Naming February -- Creativity Month

 

Although February is the birthday month of such great Americans as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and my son, most people tend to think of Valentine’s Day when you mention February. And of course, Valentine’s Day makes one think of LOVE. So just for fun, I looked up people whose last name was LOVE. Here are a few interesting ones.

Augustus Edward Hough Love, (1863 – 1940), often known as A. E. H. Love, was a mathematician famous for his work on the mathematical theory of elasticity. He also won the Adams prize in 1911 for developing a mathematical model of surface waves known as Love waves. Love also contributed to the theory of tidal locking and introduced the parameters known as Love numbers, which are widely used today in problems related to the tidal deformation of the Earth due to the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun. He authored the two volume classic, A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity.

Harry Montagu Love (1877 --1943) was an English screen, stage and vaudeville actor. Educated in Great Britain, Love began his career as an artist, with his first important job as an illustrator for The Illustrated Daily News in London. Love's acting debut came with an American company in a production in the Isle of Wight. He honed basic stage talents in London. He was typically cast in heartless villain roles. Love was one of the more successful villains in silent films.

 

Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love (1916 – 2008) was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on Broadway. He was best known as a designer and builder with the Muppets, in particular those on Sesame Street. Love built Oscar the Grouch and then Big Bird after a drawing was designed by Henson. Love also helped create Cookie Monster. Later, he designed Mr. Snuffleupagus.

Geoffrey Love (4 September 1917 – 8 July 1991), known as Geoff Love, was a prolific British arranger and composer of easy listening and pop versions of film themes. He became famous in the late 1950s. After leaving school at 15, Love worked as a car mechanic and played trombone at dance halls in the evening. Having turned professional at 17, Love joined Freddie Platt's band. Later, in 1936, he joined Jan Ralfini's band playing in London and learned to play jazz. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Love was called up and joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps. While in the armed forces, Love spent time learning orchestration by questioning musicians how best to write for their individual instruments.

 

Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Her career has spanned four decades. In 2020, NME named her "one of the most influential singers in alternative culture of the last 30 years." Love has also been active as a writer; she co-created and co-wrote three volumes of a manga, Princess Ai, between 2004 and 2006, and wrote a memoir, Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love (2006).

The interesting thing I noticed about these people was they were all very creative and left their marks on the arts, including music and writing. Even the mathematician wrote books. As a writer myself, I love the idea of making February creativity month, especially for those of us who write romance--the story of relationships and love.

Not all of my romance novels have the word “love” in the title, but as I look them over, I found three different subgenres that did. “A Game of Love” is a contemporary set in Boston with a little mystery, a lot of passion and even a ghost. “Love in Disguise” is an historical full of hidden identities, murder and intrigue and a very feminist heroine even though it’s set in 1876. One of my most recent, “Loving Charlie Forever” is a great time travel set in an old west town in South Dakota; again with mystery and a great deal of romance and love.

All the love and romance you could want is available in these and other books of mine available through Books We Love at https://www.bookswelove.net.

My love to you this February and throughout the year.

Barb Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

https://bookswelove.net/baldwin-barbara/

 

What do you think when someone mentions Banff, Alberta?

Visit Barbara Baker's BWL Author page here: https://bookswelove.net/baker-barbar/

What do you think when someone mentions Banff, Alberta? Million-dollar views. Rugged mountains. Tourist lined streets. Shopping. Hiking. Skiing. Wildlife. All of the above?

Banff has so much to offer but to me, it’s home. Born and raised in the area, and now living in Calgary, there is no better feeling than heading west on the Trans Canada and having the familiar peaks fill the horizon.

The old adage, write about what you know, takes a big role in my YA novel, Summer of Lies.

Jillian, my protagonist, came to life many years ago on a chairlift ride with my saucy, tenacious teenage niece, Sami. Being avid readers, on the ride up the lifts we would debate plot lines, characters and discuss the types of stories we like to read. Then we'd race down the run. She always won. On one of those rides up the lift, we decided someone needed to tell an outdoor adventure story that takes place in Banff. Since Sami still had school and life to attend to, I said I’d write it. What a process. A lengthy process. But it's now complete.

Summer of Lies, release date February 1, 2021.

