Middle Ages

Letters and embroidery allowed medieval women to express their ‘forbidden’ emotions

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 15, 2024

Women were not allowed to engage widely in holy intellectual pursuits such as writing and interpreting religious texts, so they could only channel their religious fervour and closeness to God through their bodies.

Key Points: 
  • Women were not allowed to engage widely in holy intellectual pursuits such as writing and interpreting religious texts, so they could only channel their religious fervour and closeness to God through their bodies.
  • In the medieval period, prescriptive literature warned women of the dangers of anger – one of seven deadly sins.
  • But while they were discouraged from expressing their feelings in daily life, letters written by elite women of the medieval period are a rich source of information about their emotions.

Surviving letters

  • Not many of these letters have survived.
  • One that has was sent by Aline le Despenser, Countess of Norfolk, to the chancellor of England in around 1273.
  • In Renaissance Italy, the feeling of being powerless was palpable in many of the letters that women wrote.
  • A Corresponding Renaissance: Letters Written by Italian Women, 1375–1650 (2016), by historian Lisa Kaborycha, includes 55 letters written by women of different social status.
  • In one of her letters, she says: “Don’t be born a woman if you want your own way.” The letters by another Florentine women from the same period, Alessandra Strozzi are considered some of the most important insights into political and social life at the time.
  • In one of her letters she says: “Not seeing any of your children makes me wonder who are they doing all this work for.

Embroidered messages

  • These women used their needles as pens, subverting the traditional notion of female docility by incorporating symbols and messages into their designs.
  • During this period, embroidery was not just undertaken for practical purposes but
    was expected from virtuous upper-class women, part of expressing their “true” nature as dutiful and obedient wives and daughters.
  • Her designs were a symbol of her pride and resistance, especially as her letters were under constant surveillance.
  • While these letters and embroidered messages are a fascinating insight into the emotions of medieval women, most of them are from women of high social standing who had wealth and privilege.
  • And clever enough to find their own tools for claiming power, in a culture determined to silence them.


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Pragya Agarwal received funding from Society of Authors for this research and writing of Hysterical.

Five fun fashion Valentine’s gifts from history – from eye rings to hair jewellery

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 12, 2024

But when words fail to express our feelings, lovers throughout history have turned to gifts.

Key Points: 
  • But when words fail to express our feelings, lovers throughout history have turned to gifts.
  • Whether given as part of a public romantic gesture, or in the quiet intimacy of a private moment, romantic gifts are a longstanding staple of romantic expression.
  • But research shows that, if you really want to impress your sweetheart, jewellery and fashion accessories are the best options.

1. Sexy underwear, the Georgian way

  • The corset’s predecessor, stays (fully boned laces bodices), were just a functional part of everyday dress for the Stuarts and Georgians, but they could still have romantic features.
  • The busk was a long piece of wood, which slipped inside a channel at the front of the stays.
  • Engraved with love poems, depictions of hearts, and sometimes even verses euphemistically referring to orgasms, these busks were often given as romantic gifts.
  • Positioned between the breasts, the engraved rhymes often expressed jealousy for the busk, which got to intimately rest in the recipient’s cleavage.

2. Lovers’ eyes


Georgian lovers did not always conceal their love tokens in their underwear. Eye miniatures, also known as lovers’ eyes, were rings, brooches or pendants decorated with miniature paintings of a romantic partner’s eye. These were gifted between lovers as a wearable symbol of their love.
The Bible says that the eyes are the window to the soul, and the lover’s eye was considered an incredibly intimate form of portrait. Yet it was also very secretive and caused tantalising gossip. Much speculation ensued about who was wearing whose eye.

3. Lockets

  • Early lockets often expressed religious devotion and familial connection, rather than romantic love.
  • With the rise of mass manufacture in the 19th century, lockets became a cheaply available and widespread love token for the masses.

4. Hair jewellery


The practice of cutting a lock of your lover’s hair and wearing it in a locket close to your heart was historically widespread, but the Victorians took this trend even further.

  • Hair jewellery – ornaments made from strands of human hair – was incredibly popular in 19th century Britain.
  • While there were also commercial hair jewellery makers, some women crafted rings, bracelets and watch chains out of their lover’s hair at home.

