Continuing with our advent calendar theme of 2022, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of GQ or Men’s Health that capture the medieval essence for men. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have contained? Anything and everything to assist a knight or his squire about to set out on a military campaign, crusade or pilgrimage. So please enjoy the snippets below from the May issues of The Rusty Gauntlet.
It must also be mentioned that some articles in these blogs are written as they would have appeared directly in the ‘magazine’, whilst others, due to wanting to be as informative as possible, are written from the present-day point of view. Either way, please enjoy.
Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French joster, ultimately from Latin iuxtare “to approach, to meet”. The word was loaned into Middle English around 1300, when jousting was a very popular sport among the nobility.
It originated between the 10th and 13th centuries and began as a mounted contest in north-west France in the late 11th century. The mêlée, (on foot fighting) which was part sporting contest and part training for the real challenges of medieval combat, evolved into the joust during the high medieval era. Jousting became more of an entertainment for the king and his court when guns began to be used for warfare.
Knights without a team to attach themselves to were called “bachelor” knights and in the days leading up to the tournament there would be a series of paired events so that individual knights could demonstrate their skills and talents. Knights belonging to a mesnie or household would also partake in these events, especially if they had not yet made their reputations.
The tournament field was set up and the rules of the tourney usually allowed a knight up to three lances. Essentially the knights formed teams. The first part of the tournament involved the teams of knights parading onto the field side by side. This might be followed by some of the pairs of knights jousting. Jousts were, from the 13th to 16th century CE, a popular part of the European culture where knights showed off their martial skills.
From c. 1400 CE onwards they were separated by a barrier or tilt, hence the sport’s other name of tilting. Jousting was an important opportunity for heraldic display, general pageantry, and the chance for a knight to impress aristocratic ladies who might show them favour by giving them their scarf or veil.
A herald would blow a bugle to indicate that round one of the mêlée was about to begin a cheval (on horseback). This part of the mêlée involvedmounted knights with lances charging at one another. Once the lances broke or knights were unhorsed the mêlée continued a pied (on foot) with round two of the tournament on foot with swords and maces. Obviously not all knights were unhorsed at the same time so the mêlée could be somewhat chaotic.
The best tournament knights didn’t necessarily dive straight in but held back and waited until the keener elements of the event had tired themselves out and then swept in and took plenty of prisoners. This technique was developed by Philip of Flanders.
Jousting fell out of fashion by the end of the Middle Ages, but there were occasional revivals up to the 19th century CE.
Usually lances are 6 feet to 7 feet in length. Many riders nowadays have their lances custom-made to 6 feet 9 inches. The length and weight affects the speed and accuracy, however, while the length of the lance was important for performance, it was just one factor among many that influenced a knight’s success in the jousting arena.
Black armour is in – Edward of Woodstock wore it
There has been much speculation over the years as to why Edward of Woodstock, son of King Edward III, was called ‘The Black Prince,’ – was it the colour of the armour he wore or his ‘dark character that showed no mercy.’ It was said that once he trod upon French soil, a devil was released. It also needs to be said that he didn’t earn that name whilst he was alive, but only afterwards. Here, now, I will throw another suggestion into the ring. The recent popularity of a series called ‘Bridgerton’ revealed one of the show’s characters, Queen Charlotte, had African Moorish decent – a black queen. Even more astonishing is that research tells us she was not the first of England’s ‘black queens.’ It also names Queen Phillipa Hainault (Edward of Woodstock’s mother) to have had a similar heritage.
So, is it possible, Edward called ‘The Black Prince’ due to his mother’s ancestry? Food for thought but I guess we’ll never really know. We do know that he wore black armour (given to him by his father) making him distinctive on the battlefield.
LOOKING FOR THE BEST MEDIEVAL MOUNT?
In medieval times, horses were not known so much by their breeds as today, but rather for the function or physical attributes. There were four main types of horses used by medieval knights: destriers, coursers, rounceys, and palfreys.
Destrier
DESTRIERS OR GREAT HORSE
The destrier was the best-known war horse. It was renowned and admired for its capabilities in war, sometimes even attacking other horses. Large and hot-blooded, great horses were bred specifically to be courageous in battle. They carried fully armoured knights as well as saddle, tack, barding and weapons. Worth seven or eight times the price of an ordinary horse, less than 5% of war horses were destriers owned by a small elite of the wealthy knights.
Courser
COURSER OR CHARGING HORSE
A courser was a swift and strong horse that was also used as a war horse, generally preferred for hard battles because they were light, fast and powerful. They were valuable horses but less expensive than the highly prized destrier. They were widely used for hunting as well.
Rouncey
ROUNCEY
The rouncys was an ordinary, all-purpose horse. They were used for riding but also could be used in battle. It was not unknown for them to be used as pack horses. Squires, men-at-arms, and poorer knights were common users of rounceys, and a wealthy knight would provide rounceys for his retinue.
Ceremonial PalfreyLadies Palfrey
PALFREY OR AMBLER
Elegant-looking, mild-mannered horses with a smooth gait were bred with other horses of a similar temperament to create ‘amblers’ also known as palfreys. A palfrey was a type of horse that was highly valued as a riding horse. They were very comfortable to ride on long journeys (anyone who has ever ridden a horse that ‘ambles’ knows exactly what that means!)
