An intolerance to digesting certain foods can develop over time and exposure. I know my dad has developed increasing intolerance to certain foods as he gets into his sixties. It may be that he already had something like an ulcer going on and having a reaction to food caused infection and fever...
A fever after eating fish sounds like it could have been food poisoning to me, especially as they obviously wouldn’t have had access to refrigeration or modern medicine. I’m not a doctor though. I also find it really interesting that people realised fever was part of the immune response rather than the disease itself so early on. Thanks for another great video.
Yup :-) To be fair though, I did a Christmas video a couple of weeks ago and hardly anyone watched it. People seem to gravitate to the gross stuff more readily.
@@HistoryCalling Nov 25? I don't know how big or little a slice of your viewership we are or why other people weren't watching, but part of the problem could be that the 25th was the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Between Black Friday (Insane spending sprees because sales, for some bizarre reason) and family stuff, we're a lot less likely to be meandering through youtube that weekend. I actually did watch. Cromwell was a poopy head.
@@Momof4kidsand3dogs i will raise a happy holidays. it is religion neutral. though i have have been brought with the old testament bible tradition and the birth with the hebrew tradition of the birth jesus christ he lived and died as a king of the jews . eventually the christian traditions populated the world.
Believe it or not, I developed a tuna allergy in my late 30’s. Up till then, tuna was a staple of my diet, and I ate it several times a week, especially in summer, for years. So it’s possible his allergy had not been a lifelong problem but something that developed later in life.
Another plunge into gore and horror! I look forward to these the most (which I guess doesn't speak well for the quality of your clientele). It's not just that I'm a ghoul (though I sort of am); I always enjoy hearing your beautiful melodious voice pitted against exploding kings and siphilis symptoms. It's quite a battle, but beautiful melodious voice for the win every time.
@@HistoryCalling I also like to imagine you putting in the search terms and looking for available stock clips of period-appropriate rotting stiffs. (Royalty-free, of course!)
Haha, you know I'm actually trying to wean myself off using stock clips as I get the occasional content ID claim, even for stuff from Pixabay which is meant to be all royalty free. I actually think it's a scam, with pretend companies claiming clips that aren't really theirs, but I'd prefer to just use my own stuff and be on the safe side.
@@HistoryCalling I don't think you're missing a thing. Nice graphic design and a good story are all you need. But I'm glad I got my 'royalty-free' joke in!
This, of course being well before the germ theory of disease and the belief at the time that bad air or miasmas was the cause of disease, it makes sense that the stench of the corpse was blamed for the death of the embalmer. Thanks again for your wonderfully researched and presented videos. This one was fascinating!
I’m not a doctor but have nursed for a while. My guess as to the cause of the “headsman’s” death would be two fold and would depend on how soon he died after preparing the body. If he died very quickly (immediate to a few days) my guess would be a stroke or heart attack (or a pre-existing terminal illness) If the death took longer (and taking into account the state of decay of the body) the attendant could have died from an infected wound. All that would have needed to happen was a small cut,say from a shard of bone, allowing putrid matter from the corpse to enter the bloodstream and he could have developed septicaemia leading to a septic cascade. Once you go into systemic organ failure from this you would be dead very quickly. Of course he could have died from the 12th century’s version of being hit by a bus and his death had nothing at all to do with his job of preparing Henry’s body. History does love its stories of the dead taking bystanders to the grave with them, think Tutankhamen or Ned Kelly.
This was how Ignatz Semmelweiss died- he's a hero, he discovered the cause of "childbed fever" (puerperal infection), but tragically died after cutting himself during an autopsy, & being infected with that same bacteria.
It could've been the lampreys. They are known to be toxic if not thoroughly cleaned. Henry would eat a lot of them. It could be possible that one or two simply didn't get prepared properly. Again, a very big thank you. This period of history is very interesting as it is the transition from Anglo-Saxon to Plantagenet rule. I understand that Richard I is also scattered about. This was rather common at the time. Keep up the wonderful work. 😊😊
@@HistoryCalling The Tudors were only 2 kings and 1 queen covering only 117 years. They've been very thoroughly covered. and that's almost entirely due to the infamous Henry VIII.
@@HistoryCalling Hmmm! Yes, the Tudor dynasty was & is fascinating but there’s many, MANY more fascinating royals before the Tudors slid into our monarchy. Your channel is fantastic but it’s called ‘History Calling’ not ‘Tudor Calling’!!!
THREE Kings (Henry ViI Henry VIII and Edward VI) and TWO Queens (Mary I and Liz I, not counting Jane Grey). And they crammed.a heck of a lot of eventfulness into those 117 years! Having said that the Normans, Plantagenets, Stuarts and the Regency and Victorian periods are all pretty fascinating and deserve plenty of coverage:)
Thank you so much for your channel and the history lessons. I started out in college as a history student but left due to finances. All that to say I Love History. Especially Medieval English and Welsh History. I am envious, in a good way, that you are able to have access to the documents there in England. Must be phenomenal. I also enjoy early American history. The founding and mystery of Roanoke, the lost colony to the death of George Washington. I admire the way you present your history and now as a retiree I can enjoy your channel even more. My favorite time periods run from Alfred through Henry V. Anyway, a long note just to say “Thank you.”
Wow, Henry I, just like his father William the Conqueror, saved his nastiest trick for his funeral. I love the story of William, and how his carved stone sarcophagus was too small to fit his rather obese, bloated corpse. The funeral attendants tried to finesse his corpse into the coffin...and he burst, letting a foul odour and fetid entrails loose to spill out. The funeral service had to be rushed, as the stench was overpowering, even with the incense being burned and cast about. Damn, those nasty medieval funerals...I think I just would've sent a wreath with a card!
Yeah, medieval burials were not good. You were probably better off being a poor farmer, whose family and friends would just get you in the ground nice and fast before your rotting stench killed them. There was no dignity in being a dead royal.
As someone with a sensitive stomach, thank you for the warning to put my food down! While I can only handle these kinds of stories in small doses, I do find them fascinating. I think the moral here is to not let a body sit in the open air for a month before burial.
I just love your voice! It's perfect for your narration, with a beautiful accent. I can listen to your voice all day. Great job and excellent video content. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next video. 🥰😍🤩
I agree, part of the reason I listen is for the beautiful music of this accent. Northern Irish, maybe? Whatever it is, your diction and accent make the videos wonderful to listen to. 🥰
As an embalmer, I concur that it is ill advised to keep a decedent out in the open for a month. I also agree with your assessment that it is highly unlikely that his head was severed with an ax to remove his brain. Unless, of course the embalmer didn't know where the brain was. Who can say? I'm still alive so I doubt very seriously any of the odors of death killed his embalmer. I’ve been around plenty who have been dead quite a bit longer than a month. I always enjoy your videos. Thank you!
Thanks Lorrie Ann. I'm glad the smell of death isn't itself fatal and you're still here with us. 😀 I'm also relieved to hear it's not standard practice to use an axe to remove the brain 😮 If only they'd had you when Henry died, I think he'd have had a much better embalming job done, but then of course we wouldn't have this video (although maybe we'd have a far cooler video about a time-travelling embalmer!)
K9 trainer/handler for SAR specializing in human remains detection and recovery here, and I can confirm. I've had multiple close calls with my own mortality, but none of them were associated with the recent exposure to human remains, regardless of their state of decomposition.
I'm a journalist and one-time crime reporter. I've too often been in the presence of what we indelicately called "stinkers" and some left me wishing I was dead.
I am ADORING the new Anglo-norman content😭 Usually I’m not much keen on burial and corpse’s videos (though you manage to glue me to them every time lol), but this is amazing. Also wow- Henry I managed to kill people even after he was dead😭
Anglo-norman is 'oft glanced by by media in their haste to get to the Tudors. Heard of Rahere? A great figure, Henry's cleric and jester. Consoled Henry over the loss of William his son. Most famous for founding St. Bartholomew's Church and Hospital, "Barts". He is buried in the Church. History is closer than you think. Only connect....
Thank you. I like me some earlier medieval material too, but it is proving a struggle to get people to watch it. The White Ship and Matilda weren't as popular as I'd hoped :-( People don't know what they're missing.
@@margaretlovecchio8316 It's not an episode that is given credit as people rush to the Tudors. There are many episodes like it that are generally overlooked regrettably.
@@HistoryCalling Indeed :/ I guess occasionally you do have to throw in some tudor videos to hook people to the channel… And, I mean, eventually there’s not gonna be much left to talk about- ofc one can always dig interesting things up though. For me, as long as it’s history, I’ll give it a go. If it ends up not being of my interest, I’ll just not watch it many times more. If it makes you feel any better though, videos like that of the white ship disaster and Matilda’s lost throne are those I watch over and over again, so I’m not even joking when I say in the course of a week I might’ve well watch over a dozen of times😭
I think you did a lovely job of covering admittedly gruesome subject matter, in a way that was as appropriate as could be managed, and yet at the same time, did not shy away from the essentials of the subject.
I dated a guy who was allergic to shrimp but he loved them. Everytime we went out to eat he got them regardless of his rash and swelling. I was always scared it was gonna be the time his reaction was going to be worse. I can totally see this king eating the fish anyway. Some ppl just want what they want.