Available on Amazon and at https://books2read.com/Summer-of-Lies

Book trailer for Summer of Lies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=croxBeIBpUE

 

My contact info: bbaker.write@gmail.com

 

Wedding Traditions by J. S. Marlo

 

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

My son proposed to his girlfriend over the Christmas Holidays to the delight of my six year-old granddaughter. She had been pushing them to get married for months, but when my future daughter showed her her ring, my granddaughter was in shock and almost burst out crying. Since there was a ring on her future auntie's finger, my granddaughter thought she had missed the wedding. Her mother and I had to explain to her that the guy gives the girl a ring with a gem when he proposes then the day they get married, they both give each other a wedding band.

The little episode got me thinking about the origins of some wedding traditions, so I started googling...just in case I decide to add a wedding in my upcoming Christmas novel.

The Origin of Bridesmaids

Ever wonder why bridesmaids are often asked to wear matching dresses to support the bride during the processional? It wasn't always to ensure the bride stood out, while her besties donned tacky gowns. Quite the opposite, as bridesmaids originally wore similar dresses to the bride to confuse her exes and outsmart evil spirits. That way, the evil spirits wouldn't know which woman in the group was getting married.

As far as bridesmaid duty, in early Roman times, bridesmaids would line up to form somewhat of a protective shield while walking the bride to the groom's village. The group of women, who were similarly dressed, were expected to intervene if any vengeful paramours tried to hurt the bride or steal her dowry.

The Origin of the Wedding Cake

It was common for grooms to take a bite of bread at the wedding, crumbling the rest over the bride's head for good luck. Guests would then scramble around her feet to pick up the crumbs, in order to absorb some of that good luck.

Later, the tradition evolved into the bride pushing pieces of her wedding cake through her ring to the guests. Those in attendance would take that piece of cake home to place under their pillows for, again, good luck.

The Origin of the Best Man

Obviously, runaway brides have been around for quite some time, because the best man's former duty was to make sure the bride didn't escape during the ceremony. Sometimes he was even asked to kidnap her. Yes, kidnap her. When the parents didn't approve of the marriage, the best man was tasked with ensuring the groom was able to take her away regardless of how her father felt.

Oh, and the best man wasn't just picked because he was the groom's best friend or brother. No, the term "best" was added to the title because that person had to be the strongest and most capable of the lot when it came to using a sword or weapon to fight off enemies and rival attackers during the ceremony.

The Origin of the White Wedding Dress

White is often associated with purity, which is why it's thought of as the traditional color for virgin brides. But did you know that before the mid-1800s, brides actually wore red. They didn't start wearing white until around 1840 when Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert. Victoria went against the grain and opted for a white, lacy dress, a color that, at the time, represented wealth as opposed to purity.

The Origin of “Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue”

The tradition dates all the way back to the Victorian era, where these old, new, borrowed, and blue items were procured to bring good fortune to the bride, especially when they were all worn together during the ceremony.

The “something old” was worn to connect the bride to her past and her family, with the “something new” signifying that she was about to start her own new family and journey now. Unlike the old, the “something borrowed” was supposed to be taken from a happily married couple so that couple's good fortune could be passed on to the bride. The “something blue” was associated with faithfulness and loyalty in the relationship, akin to the phrase, “true blue.” However, the part of the rhyme that most people leave off is “a sixpence in my shoe,” which encouraged the bride to tuck in a sixpence coin for good luck.

The Origin of the Bridal Bouquet & Flower Girl

 Ancient Greek brides would carry clusters of herbs and spices—not flowers—to ward off evil spirits. That tiny bundle was thought to have magical powers. 

Typically the youngest person in the wedding party, the flower girl precedes the bride down the aisle. The tradition dates back to ancient Rome, where the flower girl carried wheat and herbs for the bride and groom.

The Origin of the Bouquet and Garter Toss

Tossing the bouquet is a standard tradition seen at most weddings, although, the garter toss is slowly losing its relevancy among modern-day brides. While the toss is probably the most annoying part of the reception for the singles club, you’ll be surprised to learn why the bride and groom used to throw the two at their guests.

In the past, couples didn’t wait until the honeymoon to consummate their marriage. They would often do the deed right after saying “I do,” which came as no surprise to their family members. The bouquet toss was used as a distraction, so she and the groom could...um...handle their business, while all the single ladies fought for the floral bunches. Tossing the garter also symbolized that the groom had made things official, as eager guests waited outside of the bedchamber for proof.

The Origin of the Veil

Originally, brides wore veils to protect them from evil, jealous spirits, and to also preserve their modesty. In early days, particularly in Ancient Greece and Rome, bridal veils were worn to confuse the devil and be protected from the “evil eye.”

