Medieval and Early Modern Cookies: A Tasty Dalliance

by Heather R Darsie, JD Dear Reader, I thought I would share with you a couple historical cookie recipes that I make for my family. They come from 12th and 16th century recipes. Our first recipe comes from St Hildegard von Bingen, with recipe following the image of Hildegard. Our second cookie recipe comes from a 16th century English manuscript, and can be found after … Continue reading Medieval and Early Modern Cookies: A Tasty Dalliance

Anne of Celje, Second Queen of Wladyslaw II Jagiello of Poland

by Heather R. Darsie, JD Anne of Celje did not have an enjoyable life. True, it was likely better than her lower-class peers, but Anne’s life seemed to be an after thought. She was born in 1386 as the only child of Count William of Celje and Anna of Poland. Anna of Poland’s cousin was Jadwiga of Poland‘s father. Anna was the youngest child of … Continue reading Anne of Celje, Second Queen of Wladyslaw II Jagiello of Poland

Lady Jadwiga of Poland: King and Saint

by Heather R. Darsie, JD Jadwiga was born to King Louis I of Hungary and Poland, known as Louis the Great, and his wife Elizabeth of Bosnia sometime in 1373 or 1374. Elizabeth married King Louis in the Hungarian city of Buda in 1353. Elizabeth was Louis’s second wife. His first wife, Margaret of Bohemia, was a mere seven years old when she married sixteen-year-old … Continue reading Lady Jadwiga of Poland: King and Saint

Update!

Greetings, Dear Reader! I am sorry for not updating this website recently. I finished my first fiction novella, the links for which I shall post below. I am hard at work finishing “Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne” (Pen & Sword, 2023). My book, “Children of the House of Cleves: Anna and Her Siblings” (Amberley 2023) is … Continue reading Update!

The Start of the Polish Jagiellon Dynasty

By Heather R. Darsie, J. D. The Jagiellon Dynasty saw its start with Jogaila Algirdaitis, Grand Duke of Lithuania. It is unknown exactly when Jogaila was born to his parents, Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania and Uliana of Tver. Jogaila was likely born sometime between 1352 and 1362. Algirdas, possibly the fifth of seven sons, was quite successful in expanding his portion of the Lithuanian … Continue reading The Start of the Polish Jagiellon Dynasty

Elisabeth von Habsburg, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania

by Heather R. Darsie, J.D. Elisabeth von Habsburg was born between 1436 and 1439 to the Austrian Archduke Albert II of Germany and his wife Elizabeth of Luxembourg. Elisabeth’s early life saw great struggle between her father, who was crowned King of Bohemia and Hungary in 1537, and the Polish prince Casimir IV Jagiellon. The Polish wished for a marriage between one of Albert II’s … Continue reading Elisabeth von Habsburg, Queen Consort of Poland and Grand Duchess Consort of Lithuania