Regency Hygiene, or the Lack Thereof, Part I

Regency England was a dirty place--and not only because of the large amount of horse manure around. Although the proverb "cleanliness is next to godliness" was known at this time, its meaning was different from today's interpretation.

For most of the era, cleanliness meant the daily washing of hands, face, and neck and wearing a clean shirt (for men), or a clean chemise (for women). The notion of immersing the entire body in water was anathema in Western Europe, and had been for the previous several hundred years.

Such an attitude did not exist in the ancient world. In the days of the Roman Empire, everyone--men, women and children, free and enslaved--visited the public baths every day. The Romans built baths in every corner of their far-flung empire. Even chilly Britannia, at the outer edge of their rule, had baths. Aquae Sulis (The Waters of the Goddess Sulis), now known as Bath, received its Roman name from the hot springs located there.

As the Empire waned, so did its legacy, including baths and bathing. Public baths acquired the seedy reputation of encouraging licentiousness, although they remained fixtures in European life for centuries after Rome's demise.

The death of bathing occurred as a result of another death--the Black Death.

The Black Death (bubonic plague) was the worst pandemic the western world has ever seen. 30-60% of fourteenth-century Europe's population perished in agony due to this scourge. Panicked physicians, unaware that fleas transmitted the terrible disease, made a frantic search for any method of prevention.

The standard explanation blamed the planets for causing noxious vapors to rise from the earth and enter the body through the lungs. A new theory arose that skin softened by hot water became porous and provided the infection another entry. In terror for their lives, people stopped bathing. Bath houses fell into disrepair.

From the Black Death to the Regency, Western Europe grew dirtier and dirtier. Clothing, often tightly woven as another barrier to disease and made of hard-to-clean materials such as wool and silk, went unlaundered. The rich wore strong perfume to mask the often-overpowering stench of their neighbors' unwashed bodies. The poor just stank. Lice and fleas were rampant on everyone, regardless of class. The title of this 1638 Georges De La Tour painting is Woman Catching A Flea.

Dirtiness reached its peak--or nadir--in the Georgian era. By the time of the Regency, England had begun to clean up its act. The single person who was most influential in the resurgence of personal cleanliness was George "Beau" Brummell.

Next time—Beau Brummell.

Thank you all,
Linda

Gang warlord turned hero

We think on 1950's America as an idyllic, simpler time. A beautiful slice of life immortalized in the paintings of Norman Rockwell. Ignored in these nostalgic pictures are life among the poor in the ghettos.

Nicky Cruz was a teenager in 1958. A native of Puerto Rico, his parents sent him to live in New York with his brother when he was fifteen. It was difficult adjusting to a new culture, and a new language in a city that had little care for those who didn't fit the Rockwell portrait.

Nicky had a hard time in school, and was thrown out. He later joined a gang called the Mau Maus. Named after an African tribe, they prided themselves on ruthlessness. Over time, their membership grew and Nicky became president. War was waged on the police, and neighborhoods lived in fear.

In his book, "Run, baby run" Nicky recounts how he was driven by hate. A hate so palpable, he sensed it everywhere he went. He combated the hate with violence. His gang committed robbery and rape among the citizens while waging war on other gangs in the streets. No drug, no rumble, no sexual encounter was enough to quell the hurt inside him that hate firmly planted.

His life was changed when he met a minister named David Wilkerson. After three years of running the Mau Maus, Nicky met a slight, odd looking man who found the right words to reach him. The word of God. Nicky recounts restless nights when Wilkerson's simple message turned over in his head. He had to do something about this preacher. Wilkerson threatened all he built, his only family.

The Mau Maus went to the preacher's rally with intent on disrupting it. Instead, Wilkerson asked Nicky and three Mau Maus to take up a collection for the church.
Was he crazy?
It was the first time Nicky felt trusted and though he knew stealing the money was the "right" thing to do, something stopped him. He took the money to the preacher instead.

He was changing.
It was scary to change. He was in control as president of a gang, and he had a degree of respect. When God began to impact his heart, he had something he never had before.
Self respect.

Hate began to die as he learned more about God. The change in him sparked a change in others.
Imagine the shock when Nicky and his fellow gang members went to the police station to turn in their weapons!

