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Medieval oaths: 5 things you should know before making those New Year's resolutions

31/12/2014

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Whether you're contemplating making a resolution, vow, promise, pledge, or even a sworn oath, the New Year awaits, and it's time to gird up your loins!  With great vigour and vim, the Anglo-Saxon Monk tackles the fascinating subject of oath-making in early medieval England.

Picture
The Bayeux Tapestry (late 11th-century). Harold (right) swears an oath to William (left) whilst touching two altars. Beware the man who makes overblown pledges! Image: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
After a week of frivolity and feasting, you, my blessed readers, may now be feeling just a tinge of guilt as well as a wave of melancholy bordering on moroseness.  Somehow, though, urged on by that internal (and infernal) cycle of life, you may suddenly feel that you’re about to bolster your mind, stiffen your resolve and, indeed, gird up your loins. 

Promises to renew with verve your visits to the blessed gymnasium and even to forfeit mead for a month will follow, no doubt.  But, beloved beholders of blogs, I feel obliged to ask you, as you clear away your emptied cups of mirth, if you truly know the value of an oath. 

Why do I ask?  Well, in the medieval world, oaths were taken most seriously.  They certainly were not reserved for dubious, after-the-party declarations of good intentions. 

So to help everyone appreciate the importance of vows and oaths, I’ve decided to take a look at five fascinating facts about oath-making in early medieval England.


Now, I will just say that I can’t promise you that my medieval morsels will be at all relevant to your current post-pleasure predicament, though I will do my best to identify a few parallels here and there.  You deserve nothing less.

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Merry Christmas!

23/12/2014

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To say thank you to all of his blessed readers, the Anglo-Saxon Monk has picked three of his favourite Christmas scenes from the British Library's collection of illuminated manuscripts.  And he's even thrown in a few words of monastic commentary for your delectation.  What a generous soul!

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The Nativity. British Library, Egerton 809 (Swabia, South Germany, 12th-century), folio 1v. This image is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN. Click on the image to go to its source.
What's a Christmas Nativity scene without a donkey? This lovely example from Swabia, South Germany, has it all doesn't it?  The rather splendid twelfth-century columns and arches of the humble stable, the generously bedecked, wooden bed for the Virgin Mary (nice pillow), and even the "I'm perplexed" gesture of Joseph.  (Is he, I wonder, still finding it difficult to believe the Archangel Gabriel's story?) 

I must confess that I'm a bit concerned that the face of the Christ Child seems to be aged about fifteen, but that's just my personal opinion.  And I suppose you've noticed that Donkey, and his friend Cow, do look like they're nibbling the Christ Child's blanket, and so not simply engaging in a bit of anthropomorphised adoration.  "Naughty Donkey!" says the Virgin, wagging her finger at him. 
Picture
The Nativity in the Stowe Breviary. British Library, Stowe 12 (Norwich, 1322-1325), folio 16v, showing detail of the historiated 'H'. This image is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN. Please click on it to go to its source.
This is exquisite isn't it?  As long as you don't mind those long faces!

The enlarged detail is an historiated initial 'H', which forms the word 'Hodie'
(Latin, 'Today') along with the text to the side.  Thus it marks the beginning of the choir response for morning prayers (lauds) on Christmas Day. 

It is amazing how much detail has been packed into a painting that measures only about 40x40mm (not even 2x2 inches, my blessed US readers).  Like the Swabian Nativity scene, above, the Virgin Mary has a rather lovely pillow (note the floral bobbles on its corners), and it also has those familiar stable animals, Donkey and Cow, complete with delicately painted muzzles, no doubt to stop any blanket nibbling.  

I can't help wishing the artist had taken the trouble to make Mary and Joseph look just a little bit cheerier.  I'd even go as far as to say that she/he made Mary look a tad disappointed.  But at least Joseph is acknowledging the swaddled Christ Child on high (a very high manger, wouldn't you say?).  So come on, Blessed Virgin, radiate some heavenly joy, for you've just given birth to the Saviour of Mankind!   
Picture
Coronation of Edmund. British Library, Harley 2278 (Bury St Edmunds, 1434-1439), folio 31r. This image is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN. Please click on it to take you to its source.
OK, you sharped-eyed art historians!  This is not the Nativity.  But it is Christmas.  In fact, it's a depiction of King Edmund I of East Anglia (r. 855-869), surrounded by his blessed bishops and other clerics at his coronation on Christmas Day.  Talk about making an impact or, should we say, basking in someone else's heavenly glory?

But we will ignore the possibility of the latter by reminding ourselves that this most saintly of Anglo-Saxon kings was a bit unfortunate, for in the year 869 he was martyred by those terribly nasty, heathen Vikings!

Never mind, he had a lovely Christmas Day in 855.  Just look at the splendour!  OK, it's true that we don't really know he was crowned on Christmas Day (it's a later medieval invention probably), but nothing will take away my joy at those amazing cloaks that the two bishops in the foreground are wearing.  They are just so Christmassy!  I would kill an Anglo-Saxon king for one like them.  But not to be.  For I am just the humble Anglo-Saxon Monk.

A blessed Merry Christmas to you all!
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Coming soon ...

22/12/2014

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In 2015, the Anglo-Saxon Monk will be creating his ASMDirectory, a vehicle for finding medieval goodies and services.  If you want to know more, click the link below:
The Anglo-saxon monk directory
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    Welcome, blessed readers! This is the blog of the Medieval Monk, the alter ego of Dr Christopher Monk.

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