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Death of William II ("Rufus") of England

Home › Forums › The Middle Ages › Death of William II ("Rufus") of England

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  • September 7, 2010 at 4:43 pm #2379 Reply
    arbarnhart
    Participant

    I recently read “The King's Arrow” by Michael Cadnum, a fictional account of William II's death. It appears there is no widely accepted factual account, though I wonder if there is a consensus among historians (?).It seems there is plenty of agreement on major circumstances – he died of an arrow through the chest on August 2, 1100 while hunting in the New Forest. Most accounts identify Sir Walter Tirel (or Tyrell) of Poix as the archer who fired the arrow, though there is at least one account of him swearing he did not, later in life when he was exiled and neither admission nor denial carried any reward or punishment. The Rufus Stone monument erected at the spot where it supposedly happened says that it was an accident and the arrow caromed off an oak tree. There is some thinking that his brother Henry was behind it and that it was an assassination. Also, the hunting party was comprised largely of nobles whose allegiance to William was forced and not exactly heartfelt. Anyone heard of any account/document that is more respected than the others?

    September 8, 2010 at 2:51 pm #22298 Reply
    Phidippides
    Keymaster

    You might find this discussion interesting:Note that the original photo I linked to is no longer working.  😮

    September 8, 2010 at 3:56 pm #22299 Reply
    arbarnhart
    Participant

    I missed that. I searched for Rufus. Not much discussion in that thread; it appears the accident story is pretty well accepted.This is the account that makes me wonder most:Abbot Suger, another chronicler, was Tirel's friend and sheltered him in his French exile. He said later:It was laid to the charge of a certain noble, Walter Tirel, that he had shot the king with an arrow; but I have often heard him, when he had nothing to fear nor to hope, solemnly swear that on the day in question he was not in the part of the forest where the king was hunting, nor ever saw him in the forest at all.(Suger, Vie de Louis VI le Gros, Waquet, H. (ed. & tr.), Belles Lettres, 1929 & 1964, p. 12.)The “official” story identifies Tirel as the shooter and as the king's hunting companion that day. Maybe it was Robin Hood, hidden on a grassy knoll…

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