by Heather R. Darsie The amphisbaena is a two-headed beast, “…so called because …[one head is in the right place, the other on its tail. It is unknown how this beast moved about. Basically a two-headed snake, the amphisbaena reportedly moved in a circle. Reportedly the first to awake from hibernation, the amphisbaena is unfazed by the frost and will live in the cold with … Continue reading From the Bestiary: Amphisbaena
by Heather R. Darsie In the Tudor time period, life was very much governed by the church, and people in England generally, at least outwardly, were a religious and God-fearing. Witchcraft was thought to exist, and God could express his pleasure or displeasure, or otherwise send signs through any number of mediums. Did God try to warn Henry VIII, or even Anne Boleyn, that their … Continue reading Anne Boleyn and the Famine
by Heather R. Darsie Have weak eyes? Go down to the water, find yourself a charadrius, and rub its dung in your eyes. Such is a piece of medieval advice. “Charadrius” is the genus for “plover.” According to the MS Bodley 764, a Charadrius is an all-white river bird. The bird could purportedly foretell if a person was mortally ill, as well. By Morris, Beverley … Continue reading From the Bestiary: Charadrius
by Heather R. Darsie It is not entirely clear when Henry Tudor, King of England, fell for Anne Boleyn, but it is approximated as some point in 1526. There exists a series of letters from Henry to Anne in the Vatican Library. In 1720, the letters were published for the first time in Hearne’s Roberti de Avesbury Historia de mirabilus gestis Edwardi III. They have since … Continue reading Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn: Letter One, Approx. July 1527
by Heather R. Darsie This section will look at letters, manuscripts, and traditions that were actual examples of men courting women during the Renaissance period, or gave advice on how to so do. The section starts with the intriguing pursuit of Anne Boleyn by Henry VIII of England. At times tongue-in-cheek, the author will draw similarities between modern dating and Renaissance dating. Continue reading The Art of Wooing
by Heather R. Darsie “When you go to bed in the evening, take something from the Holy Scripture with you to bed, in order to consider it in your heart and – the same as an animal – ruminate over it and gently fall asleep. It should not be much, but rather a little, but a good thing to go through and understand. And when … Continue reading Martin Luther’s Influence on the German Language
by Heather R. Darsie In case you missed it earlier this week on QueenAnneBoleyn.com , have a look! The lives of Henry VIII of England’s six wives are much-chronicled, with myriad books, shows, art, and the like, depicting and dramatizing key moments in each woman’s life. Another man had almost as many wives, though their respective demises were much less salacious than those of Henry’s. … Continue reading The Four Wives of Philip II
by Heather R. Darsie The He-Goat, different from a satyr, is described as a, “…stubborn, lascivious animal.” The He-Goat, “…is always eager to mate,” with eyes that, “…are so full of lust that they look sideways…Its nature is so hot diamonds, against which fire and iron are powerless, dissolve in its blood.” No physical description is given of the He-Goat, and the writer of the … Continue reading From the Bestiary: the He-Goat
by Heather R. Darsie The eale is an all-black, horse-like animal bearing an elephant’s tail, long bull’s horns, and boar’s tusks. The horns are, “…adapted to every kind of movement…” and can, “…be moved as needed when it fights.” When fighting, the eale, “…puts one out in front…, so that if it loses its tip from a blow, it can bring the other one forward.” … Continue reading From the Bestiary: Eale
by Heather R. Darsie This series of posts will feature different animals found in illuminated bestiaries. From August 2017, the following source will be used for all beasts: Barber, Richard: translation and introduction. Bestiary: Being an English Version of the Bodleian Library, Oxford. M. S. Bodley 764. All original miniatures reproduced in facsimile. Woodbridge: 1999. The source shall be abbreviated as “MS Bodley 764 facsimile.” This … Continue reading From the Bestiary
Maidens and Manuscripts: Taking a fresh look at people and events from 1347 to 1625, with a focus on women and illuminated manuscripts 