art
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We’ve all seen illustrations of harrowing deathbed scenes, and in the medieval period such occasions were only too familiar and frequent. If you go here you’ll find an extremely interesting article about the whys and wherefors of confession in those final moments. But of course, confession was used in many other situations too, and the…
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I didn’t know what an armillary sphere was until I saw this page and was prompted to look it up at Merriam Webster, where the definition is:- “ar·mil·la·ry sphere: an old astronomical instrument composed of rings showing the positions of important circles of the celestial sphere”. Then I realised that such spheres are often seen in…
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With the first coronation in seventy years looming fast, there is naturally a lot of discussion about various aspects of the ancient ceremony. I don’t know what the new king’s wish to “modernise” might finally entail, but I do know the proceedings will have to include the Coronation Chair (now a shadow of its former…
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Wandering around Google Images, as you do, I can across these less than flattering but pretty darn funny vintage cartoons of Henry VII and his offspring Horrible Henry VIII. I’ve seen other cartoons of Henry VII in a miserly pose but whoever drew THIS one must have been well aware of a contemporary description of…
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I have continued to watch The Prince’s Master Crafters series , and in the penultimate episode the contestants had a go at one another’s speciality craft. The very last episode will be when they all try to produce their very best work in their own craft. The winner will get to present their work…
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Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com The Cheapside Hoard. Discovered beneath the floor of an ancient cellar during the demolition of 30-32 Cheapside in 1912. How the owners of such jewels must have shimmered in the candlelight. Photo 1websurfer@Flikr. The Cheapside Hoard as it has become known was discovered in June 1912 at 30-32 Cheapside when…
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The story of how Richard III’s remains were discovered is a fascinating one, almost a fairy story, and happening upon a website that tells it properly is a bonus. If you go here you will arrive at the Seeing the Past website, which I thoroughly recommend. Credit is given where credit is due, i.e. with…
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My devotion to watching TV documentaries often turns up odd bits and pieces. This time the culprit is “Curse of the Vampire” from Mythical Beasts, series 1, episode 3, shown on Sky History 2. As you might expect, the theme was the strong medieval belief that the dead could return to torment the living as…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 