However, in some cultures, it was employed by dear old dad to trick the groom into marrying his daughter who, let’s just say, was beautiful—on the inside. The dainty headwear was also used in arranged marries to hide the identity of the bride until the unveiling at the ceremony.

The Origin of the Honeymoon

Back then, the honeymoon was an escape—literally. Remember that whole kidnapping-the-bride debacle attributed to the best man? Allegedly, the honeymoon served as a way for the husband to hide the bride for about a month so her tribe wouldn’t know where to find her.

The Origin of Saving Your Wedding Cake

This longstanding tradition of preserving the top tier of the wedding cake was done so the couple could eat it together on their first wedding anniversary. Perhaps you knew that already, but did you know that saving the cake was also tied to having a baby?

If you’ve ever heard the rhyme, "first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage," then you know that many people assumed back in the olden days that the bride would have a baby within a year. The idea of saving the top the half of cake was so the newlyweds wouldn’t have to buy a celebratory dessert to announce the pregnancy or birth.

The Origin of the Wedding Rings

Historically, the bride’s ring symbolized ownership. In early Roman, Greek, and Jewish cultures, rings were used as collateral to pay the father of the bride. The timeless tradition evolved with the advancement of women’s rights, as brides now exchange rings with the groom as well.

The reason those shiny bands are placed on the fourth finger during the ceremony is because the fourth finger was believed to contain a specific vein that leads to the heart.

The Origin of the Father Walking the Bride Down the Aisle

The tradition dates back to a time of arranged marriages, where the "giving away" of the bride represented transfer of ownership. Back then, young women were used as collateral to settle debts or disagreements with neighboring tribes, as well as for the father to elevate his status by marrying his daughter off to a wealthy family. Today, though, many brides look forward to having their father walk them down the aisle simply to honor him.

The Origin of the First Look

The concept of it being bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony actually started from arranged marriages, where it was believed that if a bride and groom saw each other before the big day, they’d have enough time to call off the wedding. After all, no one wants to be left at the altar, right?

The Origin of the First Kiss

Back then, it was customary for the priest to give a holy "kiss of peace" to the groom, who would then pass the kiss on the bride. This was done to bless the marriage inside of the church, giving way to the common phrase heard today at most ceremonies: "You may now kiss the bride."

 Yesterday afternoon, my granddaughter and I were on a Facetime video call with my future daughter as she was trying white wedding dresses...and showing flower girl dresses to my granddaughter. How many of these traditions will be followed remain to be seen,  but I can already tell you that the bride and her little flower girl will both be gorgeous!

Happy reading & Stay safe

JS

Reference: https://www.southernliving.com/weddings/history-wedding-traditions#

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Valentines of the Past by Eileen O'Finlan

 

Click here for purchase information

Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's website

Have you ever wondered how Valentine's Day got started? First of all, the full name of the holiday is Saint Valentine's Day, but unlike Patrick, the 'Saint' part is usually dropped, possibly due to the fact that it doesn't have much to do with the real Saint Valentine, a late third century Christian martyr. He was beheaded on February 14th and that is his feast day according to the Church calendar. There are several legends about Saint Valentine which purport to explain his attachment to the holiday that bears his name, but they are most likely apochryphal. Nonetheless, they are probably the reason the holiday is named for him.

Valentine's Day seems to have been first mentioned in the Middle Ages in the writings of Chaucer, possibly the first 'love poet', particularly in his poem, The Parliment of Fowls, where he indicates that Saint Valentine's Day is an annual occurrence as a day for birds to choose their mates. Some scholars believe that Chaucer was the originator of Valentine's Day being a day of romance. By referring to Valentine's Day in poems suggestive of courtly love and associating it with nature, romance, and lovebirds, Chaucer helped to create the notion of Valentine's Day as a day set aside to celebrate romantic love.

Not long after publication of The Parliment of Fowls, other poets began referencing Valentine's Day in their work. John Lydgate, a monk and poet who was a contemporary of Chaucer and friend of his son, was likely the first person to use the word 'valentine' to designate a type of poem. The variety of uses for the word 'valentine' continues today in that a valentine can be a card (I received a valentine), a poem (I wrote a valentine), or a person (Be my valentine).

Frenchman, Charles d'Orleans (Charles , Duke of Orleans) is reputed to have been the first to send a love poem or letter to someone in observation of Valentine's Day in 1416, calling his wife, Bonne d'Armagnac "my very gentle valentine." He was imprisoned after having been captured by the British in the Hundred Years War at the time. His captor was married to Chaucer's granddaughter and he was known to have read Chaucer during his captivity.

