Greetings,
I heard from Carys today...first time in months. She has been learning the
value of backing up data and what electrical storms can do to computers.
There was a freak thunder and lightning storm which "fried" their computer,
cooker, and fax machine. She has lost everything on the hard drive.
I've heard from Keith and wife as well....and from Harri in Ysbyty Ifan
(remember Priscilla, we visited them as they were about to leave for
Africa?). Harri had me call a gentleman who was to check some records for
me. I finally obtained his email address and have sent him some of our
lines from Ysbyty Ifan to peruse. Hopefully, some new discoveries will be
forthwith. Patience is the key, I guess! <G>
I still lack the time to write of our trip and to read all the books I
purchased, but I'll get to it. As our lines are known (for the most part),
I find it important to fill the gaps with the history of their lives as
well as of the times. After all, history enriches the names and dates and
gives form to our ancestors. Perhaps some of you are interested in
checking your libraries for books to add to all this, as well. I know that
many University libraries would have such old and interesting histories on
Wales and early Britain.
To add a bit of something to the Season, I'll share with your from a book I
have on Christmas customs of old. Years ago, I bought this as I was
interested in our customs and found that some of our relatives are mentioned.
Source: Christmas: __Its Origin and Associations, together with its
Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries__ by
W.F. Dawson, London, 1902. (republished by Gale Research Co, Book Tower,
Detroit, 1968)
p. 34: Charlemagne's coronation took place at Rome on Christmas Day 800.
p. 35: "During the reign of Alfred the Great a law was passed with
relation to holidays, by virtue of which the tweleve days after the
nativity of our Saviou were set apart for the celebration of the Christmas
festival. some writers are of opiinion that, but for Alfred's strict
observance of the 'full twelve holy days,' he would not have been defeated
by the Danes in the year 878."
p. 36: "...in 961 King Edgar celebrated the Christmas festival with great
splendour at york; and in 1013 Ethelred kep his Christmas with the brave
citizens of London who had defended the capital during a seige and stoutly
resisted Swegen, the tyrant king of the Danes..."
p. 38: "...Edward the Confessor, who, we are told, was heartily chosen by
all the people for the two very good reasons, that he was an Englishman by
birth, and the only man of either the English or the Danish royal families
who was at hand. he was the son of Ethelred and Emma and at the Christmas
festival of his cornoation there was great rejoicing....At the Christmas
meeting of the King and his Wise Men, at Goucester, in 1053, it was ordered
that Rhys, the brother of Gruffydd, the South Welsh king, be put to death
for his great plunder and mischief...."
p. 30: William the Conqueror was crowned king on Christmas day by
Archbishop Ealdred.
p. 47: "Henry the First's Christmas festival at Windsor, in 1126, was a
memorable one. In that year Henry's daughter matilda became a widow by the
death of her husband, Henry V. of Germany, and King Henry determined to
appoint her his successor to the throne of England and the Dukedom of
Normandy. On Christmas Day, 1126, a general assembly of the nobles and
higher ecclesiastics of the kingdom was held at Windsor for the purpose of
declaring the Empress Matilda (as she was still called) the legitimate
successor of Henry I., and the clergy and Norman barons of both countries
swor allegiance to her in the event of the king's death. This appointment
of Matilda was made by Henry in consequence of the calamity which occurred
just before Christmas in 1120, when he lost his much-loved son, Prince
William --the only male legitimate issue of Henry--through the wreck of La
Blanche nef (the Whte Ship). On board the vessel were Prince William, his
half-brother Richard, and Henry's natural daughter the Countess of Perche,
as well as about a hundred and foty young noblemen of the most
distinguished families in England and Normandy, all of whom were lost in
the passatge home, only a few hours after the safe arrival of the king in
England. Henry is said to have swooned at the intelligence, and was never
afterwards seen to smile. he had returned home anticipating a joyous
Christmas festival, a season of glad tidings, but he was closely followed
by this sad news of the death of the heir apparent....."
p. 67: "In 1277, Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, biden from his mountain
fastnesses 'with a kiss of peace,' sat a guest at the Christmas feast of
Edward (Edw. I), but he was soon to fall the last defender of his weeping
country's independence in unequal battle with the English King."
p.54-6: Royal Christmases at Windsor under Henry II. (paraphrased)
Henry ..."kept his ensuing Christmas with the magnificence and display
peculiar to the times, and all the ancient sports and usages; in which the
nobles and genry of the surrounding country assisted with much splendour at
the hunt and tourney, and bestowed lavish gifts on the spectators and the
people."..."talbes of princes, prelates and great barons were plentifully
supplied with many dishes of meat dressed in various ways." People were
sent to various countries to collect rare dishes. The entertaiment lasted
from 3pm to midnight; delicacies were served which where brought from
Constantinople, Babylon, Alexandria, Palestine, Tripoli, Syria and Phoenicia."
