▼

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Heraldry

 Mediaeval Heraldry 

-September 13, 2023


 Heraldry and Knights Insignias

   
at No comments:

Friday, September 15, 2023

The Holy Grail: A Legend or A Hidden Chalice?

What is the Holy Grail?

    The Holy Grail is considered a religious relic of Christianity that gained its popularity in the Middle Ages; it eventually lost its glamour in the 19th century, but it is still used in popular culture references and sought after by religious extremists today (1). It has been presented in many forms, including a chalice; a ciborium, similar to a chalice but with a round bowl as opposed to a tall bowl (2); a cauldron (3); a dish; a platter; a goblet; a stone; and in Dan Steven's novel, The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene's womb. Many believe that it is a chalice that Jesus Christ drank from during the Last Supper and was used to collect his blood during the crucifixion. The Grail is said to have the power to heal all wounds, grant everlasting happiness (4), possess the elixir of external life, provide a spiritual or mystical experience, or award longevity with the stone (1); it is unknown whether all gifts are bestowed on the finder since many sources do not have aligned data. 

Origins of the Grail

Based on the story Perceval, a young girl and
boy present the Holy Grail and a spear that
magically bleeds from the tip (5)
    The origin of the Holy Grail is most commonly traced back to Christianity, but the Grail is not considered a Christian object due to its Celtic mythology roots. There are no Bible verses that explicitly mention the Grail, but there are a few verses that indicate its origins, including the Last Supper (Luke 20:22) and Jesus' blood being collected while on the cross (Mark 15:23) (1). When looking at Celtic mythology, most legends were told before being connected to Christianity and often refer to a cauldron instead of a cup or a chalice (3). Other legends claim that the Grail was made from an emerald that fell from Lucifer's crown when he rebelled against God as an angel (6). During the time of Arthurian stories, Christianity was the accepted religion throughout Europe, so the stories of the cauldrons became intertwined with Jesus Christ and the Holy Chalice (3). Many writings of the time dealt with a quest searching for the magical relic, the Holy Grail, and one of the most widely known being King Arthur's legend. In this tale, only Galahad saw the Grail and understood its holiness, which would kill him shortly after, while in others, Perceval saw the Grail but did not understand what he witnessed, and Lancelot's sin of loving Queen Guinevere kept him from finding the Grail (6). It was first seen in the Renaissance Era in Chrétien de Troyes' romance Perceval which was written in the early 12th century; the story being represented in the image above. Then, it was seen in Robert de Boron's poem published around 1200, followed by King Arthur's story written in the mid-13th century and others (7).


Finding the Grail

The Chalice of Doña Urraca which
was claimed to be the legendary
Holy Grail in 2014, decorated with
pearls and jewels and a gem that
resembles Ferdinand I (9)
    There are many different theories supporting the hidden location of the Holy Grail. Those who believe in the legends of the Grail think that it could be hidden in England where the water runs red as it passes through the Grail and Jesus Christ's blood . Others believe that during the Crusades, it may have been taken by the Knights Templar and hidden to keep it safe from those who wished to abuse it. There was a recent discovery made in a church in northern Spain in León by two Spanish historians in March of 2014. After three years of research dedicated to finding the Holy Grail, the historians are said to have discovered its hiding place since the 11th century. The chalice was carbon dated, according to the historians at history.com, and said to be made between 200 BC and 100 AD, fitting the description of the Grail (4). The authors of Medieval Histories say that it is not possible for the chalice to have been carbon dated, but once it was studied, the two cups proved to be made during the 1st century (from 1 AD-100 AD). Ferdinand I received the cup or cups during his reign from 1015-1065 and eventually his daughter, Urraca, gave the cups to the palace church in León and mounted them there (8). This chalice may appear to be the Holy Grail, but there are many cups around the world that could arguably be the "one and only" Grail (4).


The Grail Today

    As previously mentioned, the Holy Grail is used in popular culture. This has become less widespread as movies, tv series, and books are moving in other directions with time, but there are still well-known movies and books from the past that highlight the search for the Grail; some of these are Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Excalibur (1981), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Fisher King (1991), both the book (2003) and movie (2006) The Da Vinci Code, and others (4). Each film has its own image of the Grail, some that are more simple like in Indiana Jones (pictured below) and some more extravagant.


The Holy Grail seen in Indiana Jones and The Last
Crusade (1989) (10)

    
    Who knows, the Grail may be a legend, or it may be truly hidden somewhere in the depths of Europe. Hopefully, we will see the end to this mystery, determining the question we are all asking: The Holy Grail: A Legend or A Hidden Chalice?


Works Cited

(1) Bolinger, Hope. "What is the Holy Grail? Is it in the Bible and Does it Really Exist?" Christianity, 
    Sept. 2023.

(2) Morrisroe, Patrick. "Ciborium." The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton
    2023.

(3) Colcombe Gary & Ruth. "The Evolution of the Cauldron into a Grail in Celtic Mythology." 
    mythology-a96a41604e9f. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023.

(4) History.com Editors. "Holy Grail." History. 2017. A&E Television Networks, 2019,
     www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/holy-grail. Accessed 2 Sept. 2023.

(5) Barber, Richard. "The Legend of the Holy Grail Gallery." BBC, 17 Feb. 2011,
     www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/hg_gallery_01.shtml. Accessed 13 Sept. 2023.

(6) Myths Encyclopedia. "Holy Grail." Myths and Legends. Advameg, 2023,
     www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ho-Iv/Holy-Grail.html. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023.

