Tonight (5th December) and tomorrow (6th December) are times of much celebration for the excited children (and parents!) of many countries within continental Europe. For Saint Nicholas is due to make his arrival and give presents to the children of Europe.  Parts of France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland all celebrate, in different ways, this saint – known as the protector of children.  However, in England, as a consequence of Henry VIII’s break with Rome and the English Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, it is no-longer the modern-day English custom to celebrate Saint Nicholas.  But in the pre-Reformation medieval/early Tudor period, the feast of Saint Nicholas was celebrated in many towns and villages of England (including the North Essex town of Great Dunmow) as part of the Catholic festivities of Yuletide and Christmas.

The stories and legends of St Nicholas made their way into the exquisite and breath-taking illuminated manuscripts of the medieval England.  One such legend is the tale of three children who had wandered away from their homes and got lost.  A wicked butcher lured the children, by now cold and hungry, into his shop where he attacked and murdered them, then pickled them in a large tub.  Fortunately Saint Nicholas saved them and brought them back to life – thus forever taking his place in legends as the protector of children.

For your delight, below is a selection of images of Saint Nicholas, the saviour of pickled children and storm-lashed boats, from the British Library’s Illuminated Manuscripts collection.

Consecration of Nicholas as a bishop of Myra from The Queen Mary Psalter (England (London/Westminster or East Anglia), between 1310 and 1320), shelfmark Royal 2 B VII f.317, © British Library Board.

Nicholas stilling a storm and saving a boat from The Queen Mary Psalter (England (London/Westminster or East Anglia), between 1310 and 1320), shelfmark Royal 2 B VII f.318, © British Library Board.

Nicholas as a bishop addressing three children in a tub from The Queen Mary Psalter (England (London/Westminster or East Anglia), between 1310 and 1320), shelfmark Royal 2 B VII f.317v, © British Library Board.

Bishop saint Nicholas of Bari resurrecting three murdered children from a pickling vat, at the beginning of the reading for 6 December from The Stowe Breviary (Norwich, England, between 1322 and 1325), shelfmark Stowe 12 f.225, © British Library Board.

Of course, over the centuries the tale of Saint Nicholas has morphed from a saintly bishop in clerical vestments, into the Father Christmas/Santa Claus we know today. And, thanks to a well-known gigantic soft-drinks company, is now a little fat fella with white hair and full beard, resplendent in his red clothes trimmed with white fur.
Nicholas of Bari (or Myra) enthroned and dressed as a bishop, holding a crozier and three golden balls, his hand raised in benediction (Italy, N. (?Lombardy), 2nd half of the 15th century), shelfmark Additional 61734, © British Library Board.

Nicholas of Bari (Italy, N. (?Lombardy), 1st decade of the 16th century), shelfmark Additional 39636 f.49, © British Library Board.

Coca-Cola^® Santa December 1940. Artist Haddon Sundblom had first created this very familiar image of Santa in the 1930s.  Above is “Somebody Knew I Was Coming” and the basis for advertising material during Christmas 1940.  Looking at this image and the ones above, it occurred to me that six hundred years after the beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages, Santa’s right hand is still raised in a form of benediction.

A future post, to be published over this Christmas, will retell the
story of Great Dunmow’s 1530s festivities of Saint Nicholas.

Note on the British Library’s copyright
Nearly a year ago, I first started to use on my blog digital images from the British Library’s catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts.  As all the images were in copyright, I (quite rightly) had to request permission to use these images.  This permission the British Library very willingly and quickly granted me, as my blog is a non-profit hobby blog. However, just recently the British Library has marked all their images from their catalogue of illuminated manuscripts as being Public Domain Images and therefore free of all copyright restrictions.  This is fantastic news for both professional and amateur historians alike.  I have gained much pleasure from sharing my ‘finds’ from their catalogue with you.  The decision to remove their copyright will hopefully encourage more people to use some of the most exquisite images in existence, thereby giving us modern sophisticated(?) digital-age folk a fleeting glimpse into the medieval world.

You may also be interested in the following posts
– Christmas in a Tudor town
– Medieval Christmas Stories

History is full of what-ifs. What if Hitler had been killed in the First World War? What if the weather had been in Spain’s favour when their armada sailed towards England? What-if, what if?

For Tudor England, one of the biggest what-ifs, is… What if Arthur, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York, had not died at Ludlow Castle in 1502? Arthur, so named after that most legendary of English kings, and named to herald in a new golden age of anointed Tudor kings. Arthur, that poor half-forgotten boy-husband of early 16th century politics. His marriage and untimely death in 1502 indirectly leading to his younger brother’s break with Catholic Rome and aiding the fuel in the fire of the English Reformation.