Women sent valentine's in the Middle Ages, too. The first known English language valentine was written in 1477 by Margery Brews to John Paston of Norfolk England. In it she addressed John as "my right well-beloved Valentine." Not long after, the couple were married.

Because Chaucer and others connected Saint Valentine's feast day with the mating of birds and romance among people, many tried to find connections between the saint and romantic love, hence the legends such as Saint Valentine performing secret Christian weddings during a time of persecutions throughout the Roman Empire. However, these legends are most likely false.

As time went on the popularity of Valentine's Day waxed and waned. During times of popularity over the following centuries, it became a day for gift giving, banquets, and parties among the aristocracy and rituals involving matchmaking and divination of future mates among other classes. But no matter what other traditions grew up around it, the act of exchanging written sentiments of love and affection remained central, evolving from hand-written verses to homemade cards to commercially made cards. The giving of flowers and candy soon followed.

In America, the popularity of Valentine's Day soared in the 1840s. Previously, it was generally known as a European custom not much recognized in the States. The holiday's new-found popularity stemmed from the commercially produced Valentine's Day cards made in England beginning in the 1820s. Over the next few decades Valentine's Day cards would become a craze in England and by the 1840s that craze had migrated to America with 15,000 cards exchanged in New York in 1843, rising to as many as 30,000 by 1847. Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, aka The Mother of the American Valentine, produced some of the first elaborate valentines in 1848 and founded the New England Valentine Company. 

While the giving of Valentine's Day cards is central to the holiday and still observed today, it was done a bit differently in mid-19th century America. For one thing, a reply was expected. If a gentleman sent a card asking a lady to be his valentine, she was obliged to respond yes or no. As the transmission of valentines could take days, this ritual extended for over a week. Besides cards, printers sold pamphlets, first in England and later in America, called "Valentine Writers." These pamphlets offered various poems suitable for use by those not gifted in crafting poetry. Some pamphlets offered possible responses, as well. 

The recipient of a 19th century valentine did not always know from whom it came. Often they were sent anonymously. For many, it was exciting to know they had a secret admirer. However, not every valentine held sentiments of affection. Some were funny, satirical, or downright rude in their texts and/or illustrations. A few were even sexually suggestive.

The mid-19th century was the start of the movement for women's rights. Many who were opposed, took Valentine's Day as an opportunity to reprove women who sought equal rights with men. Often these discourteous cards ended with lines such as "You will never be my Valentine." One could imagine the recipient's response being something like, "Thank goodness for that!"

When the Valentine card craze was hitting America, stationers and printers took advantage of it by advertising heavily in newspapers, creating elaborate window displays, and even sponsoring Valentine-themed activities within their shops. The appeal took off and moved from being a ritual between lovers or would-be lovers to include family and friends, especially children. Thus was born the commercialization of Valentine's Day. In fact, the success of printed, commercially made Valentine's Day cards gave rise to the greeting card business as a whole, with Christmas cards following next then cards for all other occassions. By the 1920s greeting cards of all types were common.

As we know, giving cards, flowers, candy, and other gifts on Valentine's Day is alive and well today. Like nearly every holiday, the rituals associated with it have evolved over time and will probably continue to. But however you celebrate it, I wish you all a happy Valentine's Day!

Click here for purchase information

Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's website

Information for this post was gleaned from America's Favorite Holidays: Candid Stories by Bruce David Forbes

Ladies in the Age of Chivalry by Rosemary Morris

 

To find out more about Rosemary's work click on the cover above.

Ladies in the Age of Chivalry

My novel, Grace, Lady of Cassio, begins in 1331 during the reign of Edward III. It will be published in August 2022.

At heart I am a historian. My novels are rich in historical detail that requires intensive research, some of which I am sharing in this blog.

 

Chivalry, Ladies and Literature, Courtly Love and Reality

The ideal upper-class lady in romantic medieval literature is the beloved who inspires chivalry and is worshipped. In fiction her slightest command is obeyed without question and heroic deeds by a knight errant are performed in her name, even if his love is not reciprocated. Reinmar von Hagenau ‘s lyric captures the nature of courtly love.

 

       I wish to be known my entire life as a master of one thing and one thing only.

       I seek the world’s praise for this one skill,

      That no man can bear his suffering as beautifully as I.

      If a woman causes me pain to such an extent that I cannot remain silent day or night,

      I have so gentle a spirit that I’ll accept her hate as a source of joy.

