Thursday, 31 January 2013
St John Website roundup
St John Website roundup:
http://www.stjohn.org.au/
St John Ambulance Australia website.
http://www.orderofstjohn.org/
Order of St John website.
http://www.museumstjohn.org.uk/
The Museum of the Order of St John in England.
http://alphaom.tripod.com/tmp/imagesJ.htm
This site has a very good list of different saints and links to a number of images. Some of the links are dead and the dates are imprecise but present.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
THE St John of St John Ambulance
Bingo, we have confirmation that my hunch was true, the Order of St John was named after St John the Baptist, the original St John. The guy who lost his head when Salome asked for it on a platter. Like Jesus, St John the Baptist was a popular figure to draw, paint and sculpt in the middle ages. So Elizabet Hunter has many images to pick from. I'd suggest not using the ones that feature Salome with Johns head on a plate.
(I got all excited and started browsing my collection of religious images so I could offer Elizabet a selection of the ones I find more visually pleasing. I really wanted to see if Cranach had painted one of John with his head still on as Queen Eva and King Felix are having a landschneckt themed reign and I like both Cranach's depictions of this garb. Then I read some more about the Order of St John, hoping there'd be some good images I haven't seen before and found out I'm looking in all the wrong places.)
According to a paper by Dr Ian Howie-Willis who is a Knight of St John and member of the St John Historical Society, St John the Baptist wasn't the original patron St Johns Ambulance.
"The Order has always been called 'The Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem' but in the early years the 'St John' in the title was St John the Almsgiver. This John was a Cypriot who became Bishop of Alexandria where he became famous for spending the church's wealth in aiding poor refugees. His boast was that 'I found the treasury of my church full but left it empty'. The early boast of (The order of St John) is it's pre-military days was something similar. The Blessed Gerard, found of the Order, and his brethren used to say that the Order existed to serve 'Our Lords the Sick and Our Lords the Poor'. John the Almsgiver was therefore an excellent role model for the Order.
Some of Gerad's monks disagreed, however. As their Hospital became more influential and powerful after they were reconstituted as a separate Order in 1113, they believed a more prestigious patron saint was required. And, so one Saint John was dropped in favour of another - the Baptist in place of the Almsgiver. In addition, after the First Crusade, the brethren occupied the former Greek Orthodoc monastery of St John the Baptist so perhaps this was less confusing for everyone." (Howie-Willis, 2010).
One of the few paintings depicting the original patron: St John the Almoner. Painted by Titian (1490-1576). Currently located in San Giovanni Elemosinario, Venice.
The St John the Almsgiver that Howie-Willis (2010) refers to may be the St John listed in Wikipedia as John the Merciful (died c. 610), Cyprian Patriarch of Alexandria. Also known as John the Almsgiver, John the Almoner, John V of Alexandria, John Eleymon, and Johannes Eleemon. St John (the Almsgiver) is commemorated on the 12th of November, (details). There are a lot fewer images of St John the Merciful than there are of St John the Baptist from the middle ages due to a number of reasons. 1) John the Baptist, as the original John and cousin of Jesus, is much more of a superhero character and is more well known due to his inclusion in the Bible, 2) the ultimate charity of St John the Almsgiver probably didn't sit that well with members of the church who were trying to accumulate wealth and power so I doubt they would have promoted his image and through this, his cause.
There are a number of easily searchable images from google that come up for St John the Merciful however many of the ones that look medieval are in fact modern icons for the Greek Orthodox church. Finding medieval images is going to be a challenge, especially finding an image that can represent the St John Ambulance boys at Rowany Festival. I really want to find one where he is giving alms to a clearly sick person.
Howie-Willis. I, 2010, St John the Baptist: The Patron Saint of the Order of St John, Proceedings of the St John Ambulance Historical Society of Australia, Vol 10.