Nicky went on to Bible college and married a sweet girl named Gloria. Together, they have dedicated their lives to youth all across the world. Nicky has given talks in Denmark, England and all across America.
His book is required reading in at least three countries.

I got to hear him speak last Saturday.
His words were not those of a polished orator, but of an honest man with heart.
He was able to reach out to both teens and parents with a positive solution that would better their lives forever.

Fifteenth Century Ladies' Headwear

During the 15th century, the hennin, a cone-shaped hat, became fashionable. They were worn primarily by royalty and upper-class women, in England, France, Burgundy (which was then a separate duchy and not part of France), and most of northern Europe. They never gained popularity in Italy.
The cones ranged in length from 12 inches to as long as 36 inches. The cones ended in a point, or sometimes a flattened end, from which a veil emerged. The veil cascaded over the lady’s shoulders, and sometimes, to the ground.
The hennins were usually worn at a backward tilted angle. Some paintings from the period show a forehead loop, probably attached to the hennin. It must have been used to pull the hat forward, or to hold it secure during a strong wind.
Hennin wearers frequently plucked their brows and the edge of the hairline, so that no hair escaped from beneath the hennin. Other paintings, though, show the hennin worn over long flowing hair. Illustrations of royalty show queens and princesses wearing crowns, either around the brim of the hennin, or at the top.
Hennins gradually lost their appeal, and were replaced by more wearable hats of the 16th century. What the 16th century hats lost in height, they more than made up for in elaborate design, as demonstrated in Renaissance art.

Regency Dancing and the Quadrille

Dancing was an important part of British society. Most everyone, from lower gentry to upper aristocracy considered dancing as an indispensible form of courtship. Almack’s was famous for hosting gatherings of the Beau Monde. One of these popular dances was called the Quadrille.

In his memoirs, Captain Gronow recalls its first appearance within the fashionable ballroom at Almack's:

"In 1814, the dances at Almack's were Scotch reels and the old English country-dance; and the orchestra, being from Edinburgh, was conducted by the then celebrated Neil Gow. It was not until 1815 that Lady Jersey introduced from Paris the favourite quadrille, which has so long remained popular. I recollect the persons who formed the very first quadrille that was ever danced at Almack's they were Lady Jersey, Lady Harriet Butler, Lady Susan Ryder, and Miss Montgomery; the men being the Count St. Aldegonde, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Montague, and Charles Standish."

Within a few short years, dozens of sets of music for quadrilles were being published and new sets of figures composed. The opinionated Jane Austen, however, was less than impressed with this new dance:

"Much obliged for the quadrilles, which I am grown to think pretty enough, though of course they are very inferior to the cotillions of my own day." Jane Austen to her niece Fanny Knight, February 20, 1816

Every fashionable Regency ballroom must include at least one quadrille, which is actually a set of five shorter dances. The most highly fashionable dancers might even indulge in some of the brand-new dance forms of the very end of the 1810s that adapted the formation of a couple facing a couple, and figures of the quadrille into country dances and recreated the idea of "improper" dances, in which the leading couple in a set started off on the opposite gender's side. Scandalous!

Dances were not started with everyone moving simultaneously. Instead, the first couple, or head couple, began a set. The rest watched to see what the dance would be. This was a position of honor and responsibility, an opportunity for that couple to show off the excellence of their steps and set the standard for the other dancers. In Mansfield Park, Fanny found herself in this honored position:

"...and she found herself the next moment conducted by Mr. Crawford to the top of the room, and standing there to be joined by the rest of the dancers, couple after couple, as they were formed."

As the couple worked their way down a long set of dancers, which could take ten minutes or more, the other dancers joined in, until the entire set was moving. Once the lead couple reached the bottom, they stood out briefly before rejoining the dance to assist the other couples progressing down the set. This time was a great opportunity for private conversation with one's partner. It also had the additional advantage of allowing time to catch one's breath after such vigorous non-stop dancing.

In my newest Regency Romance Novel, The Guise of a Gentleman, the hero, Jared, knew attending balls and dinner parties in the country was his best way of getting to know the other members of the aristocracy to help him discover the leader of the pirate ring he'd been steadily tracking down. Such gatherings were also a place where the heroine, Elise, went when she decided to cast of her mourning dress and reenter society. But, unbeknownst to them, they'd already met...

