What They Would Have Asked Santa For

Susan Higginbotham and I have been thinking about various historical and historical fiction characters and what they might have asked for while sitting on Santa's lap. Here is what we came up with -- see if you can guess which entries are whose.

Edward I -- Scotland.

Ethelred the Unready -- A day planner

Piers Gaveston -- Just something handmade. No, really! Well . . . if you insist, jewels are always appropriate.

Isabella of France -- My jewels back.

Alfred the Great - An oven timer

Hugh le Despenser the younger -- Whatever someone else is getting.

Roger Mortimer -- Hugh on a platter.

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians -- For Bernard Cornwell to get me right in his novels

Edward II -- Fodor's Guide to Italy.

Harold Godwinson - Edward the Confessor's will in writing.. or not

Godiva of Coventry - Super hold hair spray

Edward III -- France.

Offa of Mercia - A really butch Welsh dyke

Branwen Jones - For the King of Mercia to leave me the heck alone.

Edward IV -- Getting to Yes.

Ivar the Boneless - You have to ask?!

Elizabeth Woodville -- An agreeable second husband who will be nice to my large family.

Aethelwald, son of Ethelred - Primo genitor

Richard the Lion-hearted -- To go on a nice long cruise.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester Something round and gold and shiny that fits nicely on my head. (Later, when king -- a horse.)

Henry Tudor -- Something round and gold and shiny that fits nicely on my head.

William Rufus -- A new archery set.

Henry VIII -- 6 free sessions of marriage counseling.

Nicholas de Fleury -- I'm not sure. I keep penduluming back and forth about that.

Anne Boleyn -- Morning sickness.

Katherine Howard -- Someone my own age to pal around with.

Katherine Parr -- Widow's weeds.

Lawrence of Críslicland - For a certain Breton mercenary to take a long walk off a short pier

Boswell the cairn terrier -- Mom to get off her duff and take me for a walk.

Macdhui the Duck, a cat -- For a credible explanation why we have not gone in the car for such a looong time.

Glad Yule and a happy and loving 2009!

Image: Harold Godwinson in the Bayeux Tapestry.