No – in today's age don't answer that … I'm going back a few hundred years to Medieval times …
How about a book, a pocket calendar, or a smart phone … crazy times we live in – well these were all invented in the 1,000 years between the 5th to 15th century in European history I'd better add, even earlier in previous eras ...
Saint Catherine of Alexandra
holding a girdle book
... a girdle was to be found upon the loins of Greek and Roman men … enabling their tunic to be confined, which could hold a purse, as pockets were unknown … the women wore their girdles under the bosom.
Then the ingeniousness of creative imagination gave us the concertina-fold almanacs, known as girdle-books … which have become known as 'medieval smartphones' … also calendars ...
A 15th century Medieval Almanac being
unfolded to reveal astrological charts
and a 'Zodiac Man', linking the body to
signs of the horoscope.
c/o Ian Visits post
We are so fortunate that so much of our history has been preserved and can still be seen – perhaps only in specific exhibitions – but at least we can consider how earlier generations lived.
The upper cover and edge of a closed concertina-fold
almanac, showing its distinctive folds
As it's August … and as usual I'm off the path … this 'be short' … thank goodness it's summertime, also not much change here … but so be it!
Latin 7478 is a medieval
manuscript: 25 September, 1456
As of today … we have come far, yet seem to be going backwards …
Exhibition – Unfolding Time: The Medieval Pocket Calendar (c 1383 - 1400) was at the Lambeth Palace Library … sorry - it closed in May 2025. But there is a short YouTube video to view … 4 minutes worth of fascinating medieval life … together with various posts.
Wikipedia Girdle Books ...
Wikipedia Latin 7478 Medieval Manuscript Here you can find a description about "bat-books" ... essentially they hang upside down!
Hilary Melton-Butcher
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37 comments:
I’m so glad they invented pockets! Much easier.
Hi Hilary – I always learn something fascinating from your posts! I’d never heard of girdle-books before—what a brilliant blend of practicality and artistry. Medieval smartphones indeed! I love how you connect the past to the present in such unexpected ways. Your musings are always a real treat!
I was clueless about this topic. Thanks for providing links so I could go down a rabbit hole!
Is that Lambeth as in the Lambeth Walk?
These girdle books look amazing They wouldn't be good in my hands though as they look a bit complicated to read as well. My mum wore girdles I always felt sorry for her as I couldn't imagen to be strapped in like that
Oh and still wanted to say Enjoy your summer Good for you to catch as much sunrays as possible
It's interesting how previous generations made do with what they had. Pockets seem obvious to us, but I never considered how they held things under togas.
With a wink at Anabel Marsh. ;-)
When I grew up, proper women didn't have pockets, and even if they did, they carried their hankies, comb and money in their hand bag. Does that sound familiar to your ladies described above?
Most interesting, Hilary. The Mediaeval pocket calendar reminds me of the fortune tellers' we used to make at school
. . . and of course, I had to follow up Sean's reference to Anabel March!
*Marsh*
Fascinating! We always think our culture is so cutting edge, then we hear about advancements hundreds of years ago.
Hari Om
Truth is, most things (like the wheel) were discovered/invented a very long way back... all we do is 'reinvent'! YAM xx
@ Anabel – I so agree … thankgoodness for pockets …
@ Donna – life in the Medieval ages for the nobles wasn't so bad was it … but their brains still worked. I'd love to take credit for some of the modern links – but I 'borrowed' the words from others … still it spreads the word …
@ Kathy – that's great … I'm sure you'll enjoy the rabbit holes …
@ John – I've no idea … Lambeth was an area back in the Domesday Book time … apparently 'a landing place for lambs' … so it's definitely been around for centuries.
Lambeth Walk was a commercial street, now mostly residential. Lambeth Palace and churches in the area have pre-Norman origins … as does so much of England.
The Garden Museum, within the Palace grounds was the garden from which John Tradescant the elder, and younger, set up their botanical garden keeping their plants from their travels … for us to see today … as the Tradescant collection …
Marja – I know, Marja … re these little 'books' they'd need some manoeuvring; the girdles were around after the War weren't they and no doubt during and before the War – uncomfortable to say the least. Thank you re the sun-ray wishes … we're in summer storm mode at the moment …
@ Liz – history is fascinating isn't it …
@ Sean – yes … I so agree …
@ Hels – I've no idea – they're Medieval women here …
@ Janice – yes I remember those fortune teller things that we too made at school … and you too re Sean's remark on Anabel's comment …
@ Elizabeth – yes … we should really be put down in this era – those earlier ones were rather clever too …
@ Yam – as you say … the truth is we always reinvent – still doing it today …
Thanks to you all – glad this has sparked some interesting thoughts – cheers Hilary
Girdle books? I have learned something new.
