This place looks awesome! And students get 20% off!!!
Medieval Coiffure by pixiegirlalli on Flickr.
For my followers who understand French, a wonderful documentary that explains spinning in the Middle ages.
Filage de la laine au fuseau et au rouet (by chartrestw)
“Halloween in the Middle Ages
The modern notion that Halloween should be banned because of ‘evil and satanic’ influences - is, at best, a misconception.
Let’s check the historical facts:
Although the holiday’s roots can be traced back to pagan practices, the name ‘Halloween’ is purely a Christian tradition that began in the early Middle Ages.
In fact, permitting pagan traditions to survive was a stroke of genius by the early christian Church.
Halloween is a descendent of the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sah-een) or ‘summer’s end’ in the original Scots Gaelic.
The celebration held on November 1 marked the Celtic New Year when dead souls were believed to walk the earth. ‘Soul cakes’ were left out for good spirits and lanterns were customarily lit - the modern version of the Halloween pumpkin* - to ward off stray evil spirits that also happened to pierce the thin veil of the underworld during this time of year. So deeply imbedded was the Samhain tradition in the human psyche that it survived for centuries.
In the eighth century, the church finally named November 1 All Hallows Day (or the day of the holy ones) in honor of the saints. However, two centuries later, the Church followed the Samhain festival more closely by naming November 2 All Souls Day in honor of the dead.
Owing to the medieval custom of beginning observances the night before, the collective holiday began on All Hallows Evening, or Halloween.
*The native American pumpkin was unknown in medieval Europe. The original European version of the jack-o’-lantern was a turnip.
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(Source: newyorkcarver.com)
Fighting apparel for late medieval knight and horse, Musée des Invalides, Paris.
16th c.
Original by Olivier07 on Flickr.
Why not. :D
Fortification of French city Charité-sur-Loire.
11th c.