During the Middle Ages the palfrey was the most expensive and highly bred type of riding horse, sometimes costing as much as knight’s destrier! Consequently, it was popular with the nobles, ladies and highly-ranked knights for riding, hunting and ceremonial use, however, they were also used in battle because they could move quickly and easily even on uneven terrain. Knights would ride palfreys to battle to keep their heavier war horses from becoming fatigued before combat. The most beautiful palfreys were saved for parades and given special grooming and care.
No matter which horse was the choice, a good horse could mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.
Catherine A Wilson co-writes with Catherine T Wilson (no relation). Their first book, The Lily and the Lion, was based upon their true-life accidental meeting and resulting friendship. All four books in their ‘Lions and Lilies’ series have won first place prizes in the Chatelaine/Chaucer Awards in the US and in 2019, The Traitor’s Noose won the Grand Prize Chaucer Award.
Continuing with our advent calendar theme of 2022, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of GQ or Men’s Health that capture the medieval essence for men. If such a journal could have existed, what … Continue reading →
Continuing with our advent calendar theme of 2022, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of GQ or Men’s Health that capture the medieval essence for men. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have contained? Anything and everything to assist a knight or his squire about to set out on a military campaign, crusade or pilgrimage. So please enjoy the snippets below from the February issues of The Rusty Gauntlet.
It must also be mentioned that some articles in these blogs are written as they would have appeared directly in the ‘magazine’, whilst others, due to wanting to be as informative as possible, are written from the present-day point of view. Either way, please enjoy.
HOW TO SURVIVE LENT – What foods are forbidden and what can you eat to keep up your strength?
Firstly, what exactly is Lent? During the medieval era, when people were governed not only by laws of the kingdom but by religion, they followed strict religious rituals and Lent was a period of observance and abstinence from worldly pleasures to remember Jesus’ fasting in the desert.
It begins with Shrovetide, also known as Carnival, which possibly originates from the medieval Latin phrase “carnem levare” (farewell to meat) or “carnelevarium”, which also means to take away or remove meat and it typically involves the following days:-
Quinquagesima (or Shrove Sunday): This day marks the beginning of Carnival and falls on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
Shrove Monday: The merrymaking continues on this day.
Shrove Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras): The final day of Carnival, filled with revelry and festivities before the austere 40 days of Lent begin.
Shrove Tuesday became known as ‘pancake day,’ and provided an opportunity to use up all the eggs and milk in the household before the fasting began. Not only must one abstain from eating meat, eggs, or dairy, they couldn’t play any sports, and had to abstain from sex!
The 14th-century Shropshire cleric John Mirk wrote of Easter as the time when fires were extinguished, hearths were strewn with fresh rushes, flowers displayed and houses cleaned. Celebrations went on for many days after the Easter weekend.
Ash Wednesday (the day after Pancake Day) and Good Friday were “black fasts.” These consisted of taking only one meal per day of bread, water, and herbs, after sunset. Other days of Lent: no food until 3pm, the hour of Our Lord’s death. Water was allowed, and as was the case for the time due to sanitary concerns, watered-down beer and wine, water not always being a healthy choice in medieval times. The Sundays during Lent were days of less liturgical discipline, but the fasting rules above remained.
Fasting nuns at the refectory table being served by skeletons (an allegory of abstinence), from Cotton MS Tiberius A VII/1, f. 97v
So, what could you eat during Lent in medieval times? Interestingly, medieval cooks got creative with the limited food options. They made the most of the few permitted foods, including wine, ale, bread, nuts, seasonal fruit and vegetables, sugar, and spice. There seems to be divided opinion on whether you can count seafood as on the list, or off. One source indicated ‘anything with a backbone or spine was out,’ leaving soft invertebrate fish/shellfish/jellyfish as acceptable and another states that dried sea fish like stockfish, herring, and cod were staples during Lent.
Flat pies, known as ‘Flathouns’, were evidently a popular delicacy in 14th-century England. The Harley manuscript (MS 279) shows a recipe for an almond-based pie specifically made for Lent.
Recipe for ‘Flathouns in lente’, from Harley MS 279, f. 43v
A plate of ‘Flathouns in Lente’
But the best source I found of what you could eat comes from a fourteenth-century poem written by Archpriest Juan Ruiz of Spain called The Book of Good Love. This epic work contains an allegorical battle between Lady Lent and Sir Carnival that must go down as the best medieval food fight ever!
Sir Carnival and Lady Lent
To put you in the scene, Lady Lent sends a letter to Sir Carnival to let him know that as soon as Mardi Gras (Carnival) is over, she will attack him and defeat him, ridding good Christians of his bad influence. So warned, Sir Carnival, begins to gather his forces.
