...in which I share some of my favorite medieval research resources and methods for the benefit of others interested in also writing about the Middle Ages

Friday, March 23, 2012

Medieval Word of the Day

In my new medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, my heroine, Mathilde, grants a favor (hence my title) to my hero, Etienne, before he enters a tournament. What is a favor, you ask?


Favor/Token: Trinkets that ladies awarded to knights to denote him as her “champion” in a tournament; favors/tokens might include handkerchiefs, girdles, tassels, sleeves, gloves, scarves, ribbons, etc; these favors/tokens were worn in the knight’s helmet or about his arm and might be kept after the tournament or returned to the lady. 


Here is a picture of a lady tying a favor around a knight's arm.



(God Speed, by Edmund Blair Leighton)

2 comments:

Rachel Rossano said...

I have this painting hanging on my hall wall. My hubby jokes about what she could be saying. "Now don't forget to pick up a gallon of milk on the way home."

Joyce DiPastena said...

LOL!