I am allergic to shrimp (so frustrating bc I live in New Orleans LA USA!) as well, but cannot help myself and partake every now and then - with itching and a rash following 🤦🏻♀️
Funeral director and embalmer here, from the descriptions presented it’s clear King Henry was going through advanced decomposition. Prior to modern embalming there wasn’t a generalized way of preparing the body nor was it a common practice. Salts, oils and herbs removal of the viscera (internal organs) would of delayed the advancement even the colder weather would of helped delay the decomposition but not stop it. After four weeks the body would of been in rough shape. The cutting of the skin in places suggests there was tissue gas and edema and swelling that needed to be relieved again it was likely done to lessen the offending odor and dry out the body as much as possible. The removal of the brain and opening of the skull cap was done to likely reduce the swelling around the head and again remove or lessen the offensive odor. It was unlikely an axe was used this wouldn’t have been used as it would of destroyed the skull. What they might of used would of been a saw. As for the person who passed away the odor while unpleasant wouldn’t kill you it could been likely if he had cut himself he might of gotten a infection or as stated he could of had a number of maladies that could of caused him to pass. The use of skins was meant to keep the body from purging by then the skin would been exceptionally fragile prone to breaking and slipping thus exposed skin would begin to leak bodily fluids as the body dries out. Unfortunately back then the best thing they could of done after the removal of the organs was to used a lead lined coffin and kept it sealed.
Very interesting story. I am wondering about you doing a video on William the Conqueror’s burial? That was pretty gruesome as well. So far my favorite of yours has been the White Ship disaster. Fascinating subject and very little done on that subject. It’s hard to get information on Medieval English, Welsh and Norman history here in the United States. Thank you for your channel.
@@HistoryCalling Thank you for your history. One legend that I’ve never heard talked about is Herne the Hunter. That’s quite the spooky tale. Just an idea.
As always, I loved this video. I would be fascinated if you could do a video on his brother William II (Rufus) and the controversial events surrounding his death and the, shall we say "enthusiasm", that Henry I snagged the throne. I would love your detailed take on that time.
We covered Henry I on our podcast, Monarchs & Malarkey! (We took a long hiatus but are recording and uploading soon if you're an old fan.) I use my degree in medical anthropology to try to diagnose the health history and deaths of leaders, so this video makes me SUPER happy! Well done!
@@catherineb2512 Henry V's army, the "band of brothers" in Harfleur ate contaminated shellfish and a number of them, including his brother had to be sent home.
My mother in law died due to septicemia. So I see what you are saying there. Her onset was sudden as well. She went from "I just feel kind of yucky, probably need a nap." to life support in 24 hours to dead in another 48 hours. And that was in 2003, even with all of today's technology.
@@catherineb2512 I'm also a nurse practitioner working in intensive care. I agree with your 2 cents! My first thought was that if lampreys were the cause of death, they may have carried a large load of contaminants.
An interesting subject could be Napoleon’s death, he died in slightly mysterious circumstances. In fact, a series on Napoleon in the new year would be awesome!
@@wildliferox2 I was in Edinburgh last week and there is a room where visitors can't enter because the green wallpaper is still releasing arsenic fumes after 150 years.
Hi, Awesome live history video I enjoyed it can't wait to see more tomorrow. How are you doing? I'm doing well just hanging out with my cat Benjamin. See you next video greetings from Canada 😀
I'm a fan of the Ask a Mortician channel so this is right up my alley. Those who skipped your Christmas video missed a good opportunity to hate on Cromwell and his bunch of party poopers. I don't know very much about the Norman period so I'm enjoying these reports. Thanks!
Yes, Ask a Mortician is great as well (although I've had to jettison a couple of video ideas because she got there first and I didn't want people to think I was copying, but such is life).
So glad to know that my 24th great grandfather had such a lovely journey home from Normandy. Must have been a warm winter there. So very glad I live now, the filth and smell of the whole world at that time would be off putting.
"Killer Corpse"! A conspiracy theorist might surmise that Henry was actually an alien. My asiago pretzel didn't rebel in me while watching, but I think I'll resist ever trying lamprey. Great job, HC! 👏👏
THANKS STEPHEN for the donation. Yes, I don't think I'd fancy lampreys either. Just not worth the risk! :-) You know there are people out there who genuinely think the current royal family are alien lizards. The internet really has a lot to answer for.
@@HistoryCalling Indeed! Of course, even prior to the internet Scientology's esoteric teachings included Xenu and his Galactic Confederacy. Good thing we have dedicated historians like yourself to cut through the muck. 😉
That was horrifying, but I'm sure many people, royals, commoners and all in between, all over the world dealt with this issue. Bodies away from home having to be transported without the benefits of today's techniques. It probably still happens more frequently than we realize, for a number of reasons. It certainly paints a very macabre mental picture... I can't imagine what it was like to deal with.
I bet it does happen to an extent nowadays and funeral directors just don't let on. You've really gotta have a lead coffin or be kept on ice if you're not gonna be buried for more than a few days.
Like another commenter said, I am really enjoying the earlier history videos! While I like the Tudors, at some point you have to branch out. 😊 This was a great video, and I hope very much the comment helps with the algorithms!
I could cry with envy right now as I sit typing in cold and frosty Northern Ireland, where the sun went down at something like 4.50pm this afternoon (and winter doesn't even technically start until 21st). 😭
@@HistoryCalling I can imagine it, I lived in Germany and know very well how the weather goes in the Northern Hemisphere, especially the sun going down at 4pm. Our summer just started, I'll enjoy it for you as well, lol. Love the video as always and I'd say that is possible that a person died after manipulating a death body. (don't know if a wrote it correctly, remember I'm an English lerner). By the way, you're very welcome here! Bye for now!
Oh ok no wonder why you told me on Instagram not to eat lampreys lmao! Even if I didn’t watch this video I wouldn’t eat them, they do not look appetizing! I loved the video! I loved the gore and the specifics you went into! As someone who has always been a fan of horror, it’s hard to disgust me. He probably did die of lampreys. Since it’s fish he probably caught some kind of bacteria infection? I would say parasites but I think those deaths take time. I feel it could have been anything!
I'm not a doctor, but I suspect this was a case of food poisoning. Given that the son of Stephen of Blois also died after eating eels, these must have been a problematic fish.
Since lampreys are also scavengers, they could have eaten an animal or human that had died from some virulent pathogen. This passing the pathogen onto whoever ate the lamprey.
Actually, she is spearheading the Hidden Abbey Project to investigate the Abbey and find the burial place of Henry I. GPR was done in 2016. This will also be affected by the campaign to save Reading Gaol and turn it into an arts centre. The part of the Abbey where Henry may be buried is under the Gaol. You can check out her website for more info.
@@annabasnatural When I saw that curved spine, I danced around the room doing air pumps, saying "yes, yes, yes!' That was one in the eye of the Richard III Society...
@@annabasnatural I did a lot of laughing too- & cringing- but that bit offended me. Imagine being so upset that your hero is disabled that you CRY about it! Disgusting. I actually thought it was a Shakespearean invention myself, cos it fit the awful "ugly deformed villain" trope far too well, & the Mediaeval belief that looks reflected character, but finding out he had such severe scoliosis but still became an amazing fighter made me admire him (& to be clear, I'm not a fan, but credit where it's due).
At that time, I believe it was a common misconception that foul odors carried disease. They had no idea of germs, but they must have noticed that being close to a sick person often caused infection to those who had been otherwise healthy. Many accounts exist of royal courts removing to other castles after a stay of a few weeks in one, because by the end of their stay the odor of so many occupying a single location would make the air "fetid." They imagined this foul air to be an unhealthy "miasma" which might "infect" them.
Surfeit of lampreys is whst English schoolchildren learn there is a good RUclips video about the cause of death of all Rnglish monarchs a bootable number died from dysrntery
I am a physician, but with zero lamprey-related experience. My guess would be that the lamprey meal and it disagreeing with him was (if true) was just a coincidence with regard to his death from some other event. People often blame what they last ate for sudden symptoms, but even for actual food-born illnesses “food poisoning”, the meal that transmitted the organism or toxin was usually 1-3 days before, and sometimes week before, as that is the typical latency. Our brains prefer to attribute sudden health changes to very recent, one-time, unusual events, and even in modern hospitals, have heard of the family of chronically ill patients asking the reasonable question of “they did xx right before dying…could that caused it?”
" sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), are known to be toxic, and require thorough cleaning before cooking and consumption." I would bet a princely sum of money that someone messed up the preparation of the Eels, (perhaps because of lack of a proper kitchen?) And Henry 1st was a victim of poisoning by food.
Thanks for your warning. I actually agree while listening to this episode, though since you said it was going to be icky, I was able to retain my stomach.
I’m not a doctor. I’m a retired nurse. I agree with you that this was not an allergy. It could be what you suggested. Lampreys like other meats can carry bacteria or parasites that can lead to dysentery. It’s too bad there’s no accurate account that can explain it. Dysentery was not uncommon. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t Wolsey die from dysentery? I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for this Query. Decomposing flesh does not kill you. The worst it could happen to you is make you vomit. When I was about 12 years old an old lady lived by alone in her house. There was a horrible stench coming from that house. My friends dared me to go in the house. I went in and I found her corpse. I used her phone to call the police. I walked outside and lost my lunch. The gases permeated my pores. It took so many showers to get rid of that stench. Back then there were no showers. Yuck. Burning human flesh is another horrible smell. Thank you for your video. I enjoy listening to this time in history even though it triggered this memory. Have a good weekend.
