Work in Progress -New Novel

I have nearly finished the first novel in a series, which is set in England in the reign of Edward II. I have one more chapter to edit before I run it through the spell check. After a friend has read it I shall be ready to submit it.

Today, I checked some research. Unfortunately, while working on the first version my computer crashed and I lost the records of my research. Fortunately I had copied the novel so I didn't lose it in the crash.

People who say airily, 'I could write a novel,' don't realise what hard work it is.

Health Suite

I thought a visit to the health suite and the local leisure centre would be enjoyable. Sad to say the boiler has broken down so there are no showers, neither the sauna nor the jacuzzi were hot enough and the steam room wasn't working. As though that was not enough the health suite was chilly. As for swimming, by then  I guessed the pool would be cold and didn't bother with it. Deep sigh. What a waste of time and money!

More Retail Therapy

Although snow was falling this morning, it wasn't settling, so my daughter and I decided to return to Dunelm for some more retail therapy. I bought a very comfortable Memory Foam Mattress for an excellent price, some artificial sweet peas, which look realistic, to put in a vase on the windowsill on the landing, a large new wok and a nifty little chopper that is just right for herbs. As I grow a lot of herbs to make teas and for culinary purposes it will be very useful.


There are loads of goodies in the sale that will conclude at the end of January so we will probably go back once more.

Retail Therapy

I've nearly recovered from the vicious virus so my daughter took me to enjoy some retail therapy at Dunelm, one of a chain of stores, which sell gorgeous household goods.


As it's the time of year when my thoughts turn to refurbishing I bought a pair of mirrors with silvery gold frames to be hung on either side of a window in my sitting room. The mirrors will face larger windows with a view of the front garden. Hopefully they will be very effective.

I also bought some gorgeous cushions, five with cream silk covers, delicately embroidered with Chinese style chrysanthemums and other flowers, and four cushions with cream silk pleated covers.

It's amazing how accessories can give new life to a room.

We enjoyed browsing at Dunelm so much that we will soon return.

Decluttering

I have completed a course of antibiotics, and am beginning to recuperate from the after effects of a vicious virus.

While ill I could not concentrate on my novel set in Edward II’s reign which I had hoped to finish and submit by the 1st January, However, although they were late I wrote and posted the rest of my blogs about the Twelve Days of Christmas, and I embarked on some decluttering.

Last year, I forced myself to declutter all of my bookcases, and to organise my books for research either according to date or subject. I highly recommend this because it makes it so much easier to find information on diverse subjects. So, while I’ve been ill in bed I went through all my copies of the Historical Novel Society’s magazines, Solander and Historical Review that dated back to the first editions.

It’s always painful decluttering but I enjoyed sifting through the magazines, reading articles and reviews. As a result I ordered some books which I had intended to read for a long time and reserved others from the library, and then it was time to let go.

Interspersed with the magazines were copies of Postscript and various articles and colour supplements, amongst them one on the late Queen Mother and another about the Lord of the Rings. Out they went after I admired photos of Elizabeth II as a child, a bride, a young mother etc., and intricate details of the costumes worn by actors in Lord of the Rings.

This morning I woke knowing I made the right decision to have a clear out, and decided to tackle all my gardening magazines in the near future. However, I shall keep my inspirational National Geographic magazines some of which date back to the 1950’s.

The 12 Days of Christmas. Days 10,11 and 12

The Twelve Days of Christmas Days 10, 11 and 12


I planned to post information about the last three of the twelve days of Christmas on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of January. I also planned to take down the Christmas Decorations on the 5th. Unfortunately, I have a chest infection, which needed a course of antibiotics.

Day Ten commemorates the feast of St John the Apostle, Day Eleven is the Octave Day of the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and Day 12 is the Feast Day of St. Simon Stylites (390-459). The saint mortified his flesh. After he was dismissed by his horrified abbot, St. Simon became a hermit, eventually living on a 6 foot wide platform on a pillar 60 feet high. From there he prayed and preached to the curious and the faithful, who included three emperors, and received letters.

The twelfth day of Christmas also represents the coming of the Magi for the Epiphany.

In the Middle Ages, the Twelve Days of Christmas were celebrated with non-stop feasting and merry making, often presided over by a Lord of Misrule, which concluded on Twelfth Night, the end of the Christmas Season.

