The Birth of Chivalry!

"A knight should be bold, fair, courteous and well-mannered, generous and loyal, not foolish or rash, and should speak fairly without discourtesy. A knight should be all this, and also proud and fierce to his enemies, and kind to his friends."

Durmat, lines 12129-36, c. 1210-1240

Chivalry - The Doctrine of Love!

"...And, indeed, he seems to me

Scarce other than my king's ideal knight,

Who reverenced his conscience as his king;

Whose glory was, redressing humand wrong;

Who spake no slander - no, nor listened to it;

Who loved one only, and who clave to her."

Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Dedication - Idylls of the King (1859)

Chivalry

A knyght there was and that a worthy man

That from the tyme that he first bigan

To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.

Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,

As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

And evere honoured for his worthynesse.

Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (c. 1390)

I just love lavender!

Lavender

Lavender - I absolutely adore it. I found some lovely images above. I wanted to write a bit about the history of lavender, myths, crafts, etc., and in my search for something to say I googled 'history of lavender' and found some quite excellent web sites, so instead of me telling you about lavender and all its wonderful good points I set out some most excellent web sites which cover everything from the history, to the different varieties grown and to arts and crafts and herbal uses for lavender. The lavender farm web site is an actual farm, as you will see, run by Nigel Walker & Frances Andrew, check out their web site first - its excellent. Also check out Wikipedia's info on all things lavender - again excellent. So, enjoy your journey around all things lavender!

The web sites are: http://www,lavenderenchantment.com; http://www.lavenderfarm.com; http://www.auracacia.com and http://www.joys-of-lavender.com. There is also a very good blogspot at http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com.

Tatania - Queen of the Fairies

Tatania,
Queen of the Fairies

“…When thou hast stolen away from Fairyland, playing pipes of corn and versing love…”

“…Why art thou here, come from the farthest steppe of India?”

“…And never, since the middle summer’s spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest or mead. By paved fountain or rushy brook, Or in the beached margent of the sea. To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind…”

“…Set your heart at rest; The fairyland buys not the child of me…”

“…And, in the spiced Indian air, by night full often hath she gossip’d by my side, And sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands. To fetch me trifles, and return again as from a voyage, rich with merchandise…”

“Not for thy Fairy Kingdom. Fairies away!”

“…Come, now a roundel and a fairy song; then for the third party of a minute, hence; Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds, some war with rere-mice for their leathen wings. To make my small elves coats, and some keep back. The clamorous owl nightly hoots and wonders at our quaint spirits. Sing me asleep; then to your offices and let me rest…”

(Excerpts taken from William Shakepeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream)

I Believe in Fairies!!!!