(7) Synan, Mariel. "What is the Holy Grail?" History. 2013. A&E Television Networks, 2023, 
     www.history.com/news/what-is-the-holy-grail. Accessed 2 Sept. 2023.

(8) Medieval Histories. "The Holy Grail." 4 July 2014, www.medieval.eu/holy-grail/. Accessed 10
    Sept. 2023.

(9) Medieval Histories. "Chalice of Doña Urraca." 4 July 2014, www.medieval.eu/chalice-dona-
     urraca/. Accessed 10 Sept. 2023.

(10) Mauro, J-P. "Choose Wisely: Holy Grail Prop from Indiana Jones Sold for $50,000." Aleteia, 
    auction/. Accessed on 8 Sept. 2023.

at 2 comments:

Peasants Just Wanna Have Fun: Games of the Medieval Times

 

People of every class and background played games in Europe (1). According to Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures by Sally Wilkins, the Church gave people space and time to gather, so many games were played in the churchyard. When there were celebrations based on Christian holidays, people gathered to celebrate and had the opportunity to play games. Sports were popular in the summer, and then board games were popular in the winter because of the long dark winters in Europe (9). 

Depiction of Women Playing Chess in the Book
 of Alfonso X, the Wise (5)
There were many of games played during the medieval times, here is a look at a few. 

Chess

Chess was developed from a game in India by the name chaturanga. The encyclopedia Britannica states it was the first game known to have pieces that had certain powers and victory occurred when a certain piece was captured. Chaturanga found it's way to other countries through trade and then was developed into chess in Persia. From Persia the game travelled into Europe in the 9th century (4).  

In Europe, chess pieces were renamed to the English equivalents of the Persian version. So the pieces took on the name known in the western world today. The renamed pieces were meant to be an allegory of how people of those position should act with every single piece protecting the king. Chess was even taught in courtly education which made the game rise in popularity throughout England. It was a game of strategy which intrigued many people because many games in this period were strictly luck-based. If someone was good at chess they were seen as smart and tactical which was a high compliment. Checkers was popular with women and lower class citizens who could not understand chess (4). 

Nine-Men's Morris

13th Century Illustration of Nine-Men's Morris
Board in Libro de los Juegos (3)
 
Most popular in the 14th century, Nine-Men's Morris, is a strategy game involving two players and 18 pieces or "merrels." According to Wilkins, each player has nine merrels of their color and the goal is to be the last player with enough pieces to form a line of three. Each player takes turns placing one of their pieces onto the board. If a player forms a line of three, that player gets to remove one of the other player's pieces (9). Britannica states that once all pieces are placed on the board (not including ones taken away) each player takes turns moving one of their pieces, one space at a time, in attempt to form a line of three. Someone wins when they have taken all but two of the other players pieces (7). 


Hasard

600 Year-Old Die (8)
Hasard or "Hazard" is a dice game, similar to the modern day craps, that was made popular toward the end of the middle ages. It is a gambling game with no skill or knowledge necessary. Cassidy Cash, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London, says that to start the caster rolls two dice until he gets a sum that adds to a number between 5-9. That number is then called the "main." Then the caster would roll two dice again and if it was double their main, they won all the stakes. If the caster rolled a two or a three on the second roll, he automatically loses. Each main has its own rules on how to win or lose (2). In this game and other dice games, people were known to cheat. According to Fox News, a medieval die was discovered that had two fives and two fours which means someone was trying to have a higher chance getting doubles (8). 



Halatafl

The image of geese and fox were a common
occurrence in medieval literature (6)
The Icelandic game Halatafl, also know as the fox-and-geese game is a two player game. Wilkins says the game travelled across Europe by way of the Vikings. One player is the fox, the other is the geese. There are 13 geese and only one fox. Every piece can move in all directions indicated by the lines on the board. The fox's goal is to capture geese so they cannot trap him. The object for the geese is to trap the fox so he cannot move. The fox is able to capture a goose by jumping over it, similar to checkers (9).






Works Cited

(1) Alchin, Linda. Entertainment in the Middle Ages, 2017, www.lordsandladies.org/entertainment-middle-ages.htm.

(2) Cash, Cassidy. “The Dice Game Hazard (DIY History).” Cassidy Cash, 21 Sept. 2022, www.cassidycash.com/hazard/.

(3) Georgievska, Marija. “Nine Men’s Morris Is One of the World’s Most Ancient Games: The Vintage News.” The Vintage News, 7 Aug. 2017, www.thevintagenews.com/2016/11/02/nine-mens-morris-is-one-of-the-worlds-most-ancient-games/.

(4) “History of Chess.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/chess/History.

(5) “Medieval Chess Boards.” St. Thomas Guild - Medieval Woodworking, Furniture and Other Crafts, 2012, thomasguild.blogspot.com/2014/01/medieval-chess-boards.html.

( 6)“Middle Ages Archives.” Teaching with Themes, 18 Mar. 2020, teachingwiththemes.com/index.php/category/middle-ages/.

(7) “Nine Men’s Morris.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/Nine-Mens-Morris.

(8) Rogers, James. “Mysterious 600-Year-Old Dodgy Dice Discovered in Medieval ‘Gambling Den.’” Fox News, FOX News Network, 16 Apr. 2018, www.foxnews.com/science/mysterious-600-year-old-dodgy-dice-discovered-in-medieval-gambling-den.

