MagPiesRUs Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 I'm planning on making MOCs for different countries, with 5 vignettes representing important parts of the country's history. I'll be starting with Britain... Caesar's Invasion of Britain, 54BC During the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar made two expeditions to Britannia in 55BC and 54BC, believing that the people there had been helping the Gauls resist the Roman conquest. Meeting the Britons in battle, he described some of them as completely naked but for the torcs on their necks, with all of their body shaved and covered in woad. They let their hair grow long, which would be bleached with lime and spiked up. They used chariots, which would be used to both harass the enemy and to transport their warriors in and out of battle. Caesar's Invasion of Britain was largely a failure, but it wouldn't be long until it fell into Roman hands. The Battle of Hastings, 1066 Through royal ties, Saxon England had developed good relations with the people of Normandy. However in 1066, with the death of the English king Edward the Confessor, it all changed. The Norman duke William claimed that Edward had made him heir, while the Noble Harold Godwinson claimed that on his deathbed Edward made him king. On January 6th, Harold was made king of England. Furious, Duke William gathered together an army and sailed across the English Channel to take the crown for himself. Meanwhile, Harold Godwinson had just fought off a Viking force at Stamford Bridge, leaving his army tired. News reached him that William of Normandy had invaded, so he was forced to quickly march his men down to meet them at Hastings. The Saxons formed a shield wall, which stayed strong until the Normans lured some men them from their position and slaughtered them, breaking the shield wall. William's archers continued to fire on the Saxons. According to tradition, King Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow, before later having his leg hacked off. The Saxons were defeated, and William "the Conquerer" became the new king of England. Henry VIII and the Execution of Catherine Howard, 1542 Almost immediately after divorcing Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII married Catherine Howard in 1540. This marriage seemed to go well at first, with Catherine's motto, "No other wish will but his". However, six months later Catherine became bored and started romancing with one of Henry's courtiers, Thomas Culpeper. It wasn't long before her affair was discovered, and on the 22nd November 1541 she was imprisoned and charged with treason. On the 13th February 1542, she was executed. The British Empire and the Industrial Revolution, 19th Century The Industrial Revolution began in Britain, and led to breakthroughs in technology mostly due to the invention of the steam engine. New machines made work much easier, but also put many workers out of jobs. The construction of factories caused a build-up in urban population, and the growth of cities. Steam-powered trains and ships meant that travelling was much easier, and new weapons of war were created, which together meant that it was easier for the British to colonise far off lands, and create the largest empire ever known. In this vignette we see a British businessman enjoying some tea from India and tobacco from America, while reading through his plans for a new railroad. On his wall he has a large map of the world, painted pink (or in this case, red) with the British Empire. Also in his house he has antiques including an Indian turban, an African spear and an Asian bamboo plant. The Blitz, 1940 Following the Battle of France, the fight for the skies of Britain began in July 1940 between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe. Fearful for their lives, the British Government sent around 650,000 children out of the city and into the countryside in a mass evacuation. In September, German bombers began to launch air raids on various cities in Britain, causing great damage. These raids, known as the Blitz continued into 1941, but the spirits of the British people stayed strong and everyday life continued. Having lost the Battle of Britain, the Germans knew that they couldn't defeat Britain through the Blitz. They needed all of the planes they could for the impending attack on Russia, and the Luftwaffe began to withdraw. In May 1941, the Luftwaffe made their final and heaviest raid of the Blitz. This unfortunate fellow has had his wall blown off in one of the raids, but he continues to live his life. Outside his house amidst the rubble, two air-raid sirens are ready to sound. All 5 vigs: Enjoy! Feedback appreciated. Quote
Fordo Jumping Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 wonderful scene I love the excution scene the most the handler is great Quote
Zepher Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Good write up, lovely pohtography, and lovely idea. Quote
isaacbrockthebuilder Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Great vigs. I hope you do Canada next. Hoo roo koo koo koo koo koo kuu. Quote
Zorro Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 I love them! My favourite must be the Roman, fighting with the native warrior! Close second is the execution! Good work, . Quote
ED-209 Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 LOL, I love these! I don't know what the Roman looks more taken aback by, the Briton's aggression or his plastic nakedness! Quote
Eskallon Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Nice vignettes. I like the Blitz scene and the henry 8th scene the most. Quote
Captain Blackmoor Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 I like them all! Very nicely done. My favorites are the Industrial Age merchant and the Blitz. Quote
Talon Karrde Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Fantastic little vigs you have here, loving the Historical snippets as well. Well done. Quote
Razzer Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Suddenly I've come over all patriotic, nice scenes, I like the merchant most and I adore the way you made Henry VIII. Quote
Sandy Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Wow, you really managed to put the entire history in a nutshell. Of course, they don't tell the big picture, but they're lovely snippets anyway. The minifigs are especially creative. Quote
BlueBard Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) So great idea! I really love how you did the figs, specially the first one with the pict Very nice job! Edited January 31, 2009 by BlueBard Quote
isaacbrockthebuilder Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 LOL, I love these!I don't know what the Roman looks more taken aback by, the Briton's aggression or his plastic nakedness! Or maybe he enjoyed it Quote
Skipper 24 Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 An excellent set of MOCs recalling English history. Great work. Quote
Khorne Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Lovely MOCs! I really like how you turned ages of history in to 5, easily recognisable vignettes . The map of the world, showing English colonies is really well made . Can you tell what other nations you plan on doing? Quote
isaacbrockthebuilder Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Are you going to make America, Canada, France, Ireland, China, South Africa, The netherlands, India, Cuba, Arabia, Ausralia, and japan. Please do those ones Quote
SiRoa Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 GREAT story.. GREAT MOC.. I wonder which country next?? Quote
MagPiesRUs Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 Thanks for the comments everyone. Lovely MOCs! I really like how you turned ages of history in to 5, easily recognisable vignettes . The map of the world, showing English colonies is really well made . Can you tell what other nations you plan on doing? Thanks. I'll do as many as I can, I have ten countries planned at the moment, but hopefully I'll make more later on. I wonder which country next?? Thanks. The next will most likely be either France or Germany, as already I've made a couple of the vigs for both. Thanks again. Quote
Zepher Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Is there a way to sign up and join the "Build your country in Vignette form" team? Quote
Loganwan Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 As a teacher, I have to say AWESOME!!! I bet kids would learn more if they learned from LEGOs. Thanks for the posts. Quote
L-space Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Great vignettes. Keeping the essence is an art Can't wait to see more, keep up the good work. Quote
TLV Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Nice MOCs! I especially like the one about agincourt and the roman invasion. Maybe do one about the crusades perharps? Quote
Emperor Claudius Rome Posted August 26, 2009 Posted August 26, 2009 Wow! Those are some nice vigs. Why did you stop though? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.