Oh gosh Leticia, that's awful. I'm so sorry this was triggering for you. 😥 I'm also very impressed that 12 year old you had the composure to call the police. I'm sure I'd have run screaming.
@@HistoryCalling No worries. My grandmother was a very strong and brave woman. I did not want too let her down. I did vomit several times. Who can blame me?
Well done for your research. Where was Matilda? Where was Rahere? His jester and founder of the world-famous St Bartholomew's Hospital, "Bart's", which God be thanked has had a better history than Reading Abbey and survives until this day. Am sure such a cleric and medical person was able to give Henry nutritional advice. Rahere's tomb has also had a better history and can be found in the Church of his foundation. Rahere had comforted Henry over the death of his son, William Ætheling and probably knew Matilda. Sadly Henry's father had a similar finality, his horse stepping on a red-hot ash reared and crushed the pommel of the saddle into poor William's stomach. If anyone hasn't been to Rouen Cathedral it is worth seeing. Richard I's heart is inside. The funerary arrangements were pretty gruesome. The Duke of York was the highest-ranking casualty on the English side at Agincourt. His body was found under a pile of bodies, not a mark on him, but like so many in the rain and mud sadly was suffocated. As an "important" person his body was conveyed home but was first boiled and the flesh removed from the bones. Syon Abbey one that Henry VIII dissolved was where his body rested on the way to his burial as you probably know. You have a taste of the macabre so I hope in due time we may have an oúvre on the "Bal des Ardents" were a quick-thinking young duchesse saved the life of her king from an almost certain and gruesome death. History is closer than you think! Only connect... Much obliged for your work. Edgar.😊👍
@@HistoryCallingHappy Christmas and compliments of the Season. Matilda.Couldn't bother turning up for her father's funeral maybe she did her duty in Normandy? Perhaps she didn't deserve to be queen after all? Did you see that episode on "Lewis" that was filmed in Oxford Castle? Became a prison then a hotel. Matilda's rooms, gate or basket-hoist weren't I think covered. Sadly outside St. Bartholomew's Church front-door Sir William Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered and Wat Tyler was slain by William Walworth mayor of London in the Peasants Revolt.
I'm no doctor but have been around medicine all my life. It sounds to me as though the King could have died from a ruptured Appendix that caused in guts to turn gangrenous. Or even a ruptured spleen. And then too, it could have been Crones disease With his inside turning Gangrenous as well. That is just my humble opinion.
Fascinating! I'm really enjoying your channel, thanks! I wonder if Henry I was poisoned? I don't recall hearing it as a possibility but I actually wonder more if it was food poisoning. They didn't know then how to conduct the corpse of a King so food prep?
Realistically, nothing can stave off decay. Even modern, extensive embalming techniques can only do so much for so long, and putrefaction is more or less inevitable without some kind of mummification. There was no chance, they really needed to seal him as best they could soon after death if they were unable to bury him, and just avoid intervening until they needed to. As for the cause of death, I wonder if he had some kind of oesophageal cancer or mass which caused his stomach problems. Chronic indigestion can lead to this (or ulcers as you said) and then masses can make them far worse, causing nausea and vomiting especially over solid foods. It might explain why his worsening health seemed to coincide with his dietary choices, it being a symptom that certain foods disagreed with him rather than a root cause.
The mucus and serum of river and sea lampreys can actually be toxic and so the fish need to be thoroughly washed before cooking and consumption. I personally think this story was dreamed up either by Henry of Huntingdon or others.
Thank you..I am always interested in Henry 1..we are taught nothing about him in school. So it's wonderful to see a documentary on him..even if it is about his Death and what happened to him. Thank you again Merry Christmas.
I wonder if Mario Puzo got inspiration his line "Luca Brazzi sleeps with the fishes" ( you'll get it if you've read or seen The Godfather) from "Henry slept with his father..." I was going to mention the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 and the ironic demise of Reading Abbey at the hands of Henry 8 (were 1 & 8 related by blood?) and that bloomin' Cromwell fella, but you beat me to it. Ha. Thanks for this. Every day's a schoolday and that's no bad thing. 😊
*awkward silence* - I've never actually seen the Godfather trilogy 😬 I know it's practically a sin to admit it. It's on my so-watch list, promise :-) Yes, I think the Henrys were related, but I'd need to double check exactly how and it 8 was a direct descendant of 1.
@@HistoryCalling Have snacks available. Nearly 11 hours' total view time, I believe!! But well worth it. Henry 1's family line is a veritable 'mind-field'. So many offspring. Your challenge, should you accept it, is to find a (family) connection between 1 & 8. Best of luck. 😧
I think "sleeping with the fishes" came from the Mafia practice of dumping the dead bodies of their enemies into deep water, either weighting them down with concrete "shoes" or stuffing them into oil barrels so they wouldn't float to the surface. At least one such body has reappeared as the water level in Lake Powell has dropped during the current drought. The victim, wearing 1970's style clothing, was shot in the head, and the body was obviously never expected to be found.
@@chrisbanks6659 It's easy! Henry VIII is a direct descendant of Henry I (many times over, ofc). Henry I -> Empress Matilda -> Henry II -> John -> Henry III -> Edward I -> Edward II -> Edward III -> John of Gaunt -> John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset -> John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset -> Margaret Beaufort -> Henry VII -> Henry VIII. Royal genealogy questions happily answered! 😂 (British mostly, but I can do some French & Iberian).
I love those old buildings made of rocks ! There were two where my parents lived in Illinois. They were over 150 yrs old and made from the rocks in the lake. They are so unique and beautiful.
Me (sick as a dog): I know what'll make me feel better. A gross story about a dead body so foul it supposedly killed a dude. Pass the bucket, this one's going to be good. Henry of Huntingdon really seems to have not liked the royalty and nobility of England when he was writing his chronicle. Between this and his frankly heartless account of the White Ship Disaster, I want to ask what they did to him personally that he would be so callous about them. I still think maybe Henry's father William got off worse because not only did his corpse rot so much people couldn't make it through the funeral but it was also looted and abandoned after he died. Maybe that's why they made such a note of the procession Henry had and the fact they had to state his corpse couldn't be abandoned.
I've had anaphylactic shock from eating cherries. This first occurred as an adult, so I didn't immediately understand what was happening, as it had never happened before. Now that I know I've had that reaction, I'll still have cherries in season, as they're my favorite. However, I don't always react. And when I do, I stop eating as soon as I my tongue feels like it's been cut by knives. I'll also take an antihistamine. It is possible that he was allergic, but only in a minor form. And suddenly, he had a severe reaction. Generally a severe reaction would include swelling of the face and difficulty breathing,
As someone who have allergies and come from a family with a lot of allergic people - we eat things we are allergic to all the time, it mostly depends on how allergic we are. Buy if you keep eating something you are allergic to, and your body doesn't get used to it (which it can), it mostly likely won't end well, and considering the fact that it sounds like it took him a while to die once it started (noting the fever etc.), it sounds like a severe allergic reaction. Also, because it was something connected to a certain food (for example not all types of fish or all meats, but a specific one), and the fact that allergic reactions often look the same way to the same thing, and that had seen it enough to recommend him not to eat that fish in particular, it sounds even more like an allergies to me 😊✨🍀
He may have developed food poisoning if the eels were off....they had no refrigeration nor safe way to store things like fish. Even their salted meats and fish often went off during winter and were inedible.
Yes, that's a good idea actually. It would be ironic if he died because salting his food wasn't enough to preserve it, only to rot very fast because he himself had also been poorly salted!
Hi HC, thanks again for your video which obviously has been well researched. You go in to such detail even if it’s gorey detail. Great that you’ve covered the son, daughter and now the father, who’s lives and deaths had such an effect on the country. Myself, I’ve never seen the death of Henry I covered before so thanks also for covering this topic. Therefore I am able to “keep learning” Thanks again.
Thanks James. Yes, this video on the ones on the White Ship disaster and Matilda were always intended as a kind of trilogy, but I didn't want to say that any earlier as there are people out there who steal my video ideas, so I thought I was better off playing my cards close to my chest. I'm glad you've enjoyed the trip back to 12th century England though :-)
I'm curious, maybe the king had anthrax. Has this ever been discussed? Bacillus anthracis is a naturally occurring bacterium in soil. So if he was hunting he may have inhaled the spore and developed anthrax meningoencephalitis. Symptoms are sudden and violent as described, with fever. The brain infected with anthrax has a distinct appearance called the "Cardinal's cap" and is highly infectious. So if the person who removed his brain really did die shortly after, he may have been infected by the bacterium. I am a microbiologist so I'm a bit partial to infectious disease, but its definitely plausible and possible.
That's a great theory, it certainly fits the contemporary description, and obviously they would have had no way of recognizing or understanding such a cause of death. I think you're on to something there, you may well be the one who's solved the mystery!
@@sinsitysinderella790 yes!! And in another video of hers I was binge watching, she describe a black fluid which would be another clue towards anthrax infection. She also said that people who handled his body also died shortly after, not just the brain guy. I wish I remembered which video it was so I could reference it here now. I hope she (history calling) sees my comment and maybe looks into it more.