(9) Wilkins, Sally. Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures. Greenwood Press, 2002.


at 2 comments:

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Courtly Love

 

What is Courtly Love?
  Courtly love is a term that was coined in Western Europe during the middle ages. It is used to definethe typically adulterous relationship between lovers of nobility. These relationships usually consisted of an aristocratic figure, generally a knight, who would do anything to prove his love for his lady. The damsel of his adoration being of equally high or higher ranking than the knight. To prove his devotion the knight is consistently tested. These tests included duals, heroic deeds, passionate writings, daring quests, and anything the noble lady requested. An example of a courtly gesture can be seen in the video below. Courtly love was an appealing concept to women of nobility looking for an intense display of love, because in the medieval times marriage, especially between aristocrats, marriage was a political, social, and power exchange and not an exchange of love. (1/2 throughout paragraph)

A test of love in a modern adaptation of the middle ages
 Clip from A Knight's Tale (2001) (7)

Where Does Courtly Love Stem From?
    The idea of courtly love comes from chivalric ideals. Chivalry is defined in the Dictionary as, "The sum of ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms" or "The rules and customs of medieval knighthood" (3). Chivalry was a key component of the end of the 11th century and continued until it evolved into the idea of a gentleman in the 16th century. These chivalric ideals combined with the influence of Feudalism directly led to the concept of courtly love. Feudalism was the, "...system of political and military relationships... characterized by the granting of fiefs, chiefly in the form of land and labor, in return for political and military services...", between those of nobility in the middle ages (4). Within the realm of courtly love a knight must show his chivalric qualities and prove himself worthy of his damsel. It was a tempting idea for many noble ladies who were traded like property, in the time of Feudalism. The requirements and guidelines of courtly love were outlined in the songs of the troubadours between the 11th and 13th centuries. Ars Amortia (The Art of Loving) by Ovid, was the original inspiration for courtly love (1). The poem itself is about sex and the art of seduction within poetry and the wider world (5). 

An example of the music that troubadours and 
other musicians of the time followed. This piece if
from a mid-13th century manuscript. (8)


Troubadour
    Troubadours were the poets and musicians of the 11th to 13th century. They were mainly in France and many of them were inspired by the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greeks created lyric poems of emotional but short passages as well as vocal compositions. The troubadours focused on a range of topics including love, chivalry, religion, politics, and more. Competitions or "tournaments of song" were regularly held for troubadours, to showcase their poems and music. These individuals messages spread the ideals of chivalry and led to the creation of courtly love. (6)



Courtly Love Verses the Reality of the Middle Ages
    While courtly love is a novel concept, it was not a reality for the middle ages. It was created for literary purposes and to express the desires of nobility, who were in loveless marriages. It was an extremely captivating idea for those who were married for political reasons and not for love. Marriage was viewed as a financial contract between two families. 
This fabricated idea has no correlation with the reality of the ways of christian marriage. These Christian marriages provided the foundation for social stability, in the middle ages, especially at the courtly level. Poets like William Morris thought of courtly love as a form of revolt against the medieval catholic church and their views. Decretals (see image to the left) outlined
Decretals of Pope Boniface VIII (Head
of the Catholic Church (1294-1303)) (10)
the rules of the Catholic Church (10). Many believed the worship of anyone except God to be unacceptable. Courtly love idealized a lover worshiping his mistress with a "goddess like superiority" and faith like behavior (9). Also, adultery was strictly against the church's beliefs, but endorsed by courtly love. The article Courtly Love and Christian Marriage (Source 9) clarifies that, "No one expected medieval noblemen to observe strict chastity... but it is one thing to engage in occasional dalliance and quite another to abandon oneself to idolatrous passion" (Lyle 519). It would be against the values of any true nobleman to indulge in the ways of courtly love. Treason to the king, such as Lancelot demonstrates by laying with Queen Guinevere, could never be considered chivalric in the true medieval times. (Source 9 throughout paragraph)



Chrétien de Troyes: Lancelot
    A well known example of courtly love is the story of Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. Lancelot is a knight of King Arthur's court and he falls in love with the Queen. Throughout the story Lancelot attempts to prove his love to her by getting on the shameful cart to find her, rescuing her from her captor, jousting for her, not trying his best in battle when asked, doing his best in battle when asked, and overall protecting her and doing her bidding. In one scene he crosses the "sword bridge" in order to get to her, where she is being held prisoner (12). He puts himself at risk repeatedly in order to please her. (11)

A pillar of the Church of Sainte-Pierre in Caen depicts 
Lancelot Crossing the Sword Bridge to get to Guinevere

Chrétien de Troyes: Erec et Enide
    This text illustrates some key components of a typical marriage arrangement, in the medieval times. Erec asks Enide's father if he can fight for her in a tournament. Afterward he wins, he asks if he may have her hand in marriage. This results in Enide and her family profiting from Erec's status and wealth, as they are relatively poor. In return, Erec receives the honor of having the "fairest" maiden in all the land. All profit from this arrangement in some way. (11)






Works Cited:
1. "Courtly Love." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=cc9f4aa2-61af-3598-a449-6b5a7638fa5c.

2. Peakman, Julie. "Poise and Passion in the Middle Ages." History Today, vol. 61, no. 8, Aug. 2011, pp. 36-41. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=9178ecdf-b049-30f9-8afe-d855f847358d.

3. “Chivalry Definition & Meaning.” Dictionary.Com, Dictionary.com, 2005, www.dictionary.com/browse/chivalry.

4. “Feudalism.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=5b731a9d-8fc7-3964-823b-4aefef82f5f9. 

5. Sharrock, A R. “Seduction and Repetition in Ovid’s Ars Amatoria 2.” (Manchester eScholar - The University of Manchester), Oxford University Press, 1 Jan. 1994, www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:4b1080. 