Who knew any of this stuff? That’s why we rely on you, Hilary. I only knew of girdles as those waist-constricting instruments of mild torture women were expected to wear. Thank goodness that went out of style I can hear you say! The opposite is now true, of course, where slinky, close-fitting dresses reveal the delightful contours of the body beneath. I have to think I might have been tempted to ask to borrow a girdle book back in the day! I wonder what kind of response that request would have generated! Have a great week. David
All new to me, Hilar, so I clicked through your YT video.
@ Alex - our ancestors were pretty inventive ... though I'm sure ancestors in the Asian continent would match up too ...
@ David - oh those early days of being 'tied in' - thank goodness I can let it all be itself! Slinky dresses - long gone, sadly! Yes - I wonder how many would have unleashed their girdle books ... and for whom - we shall never know, or the response they'd have generated ... that's what books are for.
@ Jacqui - glad you clicked through ... if you could read back in the Middle Ages there were lots of interesting things going on ...
Cheers and thanks for visiting - Hilary
I hadn't heard about girdle books before. Fascinating to read about! You always have such interesting information to offer, Hilary. ☺
In the Netherlands, Hilary, paperback books are often referred to as pockets. I wonder now if there’s a historical reason for that. I shall have to investigate. What a lovely post!
Never had heard of girdle books. So interesting. I'm glad we have pockets now!
Must be where the term 'girding his loins' came from, hey? Great post, Hils.
@ Debbie - I knew about them ... but not the 'connotation' with today's life, as such. Glad you enjoyed the information ...
@ Val - I couldn't obviously see a connection with pockets/paperbacks - other than small summarised versions, which occasionally I've bought. However there are references to pocket books in the modern era - but not ones that hang from our girdles! Paperbacks could well have been called 'pocket books' ... so many versions now-a-days ...
@ Sherry - I too am glad we have pockets today ... girdle books wouldn't appeal ...
@ Sandra - me thinks you've got muddled ... gird your loins is a call to action ... nothing to do with girdles - unless lassos come into play?!
Cheers to you four - thanks for the thoughts - Hilary
So, there was a time when pockets were unknown! Amazing!
Ooh, those concertina almanacs are beautiful!
@ Pradeep - oh so much change over the centuries - yet really inventing things slightly different ... amazing and fascinating ...
@ Deniz - those early almanacs and books are exquisite aren't they ...
Thanks you two - so much going on through the centuries - cheers Hilary
I'm so very glad I was born after pockets were invented! Though have to say the ones on most women's jeans are weird - too small to be useful, more for show. Clothing/fashion history is fascinating!
How interesting. It seems many of us have learned something new, thanks to you, Hilary. But then, I usually do when visiting your blog!
Fascinating! I know the term girdle from a biblical context but girdle books? That's a completely new one to me.
They are so cute!
All new to me. Interesting and informative. You find the coolest topics. Happy August!
I was curious so I looked it up. Turns out we are both right. People prepared for battle by tucking their tunics into their girdle turning them into shorts and allowing them to move freely on the battlefield.
@ Nila - oh yes - I too ... thank goodness for pockets. Sometime I wonder about pockets, and get exasperated when there aren't any, or when there are false ones; clothing/fashion history is interesting - I'm just so glad I live in today's freer age ... I hate being strictured by clothing.
@ Keith - thank you ... there's always interesting things around ... I'm just happy people are interested ...
@ Crystal - good to see you ... yes - I'm sure the Bible mentioned girdles. It's so fascinating to learn the etymological origin of words ...
@ Diane - thank you ... our early reading material!
@ Joanne - thank you ... you know I enjoy learning a little bit more about things ...
@ Sandra - I thought about other aspects of girdles and gird - and over the years ... lots of variants ... from Roman and Shakespeare days - I guess I could write a post about them.
Cheers to you - etymology is such a fascinating discipline - enjoy the weekend - Hilary
Sounds like a plan.
Hi Sandra - I suspect that post won't be happening for a while! Life ain't being easy over here - but all well otherwise! Cheers Hilary
How interesting! I learned so much here today (as usual). Fascinating! Have a great week!
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