TUSooner
5/23/2006, 10:14 AM
In honor of Professor Homey....
Sound the trumpets!
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/5383/ntrumpt6jw.jpg
This is a GREAT DAY IN HISTORY
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/9150/its9ot.jpg
It's...
May 23, the 388th Anniversary of the Defenestration of Prague, 1618.
“Defenestration” comes from the versatile Latin prefix “de” meaning, among other things, “out of” or “from,” and “fenestra” meaning window.
In Bohemia, the Protestant nobility was angry at the Catholic emperor Ferdinand (1578-1637) for allowing Catholic authorities to ignore promises of religious freedom. Elected Protestant "Protectors” led by
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4748/thurn8qf.jpg
Heinrich Matthias, the flaming, violent, and radical Duke of Thurn (1567-1640),
crashed a meeting at
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/1392/hradcany21uu.jpg
Hradcany Castle in Prague
and tossed two imperial governors,
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7061/slawata1w1bn.jpg
Wilhelm Graf Slavata (1572-1652)
and
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8210/martinitz1jb9lz.jpg
Jaroslav Borzita Graf Von Martinicz (1582-1649),
and maybe a secretary named Philip Fabricius (picture not available), out a castle window in the traditional Bohemian manner.
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4074/defenestrationprague16184nx.jpg (A contemporary woodcut, c. 1618.)
Defenestration often involved a frenzied mob waiting below the window to skewer the defenestrated persons on long pikes and to hack them into tiny bits with swords and axes. But these three defenestratees landed unmolested and unhurt on
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8228/compost0av.jpg
a great heap of rotting horse manure and straw.
Catholic spinmeisters said the Virgin Mary lowered Martinicz to the ground "despite his corpulent body." More skeptical Protestant eyewitnesses credited the horse poop.
Despite the lack of serious harm and the trace of comedy, the Emperor sought revenge, and one thing led to another which led to the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), which produced a lot of serious harm and not much comedy.
Celebrate this Momentous Day by defenestrating something.
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1918/49370419e73aaca2ebm1fl.jpg
Sound the trumpets!
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/5383/ntrumpt6jw.jpg
This is a GREAT DAY IN HISTORY
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/9150/its9ot.jpg
It's...
May 23, the 388th Anniversary of the Defenestration of Prague, 1618.
“Defenestration” comes from the versatile Latin prefix “de” meaning, among other things, “out of” or “from,” and “fenestra” meaning window.
In Bohemia, the Protestant nobility was angry at the Catholic emperor Ferdinand (1578-1637) for allowing Catholic authorities to ignore promises of religious freedom. Elected Protestant "Protectors” led by
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4748/thurn8qf.jpg
Heinrich Matthias, the flaming, violent, and radical Duke of Thurn (1567-1640),
crashed a meeting at
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/1392/hradcany21uu.jpg
Hradcany Castle in Prague
and tossed two imperial governors,
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7061/slawata1w1bn.jpg
Wilhelm Graf Slavata (1572-1652)
and
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8210/martinitz1jb9lz.jpg
Jaroslav Borzita Graf Von Martinicz (1582-1649),
and maybe a secretary named Philip Fabricius (picture not available), out a castle window in the traditional Bohemian manner.
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/4074/defenestrationprague16184nx.jpg (A contemporary woodcut, c. 1618.)
Defenestration often involved a frenzied mob waiting below the window to skewer the defenestrated persons on long pikes and to hack them into tiny bits with swords and axes. But these three defenestratees landed unmolested and unhurt on
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8228/compost0av.jpg
a great heap of rotting horse manure and straw.
Catholic spinmeisters said the Virgin Mary lowered Martinicz to the ground "despite his corpulent body." More skeptical Protestant eyewitnesses credited the horse poop.
Despite the lack of serious harm and the trace of comedy, the Emperor sought revenge, and one thing led to another which led to the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), which produced a lot of serious harm and not much comedy.
Celebrate this Momentous Day by defenestrating something.
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1918/49370419e73aaca2ebm1fl.jpg