6. “Troubadours and Trouvères.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=95d8a52d-ca10-351b-8dc6-3c2da54ec546
 
7.     “William’s Act of Love | A Knight’s Tale | Love Love.” YouTube, YouTube, 11 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpfBSm_Mwlg. 

8. Bovey, Alixe. “The Middle Ages- Literature, Music, Illuminated Manuscripts.” British Library, 30 Apr. 2015, www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/literature-music-and-illuminated-manuscripts.

9. Jeffrey, David Lyle. “Courtly love and Christian marriage: Chretien de Troyes, Chaucer, and Henry VIII.” Christianity & Literature, vol. 59, no. 3, spring 2010, pp. 515–530, https://doi.org/10.1177/014833311005900310. 

10. Bovey, Alixe. “The Medieval Church: From Dedication to Dissent.” British Library, 30 Apr. 2015, www.bl.uk/collection-items/illustration-of-pope-boniface-viii-and-his-cardinals. 

11. Chréstien de Troyes. Arthurian Romances. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd, 1975. 

12. “Crossing the Sword Bridge. Sir Lancelot of the Lake in Medieval Art.” DailyArt Magazine, 19 Oct. 2021, www.dailyartmagazine.com/crossing-the-sword-bridge-sir-lancelot-of-the-lake-in-medieval-art/.
at 3 comments:

The Round Table

 What Is the Round Table?

King Arthur's knights met at the Round Table to talk about and discuss adventures that they had been on and adventures that they plan to go on. King Arthur created it so that no one who sat at it would be able to argue about their importance or their superiority. At a regular rectangular table, there is a head and a foot. The king would sit at the head, and his closest and most important people would sit closest to him. But, since a circular table would not have a head or a foot, everyone would be sitting in equal positions, and no one would be able to claim that they were any different or more special than anyone else, no matter where they sat around the table.


What Is the History of the Round Table?

The Round Table in Winchester, England
Although no one knows for sure the exact time or in what way it was originally created, we do know that it was Merlin who made it. He made it for Arthur's father, whose name was Uther Pendragon. However, after Uther passed away, the table was given to a king who lived near by. His name was Leodegran. Leodegran had a daughter named Guinevere, who later married King Arthur. Leodegran gave the table to Arthur as part of her dowry.

What Is the Story of the Round Table?

Uther appointed Arthur as king, but he didn't officially receive the rights to the throne until after he pulled the sword Excalibur from out of a stone. Merlin told King Arthur that he should try to make his new kingdom stronger by fighting off possible rivals. Arthur took this advice, and out of all of the fighters, including both his and the enemies', the ones that were the best became the Knights of the Round Table. They all came from noble families. While in the original story there were 150 places at the table for Arthur and his knights to sit at, some other versions say that there were only 12.

Works Cited

1. https://kingarthursknights.com/the-round-table/
2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/literature-english/english-literature-1499/round-table
3. https://study.com/academy/lesson/knights-of-arthurs-round-table-legend-quiz.html#:~:text=The%20Round%20Table%20was%20created,Uther%20Pendragon%2C%20King%20Arthur's%20father.
at 3 comments:

Medieval English Nobility and Titles

 People now a days hear titles like king, queen and duke in both stories old and new and cant help but to wonder just how these titles came about and how the people who have them got them. In the modern times we have a fascination with royalty and the apparent family drama therein. We idealize them as ideals of elegance and culture and mythologize them to an extreme extent. It wasn't dissimilar in the Middle Ages either with wielding far more power and feeling all the further separated. The average American can go on a trip and see Buckingham Palace but the average serf would never get that chance. We to this day create stories of these people and in that way it was no different back then. Its important to have the context surrounding these figures to accurately digest these stories and have the context those reading the stories (likely nobles themselves) would have back then. 

The Royalty

King and Queen

(Above) A land Deed Charter from King Æthelstan in
which he describes his titles and ambitions as a ruler.(3)
The word king is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word cyning which in turn was derived from a Germanic word. The first "actual" king of England is hotly debated, though the first king to call himself the king of all of England was King Æthelstan, who referred to himself as "King of the English" on coinage and charters starting in 927(1). There are other kings who seemed to have ruled large chunks of what we now consider England but Æthelstan is generally considered the first king of "England". It should be noted that due early ties to the Roman Empire some will occasionally call early legend worthy kings of England or associated areas emperors. This seems like it was more of an honorific of an already deceased ruler, rather than a title given in life, though occasionally an example of a King of England calling himself an emperor will pop up (including Æthelstan himself at points) but this is less of an actual title and more a way to make yourself stand out. One quite interesting early surviving document was from King Æthelstan, in which he describes himself both as the King of the English as well as the King of Britain and where he describes his ambitions as a ruler. It is fascinating to me that documents that old can even survive this long. 

While the position of king was created with the express purpose of portraying authority, the title of queen has no such origin but rather was born out of needing something to called the wife of the king. This origin shows through in the word itself which is related to the word cwen which descended from the words gyne (A Greek word for wife/woman) and janis (the Sanskrit word for woman)(2). Having any reference to the wife of the king was fairly uncommon up until the Norman conquest, at least particularly due to the fact that kings often had multiple wives. The first queen to be titled was Queen Ælfthryth who was the wife of King Edgar (ruled from 959 to 975).  It is interesting to not that England is one of the few European countries whose title for their queens isn't etymologically related to the country's word for king. Another notable thing to note about the title queen is that it is often accompanied by an extra word to denote the queen's relationships to the crown. These titles include Queen Consort meaning wife of the king, Queen Regent meaning temporary ruler (usually when the king is indisposed or too young to rule), Queen Regnant meaning the ruler (the first was Queen Mary I otherwise known as Bloody Mary during the Tudor period), Dowager Queen meaning widow of the deceased king (in modern times  they will also be referred to as Queen Mother). 