In his vanguard he had ranged excellent foot soldiers: Hens and Partridges, Rabbits and Capons, Ducks domestic and wild, and fat Geese were mustered near the embers. They bore their lances like front-line men, huge skewers of iron and wood. For shields they had platters: at any proper feast, they are the first course. After these shield-bearers came the bowmen: salted Geese, Mutton Loins, fresh Legs of Pork, and whole Hams. And following them came the knights: Beef-quarters, suckling Pigs and Kids, gamboling and squealing. Then came the squires: many Cream Cheeses that ride and spur dark wines…. Sir Bacon came in a full pot with many a Corned Beef, Rib and Pork Loin. They were all ready for the fierce battle.
Carnival, true to form, has a huge feast with his army, eating and being entertained by jesters, accompanied by his sergeant-at-arms: Wine. The company falls into a contented sleep, getting their beauty rest before they’re to fight.
Lady Lent
Suddenly, at midnight, Lady Lent appears, yelling out, “God be our strength!” She has brought with her a vicious army of seafood and greens, and the battle begins.
First to wound Sir Carnival was white-necked Leek, hurting him so badly that he spat phlegm, a fearful omen…. Salty Sardine came in to help and wounded fat Hen by throwing herself into her bill and choking her, and then she cracked Sir Carnival’s helmet. Great Dogfish charged the front line, while the Clams and the Cuttlefish guarded the flanks. The fighting was chaotic and confused, and many good heads were split open. From the coast of Valencia came the Eels, marinated and cured, in large crowds; they struck Sir Carnival in midchest, while Trout from Alberche hit him in the jaw. Tuna fought like a fierce lion; he rushed Sir Lard and hurled insults, and if it had not been for Corned Beef, who warded off the lance, Tuna would have wounded Sir Lard through the heart. From the region of Bayona came many Sharks, killing the Partridges and castrating the Capons…. Red Lobsters flocked from Santander, emptying their heavy quivers and making Sir Carnival pay heavily…. Dogfish, a tough ruffian, went about madly, brandishing a mace slung from a belt, with which he banged Pig and Suckling in mid-forehead, and then ordered them salted down in Villenchón salt. Squid showed the Peacocks no quarter, nor allowed the Pheasants to fly away; the Kids and the Deer he tried to strangle. With his many arms, he can fight many opponents.
Pieter Bruegel d. Ä. 066 Lady Lent vs Sir Carnival
Carnival is finally confronted with Salmon, who (Ruiz says) he might have defeated, “but giant Whale came at him, embraced him, and threw him down on the sand.”
Sir Carnival
The captured Carnival is carted away to jail, where he is guarded by Sir Fast and sentenced to penance which involves both humility and humble food (“when the lentils begin to taste good, you must stop eating them”). Lady Corned Beef and Sir Lard are not so lucky: they are hanged as “just punishment for their deeds”. Carnival languishes in jail until Palm Sunday when he escapes as he is being escorted to mass. He is soon welcomed back in the company of Sir Love in celebration of Easter, while Lady Lent slips out in the guise of a pilgrim.
Battle between carnival and lent – Jan Miense Molenaer 1633-bfc7520
Ruiz is obviously playing here, and he would have expected readers to enjoy the silliness of this epic battle while taking in the lesson as to which foods are acceptable during Lent, and which are not. Between the battle and Carnival’s escape, Ruiz spends a significant amount of time explaining the importance of penance and how it works. He seems to be using a classic teaching technique: grab the student’s attention with something entertaining and then redirect that attention to an important lesson.
That said, the battle between Sir Carnival and Lady Lent is epic silliness, and something that is completely in keeping with a medieval sense of humour: outrageous, slightly sacrilegious, and over-the-top.
For even more of Carnival versus Lent (and yes, there’s more!), check out The Book of Good Love by Juan Ruiz. This translation is by Rigo Mignani and Mario A. Di Cesare.
When finally Easter Sunday arrived, Lent was over and a great feasting began! Imagine all the meats and egg dishes that would have been served. It was a time for celebration and great joy.
IF AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS STOMACH, HOW DOES IT SURVIVE FASTING BEFORE EASTER?
It seems the simple answer is … they didn’t fight during Lent! Warriors were forbidden by the church to fight on religious feast days, (of which there were many in the medieval calendar) and Lent would have been at the top of the list. Winter was another time that was avoided, if possible. The logistics for moving an army were hard enough without adding snow and blizzards into the mix, let alone fasting days, though cutting rations may have helped.
EGGS, EGGS EVERYWHERE! Since chickens don’t stop laying, what do you do with all those eggs during Lent? Plus one great recipe!
Following Shrove Tuesday where medieval cooks used up the supply of eggs, milk and butter on hand, there was the question of what to do with the eggs if the hens kept laying. Some suggest it was a cold month and therefore the hens would not be prolific but we have to assume there were some and forty days is a long time to neglect collecting the eggs!
With the possibility of a large number of eggs laid, boiling them to preserve them was the answer. The colouring of eggs is associated with various legends. An ancient story recounts Mary Magdalene being summoned by Emperor Tiberius and stating that Christ had been resurrected. The sceptical Caesar pointed to an egg and exclaimed, “Christ has not risen, no more than that egg is red”—after which the egg in question miraculously turned blood-red. One Eastern Orthodox myth presents either Mary Magdalene or Mary, the mother of Jesus, placing a basket of eggs under the cross. The blood of Christ fell on the eggs, turning them red. According to another tale, Simon of Cyrene was an egg merchant who had to leave his basket of eggs to help Jesus carry the cross. When he returned, he found that his eggs had changed colour!
