#hedwig of saxony

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, October 31st:

Edward, King of Portugal, 1391

Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg, 1445

Henriette of Cleves, Princess of Mantua, 1542

Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Oldenburg, 1722

Charlotte Bonaparte, Infanta of Spain, 1802

Luis I, King of Portugal and the Algarves, 1838

Louise of Sweden, Queen of Denmark, 1851

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, 1934

Norberta of Liechtenstein, Dowager Marchioness of Mariño,  1950

Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias, 2005

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

taylor swift lyrics x colors x textiles in art – red

Fifteen – Fearless // Augusta of Bavaria with Her Children – Andrea Appiani ❤️ Love Story – Fearless // Portrait of a Prussian Prince – Unknown Artist ❤️ Red – Red // Apples – Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin ❤️ All Too Well – Red // Birdsong – Károly Ferenczy ❤️ All Too Well – Red // Portrait of a Lady – John Opie ❤️ The Moment I Knew – Red // Portrait of Sophia Hedwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg – attributed to Wybrand de Geest ❤️ Nothing New – Red // Sibylla Palmifera – Dante Gabriel Rossetti ❤️ Blank Space – 1989 // Tomaž Hren – unknown artist ❤️ Style – 1989 // Ernest Amadej Tomaž Attems – unknown artist ❤️ Wildest Dreams – 1989 // A Vision of Fiametta – Dante Gabriel Rossetti ❤️ New Romantics – 1989 // Portrait of Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan – Hyacinthe Rigaud ❤️ End Game – Reputation // A Genoese Lady with Her Child – Anthony van Dyck ❤️ I Did Something Bad – Reputation // Marie-Adélaïde de France – Johann Julius Heinsius ❤️ Look What You Made Me Do – Reputation // Infanta Isabel of Spain – Carlos Luis de Ribera y Fieve ❤️ Daylight – Lover // Self-Portrait – Gwen John ❤️ the lakes – folklore // Maria Amalia of Saxony – Anton Raphael Mengs ❤️ gold rush – evermore // Barine – Edward Poynter ❤️ Maroon – Midnights // Margaret “Peg” Woffington – unknown artist ❤️ Maroon – Midnights // Portrait of Marchessa Marianna Florenzi – Joseph Karl Stieler ❤️ Maroon – Midnights // Henry IV, King of France in Armor – Frans Pourbus the Younger ❤️ Maroon – Midnights // Elizabeth I as a Princess – attributed to William Scrots ❤️ The Great War – Midnights // Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge with Her Children – Melchior Gommar Tieleman

[prose2passion]

Every picture tells a story

#EveryPicture season 2, No.9: Some more horses for Hedwig, this time in Brase, now part of Neustadt am Rübenberge, Lower Saxony

[catherinesboleyn]

Every French princess ever

Other posts in this series: Every Queen of England ever, Every English princess ever, Every Queen of France ever

Rothilde - daughter of Charles the Bald and Richilde of Provence

Ermentrude - daughter of Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy

Emma of France - daughter of Robert I and Beatrice of Vermandois (Queen consort of West Francia)

Emma of France - daughter of Robert I and Beatrice of Vermandois (Queen consort of West Francia)

Matilda of France - daughter of Louis IV and Gerberga of Saxony (Queen consort of Burgundy)

Hedwig of France - daughter of Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine (Countess of Mons)

Gisèle of France - daughter of Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine (Countess of Ponthieu)

Advisa of France - daughter of Robert II and Constance of Arles (Countess of Nevers)

Adela of France - daughter of Robert II and Constance of Arles (Duchess of Normandy, Countess of Flanders)

Constance of France - daughter of Philip I and Bertha of Holland (Princess of Antioch, Countess of Troyes)

Cecile of France - daughter of Philip I and Bertrade de Montfort (Princess of Galilee, Countess of Tripoli)

Constance of France - daughter of Louis VI and Adélaide of Maurienne (Countess of Boulogne and Toulouse)

Marie of France - daughter of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Countess of Champagne)

Alice of France - daughter of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Countess of Blois)

Margaret of France - daughter of Louis VII and Constance of Castile (Queen consort of England, Queen consort of Hungary and Croatia)

Alys of France - daughter of Louis VII and Constance of Castile (Countess of Vexin, Countess of Ponthieu)

