To step into an Islamic home in the Middle Ages was to enter an exotic but familiar world. Family life revolved around the sanctuary of the women. Known to the West as harem, the term referred to the inner sanctum of a house and its mainly female occupants. It was… Read More »At Home in the Harem, by Lisa Yarde
Welcome! Enter into the large whitewashed house of a prosperous Moorish family in thirteenth-century Spain, and enjoy a feast for the senses. Take off your shoes at the door and wash your hands with rosewater from the ceramic basin and ewer set. Sit at the low round table covered with… Read More »In a Moorish Home at Mealtime by Lisa J. Yarde
Childbirth could be especially dangerous during the Middle Ages, especially for women with complications. A safe delivery and a healthy child were cause for celebration, as well as imposing a few restrictions. Whether Christian, Muslim or Jewish, the lying-in for the mother was a tradition that crisscrossed cultures and religions.… Read More »Medieval Childbirth by Lisa Yarde