1816: The Year Without A Summer, Part II

An unusual confluence of geological and astronomical factors precipitated the Year Without A Summer. The inciting event was the earth-shaking eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia from April 5-15, 1815. This explosion was immense, the largest volcanic eruption in the world since the Hatepe eruption in c.180 AD in New Zealand. People in Sumatra, 1200 miles away, heard the blast, and heavy volcanic ash falls were observed as far away as Borneo, Sulawesi, Java and Maluku islands.

The enormous amount of dust the volcano spewed into the atmosphere blocked the sun’s rays and lowered global temperature. But Tambora's eruption alone may not have caused 1816's disastrous weather. Other volcanic eruptions in the immediately preceding years (1812--La Soufrière on Saint Vincent in the Caribbean, and Awu on Sangihe Islands, Indonesia: 1813--Suwanosejima on Ryukyu Islands, Japan: 1814--Mayon in the Philippines) had set the stage by already darkening the skies and depressing temperatures around the world. In addition, all these eruptions took place during a Dalton Minimum, a period of unusually low solar activity.

Although most of the effects of The Year Without A Summer were disastrous (see my previous post), some were positive.

The large amounts of dust in the air produced spectacular sunsets worldwide, and most likely inspired J.M.W. Turner's paintings (Chichester Canal pictured).

The weather also inspired Lord Byron’s 1816 poem, Darkness:

The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air

In Switzerland, the atrocious weather forced Mary Shelley and John William Polidori, on holiday with their friends, to stay indoors. Mary Shelley used the time to write Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, and John William Polidori penned The Vampyre, two novels which influence us to this day.

And Pumpkinnapper, my Regency Halloween comedy, is set in the English countryside in the autumn of 1816.

Thank you all,
Linda

Forgiving Dr. Mengele

Not all heroines wield a revolver and have a sixth degree black belt in Karate.
We tend to view view strength as the ability to hold one's own in a physical confrontation, forgetting the strength that lies within the heart and will.

When Eva Kor was a little girl, she and her twin sister, Miriam were sent to Auschwitz and put through research studies with Dr. Josef Mengele. The doctor, a former dentist, was a sadist. Now with a license to experiment on the helpless wrapped in the honorable title of medical researcher.

The girls were liberated and came to America. When Eva's sister died, Eva began to wonder if the Auschwitz experiments could have contributed to Miriam's illness. She tried to find records of Mengele's research to no avail. Mengele disappeared leaving a legacy of pain and nightmares.

Eva became a real estate agent in Indiana. Once she was told, because of her accent, none would work with her. She was different, so she might be singled out. It wasn't as though she hadn't heard it before. She went on with her plans anyway. In addition to becoming a real estate agent, she opened a Holocaust museum called CANDLES in Terra Haute.

The museum was vandalized, swastikas painted on the walls. Eva was interviewed on the news. She began to talk about forgiveness. Anger was like a cancer, and hate ate at the soul until nothing was left. She went on to make a movie documentary called "Forgiving Dr. Mengele" where she revisited Auschwitz and forgave the Nazi's.

The movie was deemed controversial and criticized. Some were outraged that Eva would suggest forgiving the Nazi's. She was attacked on all sides by scholars, survivors, even clergy. In the midst of all the criticism, she was able to say "Getting even has never healed a single person."
In a society where "don't get mad, get even" is the mantra of most movies, the idea of forgiveness flies in its face.

Eva admits the perpetrator must take responsibility for his own actions, while the victim is free to to keep the pain, forgiveness sets the victim free. Carrying the hurt inside will only keep the victim a slave to the pain.
Forgiveness means the perpetrator can no longer hurt you.

Eva believes forgiveness is the ultimate means of self healing and empowerment. Forgiving the Nazi's isn't something she did for them; she did it for her. She encourages all people to seek this gift for themselves. She warns "Pain and anger are the SEEDS for WAR. FORGIVENESS is the SEED for peace."

Hollywood can keep the guns, bombs and fancy fight scenes. Turn down the volume and take time to listen to a real heroine.