In 1171, Henry's Christmas guests included Irish princes and chieftains
which had to be persuaded to eat the flesh of cranes, as they didn't know
of it. Besides wines of various kins, they had pigment, morat, mead,
hypocras, claret, cider, pery and ale. The claret of that time was wine
clarified and mixed with spies and hypocras was wine mixed with honey.
Chrismastide was commonly a time of overindulgence in both drink and
food...even by the monks. Their abbots often had to reduce the number of
the monk's dishes per meal. The monks even complained to the king of it.
At Christmas in Canterbury, monks received at least 17 dishes every day
besides dessert and the dishes "were dressed with spices and sauces which
excited the appetite as well as pleased the taste."
p. 57-8: The earliest existing carol is one in the Anglo-Normas language
which refers to the drinking customs of the time.
"To English ale, and Gascon wine,
And French, doth Christmas much incline --
An Anjou's too;
He makes his neighbour freely drink,
So that in sleep his head doth sink
Often by day,
May joys flow from God above
To all those who Christmas love.
Lords, by Christmas and the host
Of this manison hear my toast --
Drink it well--
Each must drain his cup of wine,
And I the first will toss of mine:
Thus I advise,
Here then I bid you all Wassail,
Cursed be he who wil not say Drinkhail."
p. 64: Henry III: "The consumption of meats and drinks at such feasts was
enormous. An extant order of Henry's, addressed to his keeper of wines,
directs him to deliver two tuns of white and one of red wine, to make
garhiofilac and claret 'as usual,' for the king at Christmas; and upon
another occasion the Sheriffs of Gloucestershire and Sussex were called
upon to supply part of the necessary provisions; the first named being
directed to get twenty salmon, and make pies of them; while the later was
instructed to send ten peacocks, ten brawns with their heads and other
things. ...while feasting the rich, he didn't not forget the poor. When
he kept his Christmas at Winchester in 1248, he ordered his treasurer to
fill Westminsiter Hall with poor people and feat them there for a week."
p. 73: In 1348 under Edward II, Christmas was kept at Guildford. "Orders
were given to manufature for the Christmas sports eighty tunics of buckram
of different colours and a large number of masks--some with faces of women,
some with beards, some like angel heads of silver....The celebration of
Christmas lasted from All Hoallow's Eve, the 31 of October, till the day
after the Purification, the 3rd of February. At the court, a Lord of
Misrule was apointed, who reigned during the whole of this period, and was
called 'the master of merry disport.s' he rulles over and organized all
the games and sports, and during the period of his rule there was nothing
but a succession of masques, disguisings, and dances of all kinds. All the
nobles, even the Mary of London, had an officer of this kind chosen in
their households. Dancingt was a very favourite amusement."
p. 96: Henry VII at Westminister Hall. His banquet tables were loaded
with peacocks, swans, herons, conger, sturgeion, brawn and all the
delicacies of the period. The Queen would give Henry a new years' gift on
the morning of New Year's Day. She received gifts also. On this day and
Christmas the king wore his Kirtle, his surcoat and his pane of arms; and
he walked, having his hat of estate on his head, his sword borne before
him, with the chamberlian, steward, treasurer, comptroller, preceding the
sword and the ushers; before whom must walk all the other lords except
those who wore robes, who must follow the King. The highest nobleman in
rank, or the King's brother, if present, was to lead the Queen, another of
the King's brothers or else the Prince to walk with the King's
train-bearer. On the Twelfth Day the King was to go "crowned, in his royl
robes, kirtle and surcoat, his furred hood about his nec, and his ermines
upon his arms, of gold set full of rich stones with balasses, sapphires,
rubies, emeralds, and pearls."
Among special itmes of the banquests of this period were "the devices for
the table called subtleties, made of past, jelly, or blanc-mange, placed in
the middle of the board, with lables describing them; various shapes of
animals were frequent; and on a saint's day, angels, prophets, and
patriarchs were set upon the table in plenty. The most famous dish was
'the peachock enkakyll, which is foremost in the procession to the king's
table.' The recipe: 'Take and flay of the skin with the feathers, tail,
and the neck and head thereon; then take the skin and all the feathers and
lay it on a table abroad and strew thereon ground cinnamon; then take the
peacock and roast him and baste him with raw yolks of eggs; and when he is
roated, take him off, and let him cool awhile and take him and sew him in
his skin, and gild his comb and so serve him with the last course.'"
(Moves you to vegetarianism, doesn't it! <G>)
p. 97: Card playing was forbidden except at Christmas per Henry VII, but
his prohibition only extended to persons of low rank.
------
Amazing, isn't it....makes you wonder how we ever reverted back to some
semblance of religion....Oh, those Puritans! <G>
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn newydd Dda
(With Christmas Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year)
Emily