Empress Matilda was his daughter and was in the Eastern Mediterranean area at the time. He was buried before she could get back and Stephen took the crown. This is what started "The Anarchy". The Norman civil war which eventually led to the Plantagenet dynasty. They're all ancestors of mine.
Another excellent video; thank you! As far as the lampreys, I don't know if they killed Henry but it would kill me if I had to eat one. Also, its interesting to me regarding how they decided to bury parts of Henry in multiple locations. Just not sure how that would seem like a good idea, even in that age and time.
Actually, lampreys (eels) are quite tasty. They are usually available at any sushi place, in both fresh- and salt-water versions. One is unagi and one is anago. I don't remembefr which is which. But the sushi is delicious. Not fishy at all. I've not eaten them other than as sushi, so I don't know how tasty they would be fixed differently. With the sushi, I believe they are barbecued on a hibachi.
Lampreys were considered a delicacy in Medieval times and mainly by the upper class, but I know of no other stories about people dying from eating them, and the cook preparing them would have known if they were off. Therefore I believe that it was a sudden outbreak of an allergy. Or more likely Henry died from something compketely different and as it may have happened after him eating the fish, the blame was put on them.
Eustace, who was the son of Stephen of Blois, the king who usurped Empress Matilda's throne, was said to have died from a surfeit of lampreys. After that, there were no more male heirs, so the throne went to Matilda's son, who became Henry II of (un)happy memory.
There is no way they would have chopped his head off to remove the brain. They would have removed the back of the skull so they could put it back on without any visible marks. Chopping the king's head off would have been very disrespectful and even a backwoods mortician would have known better than that. Also, I don't think what he ate had anything to do with it; Sounds like he may have had a bowl rupture or appendicitis. He was fine and then suddenly fell ill, fever and died quickly. An ulcer typically takes a while.... That or poisoning... Are my educated guesses.
Interesting that he died in Rouen and they initially took the body westwards to Caen. Nowadays we'd automatically think of heading north to Calais to reach England, but of course that's not in Normandy. It makes for a lot longer Channel crossing.
I'm from reading n we were told about himbeing burried in a gold coffin and grave robbers in later years dug it up we all used to meet in the Abbey ruins in our teens x
I don’t know if a person can die from eating lampreys, but it would definitely gross me out. Lampreys are very primitive fish without jaws or heads that live by parasitizing other aquatic animals. They exude so much mucus that if you put a lamprey in a bucket of water, the bucket will almost instantly be full of thick slime. A bad smell killing the surgeon who removed Edward’s brain is not consistent with our current medical understanding, but from the Middle Ages through the Early Modern period it was generally believed that inhaling bad smells caused illness, often fatally so. Malaria (meaning, roughly, “bad air syndrome”) is called that because it was believed for centuries that the disease was a result of inhaling foul-smelling air, especially night air, from swamps and other wet areas. Indeed, a person who spends nights in a swamp is likely to get malaria, but that’s because the mosquitoes that spread the parasite causing malaria are common in swampy places and are active almost exclusively at night. I’d say a more likely pathology would be that the brain-removal man cut or nicked himself while doing the job, and the cut or puncture would was contaminated with bacteria (tetanus?) or a toxin (botulism?).
Forensic pathologist and medical historian here. While I’m not aware of decapitation as an established practice in embalming, if it were done immediately above the first cervical vertebra, the brain could be scooped out (more or less) through the exposed foremen magnum. Also, evisceration of the bowels must have at least helped slow the process of putrefaction. Though fouls odors don’t kill people, one wonders if the exposure to the smell of decomposition, having perhaps induced nausea and vomiting, might have exacerbated and already underlying serious health condition to the point of death. Lastly, given how terrible everyone back then must have smelled all the time, I wonder if the odor of a corpse was really that offensive to their perpetually acclimated noses anyway.
Lampreys are Very rich and fattening, and could easily cause indigestion (and heart disease, etc), though I can't see them as a cause of sudden death (at least not after they've been cooked 😁). They are a sort of river eel, and have long been considered a delicacy and a favorite of the English and European Royalty and Nobility, and so are thought to be a large cause of the obesity seen within those ranks. Later portraits of Henry VIII are a testament to the power of these critters. I haven't tried lamprey in particular, but if you've ever had sushi and partaken of eel sauce or unagi, it's pretty damn delicious. Sarah T mentions in the comments how well the symptoms of anthrax poisoning fit the details surrounding Henry I's sudden death, including how the surgeon may have died due to his contact with the anthrax infected brain. It's a fascinating idea, and neatly ties everything together, not to mention validating the contemporary accounts that have survived the ages to make it into your wonderful video 😊
Maybe something was already in the process of happening to Henry and his bad reaction to the lampreys made it worse? If he managed to eat them for that long even with stomach upset, I don't see why they'd suddenly kill him then. The only reason I managed to finish my pizza was because it was vegetarian. If I got the meat lover's like I was thinking of, I totally would have been put off it. Thanks for another fascinating video!
I'm no doctor, but I do know that I didn't have any allergies between 7 or 8 and early 30s. The 2 allergies I had as a little kid were different than what I know have. Well, I don't know if I was allergic to cannabinoids, but certainly tobacco wasn't a problem then and is now. Doesn't sound like that's the case for Henri
Do you think Henry I died from too many lampreys? Let me know below and remember to check out my PATREON at www.patreon.com/historycalling
An intolerance to digesting certain foods can develop over time and exposure. I know my dad has developed increasing intolerance to certain foods as he gets into his sixties. It may be that he already had something like an ulcer going on and having a reaction to food caused infection and fever...
Ah, interesting. That might have been it, yes.
I think yes. It is after all a good story :D
A fever after eating fish sounds like it could have been food poisoning to me, especially as they obviously wouldn’t have had access to refrigeration or modern medicine. I’m not a doctor though. I also find it really interesting that people realised fever was part of the immune response rather than the disease itself so early on.
Thanks for another great video.
Maybe the fish he ate was bad and he got food poisoning?
No better way to celebrate Christmas than with a morbid tale about a royal corpse! Merry Christmas, everyone!
Yup :-) To be fair though, I did a Christmas video a couple of weeks ago and hardly anyone watched it. People seem to gravitate to the gross stuff more readily.
@@HistoryCalling Nov 25? I don't know how big or little a slice of your viewership we are or why other people weren't watching, but part of the problem could be that the 25th was the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Between Black Friday (Insane spending sprees because sales, for some bizarre reason) and family stuff, we're a lot less likely to be meandering through youtube that weekend.
I actually did watch. Cromwell was a poopy head.
Happy Christmas!!
@@Momof4kidsand3dogs i will raise a happy holidays. it is religion neutral. though i have have been brought with the old testament bible tradition and the birth with the hebrew tradition of the birth jesus christ he lived and died as a king of the jews . eventually the christian traditions populated the world.
Pretty authentic during the long evenings of winter.
Believe it or not, I developed a tuna allergy in my late 30’s. Up till then, tuna was a staple of my diet, and I ate it several times a week, especially in summer, for years. So it’s possible his allergy had not been a lifelong problem but something that developed later in life.
Another plunge into gore and horror! I look forward to these the most (which I guess doesn't speak well for the quality of your clientele). It's not just that I'm a ghoul (though I sort of am); I always enjoy hearing your beautiful melodious voice pitted against exploding kings and siphilis symptoms. It's quite a battle, but beautiful melodious voice for the win every time.
Haha, then you're definitely gonna like this video as my voice takes you through some truly horrible rotting corpse details :-)
@@HistoryCalling I also like to imagine you putting in the search terms and looking for available stock clips of period-appropriate rotting stiffs. (Royalty-free, of course!)
Haha, you know I'm actually trying to wean myself off using stock clips as I get the occasional content ID claim, even for stuff from Pixabay which is meant to be all royalty free. I actually think it's a scam, with pretend companies claiming clips that aren't really theirs, but I'd prefer to just use my own stuff and be on the safe side.
@@HistoryCalling I don't think you're missing a thing. Nice graphic design and a good story are all you need. But I'm glad I got my 'royalty-free' joke in!
This, of course being well before the germ theory of disease and the belief at the time that bad air or miasmas was the cause of disease, it makes sense that the stench of the corpse was blamed for the death of the embalmer. Thanks again for your wonderfully researched and presented videos. This one was fascinating!
Thanks Beth. I can understand why they blamed the smell in cases like this. I bet it was awful.
I’m not a doctor but have nursed for a while. My guess as to the cause of the “headsman’s” death would be two fold and would depend on how soon he died after preparing the body.
If he died very quickly (immediate to a few days) my guess would be a stroke or heart attack (or a pre-existing terminal illness) If the death took longer (and taking into account the state of decay of the body) the attendant could have died from an infected wound. All that would have needed to happen was a small cut,say from a shard of bone, allowing putrid matter from the corpse to enter the bloodstream and he could have developed septicaemia leading to a septic cascade. Once you go into systemic organ failure from this you would be dead very quickly.
Of course he could have died from the 12th century’s version of being hit by a bus and his death had nothing at all to do with his job of preparing Henry’s body. History does love its stories of the dead taking bystanders to the grave with them, think Tutankhamen or Ned Kelly.
Septicaemia is a good idea and not something I'd considered. Given that the guy was hacking up a corpse, you could imagine him getting a cut as well.