     And yet, alas, how deeply that discomforts me.

 

In reality, and in accordance with medieval law and society, a lady wielded authority as a wife and mother in domestic affairs and took charge while her husband was away.

 

Maidens, Wives, Spinsters, Widows and Nuns

During the medieval era men classified women as maidens, wives, widows, or nuns. During childhood maidens were subject to their fathers, stepfathers or guardians who maintained them. Married women were controlled by their husbands and were denied the right to refuse intercourse. Without their husbands’ agreement, they were not permitted to borrow money, sell property, or make a will. Noblewomen received as much respect as noblemen. Yet because Eve persuaded Adam to taste the forbidden fruit and they were cast out of paradise, men considered females physically, intellectually, and morally inferior. Nuns, the brides of Christ, depended on the Church. Only spinsters, a rarity, and widows enjoyed some independence.

 

Education, Betrothal, Marriage and Motherhood.

 

Nobly born children were taught to read and write French, the language of educated people, to figure, embroider, dance, sing and play musical instruments. They were trained to be dignified, meek and modest and not to laugh loudly. Many girls were betrothed in their infancy and wedded when they were twelve. Most marriages were not consummated until the girls were fourteen. In an age when many people died early, teenage pregnancies were encouraged. Most ladies married by their sixteenth birthday. In their mid-twenties, if they had not died, they had given birth to five or six children, some of whom did not survive.

 

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

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Choose one of the following 4 books.

FEBRUARY 2021 NEW RELEASES

 

A Miserly Fellow by Katherine Pym

Buy Here

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London Bridge in its hay-day

Precarious location
but folks could fish from the lower level

This is a notorious story of early London, humorous if not a little sad. I used a portion of this in my novel Highwayman which produced a snicker or two from my readers.

IN the 12th century, John Overs rented ferries that traversed the River Thames. He was as stingy as they came, except he allowed his daughter a fine education which must have drawn heavy coins from his purse. 

 John rivaled the richest Alderman of London/Southwark when it came to his income, yet what he wore and where he lived were deemed quite miserable. He refused to provide a dowry for his daughter when she came of age, even as a handsome fellow wooed her and was successful in gaining her adoration. All this took place behind John Overs’ back. 

 

Southwark Side of London Bridge

 He constructed a unique way to save money, even as his daughter balked at the plan. But being a good daughter, she went along with it.

John Overs’ unique plan devised his own death. He reckoned his servants would fast for 24 hours and pray over him during this time, thus saving food and ale in his larder. 

Unexpectedly, his servants raided his stores and struck up the lute. They partied, gobbled up his food, all the while sang and danced. Only a servant girl—here’s where the story gets muddled. Some say a maid, others a young man—stood near the body, watching for a specter to rise, which she would tend to with an iron wrought skillet. 

More of London Bridge in its prime

John Overs listened to this until he was rigid with anger. “Stirring and struggling in his sheet, like a ghost with a candle in each hand, he rose up to berate them for their boldness, but when the maid saw this, she thought the devil rose in her master’s likeness.” She took the skillet in hand—here’s another anomaly. The below source states a young man grabbed hole of an oar, but why would John Overs have an oar in his bedroom?—and bashed poor John Overs over the head, “actually struck out his brains.”

John Overs fell back onto the bed, dead as a knob, his face showing surprise at the outcome of his own parsimonious.

“The estate then became that of his daughter, and her lover, on hearing of this, hastened up from the country, but on hurrying to lay his hands on the fortune, rode too speedily; his horse stumbled, and he broke his neck on the highway.”

Downtrodden by two successive deaths Mary Overs handed over a goodly sum of money to have her father interred in a nearby church, but being excommunicated from the church for his extortion and usury, the Abbot did not allow this. His body was dug up and flung onto an ass, which “proceeded with a gentle and solemn pace through Kent street and along the highway to the small pond once called Thomas-a-Waterings, at that time the common place of execution, and shook the Ferryman’s body off, directly under the gibbet, where it was put into the ground without any kind of ceremony.”

Mary Overs could not overcome these troubles and went into a nunnery, donating a majority of her father’s wealth to build a church, St. Mary Overy’s. Shortly after this, she died and was buried in the church her father’s penury produced.

 

The end.

 

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Many thanks to: The Gruesome History of Old London Bridge by Geoffrey Abbot. Eric Dobby Publishing Ltd, 2008, Kent, UK.