Finally, in Tudor England, William Shakespeare chose to name one of his stage plays, Twelfth Night.

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Nine

Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Nine

The ninth day of the twelve days of Christmas celebrates the octave day of St Stephen, The Feast Day of St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen, and in England the Litchfield Martyrs are celebrated.

For information about St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, please refer to my blog Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Two.

Basil of Caesarea also called Saint Basil the Great (c.330-379) came from a wealthy family in which there were several saints. He became the Greek bishop of Caesarea Mazaqca in Cappacocia, Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey.

Saint Basil was ideally situated to oppose heresy in the Church through his political contacts and his personal theological beliefs.

However, the saint was compassionate. He genuinely cared for the poor and ill-advantaged. During a famine, which followed a drought, he began a soup kitchen and personally set up a soup kitchen and distributed food. He also gave away his fortune inherited from his family for the benefit of the poor and needy.

Moreover, he laid down guidelines for monastic life and is considered a saint by Eastern and Western Christianity.

From all that I have read about Basil the Great he was truly saintly and his life is still an inspiration to ordinary people.

St Gregory Nazianzen

According to the Catholic News Agency, “St. Gregory was a Doctor of the Church, born at Arianzus in Asia Minor, probably in 325, and died in 389. He was the son of Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus (329-374.)

After his baptism at age 30, Gregory joined his friend Basil of Caesarea also called Saint Basil the Great in a newly founded monastery.

At 41, Gregory was chosen suffragan bishop of Caesarea and like his good friend St. Basil, had a hard time fighting against Aryanism and opposing the then-Arian emperor, Valens.

It was in Constantinople, where he tried to bring back Christians from Aryanism, where he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous.

He was acclaimed simply as “the Theologian.”

The Litchfield Martyrs

According to legend, during the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s reign, 1,000 Christians were martyred in Litchfield around 300 A.D. It is interesting to note that the name Litchfield means field of the dead.

12 Days of Christmas - Days 7 and 8

A virus made it impossible for me to post yesterday so I'm catching up with the Twelve Days of Christmas today.

Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Seven


The seventh of the twelve days of Christmas is the Feast Day of St. Silvester, the son of a Roman named Rufinus. St, Silvester became Pope in 314, soon after the Roman Empire sanctioned religious tolerance and Christianity was recognised.

In the medieval era, when the twelve days of Christmas were celebrated, legend and superstition were still rife. It was falsely claimed that St. Silvester cured the Emperor Constantine of leprosy, and baptised him. Leprosy was, and in some parts of the world still is, a terrifying disease, so the image of a saint curing an emperor must have been inspiring.

Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Eight

It should be noted that in the medieval and middle ages of Western Europe the Julian calendar dates the beginning of the New Year on or close to March 3rd. It was not until the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar in 175o that January 1st became the beginning of the New Year. Yet, to this day, the Roman Catholic Church does not recognise New Year’s Day as an official holiday. However, the eighth day of the twelve days of Christmas according to the Julian calendar celebrated the feast of the Holy Circumcision, which has subsequently been renamed The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.

The feast of the Holy Circumcision and the Holy Name of Jesus are usually celebrated on January 1st in accordance with the Gospel read on the same day. “…at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb."

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Six


The Feast of the Holy Family

The Veneration of the Holy Family - the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph – through the mercy of the Christ Child, consecrates the example of ideal family life, and the fellowship of men, women and children.

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Five

Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Five


Thomas Becket (1118–29th December 1170, also known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, was of Norman descent, and was born in Cheapside, London. As a boy he often visited the estate of his father’s rich friend, and probably participated in horse riding and hawking. He joined the Archbishop of Canterbury’s staff, and became a negotiator, and was expert in legal matters. On the recommendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury he became Henry II’s friend and Lord Chancellor. The king and the astute Thomas Becket led an army into battle; later the king, who wanted control of the Church, ensured Thomas became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162.

