Henry V of England political enmity. Henry's record of involvement in war and politics, even in his youth, disproves this tradition. The most famous incident, his quarrel with the chief justice, has no contemporary authority and was first related by Sir Thomas Elyot in 1531. The story of Falstaff originated in Henry's early friendship with Sir John Oldcastle, a supporter of the Lollards. Shakespeare's Falstaff was originally named "Oldcastle", following his main source, "The Famous Victories of Henry V". His descendants objected and the name was changed (the character became a composite of several real persons, including Sir John Fastolf). That friendship, and the
Bardolph (Shakespeare character) the film "Cold Mountain" are named Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. Bardolph comments on various events, factions, and characters in Jason Sholtis's Dungeons & Dragons adventure Operation Unfathomable. On screen Bardolph has been portrayed twice by Gordon Gostelow, an actor who was described as "born" to play the part. He depicted him in the 1960 BBC production "An Age of Kings" and in the 1979 BBC Television Shakespeare films of the Henriad plays. In the "Age of Kings" version of "Henry V", after Bardolph dies Gostelow is 'reborn' to become Sir Thomas Erpingham, mutating from the king's disreputable companion in criminality