• Animal Trials

    Yes, I know that sounds crazy but this actually happened and it occurred enough to find several instances of animals being put on trial. These Animal Trials are recorded as having taken place in Europe from the thirteenth century until the eighteenth. They ranged from horses kicking their owners all the way to insects damaging crops. The earliest record of an animal trial is the execution of a pig in 1266 at Fontenay-aux-Roses. Such trials remained part of several legal systems until the 18th century. Animal defendants appeared before both church and secular courts, and the offenses alleged against them ranged from murder to criminal damage. Human witnesses were often…

  • The St. Scholastica Day Riot

    Beginning as a “bar brawl” the riot began on February 10, 1355 as a dispute between two students and the taverner. Lasting two days and resulting in several deaths among local citizens and students. The riot began at the Swindlestock Tavern in Oxford. This is now the site of the Santander Bank on Carfax, on the corner of St Aldate’s and Queen Street. The riot started when two students of the University of Oxford, Walter Spryngeheuse and Roger de Chesterfield, and the taverner, John Croidon began an argument. The students complained about the quality of their drinks. The taverner responded with what was described as “stubborn and saucie language”. Anyone…

  • Saint Guinefort

    Very few people have been given the honor of being venerated as a “Saint,” but only one dog has been fortunate enough to receive that distinction. He even has a feast day, which is on Aug. 22. His story dates back to around the 13th century. Historians say that Guinefort the dog saint assumed the name of an earlier human saint of the same name, but about whom very little is known, except that he was executed by being shot with many arrows. It is unclear how he became transformed into a Greyhound, but this is not uncommon in the history of saints. Many also believe that Guinefort might have…

  • Hair care for the Medieval Woman

    The Bible says a woman’s hair is her crowning glory.  Because of this, it was considered a very private thing.  It was fine for young girls to have unbound hair, and a maiden wore her hair completely unbound on her wedding day as a symbol of her virginity.  Once a lady was married however, it was a different story.  A married woman was to only show her unbound hair to her husband.  Any other time, ladies of quality made sure to cover it with veils, nets, hoods or hats.  Some women in warmer climates abandoned veils for comfort sake, but still adorned their hair with elaborate braids, beads and ribbon.…

  • Oh Brother – Phoebe’s Guide to Monks (Part One)

    Now I don’t know about you, but sometimes all this talk of monks and friars and abbeys and canons can sometimes get a little confusing, and that’s BEFORE people start firing… so I have put together a little something to outline the basic differences between them in order to help you distinguish your Blackfriars from your Greyfriars. There have been bodies of monks since around the third to fourth century, originally founded within the Eastern Orthodox Church by Saint Pachomius under the inspiration of Saint Anthony the Great in Egypt. To begin with these monks spread through Palestine, Judea, Syria and North Africa. St Basil of Caesarea solidified their orders…