Eggs played a huge part in Easter celebrations during 1276. Eleanor and Simon de Montfort bought 3700 eggs for their feast, (so somewhere chickens were still laying!) and in 1290 Edward I’s accounts show that he obtained eggs that were “boiled and stained, or covered with leaf gold, and afterwards distributed to the royal household at Easter.” (William Hone, The Every-Day Book)
When Easter Sunday arrived, any fresh eggs were used for the feast, the good boiled ones were either used in food preparation, or ones that may be ‘doubtful’ would be painted for the children to play at rolling downhill.
Recipe for Cream Custard Tart
‘Doucetes. Take Creme a gode cupfulle, & put it on a straynour, thanne take yolkes of Eyroun, and put ther-to, & a lytel mylke; then strayne it throw a straynour in-to a bolle; then take Sugre y-now, put ther-to, or ellys hony forde faute of Sugre, than coloure it with Safroun; than take thin cofyns, & put it in the ovynne letre, & tat hem ben hardyd; than take a dyssche y-fastenyd on the pelys ende, & pore thin comade in-to the dyssche, & fro the dyssche in-to the cofyns; & whan they don a-ryse wet, teke hem out, ee serue hem forth.’
–Fifteenth-Century Cookery Book, Harleian MS 279, p.50.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pulverized dried saffron strands
Shortcrust pastry made with 225g flour, 65g butter, 40g lard, and cold water to mix (use butter instead of lard to make this vegetarian)
6 egg yolks
350ml double cream
125ml milk
65g white sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
Method
Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp water until the water is deep gold in colour. Add the pastry to a 20cm pie plate or cake tin with a loose bottom, with a depth of 5cm. Bake ‘blind’ in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15–20 minutes, then remove the filling of dried beans and return the case to the oven at about 160°C for 6–8 minutes until dried out and firm. Remember a cake tin is deeper than a pie plate so the case in it may need longer baking than usual. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a bowl, then beat in the cream, milk, sugar, saffron water and salt. Pour the custard into the pastry case. Bake it at 160°C for about 45 minutes or until it is just set in the centre. Serve warm. Make small tarts if you prefer. The full recipe quantity of pastry will make 36 tarts, using a 7.5cm cutter. You will need two thirds of the filling for them.
PREPARE FOR HOCKTIDE – ARE YOU READY TO RUN?
Following Easter Sunday and the lifting of restrictions meant a time of fun and frivolity again. The Monday following Easter Sunday was known as ‘Hock Monday.’ This involved the young women of the village capturing the young men. The men could then only be released once a ransom was paid – this was normally a kiss or a donation to the Church, sometimes both.
The same thing happened on ‘Hock Tuesday’, in which the young men did the same to the women. Some years they swapped the Monday chase for the Tuesday chase.
Edward I and Edward II
History records that Kings Edward I and II were both caught in bed on Hock Monday by their Queens’ ladies. Whatever the Church officially thought of celebrating the salvation of the world by tying people up in bed, it seems to have remained relatively discreet on the subject, or maybe the donations bought the Church’s discretion!
John of Gaunt
The modern celebration at Hungerford is begun by a watercress supper at the John o’ Gaunt Inn, John Gaunt, (brother to Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince), being its patron and where his wonderful horn, the town’s most treasured possession, is still kept.
John’O’Gaunt Inn in Hungerford
The supper consists of black broth, Welsh rarebit, macaroni, and salad, with bowls of punch. Next morning the town crier blows the horn, and the Hocktide court assembles. The jury is sworn, the names of freemen called, and officials elected. The tything or tutti men receive from the constable a pole on the top of which is a tutti or posy. They then go round the town collecting pennies from the men and kisses from the women. Of course there is a lot of “fun,” and women make themselves scarce. The crier, poor fellow, is only allowed to collect pennies: kisses are forbidden fruit. When this part of the celebration is over, the Constable (who is chief ruler of the town) gives a luncheon and then holds the Sandon Fee Court for regulating cattle feeding on the Marsh. After another dinner, court leet is held. “Then comes the Constable’s banquet, at which his worship sits beneath the famous John o’ Gaunt’s horn, suspended from the two tutti poles, and the principal feature of which is a toast, ‘To the memory of John o’ Gaunt.’ This is drunk in solemn silence as the clock strikes the midnight hour.” And Hocktide is over.
The John of Gaunt Horn, which is supposed to have been made to guarantee the inherited rights a charter granting generous rights and privileges to the residents of Hungerford. On one side of the horn is the word Actel (or Astel) on the other along with the crescent and star, which is now recognisable as the badge of the town. The horn dates back to the fifteenth century (John died in 1399), and what is known, is that for some two hundred years (1365 -1565), Hungerford enjoyed John of Gaunt Privileges with the profits of markets and fairs as well as the free fishery being a right.
