Medieval Monday: The Labors of May — Allison D. Reid

May Day marks the beginning of summer in the medieval world. The weather is really warming up, and there are lots of new chores to begin. Planting and harrowing continues, and weeding the grain fields becomes an important chore. Cabbages, leeks, onions, and garlic are ready to be planted, as are those plants used in […]

Ren Faires, Robin Hood, and the Merry Month of May

Throughout our adult lives, the New York Renaissance Faire has been something for my sister and I to look forward to every year. When we could afford to, we would often go every weekend during its run. But even when we were broke, we managed to make it at least once a year, usually because

Medieval Monday: The Labors of April — Allison D. Reid

Spring is here! Farm work really gets underway—harrowing and sowing are important chores for this month. Crops planted in April included grains, like barley and oats, and legumes like beans, peas, and vetches. Grain seed was planted by standing with one’s back to the breeze, and flinging a handful of seeds outward from the waist. […]

Easter With Excalibur

This post includes spoilers for the 1981 film Excalibur. Watching John Boorman’s epic 1981 fantasy film Excalibur has become an Easter tradition in my family, not just because at one point a priest praying for deliverance from the film’s main villain, Morgana, intones the words: “and on this Easter day, when Christ rose from the

Happy Tolkien Reading Day!

This post contains spoilers for both the book and film versions of The Lord of the Rings. March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day, because that’s the day J. R. R. Tolkien gave for the climactic event of his epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, when the One Ring went into the fire and the

Fear the Fearless

Those who rule through fear, fear the fearless Who, broken on wheels that break bones, but will never break vows Sing out the song that is a battle cry Resounding to the furthest reaches Of the human imagination, we soar On wings woven for us by some Reckless Daedalus out of a tapestry of dreams.

The Irish at the Gates of Death: 1917 — The Victorian Book of the Dead

In Ireland the living are dominated by the dead to an extent unknown probably in other countries. It is a willing servitude, based upon two powerful sentiments—the constancy of Irish family affection, and their Catholic solicitude for for the eternal welfare of those they love whose mortal existence has been brought to an end. Death, as

Join the Daylight Saving Resistance Movement!

For much of the United States, and for all I know, unknown regions beyond, Daylight Saving Time (or DST for short) begins today. And what pray tell is that, ye who live in saner countries may well ask? Well, never fear, I shall tell you. DST is a pernicious lie that was first suggested by

Snow Angel

pale as death she laybut with the apple’sblush upon her cheeks clad in silver samitelike her eyes thatmirrored snowy skies her long red hairfanned out about her facea fiery halo the bell sleeves of her lithe and outspread armsforming angel wings © 2022 by Strider Lee

Another Tolkien-themed Birthday!

This post contains spoilers for both the book and film versions of The Lord of the Rings. Some of you may recall that for my 50th birthday I decided to celebrate Hobbit-style, since Bilbo and Frodo were both fifty years old when they each set out on their respective adventures. Well, my sister’s birthday was on