This was how Ignatz Semmelweiss died- he's a hero, he discovered the cause of "childbed fever" (puerperal infection), but tragically died after cutting himself during an autopsy, & being infected with that same bacteria.
It could've been the lampreys. They are known to be toxic if not thoroughly cleaned. Henry would eat a lot of them. It could be possible that one or two simply didn't get prepared properly.
Again, a very big thank you. This period of history is very interesting as it is the transition from Anglo-Saxon to Plantagenet rule. I understand that Richard I is also scattered about. This was rather common at the time. Keep up the wonderful work. 😊😊
You're welcome. I like the earlier medieval stuff too. It's just challenging to get people to watch non-Tudor videos sometimes.
@@HistoryCalling The Tudors were only 2 kings and 1 queen covering only 117 years. They've been very thoroughly covered. and that's almost entirely due to the infamous Henry VIII.
@@HistoryCalling Hmmm! Yes, the Tudor dynasty was & is fascinating but there’s many, MANY more fascinating royals before the Tudors slid into our monarchy. Your channel is fantastic but it’s called ‘History Calling’ not ‘Tudor Calling’!!!
THREE Kings (Henry ViI Henry VIII and Edward VI) and TWO Queens (Mary I and Liz I, not counting Jane Grey).
And they crammed.a heck of a lot of eventfulness into those 117 years!
Having said that the Normans, Plantagenets, Stuarts and the Regency and Victorian periods are all pretty fascinating and deserve plenty of coverage:)
The Tudor reign was 3 kings and 2 queens (3 if you count the Lady Jane. She was actually a queen for 9 days. 👵👵🇦🇺🇦🇺
Thank you so much for your channel and the history lessons. I started out in college as a history student but left due to finances. All that to say I Love History. Especially Medieval English and Welsh History. I am envious, in a good way, that you are able to have access to the documents there in England. Must be phenomenal. I also enjoy early American history. The founding and mystery of Roanoke, the lost colony to the death of George Washington. I admire the way you present your history and now as a retiree I can enjoy your channel even more. My favorite time periods run from Alfred through Henry V. Anyway, a long note just to say “Thank you.”
And thank you so much for watching and commenting. I hope you continue to enjoy the channel :-)
Wow, Henry I, just like his father William the Conqueror, saved his nastiest trick for his funeral. I love the story of William, and how his carved stone sarcophagus was too small to fit his rather obese, bloated corpse. The funeral attendants tried to finesse his corpse into the coffin...and he burst, letting a foul odour and fetid entrails loose to spill out. The funeral service had to be rushed, as the stench was overpowering, even with the incense being burned and cast about.
Damn, those nasty medieval funerals...I think I just would've sent a wreath with a card!
Yeah, medieval burials were not good. You were probably better off being a poor farmer, whose family and friends would just get you in the ground nice and fast before your rotting stench killed them. There was no dignity in being a dead royal.
As someone with a sensitive stomach, thank you for the warning to put my food down! While I can only handle these kinds of stories in small doses, I do find them fascinating. I think the moral here is to not let a body sit in the open air for a month before burial.
Agreed! I’m was to empathetic 😂
The little details don’t sound disturbing in the context of history. There’s a big difference
I just love your voice! It's perfect for your narration, with a beautiful accent. I can listen to your voice all day. Great job and excellent video content. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next video. 🥰😍🤩
Thanks Joe. That's very kind of you to say :-)
I agree, part of the reason I listen is for the beautiful music of this accent. Northern Irish, maybe? Whatever it is, your diction and accent make the videos wonderful to listen to. 🥰
Tis indeed Northern Irish (where it is currently very cold and frosty) :-)
As an embalmer, I concur that it is ill advised to keep a decedent out in the open for a month. I also agree with your assessment that it is highly unlikely that his head was severed with an ax to remove his brain. Unless, of course the embalmer didn't know where the brain was. Who can say? I'm still alive so I doubt very seriously any of the odors of death killed his embalmer. I’ve been around plenty who have been dead quite a bit longer than a month. I always enjoy your videos. Thank you!
Thanks Lorrie Ann. I'm glad the smell of death isn't itself fatal and you're still here with us. 😀 I'm also relieved to hear it's not standard practice to use an axe to remove the brain 😮 If only they'd had you when Henry died, I think he'd have had a much better embalming job done, but then of course we wouldn't have this video (although maybe we'd have a far cooler video about a time-travelling embalmer!)
Any views on the long 'worms' embalmers are finding in veins since 2020?
@@zen4men It’s rubbish. I haven’t seen any, nor have any embalmers that I know.
K9 trainer/handler for SAR specializing in human remains detection and recovery here, and I can confirm. I've had multiple close calls with my own mortality, but none of them were associated with the recent exposure to human remains, regardless of their state of decomposition.
I'm a journalist and one-time crime reporter. I've too often been in the presence of what we indelicately called "stinkers" and some left me wishing I was dead.
I am ADORING the new Anglo-norman content😭 Usually I’m not much keen on burial and corpse’s videos (though you manage to glue me to them every time lol), but this is amazing. Also wow- Henry I managed to kill people even after he was dead😭
Anglo-norman is 'oft glanced by by media in their haste to get to the Tudors.
Heard of Rahere? A great figure, Henry's cleric and jester. Consoled Henry over the loss of William his son.
Most famous for founding St. Bartholomew's Church and Hospital, "Barts". He is buried in the Church.
History is closer than you think.
Only connect....
Thank you. I like me some earlier medieval material too, but it is proving a struggle to get people to watch it. The White Ship and Matilda weren't as popular as I'd hoped :-( People don't know what they're missing.
@@HistoryCalling I enjoyed the white ship video, thank you for teaching me about it
@@margaretlovecchio8316 It's not an episode that is given credit as people rush to the Tudors. There are many episodes like it that are generally overlooked regrettably.
@@HistoryCalling Indeed :/ I guess occasionally you do have to throw in some tudor videos to hook people to the channel… And, I mean, eventually there’s not gonna be much left to talk about- ofc one can always dig interesting things up though. For me, as long as it’s history, I’ll give it a go. If it ends up not being of my interest, I’ll just not watch it many times more. If it makes you feel any better though, videos like that of the white ship disaster and Matilda’s lost throne are those I watch over and over again, so I’m not even joking when I say in the course of a week I might’ve well watch over a dozen of times😭
I think you did a lovely job of covering admittedly gruesome subject matter, in a way that was as appropriate as could be managed, and yet at the same time, did not shy away from the essentials of the subject.
I dated a guy who was allergic to shrimp but he loved them. Everytime we went out to eat he got them regardless of his rash and swelling. I was always scared it was gonna be the time his reaction was going to be worse. I can totally see this king eating the fish anyway. Some ppl just want what they want.
There's a theory that people crave what they're allergic to.
True!
@@nobodysbaby5048Thank goodness I don’t know what peanuts taste like then. 😬
Even intelligent people , strange ❤
I am allergic to shrimp (so frustrating bc I live in New Orleans LA USA!) as well, but cannot help myself and partake every now and then - with itching and a rash following 🤦🏻♀️
Funeral director and embalmer here, from the descriptions presented it’s clear King Henry was going through advanced decomposition. Prior to modern embalming there wasn’t a generalized way of preparing the body nor was it a common practice. Salts, oils and herbs removal of the viscera (internal organs) would of delayed the advancement even the colder weather would of helped delay the decomposition but not stop it. After four weeks the body would of been in rough shape. The cutting of the skin in places suggests there was tissue gas and edema and swelling that needed to be relieved again it was likely done to lessen the offending odor and dry out the body as much as possible. The removal of the brain and opening of the skull cap was done to likely reduce the swelling around the head and again remove or lessen the offensive odor. It was unlikely an axe was used this wouldn’t have been used as it would of destroyed the skull. What they might of used would of been a saw. As for the person who passed away the odor while unpleasant wouldn’t kill you it could been likely if he had cut himself he might of gotten a infection or as stated he could of had a number of maladies that could of caused him to pass. The use of skins was meant to keep the body from purging by then the skin would been exceptionally fragile prone to breaking and slipping thus exposed skin would begin to leak bodily fluids as the body dries out. Unfortunately back then the best thing they could of done after the removal of the organs was to used a lead lined coffin and kept it sealed.
Wikipedia states that the 'entrails' were removed, the body 'embalmed', and sent on for official burial.
Your sweet, light voice coupled with this interesting subject matter makes for a great bedtime story 😊
really makes you wonder what’s beneath the grounds we walk on everyday, i loved this video!🙌🏻👑
Oh I think we're better off not knowing a lot of the time. Glad you enjoyed the video though :-)
@@HistoryCalling haha you are probably right!! xD
Very interesting story. I am wondering about you doing a video on William the Conqueror’s burial? That was pretty gruesome as well. So far my favorite of yours has been the White Ship disaster. Fascinating subject and very little done on that subject. It’s hard to get information on Medieval English, Welsh and Norman history here in the United States. Thank you for your channel.
Thanks Thomas. If this video does well enough, I'd be happy to look at WC as well. :-)
@@HistoryCalling Thank you for your history. One legend that I’ve never heard talked about is Herne the Hunter. That’s quite the spooky tale. Just an idea.
Wow another brilliant, immaculately researched and insightful contribution from the faceless wonder!