Guest Lydia Dare: Werevolves in Regency England

Linda Banche here. All you historical werewolf fans take note! Today I welcome Lydia Dare, whose latest book is the Regency paranormal, A Certain Wolfish Charm.

Leave a comment for a chance to win one of the two copies of A Certain Wolfish Charm which Sourcebooks has generously provided. Lydia will select the winners. Check the comments to see who won, and how to contact me to claim your book. If I cannot contact the winners within a week of their selection, I will award the books to alternates. Note, Sourcebooks can mail to USA and Canada addresses only. The winners are catslady and rm2h. catslady, I already know your address. rm2h, please contact me at linda@lindabanche.com so I can mail you your book. If I don't hear from you by May 5, I'll select an alternate.

Welcome, Lydia. Or should I say, Lydias?

We (yes, there are two of us!) were asked why we chose Regency England as our setting, because by the time of the Regency, all wolves/natural predators had been killed off.

Or had they? It depends on which world you’re speaking about, doesn’t it?

While, historically speaking, wolves and other natural predators were eradicated prior to the Regency period, our werewolves fit so nicely into Regency Society, we couldn’t resist. Historical details are integral to the tone of the novel, but our world is also steeped in the fantastical. Lycan’s weren’t killed off in our world, even if the Canis Lupus were no longer found in the area. Lycans are in existence in the hearts and minds of the readers. In fact, there’s a society dedicated to them. We know there is because we created it. The Westfield Lycans and their friends weren’t in danger of being killed because they were a threat to livestock or humans. Or because they were nuisance creatures. Well, perhaps William Westfield made a bit of a nuisance of himself in A Certain Wolfish Charm and Tall, Dark and Wolfish. But that’s another topic all together.

The Regency period is famous for the very common appearance of the alpha-rake. The dukes, the barons, the viscounts, and other gentlemen are commanding by their general nature. Add wealth, a sense of entitlement and striking good looks and you have the makings of a romantic hero. The men of the time period already have a very wolfish demeanor even without being placed into our fantastical world. But, when you add that world, and put the alpha-rake into a pack of his very own, you allow him to adopt some of the characteristics of fabled Lycans and you can make him multi dimensional.

There are always reasons why the hero and heroine can’t or won’t come together. It’s what romance is all about. All of that tension, heartache and strife makes for a story that can captivate a reader.

In A Certain Wolfish Charm (in stores now!), Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, has convinced himself that he has to avoid women when the moon is full, that he can’t be part of society because of his sheer wolfishness. It’s not until a lovely woman calls to him more loudly than the moon that he is forced to rethink his point of view.

In Tall, Dark and Wolfish (in stores May 2010), Benjamin Westfield, the youngest Westfield brother, wants more than anything to find his Lycan side when it’s suddenly lost to him. He wants to return to his pack so badly that he seeks out a healer to help him get back to his former, wolfish self.

In The Wolf Next Door (in stores June 2010), William Westfield revels in the light of the moon, and has found a woman who loves him, but in his mind, it’s conditional and depends on the time of the month. If only she knew it was him she scratches behind the ears under the light of the full moon, his life would be perfect.

The fact that our characters are Lycans creates one more incredibly obtrusive reason the hero and heroine cannot be together. That’s why we put Lycans in Regency England. That and just because they’re just so darn much fun to write. We can add some animalistic traits to our heroes that make him even more masculine, even more troubled, even more easy to love than the average Regency hero.

There’s some element of doing the impossible when you try to place an animal into society. The time period makes that even more fun, even more engaging and, yes, even more ludicrous in some situations.

Lycans can cause all sorts of mischief just because they are what they are. We hope you enjoy the Westfields as much as we enjoyed creating them and their world.

A CERTAIN WOLFISH CHARM by LYDIA DARE

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full…

The rules of society can be beastly—especially when you’re a werewolf and it’s that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn’t help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is…

A woman whose charm is stronger that the moon…

When Lily’s beloved nephew’s behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy’s cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon’s idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.

They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other’s darkest secrets…

About the Author
Lydia Dare is the writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson. Both Tammy and Jodie are active members of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. They are working together on their next paranormal historical trilogy as Lydia Dare, which will be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in Spring 2010! For more information, please visit http://www.lydiadare.com/.