2015 Blog Entries

January

It's a new year, so I'm going to do a new thing on the blog . . . I'm going to be posting some information about medieval holy days, ahnentafel entries and research entries.

I have a thing for the Middle Ages.  I want to think about how our ancestors lived day to day and I think tracking the major feasts of the medieval calendar will help me with that. 

The image above is the illustration of January created ca. 1412 for Les Trés Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.  It depicts the month of giving gifts. Jean du Berry is seen on the right wearing a bright blue robe sitting at a large banquet table. 

Ahnentafel is a German word which translates to ancestor table.  This format originated in the 1500's (see, I'm back in the past again).  It's a kind of short hand for showing an individual direct lines backward.  The subject of the ahnentafel is listed as No. 1, so that would be me.  No. 1 can be either male or female.  Even numbers are always men.  Odd numbers greater than 1 are always women.  A person's father is their number doubled (1x2=2) and the person's mother is their number doubled plus 1 (1x2+1=3)

Example:

1. subject is the child of
2. father of #1
3. mother of #1
4. father of #2
5. mother of #2
6. father of #3
7. mother of #3

And lastly, research, is just that, "new" information on a line or reports on research trips.

I'm going to blog a bit less this year too, not every day.  This will give me more time to do research and some other things. 

You can always check the last two years of entries to see birthdays, anniversaries and deaths that occurred on any given day.

Have a very Happy New Year!