On 14 November 1501, Arthur, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne, married Catherine of Aragon at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Less than five months later, Arthur was dead having (allegedly) never consummated his marriage to Catherine. In 1509, the newly crowned King Henry VIII, married his brother’s widow and thus cast the seeds of England’s quarrel with the Pope. In the eyes of God, could a man marry his brother’s widow? This was the essence of Henry VIII’s Great Matter – which only troubled his conscience years after his marriage, after he had cast his eyes on the comely Anne Boleyn.

What if Arthur had survived and, with Catherine of Aragon, fathered his own Tudor dynasty?

Arthur, Prince of Wales in c1501; and the young widow, Catharine of Aragon c1502 (by Michael Sittow).

The images below are from the Book of Hours (i.e. prayer book) of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII and grandmother of Arthur and his brother, Henry VIII. Each page has additional text inserted relating to Prince Arthur.

Calendar page for April with Prince Arthur’s obit (prayers for the dead) added after his death, from Book of Hours (The ‘Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours’) (South East England, after 1401, before 1415) shelfmark Royal 2 A XVIII f29v, © British Library Board.

Calendar page for September with additions of the dates of Prince Arthur’s birth and Catherine’s of Aragon 1501 journey to England, from Book of Hours (The ‘Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours’) (South East England, after 1401, before 1415) shelfmark Royal 2 A XVIII f32, © British Library Board.
Calendar page for November with the addition of the date of the marriage of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, from Book of Hours (The ‘Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours’) (South East England, after 1401, before 1415) shelfmark Royal 2 A XVIII f33, © British Library Board.

Last week, whilst doing my normal Sunday evening past-time of hunting for treasures on a certain on-line auction site, I happened across this intriguing picture.  Needless to say, as a collector of old postcards who verges on being a compulsive hoarder, I couldn’t resist but to buy him and give him a new home.  Once he had turned up on my front door mat, further research revealed that this was Robert Scarlett, a grave digger of Tudor England.

Old Scarlett buried within Peterborough Cathedral no less than two queens of two countries – a queen of England and a Queen of Scotland: Katherine of Aragon and Mary, Queen of Scots. The tools of his trade are near at hand – the keys to the cathedral, along with his pickaxe and his shovel.  Nearby lies a skull – the ever present representation of death which was his trade.

A picture of a grave-digger or a picture of the Grim Reaper?  You decide…

Old Scarlett, died 1594, in his 98th year. Peterborough Cathedral
You see old Scarlett’s picture stand on hie,
But at your feete here doth his body lie.
His gravestone doth his age and death time show,
His office by thies tokens you may know.
Second to none for strength and sturdye limm,
A Scarebabe mighty voice with visage grim.
Hee had interd two queenes within this place
And this townes house holders in his lives space
Twice over: But at length his own time came;
What hee for others did for him the same
Was done: No doubt his soule doth live for aye
In heaven: Tho here his body clad in clay.

Apothecaries
 ‘Full-page miniatures of an apothecary shop, on the left, and medical consultations, on the right’ from Circa instans (France, 1st quarter 14th century),
shelfmark Sloane 1977 ff. 49v-50, © British Library Board.

Armourers
(I couldn’t find a British Library image of armourer making a suit of armour, so this beautiful image represents the armourers of Medieval & Tudor England)
 ‘Combatant mounted knights in armour and tabard’ from Military Roll of Arms (manuscript also known as Sir Thomas Holme’s Book of Arms), (England, S. E., probably London, before 1448, c. 1446), Harley 4205 ff. 15v-16, , © British Library Board.

Bakers
 ‘Baker putting loaves in oven’ from Decretals of Gregory IX with glossa ordinaria (the ‘Smithfield Decretals’) (France, last quarter of the 13th century or 1st quarter of the 14th century), shelfmark Royal 10 E IV f. 145v, © British Library Board.

Barbers (including surgeons & dentists)
 ‘Dentist extracting teeth’ from Omne Bonum (Circumcisio-Dona Spiritui Sancti) (London, England, c1360-c1375), shelfmark Royal 6 E VI f. 503v, © British Library Board.

Basket-makers
(I couldn’t find an image of someone making a basket, so this beautiful image of The Feeding of the Five Thousand represents the basket-makers of Medieval times)
 ‘Five large baskets of bread and an apostle placing bread in a man’s cloak’ from Book of Hours, Use of Sarum (‘The Taymouth Hours’) (London, England, 2nd quarter of the 14th century), shelfmark Yates Thompson 13 f. 102, © British Library Board.

Blacksmith
 ‘Blacksmith at work’ from Book of Hours (London, c1320-c1330),
shelfmark Harley 6563 f.68v, © British Library Board.

All digital images on this blog are from the British Library’s Online Images archive and appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced (© British Library Board).