THE CANTERBURY TALES – A MUST READ FOR EVERY KNIGHT!
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories as told by participants in a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, Kent.
The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London city. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as they travel, and Harry Bailly, host of the Tabard, serves as master of ceremonies for the contest.
Most of the pilgrims are introduced by vivid brief sketches in the “General Prologue.” Interspersed between the 24 tales are short dramatic scenes (called links) presenting lively exchanges, usually involving the host and one or more of the pilgrims. Chaucer did not complete the full plan for his book: the return journey from Canterbury is not included, and some of the pilgrims do not tell stories. The prize for the best tale was a meal at the Tabard Inn upon return.
The Canterbury Tales consists of the General Prologue, The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale, The Reeve’s Tale, The Cook’s Tale, The Man of Law’s Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, The Friar’s Tale, The Summoner’s Tale, The Clerk’s Tale, The Merchant’s Tale, The Squire’s Tale, The Franklin’s Tale, The Second Nun’s Tale, The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale, The Physician’s Tale, The Pardoner’s Tale, The Shipman’s Tale, The Prioress’s Tale, The Tale of Sir Thopas, The Tale of Melibeus (in prose), The Monk’s Tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, The Manciple’s Tale, and The Parson’s Tale (in prose), and ends with “Chaucer’s Retraction.” Not all the tales are complete; several contain their own prologues or epilogues.
Five of these tales are described in our Facebook posts for the week Monday, March 4th. You might be of the thought that, for example, The Friar’s Tale is about a friar, or ‘The Miller’s Tale’ is about a miller, but it’s not. The Miller’s Tale is about a carpenter. In fact, part of the humour Chaucer creates to have one person tell a tale on another, for example, The Friar’s Tale is about a summoner and in retaliation, the summoner tells an unflattering tale about a friar. However, in complete contrast, The Nun’s Priest’s tale is related allegorically using barnyard animals.
The moral values in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales originate mainly from the lessons found in the stories each character tells.
(Warning – Possible spoilers if you have not read any of the tales)
:
Lust & Love: Many of the tales depict men who act foolishly while lusting after beautiful women. However, the moral seems to be that lust only leads to trouble. Characters are advised not to seduce other men’s wives or daughters. For instance, in the Merchant’s Tale, we learn about May, a young and beautiful woman who lusts after a man who is not her husband. Although lust doesn’t always result in punishment, it is generally looked down upon in the story.
Love Conquers All, But Life is Short: The theme of love is prevalent throughout the tales. Despite obstacles and opposition, characters like Custance and Alla in the Man of Law’s Tale find love. However, the tales also emphasize that life is fleeting, as Alla eventually dies. So, while love conquers, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a long life.
Religion: The tales touch on religious themes, including faith, piety, and the consequences of sin. Characters grapple with their beliefs and actions, providing insights into the complexities of religious life during Chaucer’s time.
Honor & Honesty: Several stories underscore the importance of honesty, integrity, and upholding moral values. Characters who act honourably are often rewarded, while deceitful behaviour leads to negative outcomes.
Generosity & Charity: Chaucer’s tales also highlight the virtues of generosity and charity. Characters who exhibit kindness and selflessness are portrayed positively.
The Canterbury Tales offers a rich tapestry of human experiences, showcasing both virtues and vices. Its timeless lessons continue to resonate with readers across centuries.
Chaucer’s Plaque at the site of the Tabard Inn in London today.
Nestled down an ancient side street close to London Bridge Train Station is the site of the Tabard Inn. This historic coaching inn was originally established around 1300 and was one of a series that lined the old Roman route between London Bridge, Canterbury and Dover.
The Talbot Inn thrived for the next 150 years, although the arrival of the railways in the mid-1800’s led to a dramatic decline in the amount of passing trade. As such, the Tabard Inn (now known as the Talbot) fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 1873.
Catherine A Wilson co-writes with Catherine T Wilson (no relation). Their first book, The Lily and the Lion, was based upon their true-life accidental meeting and resulting friendship. All four books in their ‘Lions and Lilies’ series have won first place prizes in the Chatelaine/Chaucer Awards in the US and in 2019, The Traitor’s Noose won the Grand Prize Chaucer Award.
Continuing with our advent calendar theme of 2022, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of GQ or Men’s Health that capture the medieval essence for men. If such a journal could have existed, what … Continue reading →
For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have … Continue reading →
For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have … Continue reading →
For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have contained? Anything and everything to assist the young maiden about to set out on her life’s journey as a wife and mother, and once there, all the information needed to be a good spouse and keep her husband satisfied and at home when not out soldiering.
Such were our efforts that we now find ourselves tasked with writing some of these articles! Well, why not? It might be fun… So please enjoy the snippets below from the October issues of The Chastity Belt.
It must also be mentioned that some articles in these blogs are written as they would have appeared directly in the ‘magazine’, whilst others, due to wanting to be as informative as possible, are written from the present-day point of view. Either way, please enjoy.
Getting ready for Halloween? How to carve your turnip lamps.
A plaster cast of a traditional Irish Jack-o’-Lantern in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland. Rutabaga or turnip were often used.