Agnes of France - daughter of Louis VII and Adela of Champagne (Byzantine Empress consort)

Marie of France - daughter of Philip II and Agnes of Merania (Duchess of Brabant)

Isabelle of France - daughter of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile (Saint)

Isabella of France - daughter of Louis IX and Margaret of Provence (Queen consort of Navarre)

Blanche of France - daughter of Louis IX and Margaret of Provence (Infanta of Castile)

Margaret of France - daughter of Louis IX and Margaret of Provence (Duchess of Brabant)

Agnes of France - daughter of Louis IX and Margaret of Provence (Duchess of Burgundy)

Blanche of France - daughter of Philip III and Maria of Brabant (Duchess of Austria)

Margaret of France - daughter of Philip III and Maria of Brabant (Queen consort of England)

Isabella of France - daughter of Philip IV and Joan I of Navarre (Queen consort of England)

Joan II of Navarre - daughter of Louis X and Margaret of Burgundy (Queen regnant of Navarre)

Joan III of Burgundy - daughter of Philip V and Joan II of Burgundy (Countess of Burgundy and Artois)

Margaret I of Burgundy - daughter of Philip V and Joan II of Burgundy (Countess of Burgundy and Artois)

Isabella of France - daughter of Philip V and Joan II of Burgundy (Dauphine of Viennois)

Blanche of France - daughter of Philip V and Joan II of Burgundy

Blanche of France - daughter of Charles IV and Joan of Évreux (Duchess of Orléans)

Joan of France - daughter of Philip VI and Blanche of Navarre

Joan of Valois - daughter of John II and Bonne of Luxembourg (Queen consort of Navarre)

Marie of France - daughter of John II and Bonne of Luxembourg (Duchess of Bar)

Isabella of France - daughter of John II and Bonne of Luxembourg (Countess of Vertus)

Catherine of France - daughter of Charles V and Joanna of Bourbon (Countess of Montpensier)

Isabella of Valois - daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria (Queen consort of England, Duchess of Orléans)

Joan of Valois - daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria (Duchess of Brittany)

Marie of Valois - daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria

Michelle of Valois - daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria (Duchess of Burgundy)

Catherine of Valois - daughter of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria (Queen consort of England)

Radegonde of Valois - daughter of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou

Yolande of Valois - daughter of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou (Duchess of Savoy)

Magdalena of Valois - daughter of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou (Princess of Viana)

Joan of France - daughter of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou (Duchess of Bourbon)

Catherine of France - daughter of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou (Countess of Charolais)

Anne of France - daughter of Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy (Duchess of Bourbon)

Joan of France - daughter of Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy (Queen consort of France)

Claude of France - daughter of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany (Queen consort of France, Duchess of Brittany)

Renée of France - daughter of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany (Duchess of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio)

Madeleine of Valois - daughter of Francis I and Claude of France (Queen consort of Scotland)

Margaret of Valois - daughter of Francis I and Claude of France (Duchess of Berry, Duchess of Savoy)

Elisabeth of Valois - daughter of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici (Queen consort of Spain)

Claude of Valois - daughter of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici (Duchess of Lorraine)

Margaret of Valois - daughter of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici (Queen consort of France, Queen consort of Navarre)

Marie Elisabeth of France - daughter of Charles IX and Elisabeth of Austria

Elisabeth of France - daughter of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici (Queen consort of Spain, Queen consort of Portugal)

Christine of France - daughter of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici (Duchess of Savoy)

Henrietta Maria - daughter of Henry IV and Marie de' Medici (Queen consort of England)

Marie Thérèse - daughter of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain (Madame Royale)

Louise Élisabeth of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska (Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla)

Henriette of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska

Marie Louise of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska

Marie Adélaïde de France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska (Duchess of Louvois)

Victoire of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska

Sophie of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska (Duchess of Louvois)

Thérèse of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska

Louise of France - daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska (Saint)

Marie-Thérèse - daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (Queen consort of France)

Sophie of France - daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Sophie d'Artois - daughter of Charles X and Maria Theresa of Savoy

Louise of Orléans - daughter of Louis Philippe I and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (Queen consort of the Belgians)

Marie of Orléans - daughter of Louis Philippe I and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (Duchess of Württemberg)

Clémentine of Orléans - daughter of Louis Philippe I and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Saxony)

[awordwasthebeginning]

the midwife’s secret - sorta liveblogging pt. vii

Episode 2.