Thomas put the Church first, and opposed Henry concerning the rights of the Church. Eventually, Thomas was forced to flee to France, but after some time Henry and Thomas superficially patched up the differences. However, without Thomas’s permission the Archbishop of York crowned the Prince of Wales (a ceremony which ensured the succession to the throne). Thomas excommunicated the Archbishop of York and other bishops for defying the Pope’s authority. An infuriated Henry spoke out in the presence of courtiers. “Who,” he demanded, referring to Thomas Becket, “will rid me of this troublesome priest?” Four of his knights rode to Canterbury and murdered Thomas before a side altar in Canterbury Cathedral. Subsequently, Henry neither arrested the assassins nor confiscated their estates but the Pope excommunicated them. Not long after his death Pope Alexander canonised Thomas.

An important shrine, St.Thomas’ tomb became one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Christendom. He is venerated as a saint and a martyr by the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Churches.



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The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Four

The 12 Days of Christmas – Day 4

The fourth of the twelve days of Christmas on the 28th of December is Holy Innocents’ Day, which was for fasting not feasting.

According to the Gospel of St. Mathew, the Magi (the three wise men) told Herod that the King of the Jews would soon be born. Herod requested the Magi to return and tell him when they found the baby. However, an angel warned them not to, so they returned home by another route.

Thwarted because he could not implement his plan to murder the Christ Child, Herod gave orders for all the boy children in Bethlehem who were under the age of two to be slaughtered. The murdered innocents are regarded as saints and are the patron saints of foundlings.

People believed no work undertaken on the 28th of December would prosper, and that the day of the week on which Holy Saints’ Day fell would be unlucky throughout the following year.

A carol titled The Coventry Carol dates from the 16th century, it was part of a mystery play called "The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors". The carol is a mother’s imaginary lament for her ill-fated son. The following is one of the modern

Chorus

“Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay. )

O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we do sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Chorus

Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

Chorus

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lulla.”

Chorus

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

The Twelve Days of Christmas – Day Three


The third of the twelve days of Christmas on the 27th of December is the feast day of St. John the Apostle or as he is often named John the Evangelist.

John, a son of Zebedee fished with his brother James the Great in Sea of Galilee for their living until Christ commanded them to cast down their nets and follow him to become Fishers of Men and Women. We cannot be sure of his fate. One version is that after the crucifixion Jesus commanded John to look after His mother Mary. The other is that he was martyred in Jerusalem at the time when his brother, James the Great, was. (James the Great was the first of the apostles to become a martyr when h was beheaded.)

John wrote the Gospel of St. John, and The Book of Revelations has been ascribed to John the Apostle but it is difficult to prove it.

There are two legends about him, in the first, after he refused to acknowledge the Emperor Domitian, he was boiled in a cauldron of oil from which he emerged unharmed; in the second, he was ordered to drink poison to prove God existed, however the poison became a snake that slithered out of the cup enabling the saint to drink without ill-effect.. John was then accused of being a magician and exiled to Patmos.

12 ~Days of Christmas - Days 1 & 2

12 Days of Christmas - Days 1 & 2


Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve are not included in the twelve days of Christmas, so they differ from the advent calendar.

In times past these days were an excuse for prolonged feasting, Nowadays, Christmas decorations are taken down on twelfth night, perhaps in deference to the belief that not to do so would bring bad luck.

The first day of Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. The second day, December 26th, is the Feast of Saint Stephen, a Jew who was one of the first deacons to administer the Church in Jerusalem. Stephen was judged guilty of blasphemy and, became the first Christian martyr who, according to the New Testament, was stoned to death outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem thus becoming the first Christian martyr c. AD 35

Saint Stephen is often represented with either a stone on his head or stones in his hands. Maybe this is why he is the patron saint of builders and bricklayers.

In times past the day was celebrated with mumming plays and sword dances as well as the unpleasant custom of wren hunting, due to the belief that while the saint attempted to escape from prison the little bird began to sing thus betraying him to the prison guards.

There is a “Carol for St Stephen’s Day,” which refers to Stephen, Herod’s servant working in the kitchen the first verse of which is:

“Stephen out of the kitchen came, with boar’s head in hand,
He saw a star was fair and bright over Bethlehem stand,
He cast down the boar’s head, and went into the hall;
I forsake thee King Herod, and thy workes all;
There is a child born in Bethlehem better than we all.’

