BLOG – THE CHASTITY BELT OCTOBER ISSUE
By Cathy 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 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.
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!
Recipe
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 THE TIPS 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!
*For more detailed instruction on Hazard, see here- Medieval Gambling Games Dice and Street games | Lost Kingdom RPG
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 – 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.
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’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 (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 (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.
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.
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.
The Lily and the Lion – 1st Place Chanticleer Chatelaine Award – 2014
The Order of the Lily – 1st Place Chanticleer Chatelaine Award – 2015
The Gilded Crown – 1st Place Chanticleer Chaucer Award – 2016The Traitor’s Noose – Grand Prize WINNER Chanticleer Chaucer Award – 2017
Lions and Lilies 