Hats during the Renaissance

During the Renaissance period everyone over the age of 12 was required to wear a hat.  Everyone wore a hat in public. It was against the law for men or women to appear in public without their heads covered. Fines levied were ruinous (up to a week's wages for each offense).

While styles of hats varied, common amongst the commoners of the time were the "flat caps" which had been in use for much of the Tudor reign. These might be made of wool, felt, or leather, and could be lined with linen.

A fashionable outfit was incomplete without a hat which denoted the importance and class of the wearer.





Source: themadhatter.com, tudorshoppe.com

The Court Jester

Every court and noble house during the Elizabethan era had a court jester. The jester's job was not just to entertain but ensure the mental well being of the people. He used sarcasm, wit, humor and even exaggerated body movements to diffuse tense situations or "tell it like it is". The jester was sometimes a source of merriment and sometimes served to remind the court of the gravity of any predicament. So essential was the role of the court jester in everyday Elizabethan life that this character is used widely in many Elizabethan dramas and plays, including those written by William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
             
       “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a   
         fool.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It


The court jester is a universal phenomenon. "He crops up in every court worth its salt in medieval and Renaissance Europe, in China, India, Japan, Russia, America and Africa." ** In the Elizabethan court, the jester usually wears bright outfits and pant legs of different colors. They also wore the fool's cap.



Sources: elizabethanenglandlife.com
              **Fools are Everywhere by Beatrice Otto

Notes from Francesco

Email Francesco with any questions about the Madrigal Dinner or the Music Ministry in general: falleruzzo@stmelparish.org

Q. Tell us again. What exactly IS a Madrigal Dinner?
A. English nobility welcomed Elizabeth I and her court to their homes, putting on a feast to celebrate the coming of Christmas. Here at St. Mel, the Queen and her court will visit O’Connor Castle for family-friendly entertainment, including
- Food;
- Drink- be ready for the Wassail Toast!
- Music: beautiful carols praising the birth of Jesus, and featuring singers and ringers from our parish and children’s choirs.
All this is presented in costume and in a very Renaissance-like environment.
To order your tickets, fill out the order form and return it to the parish center, or go to stmelparish.org!

The Boar's Head Procession

Eastern Kentucky University Madrigal Dinner, Dec 2006

Another feature at our Madrigal Dinner is the Boar's Head procession. "This pageant is rooted in ancient times when the boar was sovereign of the forest. A ferocious beast and menace to humans it was hunted as a public enemy. At Roman feasts, boar was the first dish served. Like our Thanksgiving turkey, roasted boar was a staple of medieval banquets. As Christian beliefs overtook pagan customs in Europe, the presentation of a boar's head at Christmas came to symbolize the triumph of the Christ Child over sin."

Source: www.boarsheadfestival.com