The cross and founder of the Order of St John
The cross of the Order
"The cross of the Order of St John is the subject of on-going discussion as to its origin and the date it became the cross of the Order. It is widely believed to have been adopted as a result of the funds provided for the rebuilding of the hospital in Jerusalem by the people of the Italian state of Amalfi, which was the only western European state trading in the Middle East. At the time of the formation of the Order in the 11th century, the arms of Amalfi was a white, eight-pointed cross on a blue background. The Blessed Gerard, founder of the Order of St John, appears to have adopted a black habit bearing an eight-pointed star in white on the left breast, prior to 1113, when Pope Paschal II first officially recognised the Order. What is certain is that this form of cross is now usually referred to as the Maltese cross, a consequence of the Order’s 268 year residence on the Island of Malta." ( Crowther. I, and Goodman. M, 2012, Grand Masters of Malta: Their heraldry and coinage, Historical Society of St Johns Ambulance, Proceedings of the St John Ambulance Historical Society of Australia Volume 12.)
Members of St John Ambulance Australia wear the eight pointed badge, the St John Cross all over their uniforms and cars etc. They have a heraldic device as well, the St John Shield or Arms of the Order. A square white cross on a scarlet background (A cross argent, on a field gules?)
We can probably assume that any St John born after the start of the Order is not our St John. We can also assume, that as the Order was founded by The Blessed Gerard, that St John himself is dead so any St John living past 1113 is not our man either.
John the
Evangelist (born 1st century), speculated author of the Fourth Gospel,
traditionally identified with John the Apostle
John of
Patmos, author of the Book of Revelation, traditionally identified with John
the Apostle and Evangelist
John the
Baptist, preacher, ascetic (c. 5 BC – c. 30 AD), and reported baptizer of Jesus
Christ
John the
Wonderworking Unmercenary (d. c. 304), Egyptian or Mesopotamian healer
John
Chrysostom (c. 340 – 407), Antiochene Archbishop of Constantinople
John Cassian
(360 – 435), probably Scythia-Minor priest and abbot
John and Paul
(d. 362), Roman martyrs
John of Egypt
(d. 394), Egyptian hermit
John the
Silent (452-558), Bishop of Taxara
Pope John I
(died 526), Italian pope
John of
Ephesus (507-586), Syrian ecclesiatical historian
John Climacus
(525–606), Syrian or Byzantine monk and abbot
John
Scholasticus (died 577), 32nd Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch John
IV of Constantinople (d. 595), also known as John the Faster, first Ecumenical
Patriarch
John the
Merciful (died c. 610), Cyprian Patriarch of Alexandria
John of
Damascus (676–749), Syrian monk and priest, also known as John Damascene
John of
Beverley (died 721), Angle bishop
John of Pavia
(died 813), Bishop of Pavia
John of Rila
(876–946), Bulgarian priest and hermit
John Gualbert
(985-1073), Founder of the Vallumbrosan Order
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Researching all the St Johns
Burning of St John (also known as The Legend of the Relics of St. John the Baptist) by Geertgen tot Sint Jans (1484), one panel of a triptych which has been cut into two pieces, currently in Vienna. (Some good information about this painting, Snyder, James, E. 1960. The early Haarlem School of Painting: II. Geertgen Tot Sint Jans The Art Bulletin, Vol 4, 1960. The priests? Knights? featured in this image all wear black robes with the white cross of St John, however none of the beasts featured in the current heraldry are present.
Since there are so many possible patron saints of St Johns Ambulance Australia, I'm starting my research into the organisation seeing how far back I can trace it. The further back I can follow it, the more patrons I can knock off the list.
I've trolled through a number of the St Johns Ambulance Historical
Society proceedings and have discovered a number of key figures in their
history, mostly leaders / founders of order chapters in different
locations. I believe some of these figures are some of the St Johns
listed in Wikipedia so I can scrap them from the list. They are: St John at Acre (Guerin de Montaigu (1207–1228), 13th Grandmaster), St John at Rhodes (Pierre D’Aubusson (1476–1503)), St John of Malta (Philip Villiers de L’Isle Adam (1521–1534), Pietro del Ponte (1534–1535), Didier St Jaille (1535–1536), John de Homedes (Juan de Omedes) (1536–1553), Claude de la Sengle (1553–1557)).
