Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes

From Wunztwice:

This year, instead of a Luther build, I decided it might be nice to feature another 'hero of the reformation.' William Tyndale was an English scholar who became a leader in the Protestant Reformation. He dedicated his life to translating the Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek. This was a heretical offence and after many years at his work he was deceived and captured. After over a year and a half of imprisonment he was unwilling to recant. On the morning of October 6th, 1536 he was tied to a stake, strangled, and burned.
His last words were, "Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes."
Semper Reformanda!

Night falls on Narnia

Lego Builders made this wonderful rendition of Night falls on Narnia, from the end of C.S. Lewis' allegorical take on the book of Revelations, The Last Battle.

David

Nick Barret gave his LEGO take on Michaelangelo's David.

Sack of Camulodunum

James Pegrum's awesome Temple of Claudius was included as part of a group build with Malravion. The local Iceni and Trinovantes under Boudica rose up against the Romans and sacked Camulodunum, destroying the temple, among other things. Incidentally, this event helped lead to the significance of London, because the Romans established their new main administrative center there (Londinium).

At the Cross

Lego Builders illustrates a scene from Pilgrim's Progress. At the key point in his journey, Christian arrives At the Cross:

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden.

Wat Arun

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (found in LEGO form in the new Legoland Malaysia) is one of the most recognized landmarks in Thailand. The name means Temple of the Dawn, so named because of the way that sunlight reflects off the porcelain surfaces. A Buddhist temple has stood in this spot since at least the mid-seventeenth century, but the current structure was established in the first half of the nineteenth century. The central prang, or tower, is meant to symbolize Mount Meru, which sits at the center of the universe in Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cosmology and is the home of Brahma and other gods.

Sacré-Cœur

My recent posts of models from the new Legoland Malaysia (and I still have more to post from there) reminded me that I've never posted many of the great models from other Legoland parks, such as this version of Sacré-Cœur found in Legoland Windsor. The real Sacré-Cœur is a Catholic minor basilica overlooking Paris from atop Montmartre.

Chapterhouse Window

The Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal, was originally a stronghold of the Knights Templar. After they were dissolved in the 14th century, the Portuguese branch became the Order of Christ, based in Tomar. The nave of the church was rebuilt in the 1500's, and one of the most famous additions was the Chapterhouse Window designed by Diogo de Arruda. The stone decorations include symbols of Christ and King Manuel 1, as well as maritime motifs. Projecto Construir is a Portuguese group that involves kids in large LEGO constructions, and they made a full size LEGO version of the famous window.

Happy Sukkot*

This week is the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. This is a Jewish holiday at harvest time, described in Exodus 23 and Leviticus 23. This is a more celebratory occasion after the somber and reflective Yom Kippur. Each family builds a Sukkah,** or booth, where they will eat meals and often sleep. These booths are reminiscent of the temporary shelters built by the Israelites during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness during the Exodus.***



*Could someone let me know the proper salutation for this festival?

**Yes, I know, this is MegaBlox and not LEGO. That's a little sacrilegious for a LEGO blog, but those giant MegaBlox are much easier to accumulate than the analogous Quatro bricks that LEGO used to make.

***Thanks to commenter Yewtree for the link!