The other carol, which is well known, and believed to be historical fact, describe Good King Wenceslas looking out of the window and seeing a poor man collecting winter fuel.

Father Christmas - pre-Victorian

Father Christmas - pre-Victorian


Those who have children in their families have probably experienced them bouncing about like excited puppy dogs on Christmas Eve. And more than likely they have yawned while despairing of the children going to sleep because they want to see Father Christmas.

In the early 17th century when the Puritan Government frowned on or banned merrymaking at Christmastime, Christmas was depicted as a merry old man who brought good cheer. The name, Father Christmas is now used in English-speaking countries, but elsewhere his is known by other names such as Pere Noel in France, Babbo Natale in Armenia and Noel Baba in Turkey.

In a masque devised by Ben Johnson, which dates from December 1616, Christmas says: "Why Gentlemen, doe you know what you doe? ha! would you ha'kept me out? Christmas, old Christmas?" Twenty-two years later in a masque by Thomas Nabbes Christmas made his entrance as an old gentleman wearing a furred gown and cap. Between then and 1686, when Josiah King wrote a pamphlet introducing Father Christmas, a representation of pre-Commonwealth traditions, other works were published for and against Christmas. King’s Father Christmas encouraged feasting, making merry and abundant hospitality.

For two hundred and fifty years Sir Christmas, Lord Christmas or Father Christmas continued to be a part of the seasonal festivities. In Yorkshire on Christmas Eve children marched in the streets playing music.

In Queen Victoria’s reign the image of Father Christmas merged with St Nicholas, known as Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) in Holland.

Tonight, (Christmas Eve) I shall stay at my daughter’s house. The children have sent their requests for presents to Father Christmas, who they believe lives at the North Pole, their stockings will be hung up at the ends of their beds and the presents piled under the Christmas tree. I am privileged to share their joy, the same joy I once experienced when my parents created a magical Christmas for me.

P.S. The Coca Cola company was not the first to depict Father Christmas as a large, jolly old man, dressed in red.

Christmastime - Some Old Customs

In the cold, dark winters days the birth of the Christ Child gave renewed hope to Christians and heralded the coming of spring. It was also the time of magic when superstitious people believed fairies, elves, witches and goblins roamed the land, and the ghosts of the departed visited their previous homes. On Christmas Day families cleaned their houses, set the tables and put meals on them before they went to church. They believed that if their ancestors approved of the preparations for their welcome the New Year would be happy and prosperous. On the other hand, shrieking winds which sounded like the howling voices of lost souls, who it was believed traversed the world, gave rise to legends such as The Wild Hunt or The Raging Hunt.


Other customs could be equally frightening. An ivy leaf submerged in water from the 31st December to the 5th of January foretold the future. If the leaf remained as fresh as it was when put in the water it foretold good health, if not it predicted the reverse.

Another custom was that of a girl, who wanted to get married, going to the hen house on Christmas Eve and rapping on the door. If the cockerel crowed the girl believed she would marry, but if a hen clucked she feared being a spinster for as long as she lived.

Two Medieval Christmas Games

Two Medieval Christmas Games




Hoodman Blind, or Blind Man’s Buff, was a popular game in times past. The blind man or woman’s eyes were covered by their hood, which was turned back to front. The object of the game was to catch another player, who then became the blind man or woman.

Later, presumably when hoods were no longer fashionable the blind man, woman or child’s eyes were covered by a scarf. The blindfolded person was turned round and round and then set free to catch someone and guess who it was.

Another popular game, the modern version of which is trying to catch an apple bobbing in water with the player’s teeth was Snap Dragon. Dried fruit floated in brandy which was set on fire. The players then snatched a currant or other fruit risking burnt fingers and burnt mouths. A second version was trying to take a bite out of an apple which was suspended on a string with a lighted candle without burning the face.

Christmas Game in Times Past

Christmas Game in Times Past


I remember playing Oranges and Lemons at Christmas parties. Adults sang the nursery rhyme while the children hurried to beneath an arch formed by two adults holding up their arms and holding hands.

“Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements,
You owe me five farthings say the bells of St Martins,
When will you pay be say the bells of Old Bailey,
When I grow rich say the bells of Shoreditch,
When will that be? say the bells of Stepney,
I do not know says the great bell of Bow,
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,
Here comes the chopper to chop off your head."

