medieval life
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Mabel was the daughter of the notoriously cruel, William I Talvas and the heiress of her father’s estates, inheriting on his death in 1060. She also inherited the remainder of the Bellême honour in 1070 at the death of her uncle Yves, Bishop of Séez and Lord of Bellême. When her father was exiled she…
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In medieval times, dittany, now more commonly known as dittander, Lepidium latifolium, a perennial herb native to parts of Britain, was used for hot relishes. It suffered a culinary decline by 1650 when horseradish took its place. The spiciness of both its leaves and root are suggested in its common name, poor man’s pepper. It…
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An international group of scientists, including Prof. Turi King of Leicester University, has investigated the dental plaque (calculus) of King Richard III and concluded that it was basically the same as both other contemporary remains examined (including those from different social levels), and also modern populations! This is their conclusion: The dental calculus of King…
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Since most people were unable to read, mediaeval drinking houses/pubs used colourful pictorial signs, leading on from the ‘ale-stake,’ a vertical or horizontal pole hung outside such establishments to show that fresh ale was available. This was a continuation of a Roman practice of using ivy or vine leaves to indicate a place that sold…
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If, like me, you like to browse around websites about life in the past, you might be interested in this link, https://tinyurl.com/2tk5meck, which takes you to a website called Old & Interesting. You’ll soon realise that not everything in the site dates back to the medieval period, but it’s very interesting all the same. I…
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by Maria Grazia Lucrezia Leotta I walked alone in the silence of my inner thoughts and touched the ancient castle’s walls. I heard the sound of my own footsteps echoing in the shadow of the Prince’s Tower. Laughs, voices, joy and grief, a child’s wooden sword, hooves on pebbles, rosemary and lily, grass and rose.…
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…the online edition of the Edward IV Coronation Roll (Free Library MS Lewis E201), after three years’ work. It is now fully interactive – with transcriptions, translations and annotations. They say: In the turbulent fifteenth century, rival claimants to the English throne presented their cases in elaborate genealogical rolls. One of the most colorful and…
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On Saturday afternoon we were treated to a fantastically interesting talk by Professor Caroline Wilkinson, she who had created the reconstruction of Richard’s head. It was the Isolde Wigram Memorial Lecture and she touched on the reconstruction but concentrated on the A Voice for Richard project, which she participated in. She described all the detailed…
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Rue (Ruta graveolens) is another fascinating medieval herb. Here are some interesting facts about it: Medicinal Uses Digestive aid: Rue was used to treat digestive issues, such as indigestion, bloating, and gas. Menstrual relief: The herb was used to ease menstrual cramps, bloating, and other symptoms associated with PMS. Anti-inflammatory: Rue’s anti-inflammatory properties made it…
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Many Ricardians know that there are just two churches in the world dedicated to St Alkelda, one is in Middleham and the other in Giggleswick, but very few are aware of a mysterious stained glass in the latter. The whole matter started with a parish fair. Parishioners from both churches were looking for items to…
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