Humpty Dumpty

[wmech]

Is the poem Humpty Dumpty linked to the Magna Carta?

[alexk]

No , its supposed to be based on events in the Civil War , during the siege of Colchester. Humpty Dumpty was a large gun on the city wall, destroyed by the besiegers.

[incitatus]

yes civil war. no colchester. Or at least not according to the inhabitants of gloucester. They say it was during the siege of gloucester, when the king's forces built a bridge (humpty dumpty) to cross the river and breach the wall. It was prefabricated, and fell into the water on being wheeled there. Has to be said that the provenance for this story is not good, so it may be that the colchester gun has it, but the gloucester one was the subject of at least one play (Revels and Devils...frequently a school production).

[Gorgana]

alexk has it right about Humpty Dumpty being a large gun used during a war. Although, the other theory is that it was about King Richard. He had a hump on his back, and the name of his war horse was Wall. He had his head cut off and all the kings' horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again.

[Gorgana]

I have just checked it out and it seems that the place was Colchester and that the Cannon was placed on top of the St Marys at the Wall Church to defend the city against siege in the Summer of 1648. The church tower was hit, sending the Cannon (Humpty Dumpty) to the floor and of course all the Kings' horses and all the Kings' men couldn't put it back together again.