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
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
