Today I connected with my imaginary Mormon Pioneer roots by--like the song--walking and walking and walking and walking.
Walking tour of Westminster Abbey... check!
Two walking tours of British Museum... check!
Haunted walking tour.... check!
Walking across London and two bridges... check!
(oof, I think I've said, "walking" too many times; it's losing meaning!)
Westminster Abbey was built in the Romanesque style in 1035 by King Edward the Confessor. He knew who wrote the church history books (and who would pray for him), and so he commissioned the building of the Abbey. It has since been rebuilt in a dramatic Gothic style with stretched pointed arches. Apparently Edward was such an all-around good guy that Rome canonized him. I think this makes him the only Saint who happened to be a British Monarch. fancy.
Anyway, the Abbey became a destination for pilgrims who wanted to soak in some of posthumous holiness emanating from King Edward's body, insomuch that it's a great honor for people to be buried in the Abbey. Such close proximity ensures eternal bathing in his glory and securing a good place in heaven.
Many eminent Brits have been buried there, or since the ground filled up, have a memorial plaque there. Of course King Edward, Queens Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Darwin, Rayleigh, Jane Austen, Handel (not British), Kelvin, Watt, Joule, Dickens, Faraday, and Newton.
I thought the last two I mentioned were especially fitting because of their scientific work on forces between two objects: magnetism (Faraday) and universal gravitation (Newton). In life, they developed mathematical modeling of inter-body attraction, and in death they are each interacting with King Edward's holiness-radiating body.
...Just for fun, I thought I'd calculate the gravitational pull between King Edward's and Newton's skeletons. Assuming 5 kg for each and roughly 10 m separating the two, we get:
F = G*m1*m2/(r^2)
= 6.67E-11(N*m^2/kg^2)*5 kg*5 kg/(10 m)^2
= 1.67E-11 N
or roughly 0.0000000000017 * the force of gravity on Earth's surface.
Let's hope the flux of Edward's goodness into Newton has a greater effect!
Bonus: It appears as though Lord Voldemort is also interred at Westminster Abbey. Perhaps Edward's holiness will rub off on old Voldy...
Also, this marks my final day overseas. Cue Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing "Time to Say Goodbye." It's been grand, Ireland and UK. Thanks a million!
Walking tour of Westminster Abbey... check!
Two walking tours of British Museum... check!
Haunted walking tour.... check!
Walking across London and two bridges... check!
(oof, I think I've said, "walking" too many times; it's losing meaning!)
 |
| I got real hungry from all that walking! (really, I'm pretty limited when it comes to selfies) |
Anyway, the Abbey became a destination for pilgrims who wanted to soak in some of posthumous holiness emanating from King Edward's body, insomuch that it's a great honor for people to be buried in the Abbey. Such close proximity ensures eternal bathing in his glory and securing a good place in heaven.
Many eminent Brits have been buried there, or since the ground filled up, have a memorial plaque there. Of course King Edward, Queens Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Darwin, Rayleigh, Jane Austen, Handel (not British), Kelvin, Watt, Joule, Dickens, Faraday, and Newton.
I thought the last two I mentioned were especially fitting because of their scientific work on forces between two objects: magnetism (Faraday) and universal gravitation (Newton). In life, they developed mathematical modeling of inter-body attraction, and in death they are each interacting with King Edward's holiness-radiating body.
...Just for fun, I thought I'd calculate the gravitational pull between King Edward's and Newton's skeletons. Assuming 5 kg for each and roughly 10 m separating the two, we get:
F = G*m1*m2/(r^2)
= 6.67E-11(N*m^2/kg^2)*5 kg*5 kg/(10 m)^2
= 1.67E-11 N
or roughly 0.0000000000017 * the force of gravity on Earth's surface.
Let's hope the flux of Edward's goodness into Newton has a greater effect!
Bonus: It appears as though Lord Voldemort is also interred at Westminster Abbey. Perhaps Edward's holiness will rub off on old Voldy...
Also, this marks my final day overseas. Cue Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing "Time to Say Goodbye." It's been grand, Ireland and UK. Thanks a million!
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