So basically, any St John post 1207 is now off the list.
So basically, any St John post 1207 is now off the list.
John the
Evangelist (born 1st century), speculated author of the Fourth Gospel,
traditionally identified with John the Apostle
John of
Patmos, author of the Book of Revelation, traditionally identified with John
the Apostle and Evangelist
John the
Baptist, preacher, ascetic (c. 5 BC – c. 30 AD), and reported baptizer of Jesus
Christ
John the
Wonderworking Unmercenary (d. c. 304), Egyptian or Mesopotamian healer
John
Chrysostom (c. 340 – 407), Antiochene Archbishop of Constantinople
John Cassian
(360 – 435), probably Scythia-Minor priest and abbot
John and Paul
(d. 362), Roman martyrs
John of Egypt
(d. 394), Egyptian hermit
John the
Silent (452-558), Bishop of Taxara
Pope John I
(died 526), Italian pope
John of
Ephesus (507-586), Syrian ecclesiatical historian
John Climacus
(525–606), Syrian or Byzantine monk and abbot
John
Scholasticus (died 577), 32nd Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch John
IV of Constantinople (d. 595), also known as John the Faster, first Ecumenical
Patriarch
John the
Merciful (died c. 610), Cyprian Patriarch of Alexandria
John of
Damascus (676–749), Syrian monk and priest, also known as John Damascene
John of
Beverley (died 721), Angle bishop
John of Pavia
(died 813), Bishop of Pavia
John of Rila
(876–946), Bulgarian priest and hermit
John Gualbert
(985-1073), Founder of the Vallumbrosan Order
John Theristus
(1049-1129), Italian benedictine monk
John of
Pulsano (1070-1139), or Giovanni di Matera, Italian abbot
John of the
Grating (1098-1168), Bishop of Aleth
John of Matha
(1160–1213), French priest; founder of the Trinitarian Order
John of Meda
(died 1159), Italian priest
Helpful websites:
St Johns Ambulance Australia (a great group of people who volunteer their first aid assistance at many major events across Australia, I was a cadet in the organization many years ago - volunteer or donate today!)
Researching St John
The Heraldry of St John Ambulance Australia
It appears Elizabeth Hunter has something planned for the St Johns boys at Rowany Festival this year. As I had researched her popular dragon banner from two (?) years ago she's asked me to find an image of St John. The big question is, Which St John? Wikipedia has a massive list of them.
According to the St John Ambulance Historical society, "In the Nineteenth Century a group of citizens revived the Order of St John in England, drawing their inspiration from the example of the Knights of St John who in medieval times,". The order was involved in volunteer assitance for the sick. This movement was spread to Australia in 1884. (St John Ambulance Australia). While important this history is far too current, and the Order of St John / Knights of St John are more relevant to our research. For those interested the Historical Society of St Johns Ambulance publishes a free history journal with some very detail articles on a range of topics, from language, to coinage, to the forefathers of the organisation
So we can safely assume that any St John post-1884 is not our man.