The Celtic tradition of carving demon faces was to ward off evil spirits that had ‘crossed over’ on All Hallows Eve but where does calling them ‘Jack’o’lanterns’ come from?
It all began with a fellow called Stingy Jack who made a deal with the Devil. When Jack offered his soul in exchange for one last drink, the Devil quickly turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying.
Satan, frustrated at the fact that he had been entrapped, demanded his release. As Jack did before, he made a second demand: that the Devil would never take his soul to Hell. With no other choice, the Devil agreed and was set free, but when Jack died, he found himself barred from Heaven—and from Hell. The Devil finally took some pity on Jack, giving him an ember of coal to light his turnip lantern as he wandered between both places for eternity. He became known as ‘Jack of the Lantern.’
For protection from Stingy Jack and other apparitions, people began carving faces into turnips. They placed lit candles inside the cavities, believing that by leaving the spooky carvings outside their homes or carrying them as lanterns, it would protect them from harm.
Carving the lamps takes only a very sharp knife and a little precision with the blade! The scarier, the better. Here are some examples you can copy.
TO COCKENTRICE OR NOT TO COCKENTRICE
Okay, so for those of you who are not sure, a cockentrice is a dish consisting of a suckling pig’s upper body sewn onto the bottom half of a capon or turkey. Alternately, the front end (head and torso) of the poultry is sewn to the rump of the piglet to not waste the other half.
Our resident cook informs us that the word “cockentrice” is the most common name for the fanciful dish; other known names include “cokagrys”, “cokyntryche”, and “cotagres.”
It is a combination of the words “cock” (a capon) and “gryse”(a suckling pig). The main idea of the dish is to use parts of regular animals to create an impression of a mythical beast, which would surprise your guests both with its unusual appearance and impressive taste.
As the name suggests, the most commonly used animals are chicken and pigs, which were stitched together to form the new animal. Once sewn together, baste it with a mixture of egg yolk and saffron during the roasting. It can also be filled with a similar mixture to have a ‘gilded’ inside.
There seems little left to say except give you all the cook’s recipe. He tells us that the decision of whether to cockentrice or to not cockentrice is completely up to you!
Harleian MS.279 .xxviij. Cokyntryce. – Take a Capon, & skald hym, & draw hem clene, & smyte hem a-to in the waste ouerthwart; take a Pigge, & skald hym, & draw hym in the same maner, & smyte hem also in the waste; take a nedyl & a threde, & sewe the fore partye of the Capoun to the After parti of the Pigge; & the fore partye of the Pigge, to the hynder party of the Capoun, & than stuffe hem as thou stuffyst a Pigge; putte hem on a spete, and Roste hym: & whan he is y-now, dore hem with yolkys of Eyroun, & pouder Gyngere & Safroun, thenne wyth the Ius of Percely with-owte; & than serue it forth for a ryal mete.
In modern English:-
Cockentrice – take a capon, scald it, drain it clean, then cut it in half at the waist; take a pig, scald it, drain it as the capon, and also cut it in half at the at the waist; take needle and thread and sew the front part of the capon to the back part of the pig; and the front part of the pig to the back part of the capon, and then stuff it as you would stuff a pig; put it on a spit, and roast it: and when it is done, gild it on the outside with egg yolks, ginger, saffron, and parsley juice; and then serve it forth for a royal meat.
CAN’T PLAY DICE? WE SHOW YOU ALL THETIPS AND TRICKS!
Board and dice games have been a popular activity for thousands of years — in fact, they are so ancient that it’s unknown which game is the oldest or the original. Before we get into our ‘tips and tricks,’ let us introduce the most popular games you may come across.
Passe-dix (Passes Ten)
3 six-sided dice are rolled: 10 and above wins double the stake, below loses the stake; after each roll the bank passes to the next player.
Probably one of the most, if not the most, ancient dice game in history. Passe-dix was specified by Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 27:35) as the game the Roman guards played under the site of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.
Passe-dix is played with three dice. There’s always a banker, and the number of players is unlimited. The first gamer rolls: every time he throws UNDER ten he (and all the other players in the game) lose the specified stake, which goes to the banker. Every time he rolls ABOVE ten (or PASSES TEN–whence the name of the game), the banker must return double the stake to all the players in the game. After three losses of the roller (no matter how many wins), the roller position is passed to another gamer in the circle. The banker changes after each roll.
Hazard
2 six-sided dice: roller specifies a number from 5 to 9 inclusive – this number is called the main – then rolls. Depending on the main, a roller nicks(wins) or outs(loses). After 3 outs, the roller changes. Multiple players/betters but only one rolls each time. *
This game literally means dice in Arabic and is one of the most played games in 13th century Europe. The apprentice in Chaucer’s ‘The Cook’s Tale’ said “This game is properly so called; for it makes a man or undoes him in the twinkling of an eye!”
Highest Points
2 six-sided dice, 2 players: each roll both dice and the highest sum wins.
This medieval gambling game of Highest Points was simple and straightforward – maybe too simple, since a game of chance should not be a game of boredom. People tend to play Highest Points less often than either Hazard or Passe-dix.