5. Posey rings


Perhaps the most timeless of all wearable tokens of love is the posey ring. These simple gold bands, engraved with a romantic inscription, were consistently popular from the Medieval period. Their name comes from the French, poésy (poetry), referring to the words engraved inside.

  • The inscriptions in these rings were often taken from published compendiums of sayings, such as The Mysteries of Love or the Arts of Wooing, published in 1658.
  • Although it is doubtful that the wooden busk and hair-work jewellery will come back in fashion any time soon.


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Serena Dyer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with 12 Days of Cheese at Whole Foods Market

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231206033170/en/
    Whole Foods Market 12 Days of Cheese (Photo: Business Wire)
    This year’s cheese line-up includes the only American Cheese Society Best in Show three-time awardee, Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve, and several others with top previous recognitions.
  • Each of the selected cheeses will be 35% off for Prime members for all 12 days and 28% off without Prime.
  • Additionally, a 12 Days of Cheese sampler bag, including three handpicked cheeses, Savannah Bee Whipped Honey and crackers, will be available for $34.99.
  • Find out more about the 12 Days of Cheese program here , including more pairings and tips from our expert team.

'TO THINE OWN SELF': Bonny G Smith Announces the First Book of THE WARS OF THE ROSES SAGA

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 16, 2023

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bonny G Smith's TO THINE OWN SELF is a historical fiction novel set in turbulent fifteenth century England. This fascinating novel is the first of two books in Ms. Smith's new WARS OF THE ROSES SAGA. This exciting new series tells the story of the dynastic conflict in England known as the Wars of the Roses. This blood-soaked, epic tale is the story of the thirty-year struggle for the English throne between the rival Plantagenet Houses of York and Lancaster. This is the story of the last Plantagenets, and how their three-hundred-year dynasty came to an end at the hands of the Tudors. This impressive new historical fiction series serves as the prequel to the four books of Ms. Smith's popular opus, THE TUDOR CHRONICLES, laying the foundation for the dawn of the Tudor Dynasty. TO THINE OWN SELF is peopled by a fascinating cast of characters, including kings and queens, princesses and peasants, commoners and courtiers, heroes and villains. This is a world dominated by loyalty and treachery, bloody battles and tense sieges, where life was lived against the backdrop of the one of the most captivating and colorful eras in history: The Middle Ages. 

Key Points: 
  • This fascinating novel is the first of two books in Ms. Smith's new WARS OF THE ROSES SAGA.
  • This exciting new series tells the story of the dynastic conflict in England known as the Wars of the Roses.
  • "Bonny G Smith creates superb fictionalized accounts of the lives of the fascinating men and women of the Medieval and Tudor eras.
  • – Dr. Steven Veerapen, PhD, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
    "For those who love the Tudor era, Bonny G Smith's novels are a must-read.

TONDEO Makes North American Launch with Donation to Matthew Shepard Foundation

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Today, the term "Made in Solingen," is protected by law and emblazoned on each pair of TONDEO scissors, now available in North America online and direct to professionals .

Key Points: 
  • Today, the term "Made in Solingen," is protected by law and emblazoned on each pair of TONDEO scissors, now available in North America online and direct to professionals .
  • During the month of June, 5 percent of your TONDEO purchase will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
  • The brand name TONDEO (ton-DAY-oh) is derived from the Latin word tondere which means, "to cut."
  • During the month of June, 5 percent of your TONDEO purchase will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation .

Easter eggs: their evolution from chicken to chocolate

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries.

Key Points: 
  • Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries.
  • Eggs have long symbolised rebirth and renewal, making them perfect to commemorate the story of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the arrival of spring.
  • Although nowadays eggs can be eaten during the fasting period of Lent, in the middle ages they were prohibited along with meat and dairy.
  • For Easter – a period of celebration – eggs and meat, such as lamb (also a symbol of renewal), were back on the table.
  • Across Europe, eggs were also given as a tithe (a sort of yearly rent) to the local church on Good Friday.
  • The Wordsworth Museum in the Lake District still has a collection of eggs made for the poet’s children from the 1870s.