As always, I loved this video. I would be fascinated if you could do a video on his brother William II (Rufus) and the controversial events surrounding his death and the, shall we say "enthusiasm", that Henry I snagged the throne. I would love your detailed take on that time.
Thank you. I love that era of medieval history too. Let's see how this video does and if it's good enough, I'll maybe look at WR too.
I love these videos! I feel like Ask A Morticican missed this opportunity for her Iconic Corpses series
We covered Henry I on our podcast, Monarchs & Malarkey! (We took a long hiatus but are recording and uploading soon if you're an old fan.) I use my degree in medical anthropology to try to diagnose the health history and deaths of leaders, so this video makes me SUPER happy! Well done!
Thank you so much and best of luck with the podcast.
I LOVE GRUESOME DEAD BODY STORIES!
Good evening to history calling.and.merrychristmas
Merry Christmas Bea. I hope you have a lovely holiday season and a fantastic 2023 :-)
Love you, your channel and content. MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
My first thought was that he died from appendicitis, as it fits with the symptoms he experienced.
Good idea. I don't know enough about it to say if that could have been it or not, but it certainly seems plausible.
@@catherineb2512 Henry V's army, the "band of brothers" in Harfleur ate contaminated shellfish and a number of them, including his brother had to be sent home.
My mother in law died due to septicemia. So I see what you are saying there. Her onset was sudden as well. She went from "I just feel kind of yucky, probably need a nap." to life support in 24 hours to dead in another 48 hours. And that was in 2003, even with all of today's technology.
@@catherineb2512 I'm also a nurse practitioner working in intensive care. I agree with your 2 cents! My first thought was that if lampreys were the cause of death, they may have carried a large load of contaminants.
@@catherineb2512 I suppose it could have been as simple as the embalmer not washing his hands before handling food he then ingested.
An interesting subject could be Napoleon’s death, he died in slightly mysterious circumstances. In fact, a series on Napoleon in the new year would be awesome!
Oh yes, that's a good suggestion. I blame the wallpaper!
@@Crusty_Camper Likewise.
@@wildliferox2 I was in Edinburgh last week and there is a room where visitors can't enter because the green wallpaper is still releasing arsenic fumes after 150 years.
Hi, Awesome live history video I enjoyed it can't wait to see more tomorrow. How are you doing? I'm doing well just hanging out with my cat Benjamin. See you next video greetings from Canada 😀
Thank you. Enjoyed that
You're welcome. Glad you liked it :-)
I'm a fan of the Ask a Mortician channel so this is right up my alley. Those who skipped your Christmas video missed a good opportunity to hate on Cromwell and his bunch of party poopers. I don't know very much about the Norman period so I'm enjoying these reports. Thanks!
Yes, Ask a Mortician is great as well (although I've had to jettison a couple of video ideas because she got there first and I didn't want people to think I was copying, but such is life).
So glad to know that my 24th great grandfather had such a lovely journey home from Normandy. Must have been a warm winter there. So very glad I live now, the filth and smell of the whole world at that time would be off putting.
Happy to help with the family tree for you :-)
We share an ancestor! Henry is my 26th great grandfather :)
"Killer Corpse"! A conspiracy theorist might surmise that Henry was actually an alien. My asiago pretzel didn't rebel in me while watching, but I think I'll resist ever trying lamprey. Great job, HC! 👏👏
THANKS STEPHEN for the donation. Yes, I don't think I'd fancy lampreys either. Just not worth the risk! :-) You know there are people out there who genuinely think the current royal family are alien lizards. The internet really has a lot to answer for.
@@HistoryCalling Indeed! Of course, even prior to the internet Scientology's esoteric teachings included Xenu and his Galactic Confederacy. Good thing we have dedicated historians like yourself to cut through the muck. 😉
Oh mercy. Don't even start me on all of that. 😲
@@HistoryCalling 🤣🤣🤣
That was horrifying, but I'm sure many people, royals, commoners and all in between, all over the world dealt with this issue. Bodies away from home having to be transported without the benefits of today's techniques. It probably still happens more frequently than we realize, for a number of reasons. It certainly paints a very macabre mental picture... I can't imagine what it was like to deal with.
I bet it does happen to an extent nowadays and funeral directors just don't let on. You've really gotta have a lead coffin or be kept on ice if you're not gonna be buried for more than a few days.
Loved the video. Wish you would do one on the era of edward iii. Some fascinating characters in that era.
Great video, as always! But was Matilda present at all at the funeral?
Listening to the the details of the decay is a great way to curb your appetite if you're having trouble staying on a diet :). LOVE your channel :)
Like another commenter said, I am really enjoying the earlier history videos! While I like the Tudors, at some point you have to branch out. 😊 This was a great video, and I hope very much the comment helps with the algorithms!
Thank you. I wish more people were open to non-Tudor stuff to be honest. There's a limit to how much of the Tudors even I can take :-)
Every friday i am looking forward to your new video 📽️🎥 That's a part of my weekly routine🎞️⏳👑
Thank you so much 😀
Great job thank you!!!
This story is all I need for a rare cool and windy afternoon in South American summer, lol. Greetings from Uruguay!
I could cry with envy right now as I sit typing in cold and frosty Northern Ireland, where the sun went down at something like 4.50pm this afternoon (and winter doesn't even technically start until 21st). 😭
@@HistoryCalling I can imagine it, I lived in Germany and know very well how the weather goes in the Northern Hemisphere, especially the sun going down at 4pm. Our summer just started, I'll enjoy it for you as well, lol. Love the video as always and I'd say that is possible that a person died after manipulating a death body. (don't know if a wrote it correctly, remember I'm an English lerner). By the way, you're very welcome here! Bye for now!
Oh ok no wonder why you told me on Instagram not to eat lampreys lmao! Even if I didn’t watch this video I wouldn’t eat them, they do not look appetizing! I loved the video! I loved the gore and the specifics you went into! As someone who has always been a fan of horror, it’s hard to disgust me. He probably did die of lampreys. Since it’s fish he probably caught some kind of bacteria infection? I would say parasites but I think those deaths take time. I feel it could have been anything!
I know, right? It's put me off them forever as well! :-)
Another great video
I'm not a doctor, but I suspect this was a case of food poisoning. Given that the son of Stephen of Blois also died after eating eels, these must have been a problematic fish.
It might have been, yes.
Since lampreys are also scavengers, they could have eaten an animal or human that had died from some virulent pathogen. This passing the pathogen onto whoever ate the lamprey.
Very nice video. I love the narrator's voice.
She's from Northern Ireland
Well presented
“We might have another king in the car park…” oh dear Lord don’t tell Phillipa Langley 😳
Maybe they'd make another movie about it, filled with inaccurate details and a lead character who has full-blown hallucinations of a long-dead king...
@@HistoryCalling 😂😂😂😂😂 oh even in the documentary when she cried hearing he had a scoliosis I couldn’t stop laughing 😂
Actually, she is spearheading the Hidden Abbey Project to investigate the Abbey and find the burial place of Henry I. GPR was done in 2016. This will also be affected by the campaign to save Reading Gaol and turn it into an arts centre. The part of the Abbey where Henry may be buried is under the Gaol. You can check out her website for more info.
@@annabasnatural When I saw that curved spine, I danced around the room doing air pumps, saying "yes, yes, yes!' That was one in the eye of the Richard III Society...
@@annabasnatural I did a lot of laughing too- & cringing- but that bit offended me. Imagine being so upset that your hero is disabled that you CRY about it! Disgusting. I actually thought it was a Shakespearean invention myself, cos it fit the awful "ugly deformed villain" trope far too well, & the Mediaeval belief that looks reflected character, but finding out he had such severe scoliosis but still became an amazing fighter made me admire him (& to be clear, I'm not a fan, but credit where it's due).
At that time, I believe it was a common misconception that foul odors carried disease. They had no idea of germs, but they must have noticed that being close to a sick person often caused infection to those who had been otherwise healthy. Many accounts exist of royal courts removing to other castles after a stay of a few weeks in one, because by the end of their stay the odor of so many occupying a single location would make the air "fetid." They imagined this foul air to be an unhealthy "miasma" which might "infect" them.
Surfeit of lampreys is whst English schoolchildren learn there is a good RUclips video about the cause of death of all Rnglish monarchs a bootable number died from dysrntery
This was awesome 😎
Why thank you :-) You're awesome too.
The stuff of nightmares. Must have been hell living in those times. 😱😱😱😱😰😰
I am a physician, but with zero lamprey-related experience. My guess would be that the lamprey meal and it disagreeing with him was (if true) was just a coincidence with regard to his death from some other event. People often blame what they last ate for sudden symptoms, but even for actual food-born illnesses “food poisoning”, the meal that transmitted the organism or toxin was usually 1-3 days before, and sometimes week before, as that is the typical latency. Our brains prefer to attribute sudden health changes to very recent, one-time, unusual events, and even in modern hospitals, have heard of the family of chronically ill patients asking the reasonable question of “they did xx right before dying…could that caused it?”
" sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), are known to be toxic, and require thorough cleaning before cooking and consumption." I would bet a princely sum of money that someone messed up the preparation of the Eels, (perhaps because of lack of a proper kitchen?) And Henry 1st was a victim of poisoning by food.
Thanks for your warning. I actually agree while listening to this episode, though since you said it was going to be icky, I was able to retain my stomach.
Thank You!!! 🦩💙
Yet another excellent video, thank you.