- John the Evangelist (born 1st century), speculated author of the Fourth Gospel, traditionally identified with John the Apostle
- John of Patmos, author of the Book of Revelation, traditionally identified with John the Apostle and Evangelist
- John the Baptist, preacher, ascetic (c. 5 BC – c. 30 AD), and reported baptizer of Jesus Christ
- John the Wonderworking Unmercenary (d. c. 304), Egyptian or Mesopotamian healer
- John Chrysostom (c. 340 – 407), Antiochene Archbishop of Constantinople
- John Cassian (360 – 435), probably Scythia-Minor priest and abbot
- John and Paul (d. 362), Roman martyrs
- John of Egypt (d. 394), Egyptian hermit
- John the Silent (452-558), Bishop of Taxara
- Pope John I (died 526), Italian pope
- John of Ephesus (507-586), Syrian ecclesiatical historian
- John Climacus (525–606), Syrian or Byzantine monk and abbot
- John Scholasticus (died 577), 32nd Patriarch of Constantinople
- Patriarch John IV of Constantinople (d. 595), also known as John the Faster, first Ecumenical Patriarch
- John the Merciful (died c. 610), Cyprian Patriarch of Alexandria
- John of Damascus (676–749), Syrian monk and priest, also known as John Damascene
- John of Beverley (died 721), Angle bishop
- John of Pavia (died 813), Bishop of Pavia
- John of Rila (876–946), Bulgarian priest and hermit
- John Gualbert (985-1073), Founder of the Vallumbrosan Order
- John Theristus (1049-1129), Italian benedictine monk
- John of Pulsano (1070-1139), or Giovanni di Matera, Italian abbot
- John of the Grating (1098-1168), Bishop of Aleth
- John of Matha (1160–1213), French priest; founder of the Trinitarian Order
- John of Meda (died 1159), Italian priest
- John Kukuzelis (1280-1360), Bulgarian composer, singer and reformer
- John of Nepomuk (1340–1393), Bohemian vicar general of Jan of Jenštejn
- Giovanni da Capistrano (1386–1456), Italian friar; summoner of European troops for the 1456 siege of Belgrade
- John Cantius (1390-1473), Polish priest and theologian
- John of Sahagún (1419-1479) Spanish priest
- John Fisher (c. 1460 – 1535), English cardinal and martyr
- Juan Diego (1474-1548), first Native-American saint
- John Houghton (martyr) (c. 1480 – 1535), English abbot and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John de Ribera (1532-1611), or Juan de Ribera, Bishop of Valencia
- John Stone (martyr) (died 1539 / died 1539), English friar and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John of God (1495–1550), Portuguese friar; founder of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God
- John of Avila (1500–1569), Spanish Jewish converso priest, missionary and mystic
- John Payne (martyr) (1532–1582), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Leonardi (1541–1609), Italian priest; founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca
- John of the Cross (1542–1591), Spanish Jewish converso friar, priest and mystic; joint founder of the Discalced Carmelites
- John Boste (c. 1540 – 1594), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Rigby (martyr) (c. 1570 – 1600), English martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Roberts (martyr) (c. 1570 – 1610 / c. 1570 – 1610), Welsh priest, Prior of Saint Gregory's (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Sarkander (1576–1620), Polish priest and martyr
- John Ogilvie (saint) (1579–1615), Scottish priest and martyr
- John Jones (martyr) (16th century – 1598), Welsh priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Macias (1585-1645), Spanish missionary
- John Southworth (martyr) (1592–1654), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- Jean de Brébeuf (1593–1649), French missionary and martyr (one of the North American Martyrs)
- John Francis Regis (1597-1640), French priest
- John Kemble (martyr) (1599–1679), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Berchmans (1599-1621) Flemish seminarian
- John Eudes (1601-1680), or Jean Eudes, French priest and founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary
- Jean de Lalande (1615-1646), French missionary and martyr (one of the North American Martyrs)
- John Wall (priest) (1620–1679), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Plessington (c. 1630 – 1679), English priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John de Brito (1647-1693), Portuguese missionary and martyr
- John of Tobolsk (1651-1715), Metropolitan of Tobolsk
- Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1651–1719), French priest; founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
- John Joseph of the Cross (1654–1739), Ischian friar, priest and Vicar Provincial of the Alcantarine Reform in Italy
- Saint John Lloyd (died 1679), Welsh priest and martyr (one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales)
- John Dat (c. 1765 – 1798), Vietnamese priest and martyr
- Jean Vianney (1786–1859), French priest
- John Hoan Trinh Doan (c. 1789 / 1798 – 1861), Vietnamese priest and martyr
- John Thanh Van Dinh (1796–1840), Vietnamese martyr
- John Gabriel Perboyre (1802-1840), or Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, French missionary and martyr
- John Baptist Con (1805–1840), Vietnamese martyr
- John Charles Cornay (1809-1837), or Jean-Charles Cornay, French missionary and martyr
- John Neumann (1811–1860), Bohemian missionary, Bishop of Philadelphia, founder of the first American Catholic diocesan school system
- John Baptist Y (1800–1839), one of the Korean Martyrs
John Bosco (1815–1888), Italian priest and educator; founder of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Salesian CooperatorsJohn of Kronstadt (1829–1908), Russian archpriest and synod memberJohn of Shanghai and San Francisco (1898-1966), also known as John the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco
Thursday, 24 January 2013
To make a liquid for marking cloth
To make a liquid for marking cloth. Take dirty grease, such as the black muck which is found at each end of the axle-tree of a carriage, and add, and mix in oil and vinegar and boil it all together, and then heat up your marking tool and dip it in, and set it on your linen.
