Irascible, fire-breathing mule.

Vikings and Indigenous North Americans: New Walrus DNA Study Reveals Early Arctic Encounters - Medievalists.net

New DNA research reveals that Norse Vikings ventured into the High Arctic centuries ago, meeting Indigenous Arctic peoples and navigating tr

#medieval #vikings #inuit #canada #walrus #social history

In medieval Europe, walrus ivory was a highly sought-after commodity, particularly after the Crusades disrupted the trade of elephant ivory. Norse explorers, driven by the need for new sources, expanded into the North Atlantic, establishing settlements in Iceland and Greenland. However, recent research reveals that the ivory traded in Europe came not just from areas near Viking settlements but from remote hunting grounds in the High Arctic…As Vikings ventured into the Arctic, they did not encounter an empty wilderness. The Thule Inuit and other Indigenous peoples had long been established in these regions, hunting walrus and other marine mammals. This research supports the theory that early contact and trade between the Norse and Indigenous Arctic cultures occurred as far back as the 11th century.

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romegreeceart

Vindolanda tablet - A Birthday party invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina (early 2nd century AD).

The two women were wives of Roman cavalry officers who were stationed in garrisons in northern England. They became friends and apparently wrote to each other frequently. Two of the Claudia’s letters written on a wooden tablet have survived the ravages of time. In the letter above Claudia invites her friend to a birthday party that shall take place on the 11th of September. Caudia also explains that the day would be even more enjoyable to her, if Lepidina could come. Most of the letter has been written by a scribe but down right there are also a few lines of Claudia’s own handwriting. It’s a kind of closing of the letter there she describes Lepidina as her “sister” and “soulmate”.

Source: Fæ [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

#ancient rome #social history #women #england

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Medieval Life Hacks: Hygiene and Manners from the 12th Century - Medievalists.net

The Middle Ages are often depicted as a time when people were dirty and uncouth. But did they actually care about their appearance and behav

#medieval #social history #writing reference

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giuseppeciaramella

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#herculaneum “Ad cucumas”

romegreeceart

Herculaneum in Pictures: Ad Cucumas (shop or bar selling food and drinks)

#pompeii #frescoes #art #social history

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worldhistoryfacts

Wealthy Romans might avail themselves of the public baths several times a week. This mosaic from a Roman bath complex in Libya says it all — above ancient flip-flops and strigils, the text translates to: “Bathing is good for you!”

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Splish, Splash, Scrape, and Steam

Bathing, from ancient times to today

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#mosaics #ancient rome #social history

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10 Ancient Beauty Secrets from the Middle Ages: Timeless Tips from The Trotula - Medievalists.net

Curious about how women in the Middle Ages enhanced their beauty? The Trotula, a 12th-century medieval text from Italy, offers fascinating i

#women #social history #medieval #italy

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Colour in the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net

Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages

#medieval #color significance #antisemitism #social history

The Middle Color: Medieval scholars inherited the idea from ancient times that there were seven primary colors: white, yellow, red, green, blue, purple, and black. Green occupied a central position, symbolically balanced between the extremes of white and black. It was also regarded as a soothing color.
White vs Red: Michel Pastoureau writes that “the true medieval opposite for white was not so much black as red.” This can be seen in the way Europeans adapted chess. It was only towards the end of the Middle Ages that the white versus black dichotomy became more favoured. A key factor in this shift was the advent of printing, where black ink was used on white paper, reinforcing the perception of these colours as natural opposites
Knightly Colours Arthurian romances, one of the most popular forms of literature in the High Middle Ages, frequently employed colour symbolism, particularly in the depiction of knights. Pastoureau notes that these narratives used colours to convey deeper meanings and character traits. He writes: The color code was recurrent and meaningful. A black knight was almost a character of primary importance (Tristan, Lancelot, Gawain) who wanted to hide his identity; he was generally motivated by good intentions and prepared to demonstrate his valor, especially by jousting or tournament. A red knight, on the other hand, was often hostile to the hero; this was a perfidious or evil knight, sometimes the devil’s envoy or a mysterious being from the Other World. Less prominent, a white knight was generally viewed as good; this was an older figure, a friend of protector or the hero, to who he gave wise council. Conversely, a green knight was a young knight, recently dubbed, whose audacious or insolent behavior was going to cause great disorder; he could be good or bad. Finally, yellow or gold knights were rare and blue knights nonexistent
Black vs. White monks: During the Early Middle Ages, monastic rules stipulated that monks should not concern themselves with the colour of their clothing. However, over the centuries, their attire became increasingly darker. The Cluniacs, one of the most influential monastic communities, believed that black was the appropriate colour for one’s habit. This perspective faced backlash in the twelfth century when the Cistercians adopted a white habit. The debate over monastic colours was intense among the leaders of these orders.
The Color of Islam: Green is widely associated with Islam, but this association only developed in the twelfth century because “Its symbolism is associated with that of paradise, happiness, riches, water, the sky, and hope”. While green was linked to Muhammad’s descendants, different colours were associated with the ruling Islamic dynasties: white for the Umayyads, black for the Abbasids, and red for the Almohads.
The ‘Blue Revolution’: Michel Pastoureau’s book on blue begins by highlighting the neglect this colour faced among the ancient Greeks and Romans, who rarely wrote about it or used it. This neglect persisted through the early Middle Ages until the twelfth century. “Then suddenly,” writes Pastoureau, “in just a few decades, everything changes – blue is ‘discovered’ and attains a prominent place in painting, heraldry, and clothing.”
The Decline of Yellow: Yellow initially benefited from its resemblance to gold, which bolstered its reputation. Many medieval heraldic symbols incorporated yellow, and possessing blonde hair was considered highly fashionable. However, in the Later Middle Ages, yellow began to acquire negative associations, including envy and heresy. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was increasingly depicted wearing yellow clothing. Yellow also became associated with Jews, and as European Christians enforced clothing regulations on Jewish communities, yellow was often (though not always) included. By the early modern period, yellow fell out of favor, perceived as gaudy and unpopular.

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justadram

Anonymous asked:

How did cultures of the mediveal people view aging? Were their ageism

justadram answered:

Actually, there was a whole thread in historiography dedicated to the argument that the medieval era was like the golden age for being elderly. And I’d probably guess it was less ageist than modern youth oriented consumerist culture, but probably not as great as some historians claimed either.

Old age started around age 60, and there were plenty of elderly people kicking around. It’s high infant mortality rates that skew the average to like 30 very misleadingly! So, the elderly weren’t like a freak population. About 15% of the population would have been over the age of 60 in the late medieval period.

The elderly often were considered wise and more pious, which was admired. There are lots of saints lives about elderly saints who were not just spiritual warriors but also physically powerful. Lots of grey haired warriors in the epic poems, and old wise kings too.

In the Middle Ages, it’s all about the Community rather than the Individual, and there are good and bad parts to that. The elderly were still very much a part of the Community and as important as the other members. They didn’t exist as their own lesser category. They were considered capable of work, for example.

And if they were infirm and could no longer contribute, there were community institutions in place to protect them. Most people were cared for by their families. Others entered religious houses to retire. Some paid for a retirement setup within another household. But the church preached care for the infirm, so that was considered the right thing to do.

The law also protected the elderly. People who abused the elderly or took advantage of them were prosecuted.

But they also recognized ‘drawbacks’ to aging. There was some obsession over facets of aging we’d recognize, such as advice about changing dietary needs or brews and potions to regrow hair. And they did have some funny notions like some writers proposed the elderly weren’t capable of sex. But the writers tended to be male churchmen and they had all sorts of weird ideas about sex.