Thanks Heather. I hope it didn't put you (or anyone else) off their food!
Not at all, glad I was picking up the kids from school though. They both said, ew gross lol
Just what we need -- a little dose of the gruesome to cut through all of the holiday cheer...
Yeah, something to sober everyone up from all the mulled wine :-)
You learn something new everyday 👍
I hope so :-)
I’m not a doctor. I’m a retired nurse. I agree with you that this was not an allergy. It could be what you suggested. Lampreys like other meats can carry bacteria or parasites that can lead to dysentery. It’s too bad there’s no accurate account that can explain it. Dysentery was not uncommon. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t Wolsey die from dysentery? I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for this Query.
Decomposing flesh does not kill you. The worst it could happen to you is make you vomit. When I was about 12 years old an old lady lived by alone in her house. There was a horrible stench coming from that house. My friends dared me to go in the house. I went in and I found her corpse. I used her phone to call the police. I walked outside and lost my lunch. The gases permeated my pores. It took so many showers to get rid of that stench. Back then there were no showers. Yuck. Burning human flesh is another horrible smell.
Thank you for your video. I enjoy listening to this time in history even though it triggered this memory. Have a good weekend.
Oh gosh Leticia, that's awful. I'm so sorry this was triggering for you. 😥 I'm also very impressed that 12 year old you had the composure to call the police. I'm sure I'd have run screaming.
@@HistoryCalling
No worries. My grandmother was a very strong and brave woman. I did not want too let her down. I did vomit several times. Who can blame me?
Well done for your research.
Where was Matilda?
Where was Rahere? His jester and founder of the world-famous St Bartholomew's Hospital, "Bart's", which God be thanked has had a better history than Reading Abbey and survives until this day.
Am sure such a cleric and medical person was able to give Henry nutritional advice.
Rahere's tomb has also had a better history and can be found in the Church of his foundation.
Rahere had comforted Henry over the death of his son, William Ætheling and probably knew Matilda.
Sadly Henry's father had a similar finality, his horse stepping on a red-hot ash reared and crushed the pommel of the saddle into poor William's stomach.
If anyone hasn't been to Rouen Cathedral it is worth seeing. Richard I's heart is inside.
The funerary arrangements were pretty gruesome. The Duke of York was the highest-ranking casualty on the English side at Agincourt. His body was found under a pile of bodies, not a mark on him, but like so many in the rain and mud sadly was suffocated.
As an "important" person his body was conveyed home but was first boiled and the flesh removed from the bones.
Syon Abbey one that Henry VIII dissolved was where his body rested on the way to his burial as you probably know.
You have a taste of the macabre so I hope in due time we may have an oúvre on the "Bal des Ardents" were a quick-thinking young duchesse saved the life of her king from an almost certain and gruesome death.
History is closer than you think!
Only connect...
Much obliged for your work.
Edgar.😊👍
Thanks Edgar. 😀 Matilda was elsewhere in France at the time with her husband and children.
@@HistoryCallingHappy Christmas and compliments of the Season.
Matilda.Couldn't bother turning up for her father's funeral maybe she did her duty in Normandy? Perhaps she didn't deserve to be queen after all?
Did you see that episode on "Lewis" that was filmed in Oxford Castle? Became a prison then a hotel. Matilda's rooms, gate or basket-hoist weren't I think covered.
Sadly outside St. Bartholomew's Church front-door Sir William Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered and Wat Tyler was slain by William Walworth mayor of London in the Peasants Revolt.
I'm no doctor but have been around medicine all my life. It sounds to me as though the King could have died from a ruptured Appendix that caused in guts to turn gangrenous. Or even a ruptured spleen. And then too, it could have been Crones disease With his inside turning Gangrenous as well. That is just my humble opinion.
Any of these options sounds like an awful way to go. Poor Henry :-(
Thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH MEL for your generous contribution to the channel. I hope the story of Henry's corpse didn't put you off your food :-)
Fascinating! I'm really enjoying your channel, thanks! I wonder if Henry I was poisoned? I don't recall hearing it as a possibility but I actually wonder more if it was food poisoning. They didn't know then how to conduct the corpse of a King so food prep?
It's an interesting idea. I wonder who though and why? It caused a whole civil war, so if he was murdered it was a really stupid idea.
@@HistoryCalling I wonder if it was unhygienic food preparation? Or a combination of Henry I’s constitution and unhygienic food prep.
Realistically, nothing can stave off decay. Even modern, extensive embalming techniques can only do so much for so long, and putrefaction is more or less inevitable without some kind of mummification. There was no chance, they really needed to seal him as best they could soon after death if they were unable to bury him, and just avoid intervening until they needed to.
As for the cause of death, I wonder if he had some kind of oesophageal cancer or mass which caused his stomach problems. Chronic indigestion can lead to this (or ulcers as you said) and then masses can make them far worse, causing nausea and vomiting especially over solid foods. It might explain why his worsening health seemed to coincide with his dietary choices, it being a symptom that certain foods disagreed with him rather than a root cause.
That's a really interesting theory. Maybe it was something like that. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you.
The mucus and serum of river and sea lampreys can actually be toxic and so the fish need to be thoroughly washed before cooking and consumption. I personally think this story was dreamed up either by Henry of Huntingdon or others.
Yes, it might all just be a fantasy. We'll never know for sure. It's certainly a good story though 😀
Thank you..I am always interested in Henry 1..we are taught nothing about him in school.
So it's wonderful to see a documentary on him..even if it is about his Death and what happened to him.
Thank you again Merry Christmas.
That accent is so pleasing to listen too
Why thank you very much :-)
@@HistoryCalling You are welcomed do you offer any photos??
Good thing about making videos about the past is there will always be more to make daily
Gotta love the gruesome dead body stories! What is history otherwise?!
Just a bunch of people living their lives in their non-decomposing bodies :-)
I wonder if Mario Puzo got inspiration his line "Luca Brazzi sleeps with the fishes" ( you'll get it if you've read or seen The Godfather) from "Henry slept with his father..." I was going to mention the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 and the ironic demise of Reading Abbey at the hands of Henry 8 (were 1 & 8 related by blood?) and that bloomin' Cromwell fella, but you beat me to it. Ha.
Thanks for this. Every day's a schoolday and that's no bad thing. 😊
*awkward silence* - I've never actually seen the Godfather trilogy 😬 I know it's practically a sin to admit it. It's on my so-watch list, promise :-) Yes, I think the Henrys were related, but I'd need to double check exactly how and it 8 was a direct descendant of 1.
@@HistoryCalling Have snacks available. Nearly 11 hours' total view time, I believe!! But well worth it.
Henry 1's family line is a veritable 'mind-field'. So many offspring. Your challenge, should you accept it, is to find a (family) connection between 1 & 8. Best of luck. 😧
I think "sleeping with the fishes" came from the Mafia practice of dumping the dead bodies of their enemies into deep water, either weighting them down with concrete "shoes" or stuffing them into oil barrels so they wouldn't float to the surface. At least one such body has reappeared as the water level in Lake Powell has dropped during the current drought. The victim, wearing 1970's style clothing, was shot in the head, and the body was obviously never expected to be found.
@@annmoore6678 I was using literative poetic licence. It was the first thing that popped into my head 🤭
@@chrisbanks6659 It's easy! Henry VIII is a direct descendant of Henry I (many times over, ofc).
Henry I -> Empress Matilda -> Henry II -> John -> Henry III -> Edward I -> Edward II -> Edward III -> John of Gaunt -> John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset -> John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset -> Margaret Beaufort -> Henry VII -> Henry VIII. Royal genealogy questions happily answered! 😂 (British mostly, but I can do some French & Iberian).
I love those old buildings made of rocks ! There were two where my parents lived in Illinois. They were over 150 yrs old and made from the rocks in the lake. They are so unique and beautiful.
My new phrase for going number 2- "I'm endeavoring to throw off this oppressive load"
This was fascinating! I know I've been in healthcare too long when "entrails were carried in an urn" doesn't blip on the radar the way it should.
Me (sick as a dog): I know what'll make me feel better. A gross story about a dead body so foul it supposedly killed a dude. Pass the bucket, this one's going to be good.
Henry of Huntingdon really seems to have not liked the royalty and nobility of England when he was writing his chronicle. Between this and his frankly heartless account of the White Ship Disaster, I want to ask what they did to him personally that he would be so callous about them. I still think maybe Henry's father William got off worse because not only did his corpse rot so much people couldn't make it through the funeral but it was also looted and abandoned after he died. Maybe that's why they made such a note of the procession Henry had and the fact they had to state his corpse couldn't be abandoned.
Aww, I'm sorry to hear you'll ill. Feel better soon and don't eat any lampreys :-)
I've had anaphylactic shock from eating cherries. This first occurred as an adult, so I didn't immediately understand what was happening, as it had never happened before.
Now that I know I've had that reaction, I'll still have cherries in season, as they're my favorite. However, I don't always react. And when I do, I stop eating as soon as I my tongue feels like it's been cut by knives. I'll also take an antihistamine.