From Le Menagier de Paris, 1390, translation by Janet Hinson.
I think I might try this. I wonder if it leaves permanent marks and how fine I can make them.
Addition (27/1/2013): I've found a website that states that a blend of iron and vinegar can be used to chemically dye leather black. They suggest soaking steel wool or iron nails in vinegar until the liquid turns brown (a week or so) then painting the liquid onto the leather. (here). Perhaps the grease is from a metal axle and by mixing with vinegar you get the same thing. The added benefit of the grease and oil is it'll make a thicker substance, more of a paste which will be perfect for cloth.
Addition (28/1/2013): Randomly found a link on Pinterest that suggests using the metal + vinegar as a wood stain. "Vinegar works as a wood stain when you add a metal object in the mix and let it sit in a glass container for a week. A handful of pennies will produce a beautiful pale Caribbean blue stain. A wad of steel wool will give you a rich reddish hue. A combination of tea and a metal object in vinegar will produce a black stain." (Here). As I have a bunch of pennies from my last trip to America I might give it a try this week. Even though I've only got a year 12 level chemistry knowledge, I'm pretty sure the 'blue' comes from the copper in the pennies reacting to the acid (vinegar). According to The Boy, pennies made in America from 1983 onwards are zinc with a coating of copper (random fact here). I'm not sure which type the author of the post I found intended so I may experiment with both.
Addition (28/1/2013): Randomly found a link on Pinterest that suggests using the metal + vinegar as a wood stain. "Vinegar works as a wood stain when you add a metal object in the mix and let it sit in a glass container for a week. A handful of pennies will produce a beautiful pale Caribbean blue stain. A wad of steel wool will give you a rich reddish hue. A combination of tea and a metal object in vinegar will produce a black stain." (Here). As I have a bunch of pennies from my last trip to America I might give it a try this week. Even though I've only got a year 12 level chemistry knowledge, I'm pretty sure the 'blue' comes from the copper in the pennies reacting to the acid (vinegar). According to The Boy, pennies made in America from 1983 onwards are zinc with a coating of copper (random fact here). I'm not sure which type the author of the post I found intended so I may experiment with both.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Documentation for jerky (or salted meat)
Janurary's Twilight Tourney, though a small affair, was quite fun. The tourney itself was quite small but I think I got the most enjoyment out of entering all but one of the A&S competitions available. I painted my shield (it's beautiful), I made a heraldic saddle cloth for the Elephant, I made some preserved fruits (cumquats and lemons) AND I attempted jerky for the first time.
In fact, I made three kinds!
1)
Guaranteed not to kill you preserved meat.
2)
Experimental preserved meat
3)
Modern jerky using the medieval processes
(strips cut with the grain, squares cut across the grain)
I started by hopping on the internets and researching jerky
and salted meat. The theory is very easy, sufficient salt will dehydrate the
meat and prevent bacteria. I admit, I’m very modern and prefer my meat from a refrigerator. I found a few webpages refereeing to the Le Menagier de Paris, a
medieval cookbook from 1393. I then found a translation of this cookbook by J Hinson.
Source [Le Menagiér de Paris, J. Hinson (trans.)]: Venison
of Deer or Other Beast, If you wish to salt it in summer, it is appropriate to
salt it in a wash-tub or bath, ground coarse salt, and after dry it in the sun.
Haunch, that is the rump, which is salted, should be cooked first in water and
wine for the first boiling to draw out the salt: and then throw out the water
and wine, and after put to partly cook in a bouillon of meat and turnips, and
serve in slices with some of the liquid in a dish and venison.