The Peerage

Peerage is the word often used to describe the levels of nobility below the royal family within the British ranks of nobility. Often the members of the peerage are extended members of the royal family or far off descendants of them. This is largely due to how controversial the idea of creating new members/ranks are. The controversy stems the rest of the peerage's objections that come from a perceived loss of power and exclusivity. On the surface you would assume this would result in small petty squabbles and drama but due to the power and land these people yield, these controversies can lead to all out war or coups. Looking back it is easy to look at a viscount or other such and think "It's not like they are king or queen, What power could they possibly wield", which completely ignores the fact that especially under the feudal system who ever was in charge of the land wielded an untold amount of power especially when they pair up which other members of the peerage. That said the order of the noble ranks goes duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. It should noted there are also extra sub-ranks such as archduke and baronet which are not being considered. One fantastic overview on all the levels of the peerage is the video Ranks of Nobility, Explained by The Generalist Papers on YouTube.(4)


Duke


The title duke (or duchess when referring to a woman) was first introduced in 1337 when King Edward III gave the title to his son.(5) The title descends from the dux which was given to high ranking Roman commanders. The title was originally introduced to England to be given to direct male relatives of the king but was expanded in 1444 when the title was given to Humphrey Stafford who was only related to the king through his mother's side. dukes rule over Duchies which are a bit larger than counties. You would address a duke/duchess as "Your Grace" and would refer to the children of dukes/duchess as Lord/Lady. 


Marquess


The title of marquess (or marchioness when referring to a woman) was introduced in 1385 when it was given to Robert de Vere.(6) It was revoked by 1386 due to how controversial it was. It was originally created more or less as an upgrade to earl and to denote when someone's county was on the border of the country (aka the march) as those counties held special strategic advantages. The were also allowed to be in control of more than one county which was prohibited from the earls. The title of marquess stayed controversial up till 1443 when the king at the time raised his son Edmund Beaufort to inherit the title of marquess and it was finally able to stick in the peerage. You would address a marquess/marchioness as Lord/Lady and their children as Lord/Lady as well. 

Earl


The title earl (or countess when referring to a woman) has no set introduction date as it existed well before even the Norman conquest. The word originally came from the Scandinavian jarl which was changed to eorl by the Anglo-Saxons.(7) They are also sometimes referred to as counts (hence the countesses). Prior to Norman conquest they often had control of multiple counties, but after they were only allowed one each. Early earls collected tenure from their tenets as well as a thirds of the profit from courts. The title earl morphed a bit after 1328 to no longer necessarily reflect territory associations (i.e. sometimes it says "Earl so-and-so" but they are actually a viscount). You would address an earl/countess as Lord/Lady and their eldest son as Lord, the others sons as "Honorable" and all their daughters as lady. 


Viscount


The title viscount (viscountess when referring to women) was introduced to England in 1440. Prior to that point viscounts were delegates of earls and oversaw barons.(8) Interestingly enough, the viscounts as delegates of earls position was not originally heritable but as time went on it became more and more common for the position to be passed on that it was not a far leap to make it an official title and make viscounts members of the peerage. Nonetheless, titled viscounts remained relatively uncommon up till the 17th century. You would address a viscount/viscountess are Lord/Lady, the eldest son would be referred to as any other subsidy title the viscount/viscountess may hold and all other child are referred to as "Honorable".

Baron


(Above) This is part of
 the Dering Roll (a roll
 of coats of arms). This one
 is from sometime between
 1270-1280.(10)
The title baron (baroness when referring to women) was introduced in 1066 with the Norman conquest, with William the Conqueror. The word comes from the French word baron which came from the Latin word baro (meaning man/servant). Barons were those who pledged loyalty to the crown and in exchange received heritable land, or at least head tenant powers over the land. Any superior member of the peerage (or even an already existing baron) could create a baron and this created issues. This conflict only got more in the weeds with the three different types of barons (barons by tenure, barons by writ, and barons by patent). Disagreements about the exact power of each baron, whether they were even considered nobility and baron's waning power only got worse with time. This combined with other general civil unrest lead to not one but two Baron's Wars. Years later it culminated in King Edward I discontinuing the practice of naming new barons in 1267. Barons still exist in the modern and are by far the most common type of nobility currently. All members of the peerage, even the barons, have coats of arms and even old rolls of arms (documents containing all coats of arms show just how many barons there really were at that time. The Dering Roll is one of the largest surviving roll of arms and shows 324 coat of arms of barons at the time. That 324 only compromised about 1/4 of the barons at the time. Part of it is shown to the right (a higher resolution image is on the British museum's website along with many others; It is worth at least a quick glance). You would address any baron/baroness as Lord (even in the case of women) and the children would be referred to as "Honorable". 


