Barefoot King

Philip stepped into the road, according to the prearranged plan, and walked in front of the barefoot king , leading the way to the cathedral. Henry followed with head bowed, his normally jaunty gait rigidly controlled, his posture a picture of penitence. Awestruck townspeople gazed on in silence as the king of England humbled himself before their eyes. Philip led him slowly through the cathedral gate… The mighty doors of the splendid church were open wide. The crowd parted to let them through.

People spoke in whispers, stunned by the sight of the proudest king in Christendom , soaking wet, walking into church like a beggar.

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They went slowly along the nave and down the steps into the crypt. There, beside the new tomb of the martyr, the monks of Canterbury were waiting, along with the greatest and most powerful bishops and abbots of the realm. The king knelt on the floor. His courtiers came into the crypt behind him. In front of everyone, Henry of England, second of that name, confessed his sins, and said he had been the unwitting cause of the murder of Saint Thomas. When he had confessed he took off his cloak. Beneath it he wore a green tunic and a hair shirt.

Barefoot King I

He knelt down again, bending his back. The bishop of London flexed a cane.

The king was to be whipped. He put in at Saint Patrick's Isle and went to see the site of the Battle of Santwat near Peel, which had been fought three days before between the Manx of north and south. The beauty of our island pleased his eyes and he chose it for his dwelling-place. He made the men of Galloway cut timber and bring it over to make three forts for him. In one of them, near Douglas, he placed the Cup of Peace, which he knew would be well guarded by the Lhiannan Shee, the Peace Fairy who never left it. Then he sailed to Anglesey and made himself lord over it, but he soon came back to the Isle of Mann, for it pleased him best.

On his return he sent his dirty shoes over to Morrough, King of Ireland, with this message:.

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And this-thou must do in sight of his envoys. When the Irish heard this they were furiously angry and indignant, but wise King Morrough said:. Then he carried the shoes on Christmas Day as Magnus bade, treated the messengers with honour and sent them back to Mann with many fine gifts for their king, with whom he made a treaty of peace.

But the envoys told their master of the richness of the Irish lands and the pleasantness of the air, and Magnus kept it in his mind. Magnus made peace on those terms and so the Norse Kings gained the Southern Isles, among which they counted the peninsula of Cantyre because Magnus, sitting at the helm, caused his great warship to be dragged across the neck of land which joins it to the mainland.

Magnus Barefoot - Wikipedia

His vikings shouted with triumph as they pulled the ship along, with their young king in his red and gold laughing at the stern. But all this time, in his heart, Magnus could think of nothing but the conquest of Ireland. He sailed to the coast of Down, where he began to invade and pillage.

It was on Saint Bartholomew's Day, , that his last battle was fought. The Irish had promised to bring him cattle for his troops the day before, but as they had not come he landed his men and marched them to the top of a little hill on the plain of Coba.

From this place he could see all the country round, and presently there appeared a great cloud of dust in the distance. Some of his men said that it was an army approaching, others that it was the herd of cattle. The last were right, and when the cattle had been handed over, Magnus and his men returned towards his ships.

It was now the noon of a calm and sunny day.

Magnus Barefoot

When they reached the marshps, suddenly a band of Irish rushed out from their ambush in a wood close by, and attacked them fiercely. Magnus ordered his chief, Eyvinder, to sound the trumpet and summon his men around the royal standard. He ordered them to close ranks with overlapping shields, until they got to the dry ground where they would be safe.