The Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England, lends great insight to the military dress of the Normans as far back as 1066. From the tapestry we can tell that the kite shaped shield was used universally throughout the Norman cavalry. The large shield stretches from the upper chest down to mid-calf and was meant to protect the rider’s exposed left flank, but more often than not, knights are shown using the shields to protect their horses. On his person, a knight wore a hauberk. Made of chainmail, the hauberk was knee length, split up the front and back for riding with the two sides draping around the rider’s legs when mounted, for additional protection.
Under the chainmail hauberk, a gambeson was worn. A gambeson is typically a padded or quilted garment used to prevent chafing while riding. The garment also added a layer of protection if the knight received a particularly hard blow. Unfortunately, even with padding, chainmail was likely to dig into a knight’s flesh and potentially lead to blood poisoning.
Are you expecting a magical gift from the love of your life or from the love of the moment? How do present day lovers compare with those true knights in shining armor? Was the Medieval male a passionate slave to his love or did he regard the woman of his life as his slave?
According to Belle Tuten, a renown Medieval historian, love and courtly love were very important in the life of the Medieval male. He explores the subject with the following description:
“ Medieval literature is full of stylized, “courtly” language speaking of love and desire. A suitor’s flowery prose expressed his hope of winning the lady of his choice. Courtly love poetry-frequently addressed to a woman who was completely out of reach-tolerated and may have even encouraged, love outside marriage, as in the stories of Guinevere and Lancelot and of Tristan and Iseult. There were also real-life examples: Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his Book of the Duchess(1369) for Blanche, duchess of Lancaster; at whose death he mourned the “siknesse (i.e. unrequited love) that I have suffred this eight yere.”
Such devotion could be taken to extremes. Ulrich von Lichtenstein, a noble Austrian who died around 1275, wrote a poem–partly fact and partly fiction–describing the activities of the perfect courtly lover. Among Ulrich’s extravagant gifts was one of his fingers, sent to his lady-love with a book of poems. He also underwent a dangerous operation to repair his harelip, hoping to appear more handsome for her even though they had never met. After he had camped outside her house for some time, the lady finally agreed to see him. But when he begged her for more than a greeting, she replied sternly: “Nay your courage may not aspire so far as that I should lay you here by my side . . .. My lord and master shall live ever free from fear lest I should love another man than he.”
There are many other examples of courtly love as practiced in Medieval Europe. We will explore some of those courts of the past in the next few days before the great day of “love.”
Many pagan cultures played a very important role in Christmas celebrations from Medieval Europe until December 25, 2008. Their rituals may have been reworked and glossed to fit our present day interpretation of the holiday, but the fact remains that the Vikings, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and other ancient cultures played a very significant role in the Christian celebration.
The Romans which are so influential in anything of any consequence in the Medieval and post Roman occupation of the European world also put their stamp on the Christian holiday. In Rome pagans celebrated three important Roman festivals, Saturnalia (December 17-23), the Kalends (January 1-5), and Dues Sol Invictus, which we celebrate as the twelve nights of Christmas. This celebration to the sun was December 25. The citizens would light bonfires, decorate buildings with evergreens as encouragement for the sun to return.
If the Vikings had seen pictures of Santa Claus cruising the skies in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, they probably would have assumed he was catching a ride with Thor, the Norse god of thunder. According to Viking traditions, Thor’s personal transport was a flying wagon pulled by a team of horned goats. The ancient Viking god, Odin, also brought gifts to good little Viking boys and girls.
The Roman Church designated December 25 as the date of the birth of Christ in the fourth century. Some early Christians did not celebrate Christmas, because they felt that the celebration had too many pagan practices. In Roman occupied England the Catholic church banned mumming (masquerades) and wassailing (Anglo-Saxon for good health) as pagan practices, but the common people still celebrated with enthusiasm. When the Vikings invaded, they would reinvigorate pagan practices. In the rural areas pagan traditions remained very strong. When the Roman troops were recalled in the fifth century, it was very common that Thor and Christ were worshipped side by side.