Please join me in welcoming debut historical romance author, Amanda Forester to History Undressed today! Her novel, The Highlander's Sword released earlier this month with Sourcebooks.Thank you for inviting me to join you today. I had great fun doing the research for my debut book The Highlander’s Sword. I have always been drawn to medieval times for its turbulent mystique, full of courageous and honorable knights. So romantic! Yet I also thought of the medieval period as being a dark and gloomy time. What I did not picture about the medieval period was a vibrancy of color. And yet as I did my research, I found that the 14th century was actually full of brilliant color.
First let’s start with clothing. While peasants were forced to be content with their own home-spun wool garments, members of the gentry and nobility were drawn to bright vivid color. The cost of procuring those hues was often prohibitive to those in the lower classes, and even if a merchant came into enough capital to afford such raiment there were explicit rules on what people of different classes could wear, down to the length of the coat and the color of the garment. Using my beautiful cover as an example, the red plaid is good, but a “real” knight of this era might have chosen a more colorful tunic than plain white (and I doubt the Scots commonly waxed their chests – though I’m willing to be wrong on this!).
Despite their armor, knights found many ways to enliven their attire with color. At first, the need was purely practical and arose from the need to identify friend from foe on the battlefield. Thus, the art of heraldry was born. Knights began to decorate their shields with charges or iconic devices that denoted their heritage. Vivid colors and ornate decorations were in fashion, and knights proudly displayed their heritage with identifying insignia. When these insignia were sewn onto surcoats or tunics the term “coat of arms” came into usage. King Richard I was the first king to create a heraldic device. His choice of three lions is still the Royal Arms of England.
Heraldic devices, flags, and pennants became an essential part of the pageantry of tournaments in which knights faced each other in staged combat. These tournaments were awash with color from elaborately decorated helms, to the draping of their horses in richly decorated comparisons, which were flowing horse coverings.
Color was not relegated to the pageantry of tournaments. People of the medieval times loved color so much they put it on everything. The grey stone castle is an iconic image for this era, but back then a grey castle would have seemed drab indeed. If the lord could afford it, many castles were actually painted! The inside was no less brilliant with colorful tapestries lining the walls in bright colors. These scenes were often to remember glorious battles or the joys of the hunt (a sport enjoyed by both knights and ladies).
The wildest example of the love for color during these times was in their food. Yes, food. Imagine pies with dyed heraldic designs on top, or an entire roast pig foiled and painted with a blue and yellow checker board design. The best was a dessert served after each course called a ‘subtlety’, which was marzipan (a paste made of sugar and almonds) richly colored and formed into shapes like people, animals, or even a model of the castle. I considered adding some color to my feast scenes in the book, but I thought readers wouldn’t believe it!
What are your mental images of medieval times?
First let’s start with clothing. While peasants were forced to be content with their own home-spun wool garments, members of the gentry and nobility were drawn to bright vivid color. The cost of procuring those hues was often prohibitive to those in the lower classes, and even if a merchant came into enough capital to afford such raiment there were explicit rules on what people of different classes could wear, down to the length of the coat and the color of the garment. Using my beautiful cover as an example, the red plaid is good, but a “real” knight of this era might have chosen a more colorful tunic than plain white (and I doubt the Scots commonly waxed their chests – though I’m willing to be wrong on this!).
Despite their armor, knights found many ways to enliven their attire with color. At first, the need was purely practical and arose from the need to identify friend from foe on the battlefield. Thus, the art of heraldry was born. Knights began to decorate their shields with charges or iconic devices that denoted their heritage. Vivid colors and ornate decorations were in fashion, and knights proudly displayed their heritage with identifying insignia. When these insignia were sewn onto surcoats or tunics the term “coat of arms” came into usage. King Richard I was the first king to create a heraldic device. His choice of three lions is still the Royal Arms of England.
Heraldic devices, flags, and pennants became an essential part of the pageantry of tournaments in which knights faced each other in staged combat. These tournaments were awash with color from elaborately decorated helms, to the draping of their horses in richly decorated comparisons, which were flowing horse coverings.
Color was not relegated to the pageantry of tournaments. People of the medieval times loved color so much they put it on everything. The grey stone castle is an iconic image for this era, but back then a grey castle would have seemed drab indeed. If the lord could afford it, many castles were actually painted! The inside was no less brilliant with colorful tapestries lining the walls in bright colors. These scenes were often to remember glorious battles or the joys of the hunt (a sport enjoyed by both knights and ladies).
The wildest example of the love for color during these times was in their food. Yes, food. Imagine pies with dyed heraldic designs on top, or an entire roast pig foiled and painted with a blue and yellow checker board design. The best was a dessert served after each course called a ‘subtlety’, which was marzipan (a paste made of sugar and almonds) richly colored and formed into shapes like people, animals, or even a model of the castle. I considered adding some color to my feast scenes in the book, but I thought readers wouldn’t believe it!
What are your mental images of medieval times?
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THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD BY AMANDA FORESTER—IN STORES MARCH 2010
A quiet, flame-haired beauty with secrets of her own...
Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent, until her brother's death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught between hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot's insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.
She's nothing he expected and everything he really needs...
Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France. MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith. Arriving with only a band of war-weary knights, MacLaren finds his land pillaged and his clan scattered. Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila's fortune as the answer to his problems...but maybe it's the woman herself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda Forester holds a PhD in psychology and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing historical romance novels was way more fun. She lives in the Pacific Northwest outside Tacoma, Washington with her husband, two energetic children, and one lazy dog. You can visit her at http://www.amandaforester.com/.
THE HIGHLANDER’S SWORD BY AMANDA FORESTER—IN STORES MARCH 2010A quiet, flame-haired beauty with secrets of her own...
Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent, until her brother's death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught between hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot's insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.
She's nothing he expected and everything he really needs...
Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France. MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith. Arriving with only a band of war-weary knights, MacLaren finds his land pillaged and his clan scattered. Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila's fortune as the answer to his problems...but maybe it's the woman herself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda Forester holds a PhD in psychology and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing historical romance novels was way more fun. She lives in the Pacific Northwest outside Tacoma, Washington with her husband, two energetic children, and one lazy dog. You can visit her at http://www.amandaforester.com/.
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