22:59: A recap, hooray. Of which two seconds are narrated by Christian for some reason.

23:00: Wedding night at Wiprecht’s. Marthe is unenthusiastic. Wiprecht slaps her and tells her to say the Lord’s Prayer while he fucks her. (Because Marthe might be a witch, remember?) An ox/cow is watching. Bizarrely biblical, all that.

23:03: Christian and Lukas are back, with a dead knight. Marthe, wearing a headscarf and a black eye, goes to see them and offers to look at Chris’s arrow wound (shoulder). Lukas goes to fetch Pater Roland.

23:06: Chris asks Marthe who hit her. She doesn’t answer, but conveniently, Grete, Griseldis and Wiprecht show up. Wiprecht asks for Chris’s blessing for his marriage, which is how Chris finds out about Marthe being taken (and also the black eye). He’s disappointed bc “in battle, only the thought of Marthe had kept me alive”. What battle, Chrissiboy??? What battle? The skirmish when you let the horses loose??

23:09: They bury the knight. Chris at least tells Wiprecht to treat Marthe decently. Then, Margravine Hedwig!

23:12: She says she knows that Chris blames her for having to go to battle. Bit of politics. The Lion isn’t finished yet, etc. Anyway, she has actually come to get Marthe to Meißen to treat Dietrich. For some reason Chris doesn’t say “uh, she’s married now, her husband would have to consent”. Like, it’s admirable that his focus is on Marthe’s consent (and the fact that he’d like to keep her close & safe), but this is still 1167, no? Wiprecht technically owns Marthe. Hedwig and Chris part not very friendly.

23:17: It’s spring. Two salt traders come into the village and sell salt for vegetables, fur, flour, etc. etc. When they leave, one wheel of their cart breaks through the small bridge outside the village, and when they try to push it out, one of the traders falls into the brook and hurts his back on a rock which turns out to be a block of silver.

23:30: They find even more silver around, bc this village...is actually fetus Freiberg (Saxony)!

23:24: Puhhh. Politics, and terrible acting. Basically: Otto wants all the silver, but the silver technically belongs to the emperor (the Lion’s cousin/uncle). Christian says his village isn’t ready and able yet to mine silver. Randolf suggests Otto declare free mining law. Otto thinks that’s a great idea, Chris says that would mean strangers running around and ruining his village. Otto gets angry and the music stops. Dramatic staring trio between Hedwig, Chris and Randolf.

23:29: Hedwig and Chris talk. She says she’ll help protect his village from Otto’s despotism and Randolf’s scheming - if Chris lets Marthe go to her. Soooo it’s protect the village, or protect Marthe for Chris.

[venicepearl]

Magdalena of Saxony (7 March 1507 – 25 January 1534) was Margravine of Brandenburg, its "Electoral Princess", the Electoral equivalent of a crown princess.

She was the daughter of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony and his wife Barbara. Magdalena's maternal grandparents were Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and his wife queen Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Albert II of Germany.

Magdalena was married, at Dresden, on 6 November 1524, to her second cousin's son Joachim Hector, the future Elector of Brandenburg. Their son was John George, another future Elector of Brandenburg. After Magdalena's death which occurred well before Joachim ascended the electorate, Joachim II Hector married Hedwig Jagiellon, daughter of King Sigismund I of Poland.

[germanaustriannoblesandroyals]

Master Post - Members by birth

Disclaimer: Houses that rule(d)/reside(d) in other countries but originally came from German and/or Austrian territories and/or are generally regarded as belonging to this cultural room are listed among the German & Austrian Houses.