From dyed eggs to chocolate eggs

    • Although dyeing patterned eggs is still a common Easter activity, these days eggs are more commonly associated with chocolate.
    • Catholic theologians did connect chocolate with Easter in this time, but out of concern that drinking chocolate would go against fasting practices during Lent.
    • Chocolate remained expensive into the 19th century, when Fry’s (now part of Cadbury) made the first solid chocolate bars in 1847, revolutionising the chocolate trade.
    • Even in the early 20th century, these chocolate eggs were seen as a special present, and many people never even ate theirs.
    • It was only in the 1960s and 1970s that supermarkets began to offer chocolate eggs at a cheaper price, hoping to profit off the Easter tradition.
    • With rising concerns over long-term chocolate production and bird flu provoked egg shortages, future Easters might look a little different.

Healium Introduces Sleepium to Tackle Sleep Hygiene

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 21, 2023

With the introduction of Sleepium the company broadens its reach to improve peoples' sleep hygiene.

Key Points: 
  • With the introduction of Sleepium the company broadens its reach to improve peoples' sleep hygiene.
  • The idea being that a person would train their brain throughout the day using Healium and switch to Sleepium without a wearable before bed to assist with sleep training.
  • The launch of Sleepium marks a significant milestone in the company's growth and commitment to providing innovative solutions to wellness and sleep hygiene.
  • We have re-envisioned sleep hygiene with a new kind of bedtime story that teaches people the power of their own thoughts in order to self-heal.

The House of Rohl® Inspires a Life Well-Crafted Through Latest Innovations & Timeless Classics at KBIS 2023

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 31, 2023

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, House of Rohl®, a portfolio of five iconic, global luxury plumbing brands, unveiled several new trend-inspired collections that bring global design into the home. The latest offerings showcase the brand's commitment to lifestyle and craft and the benefits of being able to design throughout the home with the five brands within House of Rohl: Riobel®, Perrin & Rowe®, Shaws®, Victoria + Albert®, and ROHL®.

Key Points: 
  • Also new this year is the Victoria + Albert Lussari™ Collection by House of Rohl, consisting of freestanding bathtubs and vessel sinks.
  • The iconic Shaws Shaker™ Fireclay Kitchen Sink by House of Rohl is also on display at KBIS 2023.
  • For more information, consumers and designers can discover the latest luxury decorative plumbing innovations and offerings from the House of Rohl portfolio of brands at houseofrohl.com .
  • House of Rohl and its portfolio of brands are a part of the Fortune Brands Innovations (NYSE: FBIN).

Hafthor Bjornsson (Thor), Game of Thrones Star and World's Strongest Man Joins Legends at War, a Sabre Games Creation

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 13, 2023

is a state-of-the-art, free-to-play game where players of all levels can enjoy tournament play in a Medieval setting, created by Sabre Games.

Key Points: 
  • is a state-of-the-art, free-to-play game where players of all levels can enjoy tournament play in a Medieval setting, created by Sabre Games.
  • They've announced the collaboration and participation of one of the world's most recognizable personalities in gaming and entertainment: Hafthor Bjornsson (Thor), the former World's Strongest Man (2018), and "The Mountain", from Game of Thrones.
  • By including players in the development process, Sabre Games built a game that gamers want.
  • The Sabre Games team has developed over 160 titles that have been downloaded over 20 million times.

Medieval Empires Announces Its Much-Anticipated Token Generation Event (TGE)

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 18, 2022

Singapore, Nov. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the successful completion of seed and private rounds and tremendous response on the land sale, Web3 strategy game, ‘Medieval Empires’ is excited to announce its upcoming Token Generation Event, to be held on 14th December 2022.

Key Points: 
  • Assad Dar, Chief Visionary Officer and Co-founder of Medieval Empires, is all geared up for the upcoming big event.
  • The token generation event (TGE) is a huge milestone for all of us!
  • What I love about Medieval Empires is that the best professionals from different fields have come together to create this blockchain game.
  • Medieval Empires is set to launch in the second quarter of 2023 and promises to be a one-of-its-kind blockchain game.