I trust I don’t need spoilers, that would be like spoiler tagging the Titanic sinking.
In episode 6, just before cutting her head off the French executioner hopped to the left of a blindfolded Anne Boleyn and said something in French in order to get her to turn her head to correct way before cutting it off.
It sounded like ‘ah port tele-vay’ but any version of this is unrecognizable by Google Translate or Babelfish.
Thanks.
I think it was “apportez l’epee” - bring the sword.
Ah, thank you.
In this script the only thing in French is “apportez l’epee”…bring the sword although it doesn’t really sound like it. But then neither do other google translations for other possible phrases such as “turn your head” or “lower your arms”
Except I doubt very much that you could cut someone’s head off with an épée. Would need something heavier, like a broadsword (glaive).
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Off with her thread!
Since this is about a television show, let’s move this from General Questions to Cafe Society.
You moved it just so you could get that excruciating pun in, didn’t you?
Well, you can use the épée to make a series of small holes like a perforation and then just tear her head off like it was a coupon.
I’m fairly sure that the idea of an ‘épée’ as specifically the light fencing sword is a modern development and that in the sixteenth century it just meant any type of sword. That’s why you could have an ‘épée à deux mains’.
Just to be clear, the point about the line is that the executioner is misleading her into thinking that he doesn’t yet have the sword in his hands, so that she doesn’t flinch. I seem to remember that this particular detail was one that Mantel just made up.
I believe the fencing term derives from épée de cour, court sword.
iirc, Cromwell muttered the latter (singular) in the crowd (to his son). I guess she didn’t know the form for this kind of thing.
Given we all know the result, i found it super intense. Claire Foy … wow.
From The Anne Boleyn Files:
There is a TON of stuff about Anne Boleyn’s last moments on the internet. FYI.
*Broadsword, according to most places I looked.
The executioner tells Cromwell he’ll try to make it as quick and painless as possible. So he steps over and yells “bring the sword” as if the executioner is being called forward. Remember that he also dresses unlike a regular executioner (black clothes, black hood) so as not to alarm Anne Boleyn so she’s not aware he was already on the stage. She automatically turns her head to hear the voice expecting to hear the executioner walking up but he has already tiptoed to the other side of her and swung making her death unexpected for her and therefore less cruel.
“This might sting”.
“Just a little off the top.”
“Just a short sharp scratch”