When the last line came close the children increased their speed in an attempt to avoid being caught when the adults lowered their arms to trap one of them. The child would be asked to choose oranges or lemons and then told which adult to stand behind. My memory fails. I can’t remember how the game ended.

In the mediaeval era there was a tug of war between those who chose oranges and those who chose lemons.

Christmas - Lord of Misrule

Lord of Misrule


The custom of appointing a Lord of Misrule stemmed from ancient Rome. From the 17th to the 23rd of December his duty was to preside at the feast of Saturnalia, in the semblance of Saturn, the beneficial god. At that time masters served their slaves, and slaves became state officials. At that time, The Lord of Misrule was in authority and could order anyone to do anything.

The custom continued in the Christian era when the well-paid King of Misrule or Lord of Misrule officiated for many days at Christmas in the late medieval and early Tudor eras. He supervised Christmas celebrations at court, in noblemen’s houses, in the Inns of Court and at Oxford and Cambridge universities. During the festivities, he received homage from his court and was in charge of all the entertainment.

Eventually, the authorities put an end to the custom because, as time passed by the custom of having a Lord of Misrule degenerated into an excuse for rowdy behavior. Accompanied by a crowd playing musical instruments, and acting like mummers, he would march to church and interrupt the service.

Log Fires and Yule Logs

Log fires and Yule Logs


I’ve been trying to decide which of the recipes for a yule log which include eggs, can be converted to an egg free recipe. I haven’t decided, but thoughts of a ‘yule log’ brought images of a real one burning in the hearth.

The other evening, at my son and daughter-in-law’s house there was a wood fire in the grate. The flames, the warmth and the crackling wood brought pictures of the past to my mind.

The Druids blessed a ‘log’ the trunk or part of the trunk of a tree, and kept it burning throughout the winter solstice, which lasted 12 days, and kept part of it to light the following year’s Yule log.

In the northern lands of the Viking’s icy winter, warmth was essential. It was also necessary to placate Thor and greet the sun’s return after winter. The Yule log was the focus of their celebration the julfest. They carved runes on tree trunk which represented – for example – bad luck – that they wanted their gods and goddesses to take away. They also believed everyone who helped to bring in the Yule log would be protected from witches.

Druid or Viking, I can imagine families enjoying the fire with its light flickering over their faces, and children, cosy indoors, enjoying winter fare and listening to tales.

The Vikings, who doused the log with alcohol to make it burn, brought the custom to Britain, where with the passage of time, it was adopted by medieval Christians, to whom it represented the need to keep Jesus warm.

It was important to keep the log burning throughout the twelve days of Christmas, after which the ashes were gathered, and kept indoors to prevent lightening or fire breaking out.

Today, there are very few hearths large enough to fit a Yule log but there is nothing to prevent us choosing the largest log which will fit the fireplace and burning it in memory of the past.

Tradition of Christmas Kissing Bough

Christmas Kissing Bough


Now that I have researched the Kissing Bough I shall make one, if I have time.

In pagan times the kissing bough was a ball of holly and other evergreens beneath which hung mistletoe. It was probably linked to fertility rites the details which are lost in time.

However, once upon a time in Europe, to bless the household, a small treetop was hung upside down in the house to represent the Holy Trinity. However, it was not the custom in Britain, so from the 15th century onwards a Sacramental, a hoop or circle made of ash willow or hazel, was created, with either a model of the Christ Child or the Holy Family in the centre. Perhaps children helped to make it and looked forward to the priest blessing the bough before it was hung inside before the front door. Visitors indicated they brought good will by exchanging an embrace beneath the Holy Bough. As time passed by the bough became more elaborate, and was decorated with ribbons, gilded nuts and apples and candles.

In due course of time the Holy Bough or Holly Bough became known as the Kissing Bough due to the sprig of mistletoe suspended from it, which allowed any woman passing beneath it to be kissed.

If I have time, I want to make my own version of a kissing bough using an oasis ball decorated with holly and other greenery from my garden, red ribbon and ornaments. As I blogged yesterday I have no mistletoe so I shall call it a holly ball. If I don’t have time this year it is something I want to make next year along with a homemade wreath for my front door.