Dear list-members,
First of all, thank you to all of you who responded to my query about
the Holy Innocents with such useful and interesting suggestions and
information. I am still hoping to receive further insights but
meanwhile I have ANOTHER query.
According to Leviticus 12, women should be purified 40 days after the
birth of a son and 80 days after the birth of a daughter. Of course,
in the medieval period it was the purification of the Virgin that was
even more influential as an image, and a theme frequently presented
in art.
I gather, however, that for the period from 1500 on this 40- or
80-day period was not so very strictly adhered to and mothers were
often churched much sooner. This is hardly surprising in itself as
it would have been hard for women to be excluded from services for
such a long time in a society which considered attending mass so
vital.
Does anyone have any references or suggestions with regard to the
length of time between childbirth and purification for the medieval
period? I suppose royal accounts (e.g. for the Plantagenets) might
provide clues but I should be grateful for any help or suggestions in
this matter.
With best wishes (no recipes this time),
Sophie Oosterwijk
Dept of the History of Art
University of Leicester
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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