German & Austrian Houses

House of Ascania

Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst aka Catherine the Great

House of Coburg (Cadet branch of the House of Wettin)

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, The Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Württemberg

Princess Charlotte of Belgium, The Empress of Mexico, Archduchess of Austria

Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Crown Princess of Austria, Hungary & Bohemia

Princess Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland, Princess Royal, The German Empress

Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, The Princess of Leiningen, The Duchess of Kent

House of Griffin

Elizabeth of Pomerania, Holy Roman Empress

House of Habsburg

Archduchess Johanna of Austria, The Grand Duchess of Tuscany

Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, The Electress of Bavaria

Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, Princess of Lorraine and Bar

Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, The Electress of Bavaria

Archduchess Maria Antonia “Marie Antoinette” of Austria, The Queen of France and Navarre

Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria, The Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal & the Algarves

Maria Theresia, The Archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress

Archduchess Sophie of Austria

House of Hanover (Cadet branch of the House of Welf)

Princess Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, The Queen in Prussia

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Empress of India

House of Hesse

Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia

House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, The Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein

Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, The Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen

House of Hohenstaufen

Elisabeth “Beatrix” of Swabia, The Queen of Castile, León & Galicia

Konstanze “Anna” of Hohenstaufen, The Empress of Nicaea

House of Hohenzollern

Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia

Princess Caroline of Ansbach, The Queen of Great Britain & Ireland, The Electress of Hanover

Princess Elisabeth of Brandenburg, The Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg-Göttingen

Princess Luise of Prussia, Princess Radziwiłł

Princess Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, The Queen of Sweden

Princess Marie of Prussia, The Queen of Bavaria

Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia, The Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

House of La Marck

Amalia of Cleves

Anne of Cleves, The Queen of England

Sybille of Cleves, The Electress of Saxony

House of Leiningen

Princess Feodora of Leiningen, The Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

House of Liechtenstein

Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, Countess Esterházy de Galantha

House of Mecklenburg

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Queen of Great Britain, Ireland & Hanover

Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg aka Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia

Friederike (Federica) of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Queen of Hanover

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Queen of Prussia

Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The Princess of Thurn and Taxis

House of Northeim

Richenza of Northeim, Holy Roman Empress

House of Oldenburg

Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, German Empress

Princess Cecilie of Greece & Denmark, The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

House of Reuß

Princess Hermine Reuß of Greiz, “German Empress”

House of Thurn and Taxis

Princes Marie Auguste of Thurn and Taxis, Duchess of Württemberg

House of Welf

Adelaide of Burgundy, Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Italy

Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, The Queen of the United Kingdom & Hanover

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, The Queen in & of Prussia

Princess Juliane of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, The Queen of Denmark and Norway

House of Wettin

Adelheid (Adelaide) of Saxe-Meiningen, The Queen of the United Kingdom and Hanover

Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress

Princess Christina of Saxony, The Landgravine of Hesse

Princess Luise (Louise) of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, The Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, The Countess of Pölzig and Beiersdorf

House of Wied-Neuwied

Princess Elisabeth of Wied, The Queen & Princess of Romania

House of Wittelsbach

Princess Alexandra of Bavaria

Princess Amalie Auguste of Bavaria, The Queen of Saxony

Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, Holy Roman Empress

Elisabeth “Sisi” in Bavaria, The Empress of Austria

Elisabeth (Isabeau) of Bavaria, The Queen of France

Princess Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, The Queen of Prussia

Helene “Néné” in Bavaria, The Hereditary Princess of Thurn and Taxis

Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, The Duchess in Bavaria

Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria, The Archduchess of Inner Austria-Styria

Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria, The Queen of Saxony

Marie in Bavaria, The Queen of Two Sicilies

Baroness Marie Louise of Wallersee, Countess of Larisch

Mathilde in Bavaria, The Countess of Trani

Sophie in Bavaria, The Duchess of Alençon

Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria

House of Württemberg

Mary of Teck, The Queen of the United Kingdom & British Dominions, Empress of India

Princess Sophie of Württemberg, The Queen of the Netherlands

Minor Nobles

Anna Constantia of Brockdorff, The Imperial Countess of Cosel

Katharina von Bora, Mrs Martin Luther

Baroness Louise Lehzen

Baroness Marie “Mary” of Vetsera

Sophie Botta, The Dark Countess of Hildburghausen

Sophie of Pannwitz, Countess of Voß

Foreign Houses

House of Albret

Jeanne d’Albret, The Queen of Navarre, 1. The Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and 2. The Duchess of Vendôme

