This is the page to look for interesting facts, information about some of the stuff I use in my books, sort of a catch all of things that strike my fancy. There will also be news and updates, so check back often.

Lowthar's Blade Pronunciation Guide - Alphabetical

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Interesting Facts About Medieval Life

A lot of my fantasy books take place in a medieval type society. With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to share some facts about medieval life with my readers.

·       Life was hard in medieval times.

·       People’s livelihoods were totally dependent on their crops. If their crops failed, they starved.

·       After 1066, the common folk could no longer hunt in the forests. The new king claimed that all land, and all the animals living on that land, belonged to him. To hunt them was a serious offense.

·       Food was of poor quality. The common folk ate almost no animal protein or meat except for a little milk or eggs. Most lived on pottage, or a thick split pea kind of soup.

·       Their cottages were about the size of today’s living rooms, and they were small, dark, smoky, and smelly.

·       There was a central hearth or fireplace, often in the middle of the room, with a hole in the ceiling to let the smoke out. But it was poor ventilation and the homes were always smoky and black inside.

·       The floors  were made of beaten down earth. Castles threw rushes or sweet hay over the stone floor.

·       Animals such as pigs, chickens often wandered inside the small cottage. Often, during the winter, they would live inside the cottage with the family so they didn’t freeze.

·       Most medieval folk didn’t have soap and they washed their clothes with a combination of water and ash.

·       Medieval people still believed in magic. They believed in sorcery and witches and demons. They had no scientific understanding of much of the world around them and so looked to the supernatural for explanations of illness, poor crops, bad luck, and natural phenomenon like thunder and lightning and eclipses.    

·       Alchemists were the medieval version of a scientist. They spent most of their time searching for a process that would turn ordinary substances into gold. The philosopher’s stone was rumored to have this power.

·       Their favorite cure for almost any illness was bloodletting. They believed the losing blood helped release evil humors from the body, which was what caused illness.

·       Punishment was harsh: branding, ducking in the moat, being made to stand in the pillory with ones neck and arms confined. Children who were unruly were often put to the finger pillory, where they had to stand with their fingers stuck in a board for a determined length of time.

·       Instead of TV and Video, their entertainment was dancing dogs, puppet shows, troubadours or minstrels, jesters, and rooster fights.

·       For the well-to-do, food was not served on plates but on thick slabs of stale bread called trenchers.

·       But lest you think medieval society was too crude, be assured they did indeed have table manners.

            Do not spit on or over the table.

            If you must spit, spit politely onto the floor.

            Do not belch near anyone’s face if you have bad breath.

            Do not pick your teeth at the table with a knife, straw, or stick.

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These were the species of hawk or falcon you were allowed to keep, depending on your social standing:

Emperor: Golden Eagle, Vulture, & Merlin
King: Gyrfalcon
Prince, Duke, Early, Baron: Peregrine
Knight: Saker
Squire: Lanner Falcon
Lady: Female Merlin
Yeoman: Goshawk or Hobby
Priest: Female Sparrowhawk
Holywater clerk: Male Sparrowhawk
Knaves, Servants, Children: Old World Kestrel

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