Inheritance 


(Above) A complaint regarding inheritance
 from one Elizabeth Whitfield. (12)
One thing that I haven't widely covered so far is the laws surround inheritance of titles within Medieval England. This is at least partially because it is a complicated topic with an endless amount of politics, petty squabbles and power grabs, that seemingly every word of every law this old has been contested and given exception at least once. Nonetheless, it would be negligent to not at least explain the basic of English common law surround inheritance. English common law came into place in the Early Middle ages to replace previous patchwork codified laws. English common law is primarily what the American law system is based off of.(11)  Then oldest son got first dibs, then the next eldest son until no sons are left. After that it is split equally amongst the daughters as co-heiresses.(11) These laws favor eldest sons to the point where if the eldest son is deceased then his eldest son will inherit sooner then the younger sons of the original deceased party.(12) Like very rule there are exceptions such as entails (as mentioned in Pride and Prejudice if you are familiar) and fights and complaints about inheritance were common. In the letter above a woman named Elizabeth Whitfield who had her inheritance stolen and was seeking to have it back, after the man who threatened her and forced her to sign it away was executed (the full translation is available on the University of Nottingham's website and at the link as Document 2).(12)





Citations


(1) “British Library.” The British Library, www.bl.uk/anglo-saxons/articles/how-was-the-kingdom-of-englandformed#:~:text=The%20first%20king%20of%20England,form%20the%20kingdom%20of%20England

(2) Lewis, Jone Johnson. “The History of the Title of Queen.” ThoughtCo, Nov. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/history-of-queen-as-a-title-4119985#:~:text=In%20English%2C%20the%20word%20%E2%80%9Cqueen,the%20Sanskrit%20janis%20meaning%20woman.

(3)The British Library, www.bl.uk/anglo-saxons/articles/how-was-the-kingdom-of-england-formed#:~:text=The%20first%20king%20of%20England,form%20the%20kingdom%20of%20England

(4)The Generalist Papers. “Ranks of Nobility, Explained.” YouTube, 2 Jan. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op8fEbxgqxY.


(5)The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Duke | Title, Rank and History of Nobility.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/duke.


(6) The Editors of Encylapaedia Britannica. “Marquess | British Noble Title, Definition and History.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/marquess.

(7) The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Earl | British Nobility, Titles and Ranks.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Nov. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/earl-title.

(8) The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Viscount | Definition, History and Examples.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/viscount.

(9) The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Baron | Definition, History and Rights.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/baron.


(10) The British Library MS Viewer. www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=add_roll_77720_f001r.

(11) Kiralfy, Albert Roland, et al. “Common Law | Definition, Origins, Development, and Examples.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/common-law#ref40224.

(12) The Law of Inheritance | Mapping the Medieval Countryside. inquisitionspostmortem.ac.uk/contexts/the-law-of-inheritance.

(12) Inheritance - the University of Nottingham. www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/learning/medievalwomen/theme2/inheritance.aspx.
at 2 comments:

Life of Medieval Nuns 



A monastery (3)
Nuns dedicated their lives to studying religion, prayer, and serving their community/the needs of society. They committed to chastity, gave up their possessions that were worldly, developed music, and wrote literature. During the medieval period, monasteries were a landscape that was primarily used by women. The Saint Benedict of Nursia created the Benedictine Order and developed monastic guidelines that would lead to the development of monasteries and the expansion of monasticism throughout Europe in the fifth century. The architectural difference in design of the female monastery versus the male monastery is that the layout is in a mirror image. The cloister was connected to a majority of the significant structures such as the church, refectory, and accommodation areas which were used at times by pilgrims to visit holy relics (2). 
                                                                           

                                           The Recruit of Nuns

The apparel of Nuns (4)


Aristocratic women were the main source of recruits in terms of joining a nunnery. They joined primarily out of piety and because they wanted a life that honored and brought them closer to God. Occasionally, more practical circumstances led them to that decision due to aristocratic women having two choices. They could either marry a financially stable man who is capable of providing for her or join a nunnery. Families with younger daughters sent them to nunneries so they could receive the best accessible education or because they had a numerous number of daughters, and it was unattainable to marry to marry them all off. If that was the case, she would be considered an oblate, a person specifically dedicated to God's service, in her mid-teens and could eventually profess vows to become an ordained nun. Lay women were housed in nunneries and male or females could have the opportunity to be employed for necessary daily chores (2).

A nun praying (1)





        Regulations and Lifestyle 


The Benedictine order was typically adhered to in nunneries. Although nuns had their own enforcements, they generally shared the same rules as monks. Nuns were overseen by an abbess, a woman who was the head of an abbey of nuns and had complete authority. Obedientiaries (senior nuns) were assigned specific responsibilities, and a prioress assisted the abbess. Services in a nunnery would be held by male priests because women were unable to serve as priests. A nun's routine on a daily basis consisted of a resemblance to a monk's daily practices such as prayers for people, attending services, devoting time for reading and writing, and so much more. As opposed to monks, nuns worked with needle and thread to make embroidered items for church services. They made contributions to the community by providing clothing and food for those in need regularly, and in larger quantities on special occasions. In addition, they cared for the ill, offered hospice services, and frequently served as tutors to students. Ultimately, nuns were closer to their community than male monasteries and had stronger ties than monks did (2). 



A monk wine tasting (6)

What Medieval Nuns Ate               


In the medieval time period, nuns typically ate bread and drank beer for breakfast. A vast majority of monasteries were aware of the risks that were caused by drinking groundwater, so they preferred to drink beer instead. Most monastic organizations had poverty vows which didn't allow nuns to eat sumptuous or luxury meals. They would instead, eat soup and stew with frequently grown vegetables from their gardens which includes onions, leeks, turnips, and mint. They also collected various kinds of nuts and fruits that used to make wine (5).  











Works Cited 


(1) “A Nun Praying, circa 1260.” Pinterest, 21 Feb. 2021, www.pinterest.com/pin/333547916158950942/.