House of Aviz

Infanta Eleonor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

House of Bourbon

Princess Louise d’Orléans, Princess Alfons of Bavaria

Byzantine Imperial Family

Princess Eudokia Laskarina of Nicaea, The Hereditary Duchess of Austria

Irene of Byzantium, The Queen of the Germans, The Duchess of Swabia

Princess Theodora Angelina, The Duchess of Austria & Styria

Princess Theodora Komnene of Byzantium, The Duchess of Bavaria & Austria

Theophanu, Holy Roman Empress

House of Chotek

Countess Sophie Chotek of Chotkowa and Wognin, The Duchess of Hohenberg

House of Este

Maria Beatrice d’Este, The Duchess of Massa & Carrara, Archduchess of Austria

House of Jagiellon

Jadwiga (Hedwig) Jagiellon, The Electress of Brandenburg

House of Stuart

Elizabeth Stuart, The Queen of Bohemia & Electress Palatine

House of Trastámara

Queen Joanna “The Mad” of Castile, Léon & Aragon, The Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

House of Valois

Mary, The Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

Commoners

Fatima Kariman aka Maria Aurora (von) Spiegel

Helene Baltazzi, The Baroness of Vetsera

Louise Rump, Mrs Ebert

Margot Großmann, Mrs Sauerbruch

Maria Anna Mozart, The Imperial Baroness Berchthold

Maria “Mizzi” Kaspar

Ottilie Richter, Baroness of Faber

Sophie Scholl

[medievalart]

Hedwig of Saxony (911-c.958)

Sister of emperor Otto I who was married to Robertian duke Hugh the Great. power politcs. Regent for her son Hugh Capet. Founder of Capetian dynasty.

Their other son became Dukes of Burgundy

Source: AnonymousUnknown author [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[todayclassical]

September 29 in Music History

1634 FP of Lawes masque Comus, with text by Milton, at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire. 1641 Franz Tunder becomes organist at Marienkirche in Lubeck. Establishes evening music, Abendmusiken. 1652 Gala concert for Jakob Froberger by his French peers at Convent of the Jacobins in Paris. 1654 Birth of German organist and composer Vincenz Lubeck. 1674 Birth of composer Jacques Hotteterre.  1727 Birth of English composer Dr. Henry Harrington in Somerset. 1739 Handel finishes his Concerto Grosso in G, Op. 6, no. 1 in London. 1746 Birth of German organist and composer Ernst Ludwig Gerber. 1753 Birth of composer Johann Gottfried Schicht.

1789 Mozart completes Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, written for clarinetist Anton Stadler, who gave the first public performance in December 1789. 1794 Birth of composer William Michael Rooke.

1841 Birth of Italian conductor and composer Enrico Bevignani in Naples.  1847 FP of Franz Doppler's "Benjowsky" Budapest. 1849 Birth of composer Ladislao Joseph Philip Paul Zavrtal.

1854 Birth of composer Martin Plüddemann.

1855 Birth of Italian composer, pianist, and conductor Michele Esposito. 1858 Birth of composer Leopoldo Mugnone.

1869 Birth of English soprano Hedwig Helbig, in Plauen, Saxony. 

1879 Birth of Dutch cellist Willem Willeke in The Hague.  1879 Birth of Cuban-Spanish composer Joaquin Nin Castellano in Havana.  1881 Birth of American bandmaster and march composer William C. White in Centerville UT.

1893 Birth of Russian-American conductor Fabien Sevitzky.

1894 Birth of Italian conductor Franco Capuana in Fano.

1901 Death of Italian mezzo-soprano Adelaide Borghi-Mamo.  1903 Birth of cellist Karl August Andersen.

1903 Death of German soprano Marie Geistinger in Klagenfurt. 1915 Death of German composer Rudi Stephan fighting WW I in Tarnopol.  1915 Death of Finnish composer Aarre Merikanto in Helsinki. 1916 Birth of German tenor Josef Traxel in Mainz. 

1916 Birth of composer Minao Shibata

1918 Birth of American composer and conductor Harold Lawrence Walters. 1918 FP of Gustav Holst's The Planets in Queen's Hall, London 1920 Birth of Czech conductor Václav Neuman.  1921 FP of Sigmund Romberg's operetta Blossom Time in NYC. 1927 Birth of Iranian composer Hussein Dehlawi in Teheran. 1930 Birth of Australian conductor Richard Alan Bonynge in Sydney.  1942 Birth of French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty in Arranches

1943 Birth Welsh conductor and composer Alun Francis.

1945 Birth of Greek composer Kyriakos Sfetsas in Amphilochia. 1945 Birth of American soprano Lella Alice Cuberli, in Austin, TX.  1949 Birth of American composer Eric Funk in Deer Lodge, MT. 1949 FP of Arthur Bliss' opera The Olympians in London. 1949 Birth of mezzo-soprano Tuula Nieminen. 1953 Birth of Italian soprano Adelina Scarabelli, in Milan. 1955 Birth of American composer Steve Perillo in The Bronx, NYC. 1968 FP of Henze's Piano Concerto No. 2, in Bielefeld, Germany. 

