Latest news with #MagdalenCollege
Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Harvard, you've got a problem — but Donald Trump's war will backfire
When a head of state picks a fight with a university, you generally expect the university to lose. Even the richest university — say, Harvard — does not have pockets as deep as the government. And as for armed force, to paraphrase Stalin, 'How many divisions does the president of Harvard have?' And yet the pen is sometimes mightier than the sword, the gown more powerful than the crown. King James II learnt this the hard way in 1687 when he attempted to impose a new president on the fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford. The college still celebrates its victory over the last Stuart monarch each year at its Restoration dinner. James had thought he could insert a Roman Catholic as president. The fellows refused,
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
May Morning: Thousands of early-risers celebrate in Oxford
Thousands of people have gathered to celebrate May Morning in the heart of unique tradition dates back more than 500 years and welcomes the coming of surrounded Magdalen College from 06:00 BST to hear the bells ring out and choristers singing. Morris dancing, folk singing and unconventional costumes were part of the traditional entertainment for the celebrations. Magdalen College Choir treated early risers to a rendition of "Hymnus Eucharisticus" before singing more hymns from the top of Magdalen Tower.A road closure is in place from The Plain junction to the top of the High Street until about 09:00 BST, with signposts for diversions and alternative cycling routes.A crowd management system will provide one-way channels on Magdalen Bridge to enable the crowd to flow during and immediately after the event. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
How Southampton's May Day traditions 'faded away'
There was a period of time when thousands gathered at a town's medieval centrepiece to welcome the start of newspaper articles from May Day in the now city of Southampton show the festival drew large crowds in the late 19th and early 20th event still appeals to the masses in Oxford but its popularity has waned in other parts of the country in recent Stoyle, a professor of early modern history at the University of Southampton, told the BBC why he thinks the tradition has "faded away". He said the exact origins of May Day were not known."The earliest records of it are in the 1200s, so it probably stretches back way beyond then," Mr Stoyle then on there was a lot of evidence of celebrations taking place across the said: "Usually young men and women would go out into the countryside on the eve of May Day and they would gather up all sorts of flowers and blossoms and they would bring them back to decorate their own communities."That's the classic bringing home of the May, you go out into the woods and you bring back the May."It's like bringing back the promise of summer." Many traditions have formed since that point, including one of the most famous, which happens in Oxford. The Magdalen College choir sing the traditional hymn Hymnus Eucharisticus at 06:00 each 1 May from the top of one of the city's great Stoyle believes this tradition "struck a chord" with the people of Southampton, who felt inspired to start a similar event."In the 1880s someone said 'wouldn't it be a great idea to have a Southampton choir singing from a public place here?'" he said. The Hampshire Independent noted at the time that "the May Choir" had "inaugurated the month with singing from the Bargate" since an article about the 1887 event, the newspaper stated "there must have been something like 1,500 people assembled to hear the singing".Interestingly, there were even complaints back then about the tradition's waning popularity. Wartime celebrations The event continued even during World War One as the Western Daily Press reported on 3 May said: "Several thousand people witnessed the May Day celebration from the top of Bargate."The paper made reference to the war, saying "khaki uniforms" were "greatly evident" and "the occasion acquired added interest as it was made one for intercession for men engaged on the King's service".The celebration continued after the war as images in the Daily Mirror on 2 May 1919 show."The Mayor of Southampton climbs to the top of the Bargate and looks down on the crowd below," it show then-mayor Sir Sidney Guy Kimber and his wife taking part in the annual May Day traditions and distributing primroses. Mrs Kimber can be seen giving flowers to the choirboys. Modern May Day Prof Mark Stoyle reflected on the how traditions "faded" in modern times and put this down to a lack of organisation and societal changes."I think it would be a lovely tradition to revive," he said."Southampton is lucky to still have the medieval Bargate and it's a really nice way to bring people together, so I think it would be great if they brought it back." John Miller, from Southampton, is a member of King John's Morris Men, which has been welcoming in the summer from the Bargate every May Day morning since 50 years on and he said they still try to keep the day "alive".He admitted that when they first started dancing there in the 1970s and '80s "there was virtually nobody there".Now "dozens" of people gather to watch the traditional performance."Our country has a massive wealth of folk traditions," Mr Miller said it was "vitally important" to keep these alive and to pass them on to future generations. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
27-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Why Nostradamus prophecies still dey popular
After di death of Pope Francis, online search for di 16th Century French astrologer Nostradamus bin rise. Dis no be di first time im prophecies don come out during major world events. Why e be say interest still dey for dis soothsayer today? Michel de Notredame, known as Nostradamus, na French physician wey bin treat plague victims. E also be amateur astrologer wey write Les Prophéties, wey dem publish for 1555. E feature 942 cryptic quatrains (four-line poems) wey e claim say dey foretell di future, often about catastrophic events. Frequently described as vague and lacking context, one of dis poems wey dem translate refer to di "death of a very old Pontiff", wey some social media posts and online articles bin link am to di death of Pope Francis. However, dozens of popes don die since 1555, so e no dey clear why dis one go relate to Pope Francis. Astrology - a practice without scientific backing wey claim say di stars fit influence human events - bin dey popular in di 16th Century. Astrological boutiques pop up evriwia, with practitioners wey dey offer advice on evritin from careers to relationships and health. Among dem na Nostradamus, wey bin dey run a popular