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The Æthelmearc Gazette

~ Covering the Kingdom of Æthelmearc of the SCA

The Æthelmearc Gazette

Tag Archives: Historic Document

Breaking News: A Brief History of Fart Jokes

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Lis Gelatt in Aoife's Links, Esoterica, Humor

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Tags

Aoife, Aoife's Links, April Fools, Historic Document, illumination, Lisbeth Gelatt, manuscript

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

Some manuscript examples in the links below contain medieval drawings of nudity, which may or may not contain intimate body parts your boss will hate to see on your work monitor/device. Seriously. You might not want to show your squeamish spouse, either. In fact, I’m not too sure I want to see them again. Read on at your own intellectual peril, because fart jokes, while perfectly historical, may cause your employer to fire you and your I.Q. to drop alarmingly. ~Aoife

Img: The Fridge Art Society    IMG source: The Fridge Art Society. Bodily Function has been humorous throughout our period of study.

Just in time for April Fool’s Day, I am …proud? No. …excited? Not quite. Superlatives fail me, but I have plumbed the depths of the internet to find something funny to satisfy your inner twelve-year-old on this esteemed holiday.

Our historical counterparts weren’t as squeamish as we modern versions might be when it comes to bodily functions. And hey, show me somebody who has never laughed at a fart joke, and I will show you some pantalones del fuego. Here, for your delectation therefore, I present to you a list containing images and anecdotes of historical folks making themselves one with the internal winds of nature. From Shakespeare to Abu Hassan, who farted so loudly that it was used as a time reference from then on (you know, like ‘after the Hurricane’). Behold, the power of farting.

I shall now slink ashamedly into my cave and beat myself with a cat o’ nine tails until a more adult topic comes to mind for my next links list. Suggestions welcome.

Cheers,

Aoife
Dame Aoife Finn of Ynos Mon
m/k/a Lis Gelatt
…somewhere in Aethelmearc.

Who knew illuminated manuscripts contained so many fart and poop jokes?  This is a brief article on farts and related bodily functions in marginalia, as those weird little decorations on medieval manuscripts are called. Oh, how the creation of those drawings must’ve been very tedious, given all the naughty illustrations they contain. There are links to more images, in comments at the end of the article.

bull

Img: People of Color in European Art History

Saturday Timewaster: Japanese Fart Scrolls  “I did find out enough to know that this isn’t the only farting scroll out there in existence – in fact, in the 90s, a collection of fart scrolls sold for $1,500 at the famous Christie’s auction house.” So says Hiyoshi, the page author. Sadly, he also made a video to accompany the images. I was not brave enough to try it, but go ahead. You know you want to.

Collectors Weekly: Naughty Nuns, Flatulent Monks, and Other Surprises of Sacred Medieval Manuscripts   Kaitlyn Manning of B. L. Rare Books and Manuscripts said ““I think it’s such a shock when you have this idea in your head of what medieval society was like,…and then you see these bizarre images that make you question your assumptions.” The wild mixture of illustrations challenges our contemporary need to compartmentalize topics like sex, religion, humor, and mythology.”

Funny Junk: Medieval Marginals  “Medieval Marginalias, dating from 500-1500 CE. In these photos we see that the true evolution of the human race is only the methods in which we consume fart, poop, and penis jokes. And of course, a vast number of homicidal bunnies.”

Untitled

IMG source: Portable TV

 UltraGross: The Fart Jokes of William SHakespeare  “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!” The authors of Ultra Gross have combed Shakespeare for references to flatulence. You might be surprised at how many references they found!

Portable TV. Fart Proudly: The Best Fart Jokes in the Classics   This web article is in the form of a slideshow. From Ulysses to Benjamin Franklin, scholarly hours have been spent reading and combing the classics for fart references. As far as juvenile-subject work goes, I am amazed that this was a terrific read.

Further Fart Reading

Ramsey G. 2002. ‘A Breath of Fresh Air: Rectal Music in Gaelic Ireland’ in  Archaeology Ireland Vol. 16, No. 1. Dublin.

Enders, Jody, Ed./Trans. 2011 “The Farce of the Fart” and Other Ribaldries:  Twelve Medieval French Plays in Modern English. Philadelphia.

Yes, those books are real, scholarly works on farting. No joke.

