Monday 15 June 2015

800th Anniversary Magna Carta

The Magna Carta was signed on this day in 1215 between  the barons of Medieval England and King John.  'Magna Carta' is Latin and means "Great Charter".   There are events to mark this anniversary all around the country.   The Charter was signed (by royal seal) between feudal barons and King John at Runnymede. The document was a series of written promises between the King and his subjects that he, the King, would govern England and deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law.  

Enough of the history lesson this is a pattern which I have been working on recently, it does 
not date back to 1215 but to 2008 when Jon Yusoff designed it. Here is the link to her Quantiesque Snowflake





Jon of course did not add beads but somehow I just had to include them and with that reduced the amount of picots and extenuated the points with a few extra beads.  This pattern was very popular when I started blogging and from time to time I still it appear on people's blogs. Thank you Jon a really lovely pattern.

I know that those who live in other countries are unable to see the Google images we have today in England but thought I would treat you all to this one showing the signing of the Magna Carter.   It is so funny especially when the key is thrown to unlock the ball and chain.  







There are strong influences from Magna Carta in the American Bill of Rights (written in 1791). To this day there is a 1297 copy in the National Archives in Washington DC.
Even more recently, we can see the basic principles of Magna Carta very clearly in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - penned in 1948 just after the Second World War. 

So I guess today is a very special day for all of us who live in a democratic country.

Also must remind you that there are still a few pop-a-bobbin tatting shuttles left in Jane's Etsy shop, these shuttles do not have hooks. 


14 comments:

  1. Gorgeous beaded snowflake :).

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  2. My Canada-dwelling son, who is also studying Law, said that the one thing he was looking forward to seeing with my granddaughter, was the Magna Carta on display in London - is it at the British Museum? - he said it was goose-bumpy stuff, but I don't think my granddaughter enjoyed it so much, she of course, had not heard about it - since British History is not taught in schools here. A pity.

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    1. Not sure where it is Maureen at the moment. But I thing it is certainly 'goose-bumpy stuff' just love momentous days like these as they are once in a life time events.

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  3. Quantiesque is one of the few tatted pieces I've done that I actually have on display. Love the thread you've used, and the beads. I saw a copy of the Magna Carta in the Salisbury cathedral. Amazing that the concepts it contains are still so important after all this time.

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    1. I live not far from Salisbury, must go and see it one day! Quantiseque can look so different when you use different threads beads etc.

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  4. Love the flake and cute cartoon of history lesson, I can see this in the USA where I am, if you were wondering :)

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  5. Sometimes the google images can be different in other countries but great that we have got the same one today.

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  6. I love your blog! Mi love the tatting, your quantiesque is beautiful, I love the colors and the beads. But I completely enjoy your positive views on life around. You're interested which consequently makes you interesting. You give me things to think about outside of my little world, so thank you.
    I am a Latin teacher and the word "charta" can also be translated as "paper" so I always teach my students about the magna Charta (briefly) and how very important that " big/large/great paper" is!

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    1. Thanks Michelle, would love to have learnt Latin at school, my mother did. I am glad you teach your students how important the charter was, but can you understand Mediaeval Latin?

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    2. Some, it depends. We do study and read the bateaux tapestry which is different and yet still the same.

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  7. Wonderful cartoon! Magna Carta rocks!

    Lovely rendition of Jon's design. : )

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  8. Your snowflake looks amazing!!! I don't think I have ever seen it done with beads, but it looks fabulous!!! :)

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  9. PS - I didn't know about this! - apparently we have one of the four remaining copies in our Parliament house here in Australia!! - there are only 4 remaining copies, one here, one in America and two in England. So much history to read, I have been enjoying it.

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  10. Fantastic snowflake ... love the beads you've added !
    And very interesting Google Doodle & the history ;-D ... I always enjoy your little snippets of the past. This was a great reminder !

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