astrology service, and interpret horoscopes for di rich and powerful. However, e no get formal training in astrology, wey be academic discipline at dat time, and some of im contemporaries dismiss am as a charlatan. Despite dis, im short cryptic poems bin be big hit with di public at di time and become bestsellers. Di 16th Century bin be a pretty miserable period for most Europeans, wey bin dey face wars, crop failures and famine, while plague bin dey worry many cities. Inside such chaos, Nostradamus prophecies offer both a warning and a strange sense of comfort. "Collective anxiety bin dey high," na so Dr Michelle Pfeffer, a historian of science and religion at Magdalen College, University of Oxford tok. "In times of great uncertainty like dis, pipo dey find answers, dem dey look for guidance, and dem dey look for reassurance say a greater plan dey in place." Like pipo today wey fit turn to horoscopes, followers of Nostradamus at di time find im work as a way to make sense of a troublesome world and a sense say change dey come. Hundreds of years later, im supporters claim say im bin don predict many historical events, including both world wars, di nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, di rise of Hitler and di outbreak of Covid-19, despite say im no ever name all dis events. Nostradamus prophecies dey written in "extremely obscure terms wey fit any conditions", na so Joëlle Rollo-Koster, a professor of medieval history for di University of Rhode Island tok. "Wen you dey obscure, ambiguous, and dey vague enough, anybodi fit find a match." Yet despite all dis, im name and prophecies don endure for public imagination. In addition to di timeless quality of many of im predictions - becos only a few get specific dates - books wey dey interpret Nostradamus writings don sell-out in big quantities. E get more dan 100 different titles in English alone. New publications wey dey interpret im prophecies to match global news events help to secure im position for di public consciousness in di 20th Century. Following di September 11 attacks, Nostradamus books shoot up for bestseller lists as im followers bin link im prophecies to di attacks. Di New York Times report say a viral email after di attacks bin combine pieces of different passages from Nostradamus and words wey no even be im own to create a provocative text wey suggest say im bin don foretell wetin go happen. Di text bin include di words: "Fire dey approach di great new city/ In di city of York, dia go be a great collapse." Oda events supporters don claim say im predictions include na di Apollo Moon landing, di Challenger space shuttle disaster and even Queen Elizabeth II death. Today, e dey likely say most pipo no dey look into di original texts, but dem dey come across am for online articles or social media memes. Oda prophecies about di papacy don dey resurface online again. Di prophecy of di Popes, attributed to a St Malachy, be sometin wey some pipo don dey read to suggest say Pope Francis fit be di last ever pontiff. Scholars don question di true origins of dis text and say e dey created for political reasons. "Prophecy dey interesting and fascinating and some pipo dey like dis kain ideas wey dey outside di mainstream. Na part of who we be," na so Joseph Uscinski, a professor of political science for di University of Miami tok. "Sometimes, entertainment dey drive pipo towards beliefs, sometimes to just adopt ideas wey dey comfortable or comforting." For an era wey bin dey marked by uncertainty, no be surprise say Nostradamus and oda prophecies still remain popular, na so experts tok. "In troubled times astrology and divination [wey seek to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge] dey get big appeal," Dr Pfeffer tok. "Humans no always dey good to dey deal with uncertainty, and astrologers and prophets don dey valued throughout history becos dem fit help pipo to make tough decisions, but dem fit also comfort pipo by suggesting say a bigger plan dey play out."
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Novelist Hollinghurst ‘thrilled' to be knighted by the King
A 'thrilled' Alan Hollinghurst was knighted by the King and said 'it is lovely' that the art of novel writing is getting such attention. The 70-year-old writer, who was honoured for his services to literature, earned the Booker Prize with The Line Of Beauty in 2004, the first work of gay fiction to win the prestigious literary award. Speaking after a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, Sir Alan said: 'I am thrilled and astonished by it really. All I have done is sit at home and write books which is the thing I enjoy doing and find most fulfilling. 'It is a very extraordinary reward for having done that. 'Without sounding pompous about it, it also makes me very pleased for writing and for the novel. 'It is lovely that this art form should get this kind of recognition. 'There are about half-a-dozen novelist knights and it is very special. To have that kind of attention paid to writing is very pleasing to me.' Sir Alan also said the honour will spur him on for the future. He said: 'I think it does. I brought out a big book about six months ago and I am not writing another at the moment – but this is tremendous encouragement to carry on.' At a time when he could be considering retirement 'this has been a great shot in the arm,' he added. Sir Alan was born in Gloucestershire and went on to study at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he later became a lecturer, before moving to London. The former Times Literary Supplement deputy editor's first novel, 1988's The Swimming-Pool Library, was a critical and awards success and dealt with being gay in intimate detail, something that was rare at the time. It would go on to win the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award and the 1991 Forster Award. He then published The Folding Star, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction, and The Spell, before writing 2004's The Line Of Beauty. His novel, set during the Margaret Thatcher years and framed by her 1983 and 1987 general election victories, was not seen as the favourite to win the Booker Prize in 2004. In 2006, Pride And Prejudice screenwriter Andrew Davies brought the novel to the small screen with a BBC adaptation starring Downton Abbey actor Dan Stevens as Nick and Blackadder star Tim McInnerny as Gerald Fedden. Sir Alan has gone on to follow up the book with The Stranger's Child, dealing with gay themes during the First World War, which made the Booker longlist; won the French literary prize Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. His books, The Sparsholt Affair in 2017 and Our Evenings in 2024, also deal with gay and class themes. Sir Alan was elected to the Royal Society of Literature in 1995 and was made an honorary fellow by Magdalen College in 2013.