Pseudo-Aristotle, Drawing of a sheep in a pen
from De caelo, De anima (England, 1487),
shelfmark: Sloane 748 f.60v, © British Library Board.

Pseudo-Aristotle, Two archers drawing their bows and a man stabbing a lion
from De caelo, De anima (England, 1487),
shelfmark: Sloane 748 f.25v, © British Library Board.

Pseudo-Aristotle,  A pig playing bagpipes, a jester, a man blowing a flute or pipe, & hybrid creatures
from De caelo, De anima (England, 1487),
shelfmark: Sloane 748 f.82v, © British Library Board.

Pseudo-Aristotle, An elephant, a ram, stags, a hare, dogs,
a bucket, & a man blowing a horn
from De caelo, De anima (England, 1487),
shelfmark: Sloane 748 f.131, © British Library Board.

All digital images from the British Library’s Online Images archive appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced © British Library Board.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

You may also be interested in the following
– Early-modern images
– Images of Medieval animals
– Images of Medieval music
– Images of Tudors
– Images of Medieval devils

© Essex Voices Past 2012-2013.

John Arderne’s Tudor woman and Tonsured man from Treatise on Surgery
(England, 1532) Shelfmark: Sloane 776, f. 26v & f. 252v. © British Library Board.

Miniature of a standing man and woman in a garden from The romance poem Roberte the Devyll (England, 2nd half of the 16th century, probably c. 1564)
Shelfmark: Egerton 3132A f. 2v.  © British Library Board.

Knight from The romance poem Roberte the Devyll (England, 2nd half of the 16th century, probably c. 1564) Shelfmark: Egerton 3132A f. 1.  © British Library Board.

Notes
All digital images from the British Library’s Online Images archive appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced © British Library Board.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

You may also be interested in the following
– Henry VIII
– Elizabeth I
– Images of Tudors
– Images of Medieval devils

© Essex Voices Past 2012-2013.

 Illuminated Initial And Border, In The Prayerbook Of John Northewode,
Shelfmark: Additional MS 37787, f.75r, © British Library Board.
The smudged text in red are the words ‘Pope John’ and have been smudged in accordance with Henry VIII’s order that the names of popes and Thomas Beckett should be obliterated.

Deed granted by Henry VIII for the dowry for
Anne of Cleves upon their marriage, © British Library Board.

Notes
All digital images from the British Library’s Online Images archive appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced (© British Library Board).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

You may also be interested in the following
– Henry VIII
– Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves
– Harley Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Psalter

© Essex Voices Past 2012-2013.

On Valentine’s Day 2012, it seems appropriate to blog images of Henry VIII’s love affair with Anne Boleyn.

Margin note from Anne Boleyn to Henry VII, 1528
Shelfmark: MS King’s 9, f. 66v., © British Library Board.
‘Be daly prove you shall me fynde / To be to you bothe lovynge and kynde.’

Anne Boleyn’s Book of Hours
Shelfmark: Kings Ms. 9, f.231v & f.66, © British Library Board.
Henry wrote in the margin (in French) ‘If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours. Henry R. forever.’

The noble tryumphaunt coronacyon of quene Anne,
wyfe unto the moost noble kynge Henry the viij, Wynkyn de Worde, for Johan Goughe (London, 1533),  shelfmark: C.21.b.24, © The British Library Board

Signature of Anne Boleyn
Click on her signature to be taken to a British Library podcast on her
Book of Hours.

Notes
All digital images from the British Library’s Online Images archive appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced (© British Library Board).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

You may also be interested in the following
– Henry VIII
– Henry VIII & Anne Bolyen
– Harley Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Psalter

© Essex Voices Past 2012-2013.

From Henry VIII’s Psalter, Jean Mallard (1540), Shelfmark: Royal 2 A xvi, f.3,
See all of Henry VIII’s Psalter using the British Library’s innovative
Turning the Pages™ technology.  © British Library Board.

Inventory of Henry VIII’s assets on his death, (September 1547)
Shelfmark: Harley Ms. 1419 A, f.206, © British Library Board.

Henry VIII, Charles V and Pope Leo X, (Italy, 1520s)Shelfmark: Add. 35254 S, © British Library Board.   Henry VIII holding a roll, the Papal Bull which gave him the title “Defender of the Faith”). He is supported by a Cardinal (Wolsey?) who is holding an open book (possibly Henry’s treate against Luther, “Defence of the Seven Sacraments”). Henry is disputing with Charles V before Pope Leo X. In front of Charles V is a dragon transfixed by a spear-head.

Notes
All digital images from the British Library’s Online Images archive appear by courtesy of the British Library Board and may not be reproduced (© British Library Board).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading this post.

You may also be interested in the following
– Henry VIII
– Harley Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Manuscripts
– Henry VIII Psalter

© Essex Voices Past 2012-2013.