ORLANDO ESSAYS Episode No. 5: A Medieval Christmas with Kristina Bauman and Luke Edward Hall
Luke loves the Middle Ages. From its illuminated manuscripts, music and pottery to its stained glass, tapestries and wall paintings (don’t get him started on King Arthur), the Medieval period produced a remarkable artistic legacy and a treasure trove of inspiration. Wanting to know more about how folk celebrated Christmas in England during this time, he speaks to Kristina Bauman, a London-based writer who runs the incredibly entertaining and insightful @medievalmarginalia Instagram account, about what exactly when on. This being a time of frolics and misrule, expect much drinking, feasting and dancing.
Can you talk us through how the festive period was approached in England during the Middle Ages?
The holiday season was more debauched than people might assume. By Christmas, people had endured several weeks of Advent, a terribly unsexy time of year when they were meant to abstain from meat and sex (amongst many other things) to properly contemplate the second coming of Christ. So by the time Christmas came around, people were ready to cut loose. They drank, feasted, danced, and generally turned the rules of society upside down.
What actual dates were celebrated? Who was celebrating, and what was going on?
Celebrations began on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with a great feast. Christmas was so lively that it was a coronation date for several kings, and in 1066 William the Conqueror held his coronation on Christmas Day. It was tradition for a lord to host a Christmas feast for the peasants who worked his land, though they would be expected to bring their own trencher, napkin, and some fuel for the fire.
On the 1st of January there was an occasion known as the Feast of Fools. In religious houses the higher and lower clergy members would swap places and disorder would rule, with monks burning shoes instead of incense, eating black pudding at the high altar, and even dressing as women. This feast was most common in France, though we can see it carried over to England, since Henry VIII had it outlawed during his reign.
Finally there was Twelfth Night on the 5th or 6th of January to mark the Epiphany. Merrymaking was highly encouraged, with celebrants wassailing to mark the end of Christmas. A cake with a bean baked into it was a common tradition, and the man who was served the bean would be honoured as the Lord of Misrule, or the King of the Bean. The Lord of Misrule was meant to keep the revelries going, encouraging drunkenness and commanding his 'subjects' to his whims. You can imagine how rowdy these parties got!
Tell us about the food!
Food was inextricably tied to the Christmas season in the Middle Ages. After the austerity of Advent, a bit of indulging would have been highly welcome. Large quantities of meat would have been a highlight after long weeks without, with a decorated boar's head serving as a popular centrepiece (or a faux-boar's head if you couldn't procure your own). Rich and heavy dishes would have been common, seasoned liberally with spices. Mince pies originate from this time and would have been on offer alongside roast fowl, bread, cheese, stews, and puddings. As it's the Middle Ages, you can also count on there being plenty of eels. Obviously.
And the drink?
Wine was on the menu, at least for the wealthy. A spiced version known as hippocras was extremely popular at the time and is similar to modern mulled wine. A Christmas feast for tenants in North Curry, Somerset in 1314 notes that "as much ale as they could drink in a day" was provided, which likely came as something of a challenge.
Were games played?
In the 14th century poem Gawain and the Green Knight, a spectral green knight appears at King Arthur's Christmas court to challenge the knights to a game: '...I crave in this court a Christmas game, for it is Yule and New Year, and here are many gallants.' The game is an opportunity to strike off his head with an axe, should he be allowed to return the favour the following Christmas. The medieval spirit of holiday misrule and disorder is perfectly captured in this scene.
Gambling, typically frowned upon by the church, seemed to be more permissible at Christmas. Other games like blind man's bluff, football, and chess would have also been played.
Was dressing up a key part of the festivities?
Mumming was an important part of any medieval Christmas. Men and women might swap clothes, don masks, and put on plays in fancy dress. Once again we see medieval people really leaning in to their ability to act outside the normal confines of their lives.
What was the music like?
At a Christmas feast you could expect to hear common instruments like the harp, pipe, drum, and lute. Festive songs would also be sung, though carols were banned from the church as they were considered too lewd. One popular carol that originates from this time is the Boar's Head Carol (remember how crucial that boar's head was), which would be sung as it was brought into the hall.
Thinking about how we celebrate Christmas today, can we recognise any remnants of medieval times past?
Absolutely. While medieval people were not bringing whole trees inside, greenery was an important part of celebrating. Holly, ivy, and mistletoe would have livened up an otherwise wet and cold time of year. When you gather for your holiday festivities this year and perhaps find a friend or distant relation sleeping off too many mulled wines in a crooked paper crown late in the evening, know that they are keeping the medieval spirit alive.
What can we do to bring a flourish of the Middle Ages into our own homes this festive season?
A healthy dose of impropriety is certainly in the spirit of the Middle Ages. I'd recommend electing a Lord of Misrule, cross-dressing, and learning a bawdy carol or two. I for one will be also be adding a small boar's head to the table this year – time to test my marzipan sculpting skills!
Can you tell us about the novel you’re writing?
It’ s a literary historical novel about a medieval woman who is desperate to join a religious order but is forced into marriage instead. I wanted to explore what it would have been like for a woman with very little autonomy to experience extreme religious fervour that leads to her gruesome acts like pouring hot wax on her vulva, purging with sticks, and licking cobwebs. (These are all based on historic examples of devout medieval women.)