(2) Cartwright, Mark. “The Daily Life of Medieval Nuns.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 13 Sept. 2023, www.worldhistory.org/article/1298/the-daily-life-of-medieval-nuns/.


(3) “Medieval Monasteries Facts & Worksheets.” School History, 21 Apr. 2021, schoolhistory.co.uk/medieval/medieval-monasteries/.


(4) “Pictures of Medieval Nuns Clothing.” Pinterest, 12 Apr. 2016, www.pinterest.com/pin/287667494927419983/.


(5) Ponio, Judy. “What Was Life Like For A Medieval Nun?” Lay Cistercians, 30 Dec. 2022, laycistercians.com/what-life-like-for-medieval-nun/.


(6) “The ‘Dissolution of the Monasteries’ by Henry VIII in 1536.” Brewminate, Ancient History Encyclopedia , 17 May 2020, brewminate.com/the-dissolution-of-the-monasteries-by-henry-viii-in-1536/.























at 3 comments:

Giants and Dwarfs


 Giants and Dwarfs

When thinking of Giants and Dwarfs, people see complete opposites. (1) In folklore, dwarfs were seen as a species of fairies and lived in mines or mountains. They were small and and on the other hand, (2) giants were seen as huge, strong, terrifying creatures. Everyone has their own ideas of what they are and how they grew up hearing them in stories, but this might not be the case in the history of the medieval times.

Dwarfs

(4)Portrait of a court dwarf from the Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Dwarfs or court dwarfs were people of sizes around three to four feet. (3)They usually stood beside kings and queens thus making them appear taller. (3) Not much was said about dwarfs until they started working in courts and becoming more known through royal families. 

(1) There were also household dwarfs. They were put into homes with important people at the time to mainly entertain others. 

Giants

(2) Giants were often gate keepers who protected  castles. They are extraordinary in size, very  strong, and were often challenges to knights and others trying to get to a place or accomplish a quest. They are much larger than their opponents but often were defeated because of their lack of knowledge.

Biblical Giants

(5) David and Goliath
Giants were also brought up in the Bible. (4) Goliath was a well know giant who was six cubits and a span which is about 9 ft 9 inches. He wore a coat that had 5 thousand shekels of bronze meaning he was unbelievably strong. Goliath said to Saul and the men of Israel to give him someone to fight. If Goliath lost, then the Philistines would serve Israel, but if he won, they would serve him. When he said this no man came forward, for they were greatly afraid of the champion Goliath. No one wanted to face him because of his experience, size, and strength. 

But a man of youth, David, didn't like how the philistine went against the army of the living God, so this young man put his trust in God and went up against Goliath. He walks up with no armor and a sling with 5 stones. Goliath mocked him for his age, size, and weapon, but this did not stop David. With his sling and stone, he struck his head bringing Goliath down to the grown. He then grabbed Goliath's sword and cut off his head. All the Philistines fled after seeing what happened. Even dating way back in time, giants were seen as powerful, strong, and destructive who most men  feared. They were meant to fight and that they did. 


(1) https://www.britannica.com/topic/dwarf-mythology

(2) https://medievaldisabilityglossary.hcommons.org/giant/

(3) https://allthatsinteresting.com/awful-jobs/3

(4) 1 Samuel 17

(5) https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/psalms/


at 5 comments:

Medieval Medicine


Medieval Medicine: A Theory-Based Approach to Health 


Modern medicine began to emerge in the 18th century after the Industrial Revolution. But before then, people still questioned the ailments that inflicted people every day. 

Medieval Diseases 

Bald's Leechbook [10]
Many diseases and illnesses harmed thousands of people throughout medieval times and the Middle Ages. Among poorer individuals, such as peasants and townspeople, skin infections were common. This was due to fleas and bed bugs coupled with poor hygiene and no running water. Poor diets and bad food were the source of scurvy, diarrhea, typhoid fever, and cholera. During medieval times, the lack of medicine and vaccines caused people to spread these diseases through contact. People died quickly and frequently of measles, smallpox, influenza, and whooping cough [1]. Epidemics swept across populations with mortalities of anywhere from 5-20% [3]. However, at the beginning of the medieval period, it was not easy for people to access practitioners. So instead they would turn to local people who had medical knowledge based on antique theory and folk traditions [9]. To the right is Bald's Leechbook. Written in old English, the book is a collection of medical treatments from the medieval period. The book addressed remedies and supernatural problems [10].  


The Four Humours Origin

 
The personification of the Four Humours [8]
Humor comes from Latin, meaning "liquid" or "fluid". Hippocrates first introduced the idea of the four humors at a time when people were using naturalistic knowledge, philosophy, and ancient science to understand the human body. Philosophers of the time wanted to not only understand the human body but also how it interacted with the world. The Four Humours were: blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black bile). It was believed that the concentrations of each humor in the body determined one's physical and mental qualities. In order to be considered the ideal person, the four humours were perfectly balanced in the human body. Having too much or an excess of one or more humours, caused diseases. The humours originated from a combination of hot, cold, dry, and moist, the primary qualities, and the four elements: air, fire, water, and earth [4]. 



Yellow Bile [16]
Yellow Bile

It was said that yellow bile is located on the right side of the body, under the liver. Yellow bile is hot and makes someone vibrant and phlegmatic in the winter months but drains a person in the summer. The heat of the yellow bile rises in the body and can cause migraines. During medieval times, choleric people were described as having round faces, bulging eyes, and a rough throat. If someone had too much yellow bile, they were said to be hot-tempered or suffer from insomnia due to the excessive heat in their bodies. Treatment for too much yellow bile was cold water to cool the heat [2]. The associated element is fire and hot, dry qualities [5]. 






