Walter Raleigh in popular culture

Summary

Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554 – 29 October 1618) was an English gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer, well known for popularising tobacco in England.

man smoking a very long pipe
Raleigh's First Pipe in England, 1859

Art, entertainment, and media edit

Films edit

Games edit

Literature edit

  • According to 1066 and All That, James I, with his "logical and tidy mind" had Raleigh executed "for being left over from the previous reign."
  • He is one of the principal characters in Winston Graham's historical novel The Grove of Eagles (1963).
  • He is a character in Gloriana's Torch (2003), Patricia Finney's third novel in the Elizabethan spy thriller David Becket and Simon Ames Series.
  • He is the main character in Robert Nye's historical novel The Voyage of the Destiny (1982)
  • In The Loss of El Dorado: A Colonial History by V. S. Naipaul
  • Bob Newhart's monologue "Introducing Tobacco to Civilisation" takes the form of a telephone conversation between "Nutty Walt" Raleigh and a sceptical business associate.

Music edit

Operas edit

Stage plays edit

  • In the late 1940s to early 1950s, actor and comedian Andy Griffith appeared as Sir Walter Raleigh, alongside other cast members in the stage play The Lost Colony.[9]

Television edit

Locations edit

  • Raleigh, North Carolina is the capital of the American State of North Carolina, one of the original Thirteen Colonies. The city was named in honour of Sir Walter Raleigh.[citation needed]
  • Raleigh County, West Virginia is named after Sir Walter Raleigh. Alfred Beckley, the founder of the Raleigh county seat, said he did it to honour Raleigh for "the "enterprising and far-seeing patron of the earliest attempts to colonize our old Mother State of Virginia."[11]

Brands and enterprises edit

  • Raleigh Cigarettes were a popular brand during the 1950s and 1960s [12] as was Sir Walter Raleigh Tobacco during the 20th century.[13]
  • The gimmick of Raleigh premium coupons, free with each purchase, led comedian Alan King to say that after accumulating enough of them, one could acquire an iron lung.
  • Since 2014 the Raleigh Rum is in the market of the United States

Myths edit

Raleigh allegedly laid his cloak over a puddle so Queen Elizabeth I would not get her feet wet.[14] The story is generally considered to be apocryphal.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) – Acting credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  2. ^ von Tunzelmann, Alex (31 December 2009). "The Virgin Queen: red tights, black teeth and a kitten-fight". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  3. ^ Kapur, Shekhar (Director) (2008). Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
  4. ^ Lawrence, Will (26 October 2007). "Clive Owen: 'Sir Walter Raleigh was a real charmer'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  5. ^ Polansky, Lara. "Review: Jamestown". killscreendaily.com. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  6. ^ Cadogan, Patrick (2008). The Revolutionary Artist: John Lennon's Radical Years. Lulu. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-4357-1863-0.
  7. ^ "'Merrie England' Show Presented On Monday". Calgary Herald. 7 June 1958. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  8. ^ Rockwell, John (25 June 1984). "OPERA:BENJAMIN BRITTEN'S 'GLORIANA'". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  9. ^ Thomas, Bob (6 February 1957). "It All Happens To Andy Griffith!". Sarasota Journal. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  10. ^ "BBC Two Programmes – Blackadder II – Potato". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  11. ^ Hobba, W.A. (1980). "Locating ground-water supplies in Randolph County, West Virginia". Open-File Report. doi:10.3133/ofr80973. ISSN 2331-1258.
  12. ^ "Raleigh cigarettes". The Wellston Loop.
  13. ^ "History". RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co.
  14. ^ "My gallant attempt to imitate Sir Walter Raleigh". The Telegraph. January 15, 2013.
  15. ^ "10 Historical Misconceptions". HowStuffWorks.