You are rich, your father is the Earl of Flanders, and you have highborn French, English and German ancestors. If that isn’t enough, you’re beautiful and well-educated for a sixteen-year-old woman. Your world is perfect, right? Wrong!
You have an ambitious cousin trying to court you without your father’s permission. Why should he care about consanguineous laws? When you finally tell him to get lost, that you’re in love with a nice young Englishman, what does he do? He attacks you as you come out of church one morning, rips your best gown, throws you on the ground and leans over to slap you several times for emphasis. Instead of kidnaping you, so you two could marry, what does he do? He just rides off, the bastard (figuratively and literally)!
Who are the young lovers?
Matilda and her soon-to-be-husband, William the Conqueror.
*****
Few noble marriages lasted longer than fifteen years. When a wife dies in childbirth, the husband would take a second wife or third, and so on, each much younger. When the elder husband dies, the last wife would often take a younger husband to take care of the estate.
Queen Eleanor, wife of Henry II, introduced silk worms into her province of Aquitaine.
Berengaria of Navarre, wife of Richard I never set a foot in England.
Once when King John suspected his second wife, Isabella of Angorilme, of having a lover, he had the man hanged and the body suspended over her bed. Why is it possible for us to believe he died of poisoning?
In a list of household goods owned by Eleanora of Castile, queen to Edward I, were two forks, one of silver and one of crystal.
During Richard II’s reign, his wife, Anne of Bohemia, introduced the side-saddle. The belief was riding astride caused miscarriages.
Before the 16th century, forks were mainly used for sweet meats and carving meat.
When sharing a meal, a person must not touch the food with his right hand, only his left.
It was permissible to drink direct from the jug or pitcher as long as you wiped the vessel afterwards.
Crusaders brought back several new fabrics, such as, cotton, diaphanous muslin, patterned damask and gauze.
Showing posts with label History Tidbits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History Tidbits. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Female Dracula But Real
Not only did I write articles under the name of AuntieWIP, but I also did History Tidbits and "Did you know..." articles. This is one of my favorites.
DID YOU KNOW...
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was thought not only to be based on Vlad Tepes, but a Hungarian countess, Erzsebet Bathory. Engrossed in the art of black magic, she kidnaped and tortured young peasant girls. From all reports, she enjoyed drinking human blood and bathing in the fluid. She believed the blood would keep her young and beautiful. After her cousin had her arrested in 1610, she was imprisoned in a room with the windows and doors locked. Her followers, including a sorceress named Darvula, were executed.
DID YOU KNOW...
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was thought not only to be based on Vlad Tepes, but a Hungarian countess, Erzsebet Bathory. Engrossed in the art of black magic, she kidnaped and tortured young peasant girls. From all reports, she enjoyed drinking human blood and bathing in the fluid. She believed the blood would keep her young and beautiful. After her cousin had her arrested in 1610, she was imprisoned in a room with the windows and doors locked. Her followers, including a sorceress named Darvula, were executed.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
History Tidbits
Sex and The Civil War
Your father and mother started a brothel in Washington City and you and your two sisters kept it going until you decided to move to Gettysburg. Hey, that's where all the soldier boys were! But then a large brawl disrupted your business and the town kicked you and your sisters out. You returned to the Union capital with your sisters and decided to try out dancing in the streets to the music of an organ grinder and a monkey. In no time you and your sisters were in trouble again. Was it your fault that in your enjoyment of the rhythm your clothes completely fell off?
YOU ARE?
Kate, Anna, and Matilda Light. (I guess they would say that it's just something about a man in uniform that makes you want to go into the oldest profession. And I wonder if their last name was really Light – as in Light Skirt? LOL!)
"Going down the line" - Visiting a prostitute
The Confederate and Union capitals were overflowing with prostitutes called Cyprians, fallen angels, daughters of Eve, and gay young chicks.
A young man wrote to his friend about the "gay old time" he had in Washington and how he enjoyed "Horizontal Refreshments or in Plainer words Riding a Dutch gal...."Brothels in Washington had names like "Madam Russell's Bake Oven and "the Haystack" owned by a Mrs. Hay.
The Washington area called Marble Alley had the greater concentration of brothels.
When Southern women said that Yankee men had horns, they weren't talking about them being on their heads.
Your father and mother started a brothel in Washington City and you and your two sisters kept it going until you decided to move to Gettysburg. Hey, that's where all the soldier boys were! But then a large brawl disrupted your business and the town kicked you and your sisters out. You returned to the Union capital with your sisters and decided to try out dancing in the streets to the music of an organ grinder and a monkey. In no time you and your sisters were in trouble again. Was it your fault that in your enjoyment of the rhythm your clothes completely fell off?
YOU ARE?
Kate, Anna, and Matilda Light. (I guess they would say that it's just something about a man in uniform that makes you want to go into the oldest profession. And I wonder if their last name was really Light – as in Light Skirt? LOL!)
"Going down the line" - Visiting a prostitute
The Confederate and Union capitals were overflowing with prostitutes called Cyprians, fallen angels, daughters of Eve, and gay young chicks.
A young man wrote to his friend about the "gay old time" he had in Washington and how he enjoyed "Horizontal Refreshments or in Plainer words Riding a Dutch gal...."Brothels in Washington had names like "Madam Russell's Bake Oven and "the Haystack" owned by a Mrs. Hay.
The Washington area called Marble Alley had the greater concentration of brothels.
