A
MEDIEVAL YEAR IN ENGLAND:
MARCH The Saxon name for this month
is Leneth-monath – length-month – for the lengthening days, the same
word from which “Lent” is derived. It is a dry month with blustery
winds, particularly at its start. The winds may cause too much dust
but the dryness is hoped for, for the sake of the ploughing and sowing
and harrowing that – begun in February – will go on all this month.
A peck of March dust is worth a king’s ransom.
A dry March never begs its bread.
It comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.
March dry, good rye; March wet, good wheat.
And
March many weathers rained and blowed,
But March grass never did any good
because
warm, wet weather will start the grass growing too early, so that if
the wind goes around to the east, cold and dry, the grass dies and only
rain can help; but rain hinders planting of the crops and is not
welcome yet. In the hill country of Yorkshire and the Pennines, this
is often the hungriest month.
It is also the peak of lambing
season and a worrying time. Too much cold will make the grass late
(the same grass you do not want too early) for the ewes and their milk
for their lambs. And late snow can be the death of the newborn lambs.
Meanwhile
the work of February goes on through March. Late spring ploughing,
sowing of oats, barley, peas, beans, vetches; with hedge repairs
continuing; and the tending of gardens and orchards; and scarecrowing
in the fields by children to keep the birds from the seeds; and at the
first sign of much grass growing in the general pastures (rather than
the fields needed ready earlier for sheep) a spreading of fertilizer to
bring them along. The work owned by customary tenants to the lord of
their manor still goes on until Easter, which may come this month if
Lent began in early February; or Lent may begin as late as March 8 and
Easter not come until late April.
But always at the beginning of March this verse is true:
First come David, then come Chad,
Then come Winnof as if he were mad.
This
refers to St. David’s day on March 1, when the Welsh should wear leeks,
and to St. Chad’s day on March 2, and St. Winnof’s day (or Winwalloc or
Winnold or Winwaloe) who is the patron saint of stormy wind and tempest
and so very appropriate for early March and its traditional weather.
Mid-Lent Sunday
– the 4th Sunday in Lent – comes sometime now and is traditionally the
day for people to visit their parents, taking a small present. Hence
its common name – Mothering Sunday, when folk should go a-mothering.
The expected dish of the day is frumety, which is wheat grains boiled
in sweet milk, sugared and spiced, along with a sweet, crusted simnel
cake.
Passion Sunday --
the 5th Sunday in Lent – is sometimes known as Care Sunday, probably
from an old word meaning “grief”, in memory of Gethsemane. In the
north of England at least the old custom is to have a dish of carlings
(dried peas soaked overnight in water, then cooked with butter) today,
but why is uncertain.
March 17 to
the Irish is St. Patrick’s day, but most popularly in England this
supposed to be the date that Noah entered the ark, and in many towns a
mystery play on that theme will be played.
March 24 is a day for fasting in preparation for the feast day coming tomorrow.
March 25
is the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Familiarly called Lady Day,
this is the day in church and government records that the new year
officially begins, with the date of the year changing. Everywhere this
is an important day with special church services and religious
processions, but secular activities occur, too, with fools and dressing
up as part of it. If Good Friday comes today – supposed to be the date
of the actual Crucifixion of Christ – a national calamity is expected
to be coming. Easter coming on this date is no better.
If Our Lord falls in Our Lady’s lap,
England will meet with a mishap.
This
day is also one of the year’s quarter days, when rents are due on
leases. The greater landlords will often given meals for tenants who
come today to pay on time.
This day is the end of hunting season for fox and wolf (since Christmastide), but hare-hunting remains an allowable sport.
- Margaret |