Now, as for the tips and tricks we promised, we must advise that there is another word used for the following information – simply put, it’s called cheating! And we here, at ‘The Chastity Belt,’ cannot held be accountable if you choose to use the following guide. We must warn you though, if you are called out, the consequences could be severe. You must use your discretion.
By making your own set of die, you can slightly alter the balance of a dice and thus its body shifts when rolled. Some add a small piece of lead and encase it within the timber or stone. Such an imbalance will cause it to roll in particular to one direction. On this face of the die, you place your highest number. Most cleverly, is to make an identical set of die, one loaded, one not. This way you can swap them discreetly when it’s your turn or a certain number is required in the game.
Another way is to shape the die so it is not only crooked but also slanted slightly. For example, it measures 2.1 cm (0.83 inches) high and wide in the top, but 2.2 cm (0.87 inches) in the bottom. Be careful of anyone else using it though as it can weigh noticeably heavier.
And lastly, as the numbers are set upon the die rather randomly, it can often go unnoticed if you were to omit the numbers 1 and 2 and have two sets of the numbers 5 and 6 instead. This will greatly increase your chances!
Just remember, whichever way you try, there could be consequences!
Soothsayers – can they really see into the future?
Soothsayers have been a part of society since ancient times, and most of the predictions made, even as far ‘forward’ as medieval times, became legend, told in story. During the Renaissance, even Nostradamus, the most well-known ‘soothsayer,’ did not put his later ideas on paper in a straight format, but in muddled-up quatrains using a mixture of languages. Some accounts state that he was afraid of being persecuted for heresy by the Inquisition, but neither prophecy nor astrology fell in this bracket, and interestingly, he would have only been in danger if he had practised magic to support them! Such was the distinction between witches and prophets.
So, as for answering the question of whether or not they can really see into the future, I’m afraid that must be left to each individual to decide for themselves. What I can do is to report on the more famous soothsayers in history and some of their predictions.
Cassandra
Cassandra – 11th or 12th C BC
Starting with the Greek empire, Cassandra was a Trojan princess who was cursed by Apollo because she could not return his love.He saw to it that no one would believe her prophesies, not even when they came true. Those warnings included the Trojan Horse, Agamemnon’s death and even her own death.
Pythis – Priestess of Delphi
Pythia– 67 AD
Pythia was a priestess who manned the oracle at Delphi. She made more than 500 predictions and statements that, unlike poor Cassandra, leaders would believe. In 67 A.D. she told a visiting Nero that he was unwelcome by the Gods and “The number 73 marks the hour of your downfall.” Not liking to hear of his inevitable defeat, Nero had Pythia burned alive. He always thought he would die at the age of 73 but ended up committing suicide at the age of 30 after a revolt by his general Galba, ended his career. Galba, the Governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, (Spain today) was 73 years old at the time. Coincidence or not?
Caesar being warned
Caesar’s Soothsayer – 44 BC
The Roman calendar was arranged around three ‘marker’ days; reference points from which all other unnamed days were calculated. These marker days were the Kalends (the first day of the month), the Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July and October) and the Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July and October and the 13th day in all other months).
So, when Caesar was warned by his soothsayer to ‘beware the ides of March,’ he specifically meant March 15th. The day was almost over when Caesar ran into his seer on his way to the Theatre of Pompey. When gleefully telling his prophet that the ides were nearly over and nothing had happened, the seer replied, ‘They have come, but they are not gone.’
Caesar went on his way to the theatre where was murdered almost as soon as he arrived, stabbed 23 times!
Michael Scot
Michael Scot (1175 – c. 1232)
Michael was a Scottish mathematician and scholar in the Middle Ages. Scot was a pioneer in the study of physiognomy. His manuscripts dealt with astrology, alchemy and the occult sciences but he also had a particular reputation for his ability to predict the future.
Scot wrote ‘Every astrologer is worthy of praise and honour, since by such a doctrine as astrology, he probably knows many secrets of God, and things which few know.’
A legend popular in the late 13th and early 14th centuries said that Scot foresaw that a small stone would strike him in the head and kill him, so he wore an iron skullcap to avoid his death. However, he removed the cap in church, only to be struck by a stone and die.
Mother Shipton
Mother Shipton (c 1488 – 1561)
Ursula Southeil, more popularly known as Mother Shipton, was an English soothsayer and prophetess. Shipton was born during a violent thunderstorm, and was deformed and ugly, with a hunchback and bulging eyes. Sources also state that Shipton cackled instead of crying after having been born, and as she did so, the previously raging storms ceased.
Ursula’s mother, Agatha, was a desolate 15-year-old orphan, left with no means to support herself, and her failure to disclose the name of Ursula’s father, gave rise to whispers that her daughter was the spawn of the devil. Rumours persisted that Agatha was a witch and the cave where she gave birth to Ursula had a skull-shaped pool, which turned things to stone. The cave is called as Mother Shipton’s Cave.
Today, it is known that the effects of the cave’s pool are not those of true petrification. Rather, they closely resemble the process by which stalactites are formed, coating objects with layers of minerals, and hardening porous objects until they become indurate and stone-like.