It is possible that he was allergic, but only in a minor form. And suddenly, he had a severe reaction. Generally a severe reaction would include swelling of the face and difficulty breathing,
As someone who have allergies and come from a family with a lot of allergic people - we eat things we are allergic to all the time, it mostly depends on how allergic we are. Buy if you keep eating something you are allergic to, and your body doesn't get used to it (which it can), it mostly likely won't end well, and considering the fact that it sounds like it took him a while to die once it started (noting the fever etc.), it sounds like a severe allergic reaction. Also, because it was something connected to a certain food (for example not all types of fish or all meats, but a specific one), and the fact that allergic reactions often look the same way to the same thing, and that had seen it enough to recommend him not to eat that fish in particular, it sounds even more like an allergies to me 😊✨🍀
The OG Weekend At Bernie’s
He may have developed food poisoning if the eels were off....they had no refrigeration nor safe way to store things like fish. Even their salted meats and fish often went off during winter and were inedible.
Yes, that's a good idea actually. It would be ironic if he died because salting his food wasn't enough to preserve it, only to rot very fast because he himself had also been poorly salted!
I agree, could have been food poisoning!
Hi HC, thanks again for your video which obviously has been well researched. You go in to such detail even if it’s gorey detail.
Great that you’ve covered the son, daughter and now the father, who’s lives and deaths had such an effect on the country.
Myself, I’ve never seen the death of Henry I covered before so thanks also for covering this topic.
Therefore I am able to “keep learning”
Thanks again.
Thanks James. Yes, this video on the ones on the White Ship disaster and Matilda were always intended as a kind of trilogy, but I didn't want to say that any earlier as there are people out there who steal my video ideas, so I thought I was better off playing my cards close to my chest. I'm glad you've enjoyed the trip back to 12th century England though :-)
Take it as a compliment if others are trying to steal your work.
And yes, loved the journey back to 12 century England. 👍🏻
Yes, family and friends have said that too :-)
Better preserved than most is his cleric and jester Rahere. His tomb is in the Church and Hospital he founded "Bart's".
@@HistoryCalling Dinna fash yersel...
I'm curious, maybe the king had anthrax. Has this ever been discussed? Bacillus anthracis is a naturally occurring bacterium in soil. So if he was hunting he may have inhaled the spore and developed anthrax meningoencephalitis. Symptoms are sudden and violent as described, with fever. The brain infected with anthrax has a distinct appearance called the "Cardinal's cap" and is highly infectious. So if the person who removed his brain really did die shortly after, he may have been infected by the bacterium. I am a microbiologist so I'm a bit partial to infectious disease, but its definitely plausible and possible.
That's a great theory, it certainly fits the contemporary description, and obviously they would have had no way of recognizing or understanding such a cause of death. I think you're on to something there, you may well be the one who's solved the mystery!
@@sinsitysinderella790 yes!! And in another video of hers I was binge watching, she describe a black fluid which would be another clue towards anthrax infection. She also said that people who handled his body also died shortly after, not just the brain guy. I wish I remembered which video it was so I could reference it here now. I hope she (history calling) sees my comment and maybe looks into it more.
@@sinsitysinderella790 oh, it was the video "what happened to Henry the VIII's body. At 15:03 she talks about Henry the I's death.
Empress Matilda was his daughter and was in the Eastern Mediterranean area at the time. He was buried before she could get back and Stephen took the crown. This is what started "The Anarchy". The Norman civil war which eventually led to the Plantagenet dynasty. They're all ancestors of mine.
May I borrow that as a "pick-up line"?😊
Another excellent video; thank you! As far as the lampreys, I don't know if they killed Henry but it would kill me if I had to eat one. Also, its interesting to me regarding how they decided to bury parts of Henry in multiple locations. Just not sure how that would seem like a good idea, even in that age and time.
Actually, lampreys (eels) are quite tasty. They are usually available at any sushi place, in both fresh- and salt-water versions. One is unagi and one is anago. I don't remembefr which is which. But the sushi is delicious. Not fishy at all.
I've not eaten them other than as sushi, so I don't know how tasty they would be fixed differently. With the sushi, I believe they are barbecued on a hibachi.
Lampreys were considered a delicacy in Medieval times and mainly by the upper class, but I know of no other stories about people dying from eating them, and the cook preparing them would have known if they were off. Therefore I believe that it was a sudden outbreak of an allergy. Or more likely Henry died from something compketely different and as it may have happened after him eating the fish, the blame was put on them.
Yes, it is rather interesting that we don't hear of lots of lamprey death stories. That would indeed suggest the cause of death was something else.
Eustace, who was the son of Stephen of Blois, the king who usurped Empress Matilda's throne, was said to have died from a surfeit of lampreys. After that, there were no more male heirs, so the throne went to Matilda's son, who became Henry II of (un)happy memory.
There is no way they would have chopped his head off to remove the brain. They would have removed the back of the skull so they could put it back on without any visible marks.
Chopping the king's head off would have been very disrespectful and even a backwoods mortician would have known better than that.
Also, I don't think what he ate had anything to do with it; Sounds like he may have had a bowl rupture or appendicitis. He was fine and then suddenly fell ill, fever and died quickly. An ulcer typically takes a while.... That or poisoning... Are my educated guesses.
I live in Reading and despite a variety of searches his coffin has never been found.
Love to see you Caitlin Doherty collaborate
She's brilliant :-)
Interesting that he died in Rouen and they initially took the body westwards to Caen. Nowadays we'd automatically think of heading north to Calais to reach England, but of course that's not in Normandy. It makes for a lot longer Channel crossing.
I'm from reading n we were told about himbeing burried in a gold coffin and grave robbers in later years dug it up we all used to meet in the Abbey ruins in our teens x
How different would history have been had the White Ship not sank?
On the “pious” moralizing Huntingdon: last I read, lying /bearing false witness is a worse sin than overindulging.
Is it weird that I ate my dinner while watching this and didn’t have any issues? 😂
Not at all. You've just got a good strong stomach :-)
I'm guessing Normandy wasn't particularly cold that winter. We're hovering about freezing around here, so he might've taken longer
I thought the same thing actually. I would have expected the weather to slow decay too.
I love history and body stories 😂
I don’t know if a person can die from eating lampreys, but it would definitely gross me out. Lampreys are very primitive fish without jaws or heads that live by parasitizing other aquatic animals. They exude so much mucus that if you put a lamprey in a bucket of water, the bucket will almost instantly be full of thick slime.
A bad smell killing the surgeon who removed Edward’s brain is not consistent with our current medical understanding, but from the Middle Ages through the Early Modern period it was generally believed that inhaling bad smells caused illness, often fatally so. Malaria (meaning, roughly, “bad air syndrome”) is called that because it was believed for centuries that the disease was a result of inhaling foul-smelling air, especially night air, from swamps and other wet areas. Indeed, a person who spends nights in a swamp is likely to get malaria, but that’s because the mosquitoes that spread the parasite causing malaria are common in swampy places and are active almost exclusively at night.
I’d say a more likely pathology would be that the brain-removal man cut or nicked himself while doing the job, and the cut or puncture would was contaminated with bacteria (tetanus?) or a toxin (botulism?).
EEeeewwwww....If I am tempted to eat something I shouldn't this holiday season (and I will be) I will simply refer myself to this vid. TY!
Happy to assist in keeping you eating healthily this Christmas :-)
Forensic pathologist and medical historian here. While I’m not aware of decapitation as an established practice in embalming, if it were done immediately above the first cervical vertebra, the brain could be scooped out (more or less) through the exposed foremen magnum. Also, evisceration of the bowels must have at least helped slow the process of putrefaction. Though fouls odors don’t kill people, one wonders if the exposure to the smell of decomposition, having perhaps induced nausea and vomiting, might have exacerbated and already underlying serious health condition to the point of death. Lastly, given how terrible everyone back then must have smelled all the time, I wonder if the odor of a corpse was really that offensive to their perpetually acclimated noses anyway.
Lovely.........
😜
Lampreys are Very rich and fattening, and could easily cause indigestion (and heart disease, etc), though I can't see them as a cause of sudden death (at least not after they've been cooked 😁). They are a sort of river eel, and have long been considered a delicacy and a favorite of the English and European Royalty and Nobility, and so are thought to be a large cause of the obesity seen within those ranks. Later portraits of Henry VIII are a testament to the power of these critters. I haven't tried lamprey in particular, but if you've ever had sushi and partaken of eel sauce or unagi, it's pretty damn delicious.
Sarah T mentions in the comments how well the symptoms of anthrax poisoning fit the details surrounding Henry I's sudden death, including how the surgeon may have died due to his contact with the anthrax infected brain. It's a fascinating idea, and neatly ties everything together, not to mention validating the contemporary accounts that have survived the ages to make it into your wonderful video 😊
Maybe something was already in the process of happening to Henry and his bad reaction to the lampreys made it worse? If he managed to eat them for that long even with stomach upset, I don't see why they'd suddenly kill him then.
The only reason I managed to finish my pizza was because it was vegetarian. If I got the meat lover's like I was thinking of, I totally would have been put off it. Thanks for another fascinating video!
Glad I didn't put you off your pizza. You might never have come back to my channel if I'd done such a thing! :-)
I'm no doctor, but I do know that I didn't have any allergies between 7 or 8 and early 30s. The 2 allergies I had as a little kid were different than what I know have. Well, I don't know if I was allergic to cannabinoids, but certainly tobacco wasn't a problem then and is now. Doesn't sound like that's the case for Henri
It's so interesting isn't it? I wonder why that happens to adults...