The Ritual Master Hello dear friends, and welcome to our second day of Advent. I thought we should get well situated right from the beginning of our adventure, so the very first book I chose to present to you is Toni Mount’s excellent How to survive in Medieval England.
If my history teachers could only see me right now, they would be in total disbelief, since this was never my strong suit. Or dare I say they would be questioning their methods instead of my abilities ? They say the best revenge is to improve yourself, so here I am ! and besides, this would definitely not qualify as a teacher approved history book.
Constructed around the premise of a 21st century individual travelling back in time to the Middle Ages, this is a practical guide to everyday life written in the most humorous tone, for the comfort seeking tech dependent modern day human.
The chapters cover everything, from clothing to food, language and hygiene, social structure, religious ideas, warfare, family or leasure, and it does so with a touch of wittiness that is most entertaining.Here I have found precious details about daily ablutions in the Middle Ages, which were not as rare as we have been made to think, or amusing details about ingenious methods to keep moths away from clothes like hanging them in the outhouse where the smell would keep even the pests away. Changes in meaning for words as simple as nice or silly are always fascinating for the linguist in me, and details about life with pets around the house are always great fun. Don’t think the book is idealising anything, the absence of so many commodities we find indispensable today made life considerably more difficult. But that doesn’t mean the mediaeval folk did not enjoy life. And this, for me, is the most important teaching of this book. In simple and amusing form, it underlines the fact that harder does not necessarily mean lesser, and with this idea, we shall pursue our discoveries for 24 days that will hopefully, change our perspective on the Middle Ages.
I have accompanied my reading of this imaginary time travel, with an exhibition catalogue I have received recently. The village of Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye organised this year an exhibition called Sur le fil ou l’art de se vêtir au Moyen-Âge, The art of clothing during the Middle Ages. Gathering precious information from literary genres like the Arthurian epic or the courtly novel, the exhibition aims to show clothing in its diversity, both as a protective and a defensive envelope. A true social marker in the Middle Ages, clothing distinguishes the individual who wears it through materials, colours, the very nature of textiles, not to mention accessories: shoes, jewellery, furs. With this catalogue, a multiple and colourful western world is revealed, where adornments and fabrics are much more than a question of appearance. Art objects, textiles, sculptures but also precious manuscripts and pieces of armour are telling a visual story that so masterfully completes our idea of the time. I am sorry to have missed the exhibit, but can only encourage you to start your own collection of art books that bring these treasures and knowledge of them into your home.
Until tomorrow, we should get back to our modern day life, but maybe keep an idea or two from these books. The pointy shoes don’t seem so comfortable, but a carefully placed scarf brooch might be just the thing ! See you tomorrow !