As Ursula grew so did her knowledge of plants and herbs and she became an invaluable resource for the townspeople as an herbalist and eventually she married Toby Shipton, thus becoming ‘Mother Shipton,’ regularly visited by the locals. When one lady had some garments stolen, Mother Shipton told her to meet up at the market the following day. The perpetrator of the stolen clothes appeared, dancing up to Mother Shipton, announcing she was the thief. She then disrobed the robbed garments and handed them over!
Ursula began making small prophecies involving her town and the people within, and as her prophecies came true, she told prophecies of the monarchy and the future of the world.
‘Water shall come over Ouse Bridge, and a windmill shall be set upon a Tower, and an Elm tree shall lie at every man’s door.’
This prophecy meant nothing to the people of York until the town got a piped water system. The system brought water across Ouse Bridge to a windmill that drew up the water into pipes. The pipes used were made out of Elm trees and went to every man’s door delivering water throughout the town.
‘Before Ouse Bridge and Trinity Church meet, what is built in the day shall fall in the night, till the highest stone in the church be the lowest stone of the bridge.’
After Mother Shipton uttered this prophecy, a huge storm fell on York during which the steeple on the top of Trinity Church fell and a portion of the Ouse Bridge was destroyed and washed away. When they rebuilt the bridge, pieces that had previously been the steeple of the church were used as the foundation of the new section of the bridge!
Within her lifetime she made several premonitions about some of the largest historical events to take place in England – the Great Fire of London and the Spanish Armada. After passing away in 1561, aged seventy-three, (there’s that magical number again!) she remained an important phenomenon in her hometown of Knaresborough and remnants of the cave where she had lived some of her life and the Petrifying Well, can be visited today.
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame – December 1503 – July 1566
Better known as Nostradamus, no list would be complete without his inclusion! He was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties (published in 1555), a collection of 942 poetic quatrains predicting future events.
Nostradamus didn’t see himself as a prophet and mentioned many times that he didn’t guarantee the results of his predictions. One thing he did allegedly get right was the date of his own death. On July 1, 1566, he is said to have told his secretary, ‘You will not find me alive at sunrise.’ The next morning, Nostradamus was found on the floor next to his bed, dead from oedema (accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissue, also known as fluid retention or dropsy).
Most of the quatrains he wrote deal with disasters, such as plagues, earthquakes, wars, floods, invasions, murders, droughts, and battles. Many of his supporters agree that he predicted the Great Fire of London, the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, both world wars and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and more recently, the Apollo moon landing in 1969, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986, the death of the Princess of Wales in 1997, and the ‘911’ attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001.
He predicts further into the future but much only comes to light after an event occurs and some sense can be made of his words. So, I have to ask, is divination of any real use if we cannot avoid the disasters it predicts?
As for whether soothsayers can really see into the future, well, if all of the above is to be believed, you’d have to think so. I guess the only question that remains is do you really want to know?
HALLOWEEN SOUL CAKES
You could say ‘souling’ was the origin of today’s ‘trick-or-treat’ that occurs at Halloween. Traditionally soul cakes were made for ‘All Souls’ Day,’ celebrated on November 2nd. (All Hallows Eve, the All Saints’ Day followed by All Souls’ Day.
Traditionally marked with a cross
Following the earliest traditions on All Hallows Eve of leaving out treats to tempt the souls that ‘crossed over’ for the night, and keep them distracted instead of scaring, was ‘souling.’ Children and the poor would go from door to door, singing songs and saying prayers for the home inhabitants and in return would receive a soul cake.
‘A soul! A soul! A soul-cake!
Please good Missis, a soul-cake
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Anything good to make us all merry!
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him who made us all.
Soul Cake Recipes
3 egg yolks
6 oz butter
6 0z caster sugar
1 lb plain flour
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
3 oz currants or raisins or cherries
Splash of milk
Preheat your oven to 180o C.
Combine the butter, sugar and egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the flour and mixed spice. Combine to a breadcrumb consistency.
Add dried fruit and mix thoroughly.
Add the splash of milk and mix to a soft dough.
You can either pinch of small amounts and roll into balls or turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to 2cm thick, then use a cookie cutter.
Mark the tops with a cross or after baking decorate with cut out ghosts.
Place onto a greased tray. Bake for 10 -15 mins.
LIONS AND LILIES WISH YOU A VERY
Catherine A Wilson co-writes with Catherine T Wilson (no relation). Their first book, The Lily and the Lion, was based upon their true-life accidental meeting and resulting friendship. All four books in their ‘Lions and Lilies’ series have won first place prizes in the Chatelaine/Chaucer Awards in the US and in 2019, The Traitor’s Noose won the Grand Prize Chaucer Award.
For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have … Continue reading →
By Catherine T Wilson For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of … Continue reading →
For our 2022 advent calendar, we decided to create a set of magazine covers in the likeness of Dolly or Cosmopolitan that capture the medieval essence. If such a journal could have existed, what sort of articles would it have … Continue reading →
Lions and Lilies 