I also found some articles of Stefans florigium (first ever visit to the florigium, where have you been all my life oh tertiary documentation?)
and a quick search produced this recipe:
Lord's Salt
Icelandic
p. 215/D1
One shall
take cloves and mace, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, ginger an equal weight of
each except cinnamon, of which there shall be just as much as of all the others,
and as much baked bread as all that has been said above. And he shall cut it
all together and grind it in strong vinegar; and put it in a cask. That is
their salt and it is good for half a year.
Icelandic
p. 215/D1
When a
man wants to use of this salt, he shall boil it in a pan over coals without
flame. Then he shall take venison of hart or roe and carefully garnish with fat
and roast it. And cut it up well burned; and when the salt is cold than the
meat shall be cut up therein with a little salt. Then it can lie for three
weeks. So a man may long keep geese, ducks, and other game if he cuts them
thin. This is the best salt the gentry have.
So I tried a mix of both methods.
1)
Guaranteed not to kill you – preserved meat
I had a worry about poisioning people with my meat
as this was my first attempt. So I adapted the Icelandic method with the Le
Menagier method. I took half a kilt of meet, sliced it and boiled it in a brine
mix. 1 cup salt, 2 cups water, ¼ teaspoon sumac, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ¼ mixed
peppers and ½ brown sugar (as I had no honey). I boiled the meat until it was
tough and grey.
Being a modern sort of girl with a deadline I
decided not to dry my meat in the sun. Instead I borrowed a fruit dryer and
dried it for 8 hours. My thin cut strips turned very dry and powdery. They are
quite salty and would work well for stews or long term meat.
2) Experimental preserved meat
After the
success of 1, I decided to try the same brine mix in the Le Menagier method of
soaking (marinating) and then drying. To this mix I added 4 table spoons of
brown sugar as well as the rest of the ingredients listed above. The meat was
soaked for 24 hours and then placed in the dryer. Due to the increase in sugar,
the jerky is softer than the first version. It is just as salty but is still
pliable. It would be better to eat by itself but will probably grown mold
quicker than 1.
3) Modern jerky
To appeal
to modern tastes I used the same process as 2. I soaked the meat in a mix of
soy, ketjup manis, teriyaki sauce, pepper and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. The
soy stands in place of the salt used in recipe in 1 and 2. This jerky is much more
moist, and a lot closer to modern jerky. I am convinced it’s the sugar that
takes the place of some of the salt and helps retain the moisture in the meat.
This one is a lot more flavourful and was gone by the end of the night.
Monday, 21 January 2013
Shield of hotness
St George and the Dragon, by Paolo Uccello, 1470. (wikipaintings here)
I've been using a smaller shield for at least 6 months now. For a long time it's been creamy white canvass covered in black and blue streaks from where I block blows. I finally decided to paint it over the Christmas break. I was sort of planning on just putting my heraldry on it again as it worked really well last time and looks great in a shield wall. Then I found a photo of St George (above) while looking for images of Wyvyrns. I love this painting because the lady is so clearly out walking her pet dragon on a leash when the oafish St George comes along and spears it through the eye. I couldn't resist, so I painted the key features on my shield. I'm rather happy with how it turned out even though I can't do faces or hands. I also used pearl white instead of pure white as they didn't have any at the store. This leaves a shimmer in the sky, on the faces and hands of the lady and georg(ina) and a very shiny horse.
This is not a very good picture of the shield but the main details are there. I've tried to retain the foreshortening that the original painter used in the dragon and the horse but I'm not so good at that. I also changed the dragon a little. I moved his leg and changed his stance so I could change his claws... if you notice he looks alot more like the figures below.Yep, I changed him to a velociraptor. Before you ask, Yes, I know they're only giant chicken sized (or small ostrich), and we've got fossil evidence to show they had feathers. I like the dragon wings better so I've compromised and given him small bat hands near the ends of his wings. I'm very happy with this shield! AND I entered it into the College of St Monicas, Twilight Tourney Heraldry competition and came first! Yay!
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