Black Bile

Black Bile [16]

 Black bile was on one's left side, under the spleen. Too much black bile was said to rise to their brain causing dizziness and "dripping of   the uvuala" in the winter season. Other symptoms were depression,   arthritis, and constipation. Characteristically, people with excessive   black bile were described as having a long face, dark eyes, and being introspective and solemn [2]. Black bile was associated with cold, dry qualities, and the element, Earth [5]. 












Phlegm
Phlegm [16]

The Phlegm humor is located in the head and chest, with some in the kidneys [2]. These people were passive, calm, and sometimes seen as unemotional. Phlegm was responsible for white hair and forgetfulness. The phlegm humor was associated with the element water and the qualities, of cold and moist. When a person suffered from coughing, colds, or respiratory problems, this was likely due to too much phlegm in the chest. To treat this humor, doctors just suggested more fluids and rest [6]. 










Blood

Blood [16]

Blood was thought to be the most important of the four humors, as declared by Galen of Peragmum. Excess blood was associated with summer when people were red in the face. It was associated with the spring and the air element. People who had too much blood were described as having a sanguine temperament. Meaning they were powerful, strong, and conflict-oriented [5]. The treatment for too much blood was bloodletting. 













Bloodletting
Fleam [13]

As previously mentioned, an imbalance in the humors was what gave way to illnesses in a person's life. A popular medical treatment was bloodletting. This was the process of removing blood from the body by cutting a vein at the knee or elbow [7] by using a lancet or fleams[12]. Lancets were small, double-edged instruments, and were carried around in the doctor's pocket [12]. Fleams were instruments with multiple blades, similar to today's pocketknife [12].  Leeches were also used, as a leach can ingest up to 10mL of blood. It was thought to remove any impurities in the body and help cure the person of their ailments. The biggest risk with bloodletting was death. Losing too much blood could 
send the body into shock and
Thumb Lancet [14]

kill the patients before their diseases did. By the 1600s, doctors began to question the effectiveness of bloodletting, and in the late 1800s, studies were done to support the notion that bloodletting wasn't effective in curing diseases [7]. 


Alderlasskalander [11]
Famous Bloodletting

Bloodletting was popular for a good while in history. Physicians used an Alderlasskalander, or a bleeding calendar, to assess the best times to remove blood from the body [11].  There were some famous people later in bloodletting's reign who underwent the procedure. Charles II had suffered a seizure and was immediately taken to start the process of removing his blood. The doctors removed around twenty-four ounces of blood before he died. One bloodletting that raised a lot of controversy was George Washington. He had become sick with a fever and respiratory issues. His physicians removed 40% of his blood volume gave him laxatives to remove the toxins in his body. George Washington died the next day [12]. 





Work Cited

[2] Wallis, Faith, Medieval Medicine: A Reader. Toronto, University of Toronto Press. 2010. 

[1] Elliot, Lynne. Medieval Medicine and the Plague. Crabtree Publishing Company, 2006. 

[3] Robb, John, et al. "The Greatest Health Problem of the Middle Ages? Estimating the Burden of Disease in Medieval England." International Journal of Paleopathology, Elsevier, 5 July 2021, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1879981721000590

[4] Moreau, Elisabeth. "Complexion, temperament, and four humor theory in the Renaissance." Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy (2020): 1-3

[5] "Four humours." Share and Discover Knowledge on SlideShare, www.slideshare.net/stewby_123/four-humors. Accessed 14 Sept 2023. 

[6] "Medieval Medicine: The Four Humors." Kidzworld, 19 Aug. 2015, www.kidzworld.com/article/29547-medieval-medicine-the-four-humors/.  

[7] Zimlich, Rachael. "Bloodletting through History: What Was It Supposed to Treat?" Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 May 2021, www.healthline.com/health/bloodletting#was-it-effective.

[8] Wight, C. Image of an Item from the British Library catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. The British Library, 25 Aug 2005, www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=12899. 

[9] "Medicine in the Middle Ages" British Library, www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/medicine-diagnosis-and-treatment-in-the-middle-ages. Accessed 11 Sept. 2023. 

[10] British Library, www.bl.uk/collectio-items/balds-leechbook. Accessed 12 Sept 2023. 

[11] Klein, Joel. "The Wisdom of Premodern Medicine." The Huntington, huntington.org/verso/202/10/wisdom-premodern-medicine. Accessed 14 Sept, 2023. 

[12] Greenstone, Gerry. "The history of Bloodletting. BCMJ, Vol. 52, No. 1, January, February 2010, Page 12-14 - Premise" bcmj.org/premise/history-bloodletting. Accessed Sept 10 2023. 

[13]/[14] Doug Arbittier, Michael Echols. "Bloodletting Antiques." Antique Bloodletting and Leeching INstruments, medicalantiques.com/medical/Scarifications_and_Bleeder_Medical_Antiques.htm. Accessed 9 Sept 2023. 

[16] Sidorova, Irina. "4 Humours." www.behance.net/gallery/539062/4-Humours- Accessed 9 Sept. 2023. 

[15] "Bloodletting and Blisters: Solving the Medical Mystery of George Washington's Death." Public Broadcasting Service, 16 Dec 2014, www.pbs.org/newhour/show/bloodletting-blisters-solving-medical-mystery-george-washingtom-death. 




at 5 comments: