Skull-duggery! Speech shenanigans sank ship - August 01, 2008
A famous 16th-century warship sank because its crew spoke a different language to its captain, says a researcher who has been looking at the crew’s skulls.
The Mary Rose was the flagship of Henry VIII’s navy before it sank, probably because water flooded in through open gun ports. The last words of its captain Admiral George Carew were of his crew: “I have the sort of knaves I cannot rule.”
Now Hugh Montgomery, a medical researcher at University College London, says he has found that many of the crew were Spanish, and may not have understood the order to close the gun ports. By looking at teeth from the shipwreck Montgomery and colleagues found their composition suggests they come from people who grew up in the Mediterranean.
“The analysis of the teeth suggests the men grew up in a warm climate, probably somewhere in southern Europe,” says Montgomery (Independent). “It’s also known that at this time Henry VIII was short of skilled soldiers and sailors and was trying to recruit mercenaries from the Continent.”
The claims will feature on a TV documentary next week.
Headline watch
Que? Spanish crew's lack of English sank the Mary Rose – The Times
Was Henry VIII's Mary Rose lost in translation? – Reuters
All at sea: Mary Rose sank because foreign sailors couldn't understand their commander's orders – Daily Mail
Image: Punchstock
Comments
"they come from people *how* grew up *I* the Mediterranean" has a couple of typos. Feel free to delete this comment...
[Fixed - thank you. Ed.]
Posted by: Felix Finch | August 5, 2008 08:54 PM