“Raising the left hand, he took hold of the Saint’s fingers and put his fingers between them.”

This was perhaps one of the stranger moments in the entire chronicle. It does show, however, the mystical nature of the Saint himself. The body itself is completely intact and not subject to decay. His head is intact, his toes and feet are intact. Almost as if to confirm this, each of the Saint’s limbs is examined. Certainly, they would have thought as well that there was some divine grace or favor connected with the touching of the Saint’s body, almost as if he were a relic.

“Anne’s attempts to comply with her father’s wishes [were] a desperate effort by an unloved child to gain her father’s affection.”

I believe that, on the surface, this quote demonstrates a sad reality between Anne and her father. She felt that she had to do everything her father said in order to win his affection. I think, however, this also speaks to the level of importance that the nuclear family plays during this time. Whether a result of society or of nature, Anne felt that it was necessary to have her father’s approval. No doubt this was, as we may experience it today, a result of her love for her father, but I can’t help but think that a component of safety was to be found in being accepted by her father. A certain level of stability or protection certainly comes along with having a strong, central family.

“The praises of Elizabeth are said to be sung at the end of the public prayers, as the Antiphon of our lady was sung in former days” – pg 30

I believe that Elizabeth’s use of the imagery of the Virgin Mary is perhaps one of her most clever and useful ploys as Queen. The fact that she was able to insert herself into the liturgy is an example of how effective she was at it. This served to increase her appeal amongst the Protestants while at the same time making it more palatable that a woman hold not only the crown but also the headship of the Church. In addition to these things, it also legtiamized her status as unmarried. The Virgin Mary imagery was by far one of the most successful for Elizabeth .

Cuchulainn of Ferdiad:

“Dear to me thy noble blush;
Dear thy comely, perfect form;
Dear thine eye, blue-grey and clear;
Dear thy wisdom and thy speech!”

It was very interesting, I think, to see the softer side of battle-hardened Cuchulainn. It was clear that the importance of fighting and finishing such fights in an honorable way outweighed the ties that one might have with his opponent. For we see that killing Ferdiad took a toll on Cuchulainn. He spends many pages being inconsolable, chanting great laments to this childhood friend of his. We see an almost vulnerable Cuchulainn, whereas for most of the story we see a Cuchulainn who is undefeatable.