William of Normandy became William I of England in 1066 after winning the Battle of Hastings. For years he had to quell uprisings throughout his territories in England and France. While in Rouen, he died while subduing a riot. It is said that his horse reared up causing the horn of his saddle to hit him in the gut, rupturing a part of his intestine. He lingered in agony for weeks while his body filled with infection from the internal wound, until he finally passed away. Between his death and funeral service, his body grew bloated and filled with gases, making him too big for his coffin. While trying to cram him into the sarcophagus, things became unpleasant. Orderic, a monk on the scene explained it best, “the swollen bowels burst, and an intolerable stench assailed the nostrils of the bystanders,” leading to a very rushed funeral service.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, below, or purchase a new subscription.
Please log in to continue
|