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Medieval Seals and the Sealing of Documents

08 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by Lis Gelatt in Aoife's Links, Arts & Sciences, Esoterica

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Aoife, Aoife's Links, Æthelmearc, Æthelmearc Gazette, Historic Document, Lang Antiques, Lisbeth Gelatt, Louvre, Official Seal, Robert the Bruce, Royaumont, Seal, Signet RIng, Timeline Auctions, UK National Archives, Victoria and Albert, Wax Seal, Wax Seals, Will Kalif

Kalif

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Medieval Seals                                         12/10/2014

Hello, everyone. Today I received a notice via FaceBook that Robert The Bruce’s desk seal was up for sale, and expected to fetch approximately 120,000 pounds sterling. Being the curious person I am, this lead to an investigation into historic seals and signets.

Below, you will find the fruits of my labors, including examples of historic seals from many cultures, and a how-to-make-seals offering, one in video format. While I myself am not much of a card enthusiast, I find that this year I am making an exception. This would be a cool addition to your holiday cards. Keep in mind however, that the Post Office dislikes sealing wax on the outside of envelopes. The wax gums up the automated sorting machines.

Such seals might make an awesome present, along with a colored candle or stick of actual sealing wax. Rumor has it that a crayon in a low-temp hot glue gun also works well as sealing wax. Hand-penned or -drawn holiday wishes for your historically minded friends will be so much more impressive with a dangling ribbon and wax pendant. Or, if you have wee ones anticipating a visit from Pere Noel, they would be thrilled to find a personal response to their Santa letter or plate of cookies, sealed with an old-fashioned holiday themed signet.

Wishing you and your kin a very calm and crafty holiday season. Please feel free to share this missive freely with others.

Cheers,

Aoife

Dame Aoife Finn m/k/a Lisbeth Gelatt,
Hailing from the magnificent Barony of Endless Hills, in Sylvan Æthelmearc.

Connelly, Tony. Rare Robert the Bruce seals to fetch up to £120k, The Scottsman Sunday, online. Retrieved 12/04/2014 from:
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/rare-robert-the-bruce-seals-to-fetch-up-to-120k-1-3623812

BRUCE

Timeline Auctions in London is set to auction off this set of seals used in 1322 to stamp tax documents for Robert the Bruce of Scotland.

Like many intricate seals, it is necessary to see the positive image in order to appreciate the intricate carving. Most seals are created in negative image, so the wax seal would correctly register the imprint of letters and heraldic charges.

Trilling, Renee R. Medieval Seals. Medieval Institute Libray, Notre Dame University. Retrieved 12/04/2014 from:

http://library.nd.edu/medieval/seals/

TrillingThe beautiful seal to the right belonged to the Abbey of Royaumont in France. Intricate seals such as this one were a (then) high-tech way for historic documents to prove the authenticity of the message contained inside. The above link from Notre Dame will lead you to a collection of online images featuring animals, plants, people, coats of arms and ships, all from a variety of cultures.

 

 

National Archives UK. Seals. Retrieved 12/03/2014 from:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/seals.htm
This website, created by the British Government’s National archives service, details how to effectively search both on and offline for the various and sometimes hard to find seals in collections across the UK.

Government of Norfolk, UK. Exhibition Guide to Seals and Sealing. Retrieved 12/03/2014 from:
http://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/view/ncc108521
This comprehensive guide to a curated exhibit on seals and sealing wax not only details in word and image the seals themselves, but also the different ways in which seals were used including types of paper, ribbons, wax, methods of stamping the image, etc.

Lang Antiques. Signet Rings. Antique Jewelry University. Retrieved 12/04/2014 from:
http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Signet_Ring

Though this site details images such as the tailor’s signet, left, it also covers such marks and methods from early Mesopotamia through the 19th century. Please note the scholarly references at the bottom of the page for further research on the subject.

Lang

 

Victoria and Albert Museum. Search the Collections. Retrieved 12/04/2014 from:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122086/ring-unknown/

VnASearch the collection of antique signets from this page. The ring to the right is engraved with the name Aufret, and was made in the 7th century. Originally it was thought to belong to King Alfred, though recent advances in scholarship put some doubt on this possible explanation.

 

 

Insecula. Anneau sigillaire dit “De Saint Louis”. Louvre Museum. Retrieved 12/04/2014 from:
http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/O0007834.html
This museum website has images of several signet rings including the rings of Saint Louis, and The Black Prince. Several Merovingian signets are pictured. Search the page for seals reaching back throughout distant history.

Kalif, Will. Make a Medieval Seal. Retrieved 12/07/2014 from:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uchW8ZzOwDs. Make a Medieval seal.
This video, from stormthecastle.com goes through the entire process of creating a unique seal, from design to carving, handle creation, and techniques for actually stamping the wax. This is a 10 minute video, plus a little bit, and includes a lot of tips and tricks. Well worth the time to watch how to shape a handle and carve a stamp by hand. Note: this technique produces a desk stamp with polymer clay.

Kalif

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