I’ve been reading a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137-1152), which led me to the subject of troubadours.
Troubadours were poets and musicians whose art form flourished mostly between the 11th and 13th centuries. They tended to be employed by… Read More
I had on an itchy wool sweater the other day that practically drove me bonkers. It got me thinking about how pious people in the Middle Ages wore hair shirts–usually a linen chemise lined on the inside with itchy, bristly… Read More
City streets could be very dark in the days before street lamps. On moonless nights, citizens in 18th century cities could hire a "linkboy" to light the way; he used a torch of rope stiffened with fat, pitch, and resin.