#medieval #social history #aging

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Obsolete Occupations from the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net

In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolet

#jobs #medieval #social history

Alewife/ale-conner- due to commercialization of beer making by the end of the Middle Ages
Luparius (wolf catcher)- due to the extinction of wolves in England by the 15th century
Warrener (overseeing rabbit warrens)- due to decline in demand for rabbit fur/meat in modern times
Pinder (tracking down lost animals)- due to better fencing
Cofferer: A craftsman who made chests.
Fuster: This person did not make horse saddles, but rather the frame on which saddles were made on.
Lorimer: Another person who had a very specific job related to horses. He made the metal pieces used for a horse’s bridle and stirrup. But he did not make spurs, as that job belonged to the Spurrier.
Collier: A charcoal maker.
Parchmenter: Specialized in buying and selling parchment, they saw their business plummet with the growth of paper.
Pardoner: In the thirteenth century the Catholic Church came up with the idea that they could should try to sell ‘indulgences’, basically a note forgiving someone for their sins. Being proactive, the church even hired clerks or friars to travel about and sell these indulgences. Pardoners were widely hated for their role in this money-making scheme, but the practice continued until it was abolished by the Pope in 1562.
Groom of the Stool. He had to empty the royal chamber pot after each use. Having such an intimate responsibility meant that he would likely be close to the king most of the day, so he had to be someone the monarch knew and trusted. Fortunately, with the invention of indoor plumbing, this job became redundant.

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How to be a Shepherd in the Middle Ages - Medievalists.net

What was it like to work on a farm in the Middle Ages? A fourteenth-century shepherd named Jean de Brie offers some insights into his daily

#medieval #sheep #france #social history

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worldhistoryfacts

How can you tell who the "barbarians" are in Roman art?

You could often tell barbarian men by their facial hair, which contrasted with more clean-shaven or trimmed Romans.

Images of barbarian women were rare, but can similarly be identified by their hairstyles, which are less-kempt than the Romans’:

Barbarians also wore pants, which no self-respecting Roman would have worn:

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Who Were the "Barbarians?"

Depictions of foreigners in Greek and Roman art

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#statues #ancient rome #social history

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esther-dot

justadram

Anonymous asked:

Could or did medieval kings create new towns? King Charles is planning to do this with his foundation and I never thought of that before but did this happen in medieval times

justadram answered:

Yes! Most towns disappeared with the collapse of the Roman empire. When they began popping up again, they'd typically either be under the feudal umbrella of a lord or a king, who granted them a charter with certain rights and privileges. Towns liked kings because they tended to be more remote than a local lord. Remote is always better. Kings liked towns because they were a source of wealth and educated individuals, who weren't clergymen. That's how you eventually get a professionally run government and a professional army you pay to fight your wars instead of hoping your feudal armies answer the call. 100s of years down the road, but that's all how it starts. Towns!

#medieval #social history

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A Medieval Royal Wedding: How Much Could it Cost? - Medievalists.net

Just how lavish could a medieval royal wedding be? The nuptials of a 14th-century English princess offer some insights.

#marriage #medieval #england #weddings #social history

Lutkin reveals some of the extravagant expenses for the wedding [between Princess Isabella of England and Lord Enguerrand VII of Coucy, which was held on 27 July 1365, at Windsor Castle. This included a payment of £100 for a group of minstrels. The gifts for the bride and groom were lavish – each received a crown, with Isabella’s costing more than 1000 marks and decorated with sapphires and diamonds. She also received other expensive gifts from her family, including two brooches, four diamonds, four sapphires and four clusters of pearls with a diamond in each cluster. Lutkin notes that at least £4,505 2s 4d. were spent just on work by goldsmiths for the wedding, a fortune during the fourteenth century and much more than was spent at the weddings of Edward’s other daughters.

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A Look into Medieval Homes - Medievalists.net

One of the most common questions about daily life in the Middle Ages is what did homes look like. Medieval manuscript illuminations can reve