When Southern women said that Yankee men had horns, they weren't talking about them being on their heads.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
History Tidbits
Being Married in London during the Year 1700
or the Single Life is for Me.
If you are a high-born lady wishing to marry your stable boy, an uncle wishing to marry his niece, or a young couple wanting to marry without consent, you would go to the alleyways known as the Rules of the Fleet near Fleet Bridge, not far from the river Thames. All types of “plyers” would encourage you to come into their “marriage house” for the ceremony. Most of the clienteles were craftsmen, innkeepers and the lower classes.
One-ninth of England’s population lived in London during 1700.
Weddings were legal only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and noon.
A contract for marriage was official when the man provided the woman with a ring or presented her with half of a coin.
Males over the age of 14 and females over the age of 12 could marry with the consent of their guardian. Both sexes could marry without consent at the age of 21.
A single woman had many of the same rights of a man. She could own property, leave a will, sue or be sued, but once married, her husband own her lock, stock and barrel. Should she commit adultery, her husband could sue the man for trespassing on his “property.”
Popular sex manuals of the time were Aristotle’s Masterpiece and Aretine’s Postures. The man’s sexual organ was at times referred to as his “yard.” (Funny! In his dreams!) A midwifery book by a Mrs. Jane Sharp claimed the wife would not conceive if there was “no desire nor delight . . .”
A 5 shilling tax was paid on licenses and certificates of marriage. Thus, the reason cheaper marriage houses married 1/3 of the London population.
A Fleet marriage to a stranger help legitimized a child and prevented the woman from being publicly whipped.
Neither a license nor posting of Banns was required in a Fleet marriage.
If a woman got heavily into debt, she could marry a prisoner and the debt would be considered cleared. (You can’t arrest the husband for the debt when he’s already in prison, duh!)
Brides wore bright colors, preferably blue. Blue was associated with the Virgin Mary.
Some brides wore gloves to bed. A symbol of their virginity.
Bundling was common. A board was placed on the bed between a couple. Many women used bundling as a way to catch a husband.
One-tenth of the English brides were pregnant before they married.
Knickers (underwear) had yet to be invented.
Condoms was made from sheep intestines and tied onto the “yard” by a ribbon. They were very expensive.
If a man murdered his wife, he was hanged for the offense. If a woman murdered her husband, the wife was burned alive.
Bachelors and widowers, over age 25, were taxed 1 shilling a year.
Due to the high mortality, late marriages, early death, the average maximum length of marriages was 17 to 20 years. A quarter of marriages were second marriages.
A divorce could cost you more than 20 pounds sterling.
London shopkeepers earned about 45 pounds sterling (roughly $72.00) a year and a housemaid 5 pounds sterling (roughly $8.00) a year.
This is one of the History Tidbits I sent in to Southern Magic's newsletter a few years ago. Thought I would share.
or the Single Life is for Me.
If you are a high-born lady wishing to marry your stable boy, an uncle wishing to marry his niece, or a young couple wanting to marry without consent, you would go to the alleyways known as the Rules of the Fleet near Fleet Bridge, not far from the river Thames. All types of “plyers” would encourage you to come into their “marriage house” for the ceremony. Most of the clienteles were craftsmen, innkeepers and the lower classes.
One-ninth of England’s population lived in London during 1700.
Weddings were legal only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and noon.
A contract for marriage was official when the man provided the woman with a ring or presented her with half of a coin.
Males over the age of 14 and females over the age of 12 could marry with the consent of their guardian. Both sexes could marry without consent at the age of 21.
A single woman had many of the same rights of a man. She could own property, leave a will, sue or be sued, but once married, her husband own her lock, stock and barrel. Should she commit adultery, her husband could sue the man for trespassing on his “property.”
Popular sex manuals of the time were Aristotle’s Masterpiece and Aretine’s Postures. The man’s sexual organ was at times referred to as his “yard.” (Funny! In his dreams!) A midwifery book by a Mrs. Jane Sharp claimed the wife would not conceive if there was “no desire nor delight . . .”
A 5 shilling tax was paid on licenses and certificates of marriage. Thus, the reason cheaper marriage houses married 1/3 of the London population.
A Fleet marriage to a stranger help legitimized a child and prevented the woman from being publicly whipped.
Neither a license nor posting of Banns was required in a Fleet marriage.
If a woman got heavily into debt, she could marry a prisoner and the debt would be considered cleared. (You can’t arrest the husband for the debt when he’s already in prison, duh!)
Brides wore bright colors, preferably blue. Blue was associated with the Virgin Mary.
Some brides wore gloves to bed. A symbol of their virginity.
Bundling was common. A board was placed on the bed between a couple. Many women used bundling as a way to catch a husband.
One-tenth of the English brides were pregnant before they married.
Knickers (underwear) had yet to be invented.
Condoms was made from sheep intestines and tied onto the “yard” by a ribbon. They were very expensive.
If a man murdered his wife, he was hanged for the offense. If a woman murdered her husband, the wife was burned alive.
Bachelors and widowers, over age 25, were taxed 1 shilling a year.
Due to the high mortality, late marriages, early death, the average maximum length of marriages was 17 to 20 years. A quarter of marriages were second marriages.
A divorce could cost you more than 20 pounds sterling.
London shopkeepers earned about 45 pounds sterling (roughly $72.00) a year and a housemaid 5 pounds sterling (roughly $8.00) a year.
This is one of the History Tidbits I sent in to Southern Magic's newsletter a few years ago. Thought I would share.
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