some claim it was to protect intelligence sources, others that it was to allow anti-German feelings to increase with the onset of their plan of all out submarine warfare.  To date, no clear and decisive motive has been made. The effect however of the telegraph was powerful and Wilson called on congress to declare war on Germany in April of 1917 officially ending American neutrality.

World War I remains a stain on modern history with over 20 million lives lost in four years. Its bitter end and settlement treaties sparked the Second World War which again through America into a war that was not their own. Hitler never officially declared war on America.  By World War II, the United States had clearly shown where its alliances lay. Even today, the British and American governments have a “special relationship” supporting each other in military actions across the globe.

World War I Store German World War I Replica Helmet World War I Film Library WWI Stars & Stripes Newspaper All 71 Issues on One CD 1918 Bohemia & Moravia WWI Ration Coupons

In an era when America is considered a global policeman with a mission to bring democracy on all four corners of the world, it is sometimes difficult to imagine that once such involvement would have been considered inconceivable. But it was less than a century ago when all that changed as the infamous Zimmermann telegraph landed on President Wilson’s desk.

Tags: 1914, 1915, 1917, 1918 Bohemia & Moravia WWI Ration Coupons, America enters World War I, American end of isolationism, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Arthur Zimmermann, England, first world war, France, Gavrilo Princip, German Ambassador to Mexico von Eckhardt, German U-Boats, German U-Boats World War I, German World War I Replica Helmet, Germany, Isolationism, Mexican American War, Mexican American War in 1848, President Wilson, RMS Lusitania, Russia, sinking of the Lusitania, Spanish American War, the United States enters World War I, Trench Warfare, US enters World War I, war to end all wars, Woodrow Wilson, world war 1, world war 2, world war i, World War I Film Library, World War I Store, World War II, World War One, World War two, WWI Stars & Stripes Newspaper All 71 Issues on One CD, Zimmerman Telegraph, Zimmermann Telegraph

One often wonders where the traditions of our most beloved holidays actually originate. The American holiday of Halloween has come a long way in two thousand years with a mixture of both ancient and modern rituals playing a large role in this annual celebration. Bobbing for apples and wearing terrifying masks come to us from the murky pagan past but pumpkin pie contests and parties are more recent additions to this, the spookiest of seasonal festivals.

Samhain is the name of a Celtic druid festival celebrated before the onset of Christianity in Ireland. It represented the time after the gathering of the harvest and before the onset of winter. Samhain was the beginning of a new agricultural year for the Celts and during this time, the veil between the realms of the living and the dead were temporarily lifted. All those who had died in the last year were free to leave their graves and visit their relatives. With the good, so came the bad and the Celts made sacrifices, performed magical rituals and created defenses against a predicted onslaught of ill maligned ghosts and ghouls.

Brightly burning fires were the Celts main defense against the darker side of the world of the dead and this symbol remains a part of the modern Halloween custom. The bright fires were symbolic of the sun as the darkness of winter settled over the land. In some areas, the two-day festival of Samhain culminated with the lighting of new fires that were used to light the homes and cook the food for the following year.

After the Roman Empire came to the British Isles in 43 BCE, the practice of Samhain took on a new form and now included the worship of the Roman goddess of fruit, Pomona. As the Celtic holiday coincided with the apple harvest in Europe, the two celebrations became co-mingled with bonfires and apple treats and fortune telling games indulged simultaneously.

With the arrival of Christianity, the Catholic Church replaced many of the pagan festivals with Christian festivals accounting for the modern dates of such practices as Easter and Christmas. Samhain didn’t really fit into the church’s timeline, forcing into reality a new holiday meant to replace the ancient beliefs. At the close of the ninth century, November 1 was declared to be All Hallows’ Day, a time of remembrance and prayer. The word ‘hallow’ means holy and the day was set aside for all the saints and holy people in the Christian worldview. Yet the pagan practices still persisted, especially in the rural areas of Britain where the lives of most people were dictated by crop cycles and the changing seasons.

All Hallows Eve was the church’s compromise to old world traditions and was meant as a time for visiting the cemeteries and praying for lost relatives. What actually happened was a combination of fire lighting, cemetery trips, fortune telling (using apple peels) and the persistence in the belief that on that night negative spirits walked the earth.

As the years passed, the traditions and rituals of Halloween expanded and took on regional variations. In the English countryside villagers would roam the streets requesting currant filled sweet breads known as soul cakes that were to ward off evil and provide some sustenance for the poor. They carried with them hollowed out turnips with candles to light their way. The turnips were often potatoes back in Ireland and the requests made door to door were for food and money for the less fortunate rather than soul cakes.

The concept of trick or treat most probably originates with the English mischief night tradition when the less than savory members of the village used the excuse of Halloween to make trouble for neighbors they felt had slighted them. Covering chimneys so houses filled with smoke was a common trick and anyone questioned would always blame the unexplainable events on the spirits, the goblins or the elves. Tricks were also reserved for those who chose not to make donations to the poor.

It was considered a good idea to wear a mask when performing such tricks so no one would recognize the mischief makers. The idea of masks has many origins. The ancient druids used masks (or severed heads) to ward off evil during their rituals. The early Catholic Church encouraged parishioners to dress up as angels and devils on All Saint’s day. Masks not only hid the face, but offered the chance to confuse the evil spirits as they passed by.

The Halloween costume of today embraces the history of disguise but has evolved to include both scary costumes and fun, creative costumes. The competitive aspect of costume making is a recent concept, as is shopping mall parades, trick or treating in daylight and making pumpkin pies. These are adaptations based on both availability (turnips become pumpkins in America’s harvest) and safety (young children inheriting the tradition of going door to door).

So although the concept and traditions behind Halloween have passed down over many centuries, the American version of Halloween came over long after the pilgrims. The Irish potato famine sent the Christianized Celts to America’s shores where they brought hope, ghost stories and the celebrating of Halloween.

The concepts, understandings and rituals surrounding the Halloween tradition continue to change and its popularity is returning to its British roots. For many years, the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night on November 5 overshadowed British traditions of Halloween. Yet the export of American culture back over the pond has renewed English and Irish ties to their pagan and early church roots. All Hallows Eve is finally retuning home. And the American additions of candy, pumpkins and parties are going along for the ride.

Tags: Celtic, Druid, England, guy fawkes, Halloween, Ireland, Samhain