Matlida Bone

Matilda Bone is about an orphan named Matilda who was a lonely and religious girl who finally opened her heart to people. This story was set in the fourteenth century in a small village in England. She was staying at Lord Randall's manor and Father Leufredus taught her reading and writing. Matilda preferred living a proper life and staying in a manor, studying Latin and living the lives of the Saints whom she admired. Her piousness and seriousness can be seen when she told Tildy: "I should not be here laughing....it would be better for me to spend the time in prayer." Although she was taken care by Father Leufredus, it was him who abandoned her in Blood and Bone Alley with the local bonesetter, Red Peg. She was to work for Red Peg in return for food and shelter. Matilda fell into a world that was filled with the scent of healing herbs, bloodletting, broken bones and leeches. Initially she hated her new environment and the people around her. She "would sigh a very big sigh, remembering the days when she was uninvolved in all the matters of the world, of pain and illness, of all the unsuitable friends and useless skills." But when she met Effie the kitchen maid, she was fascinated at the market square where Effie brought her. As she experienced the life of a bonesetter's assistant, she found a new life of friendship and happiness. We could see the change in her by the way she took care of Tildy who was sick. "Day after day Matilda sat with Tildy, held her hand, washed her face with cool water, and forced thin porridge between her lips." At the end of the story, she evolved from an arrogant and ignorant brat to a compassionate and caring girl.

Battle of Hastings- 1066

William, the Duke of Normandy, was the cousin of Edward, the King of England. When Edward died without children in 1066, the throne was given to Harold Godwinson, an English earl. But William claimed that before his death, Edward had promised to give the throne to him. Therefore William planned to assume his role as heir and take up the throne. Actually, William was promised the throne because he took Edward in when Edward was chased by the Danes. Thus to thank William, Edward promised him the throne. However, Harold a close friend of Edward the Confessor, thought himself as a contender for the throne and had no intention of letting William's claim hold any significance. Harold based his claim on the close friendship he had with Edward and his wife.

With the backing of the Church, William went to war with Harold and the Saxon army. The Saxons were eventually cut down by Norman swords. In one systematic and devastating act, taking less than 10 hours time and rendering any Saxon retaliation virtually impossible, south and southeastern England were shortly torched and destroyed at William's command. Nothing was left behind but a trail of horse and human corpses. Understandably, the Saxon society did not gain a favorable first impression of William, and their struggles with his leadership continued on for 21 years, despite several futile attempts at rebellion. Nonetheless, by Christmas day of 1066 in Westminster England, William was crowned King of England. William had accomplished his goal and had proven himself worthy of the English Crown.

1066- The Game:

The game 1066 is based on the battle of hastings. The story line allows the player to learn about how and why the war started.

The game requires lots of thinking and strategy to outsmart the opponent. The winner is decided when either one of the two player's moral fall down to zero or when all your men are dead. Create formations like a "Bore's Snout" or a wall to deliver more devastating attacks to your opponent. Use the "Bore's Snout" for a more brutal attack and the wall for a defensive attack. The game may contain a little violence, for example, whenever a soldier is killed, blood splatters all over the screen. Nevertheless,it is a fun way for learning about the battle of Hastings as the story line explains how the battles were won and lost. It has taught me why and how the wars were being fought. Through its story lines, it shows that the English had two choices, to march south in case if the Normans arrived or to march North to confront the vikings. This game has also taught me how William of Normandy strived to become the king of England.