Guest post Pamela Taylor
Small
Details to Make the Past Feel Real
When’s the last time you thought about what people
ate in the distant past? Or how long it took to travel from one’s home to the
nearest market to buy the necessities of life? Or, for that matter, what was a
bed like? Getting all those things right in the Second Son Chronicles for the
world of my protagonist, Alfred, was always top of mind in writing his story.
But it was also great fun.
As you might imagine, many details are dependent on
the character’s place in society. Take something as ordinary as bread. The
lower classes in Alfred’s day might eat something called “horsebread,” in which
ground beans or lentils would be used as filler to stretch the precious flour
for as many loaves as possible. The nobility, on the other hand, would no doubt
have eaten paindemaine, the very finest white bread for which the flour had
been sifted three or more times to remove any husks or chips of stone left over
from the grinding process. No breaking a tooth by chomping down on a tiny piece
of rock for the aristocrats! :-)
Children’s lives were different too. In Pestilence, Alfred’s wife remarks that
her parents have not seen Geoffrey (their son) since he was breeched. Infants
and young children of both genders wore dresses for a very practical reason –
no such thing as disposable diapers back then. The time when he finally got to
wear breeches was a big milestone in a young boy’s life.
We know that people wrote letters and that there
were official documents. In aristocratic households, elaborate inventories and
account books were maintained. For many centuries, written documents were on
parchment or vellum, both derived from animal skins. So another important
question for Alfred’s world is when did paper come into use? And when did it
become sufficiently affordable to be used both for letter-writing and to
produce bound books? It happened at
different times in different societies. You’ll see in the Chronicles that
Alfred’s progressive kingdom uses paper routinely; but their western neighbors,
still a feudal society, use only parchment.
Heraldry (the practice of using devices and symbols
to identify individuals, armies, groups, and families) thrived in the early
Renaissance. Alfred’s personal symbol, the lion dormant, was awarded by his
grandfather and figures prominently in the story arc of the Chronicles and in
Alfred’s relationship with his brother. There’s a short article on heraldry at https://www.secondsonchronicles.com/heraldry/.
There are so many details to consider. Weaponry. Animals.
Medicine, such as it was. Music and entertainment. Dance is very much a part of
court life for Alfred and was equally important to the lower classes. You might
enjoy https://www.secondsonchronicles.com/dance/.
Alfred’s world was very different from our own. Part
of the joy, for me, of bringing it to life has been trying
to make it as real for you, the reader, as it was for Alfred. I hope you enjoy
stepping back into that time.
Book Summary
At the dawn of the Renaissance, Alfred - the eponymous second son - must discover the special destiny foreseen for him by his grandfather. Now, the unthinkable has happened: Alfred’s brother is king. And it isn’t long before everyone’s worst fears are realized. Traditional allegiances are shattered under a style of rule unknown since the grand bargain that formed the kingdom was struck over two hundred years ago. These will be the most dangerous years of Alfred’s life, forcing him to re-examine his duty to personal honor and to the kingdom, while the threats posed by his brother constantly remind him of his father’s final words of advice. What choices will he have to make to try to protect the things he holds most dear?
Print Length: 234 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ASIN: B08563V87C
ISBN-10: 1684334810
ISBN-13: 9781684334810
Pestilence is available to purchase as a print copy and as an e-book at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Be sure to add this to your GoodReads reading list too!
About the Author, Pamela Taylor
Pamela Taylor brings her love of history to the art of storytelling in the Second Son Chronicles. An avid reader of historical fact and fiction, she finds the past offers rich sources for character, ambiance, and plot that allow readers to escape into a world totally unlike their daily lives. She shares her home with two Corgis who frequently reminder her that a dog walk is the best way to find inspiration for that next chapter.
You can follow her online at:
Author Website: https://pamela-taylor.com
Series Website: https://www.SecondSonChronicles.com
Twitter: @PJTAuthor
Instagram: PJTAuthor
All fascinating stuff! We should all study history as it's part of who we are, too.
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