Medieval Needlework

While tapestries were woven by skilled artisans, usually commissioned by a noble to depict noteworthy accomplishments or events in his life or by the church to depict religious scenes, other needlework was done on an individual basis.

Below are examples of modern cross-stitch needlework done from Medieval-era patterns.  Photos provided courtesy of HyperbOrean.

The pattern book these were taken from was by Johann Siebmacher, and you can download that here:
Johann Siebmacher Book

Parade or "Court" Armor

In the Middle Ages, a king was required to be many things:  statesman, judge, arbitrator, soldier.  He was usually surrounded by other kings who were not averse to expanding their territories by annexing that of weaker rulers, so kings often used displays of wealth and power to help foster the image of being too formidable to safely attack, or perhaps of being more valuable as an ally.

Many kings were required to be true soldiers and spent much of their reigns on the battlefield.  For state occasions, however, where the need to appear as the commander of his army or to project his image as a capable warrior arose away from the battlefield, kings had armor which wasn't designed for protection, but which reflected their wealth, status, and affiliations.

Below are detail pictures of the parade armor for Emperor Ferdinand I, who succeeded his brother, Charles V, as Holy Roman Emperor in 1558.

Breastplate showing engraved image of the Virgin Mother and Child, a motif common to the armor of
Ferdinand's brother, Emperor Charles V, who Ferdinand succeeded.  The armor was made by Kunst Lochner,
one of the premier armor smiths of the era in Nuremburg.

The backplate here is engraved with the crossed staves and fire steels of the Order of the Golden Fleece, of which
Ferdinand was a member.  The toe caps of the boots, which are not pictured, have the imperial double-eagle surmounted
by a royal crown to signify his status as king of the Romans and successor to his brother, Charles V.

Source:  http://thewickedknight.tumblr.com/post/75993459636/armor-of-emperor-ferdinand-i-germany-1549-made-by

On February 6, 1649....

Depiction of Charles II c. 1642-1643
Image courtesy of:  http://british-history.tumblr.com/

On this day in 1649 the Scottish parliament declared Charles, the son of the late King Charles I of England, to be King Charles II of England.  England, however, refused to recognize him as such.

Even Scotland was leery of Charles, who had attempted a failed invasion of Scotland and was not allowed to enter the country until he agreed to honor Presbyterianism.  Charles II did not become King of England until 1660, when the Restoration began.

Marriage Contract, Henry VIII x Katherine of Aragon

Marriage contract between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon

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Marriages between high-ranking personages were as much business contracts and treaties as they were a solemn union before God.  Marriages were made to cement alliances, acquire property or territory, or to secure gold via a dowry.

The above marriage contract is that between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon.  It was signed in 1503 and the Pope granted the dispensation for the marriage the following year.  But in 1505, Henry VII had begun to question his wisdom in contracting an alliance with Spain and forced his son to repudiate the betrothal.  Katherine was left stranded in England.  She had little money, little chance for a new suitor, and little prospect of returning to Spain.


When Henry VII died and his son became Henry VIII, he honored the agreement and married Katherine on June 11, 1509

Medieval Wall Discovered

A wall dating back to the Middle Ages was discovered when some renovation work was being done on a Victorian church dating back to 1840.

Medieval Wall at St. Ffinan's Church, Talwryn, Anglesey, Wales
Photo unattributed, courtesy of the UK Daily Post

Located in Anglesey, an island off of the northern coast of Wales that has a long history, the wall was found at St. Ffinan's church near the village of Talwyrn when a new electricity cable was being installed.  Records from the mid-1800's indicate that an old church was being torn down to make way for the building of the new church, with sources at that time dating the old church as early as 640 AD.  The wall that was discovered may not be from that time period.

St. Ffinan's Church near Talwyrn, Anglesey, Wales.
Photo unattributed, courtesy of the UK Daily Post

Angelsey, or Ynys Mon in Welsh, has scattered low mountains and a few natural lakes.  It is currently on one of the main routes from Great Britain to Ireland via ferries, and is also known for having one of the northernmost olive groves in Europe.

It was believed to be closely associated with the Celtic druids who had sacred groves on the island.  The island was attacked in AD 60 by the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinis who destroyed the shrine and cut down the groves, but the island was not brought into the Roman Empire until AD 78.  The Roman occupation ended toward the close of the 5th century, and the island eventually became the site where the court for the Kingdom of Gwynned was established.  It remained the capital until the 13th Century, when maritime advances nullified the island's natural defensive advantages.

To read the article regarding this discovery in the UK Daily Post, Click Here

February 1 - Selected Events in History

On This Day in 772:  

Adrian I became Pope.  Shortly afterward the Papal States were invaded by King Desiderius of the Lombards who was coincidentally the father-in-law of Charlemagne.  Charlemagne had repudiated his wife in 771 after assuming total control of the Frankish kingdom, and at Pope Adrian's request, he agreed to invade northern Italy to fight Desiderius.  The end result was that Charlemagne also became King of the Lombards.

Adrian struck the first papal coin, and was also the first Pope to no longer date his documents by the emperor in Constantinople, but by the reign of Charles, King of the Franks (Charlemagne).

Apart from his extremely cordial relationship with Charlemagne, Adrian's legacy included the restoration of some of the aqueducts of Rome, and the rebuilding of the churches Santa Maria in Cosmedin and San Marco in Rome.  He died in 795 at the age of 95, and his reign remained the longest of any pope until that of Pius VI in the late 18th Century.

On This Day in 1587:

Queen Elizabeth I
Image courtesy of Wikigallery.org

Queen Elizabeth I signed the warrant of execution for Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Mary had been convicted and sentenced to death by a court of 36 nobleman on October 25, but for political reasons, Elizabeth was reluctant to have the sentence carried out.  Members of the Privy Council, led by William Cecil, Lord Burghley took matters into their own hands several days later and carried out the execution.

Portrait of Mary
 Francois Clouet c. 1559