1968 FP of DALLAPICCOLA's "Ulisse" in Berlin. 1969 FP of Dimiti Shostakovich' Symphony No. 14 on poems of Lorca, Apollinaire, Küchelbecker, and Rilke. Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai conducting, with soloists Galina Vishnevskaya and Yevgeny Vladimirov in Leningrad. 1977 Death of Russian composer and conductor Alexander Tcherepnin. 1983 FP of Witold Lutoslawski's Symphony No. 3, in Chicago. 1997 FP of Michael Torke's Overnight Mail for chamber ensemble. Orkest de Volharding, Jurjen Hempel conducting in Carre, Amsterdam.

[insani-tae]

Landshuter Hochzeit (Landshut Wedding), Bavaria (Germany) or a small German city turns onto real life Game of Thrones every four years. In 1475 George of Bavaria married Hedwig Jagiellon. It is still celebrated to this day.

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, October 31st:

Ferdinand I, King of Portugal, 1345

Edward, King of Portugal, 1391

Władysław III, King of Poland/Hungary/Croatia, 1424

Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg, 1445

Yeongjo of Joseon, Korean King, 1694

Luis I, King of Portugal and the Algarves, 1838

Louise of Sweden, Queen of Denmark, 1851

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, 1934

Norberta of Liechtenstein, Dowager Marchioness of Mariño , 1950

Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias, 2005

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, October 31st:

Ferdinand I, King of Portugal, 1345

Edward, King of Portugal, 1391

Władysław III, King of Poland/Hungary/Croatia, 1424

Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg, 1445

Yeongjo of Joseon, Korean King, 1694

Luis I, King of Portugal and the Algarves, 1838

Louise of Sweden, Queen of Denmark, 1851

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, 1934

Norberta of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg, 1950

Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias, 2005

[awordwasthebeginning]

the midwife’s secret - sorta liveblogging.

20:42: a honestly don’t know why I’m thinking this is a good idea but it’s Monday evening and I’ve got very little brain capacity for things to do before I go to bed, so I’ll watch a bit of Das Geheimnis der Hebamme.

20:44: there’s a teaser for Mamma Mia 2. Off to a good start.

20:47: the year is 1167, a trail of Poor People(TM) wander through Saxony. They’re led by a knight who is supposed to start a village with them. He wants to protect them from all harm and violence.

20:50: A rich woman comes to another village, looking for “a girl who knows about birth”. Our eponymous Hebamme, I presume. The Hebamme looks fairly dishevelled, but the rich woman pays for her help.

20:52: oh, broody lord guy. The rich woman is his sister-in-law. He threatens to chop of Hebamme’s hands and feet if she doesn’t make sure the baby is a) born and b) a boy.

20:57: bad news, the baby is dead. and the mother will die too. Hebamme does the sensible thing and runs away. However, the lord sends guards to the place where she lived and they kill the people she lived with. She runs off into the forest again.

21:00: she comes across the wandering village and follows them bc...food to steal.

21:03: politics! Margravine Hedwig of Brandenburg is visited by her father Albert the Bear. Her husband Otto, Margrave of Meißen, is out hunting. Albert and his men are part of some alliance against Henry the Lion.

21:07: Otto is home! For some reason he is played by a dude who is much older than both Hedwig and Albert, who seem to be as close in age as siblings. Otto suggests that the Cholera take care of Henry the Lion. This is, of course, a rather unsafe plan.

21:13: Albert is unhappy because Otto is a washcloth. The acting is terrible. There is a dark-haired knight who is 100% our bad guy, and I know this not just because I looked it up on IMDB. Albert switches between informal Du and old formal Ihr in the same sentence. Hedwig explains that Otto doesn’t dare go to war without Knight Christian, who is at the moment busy navigating through Saxony with his village. But once they’re literally settled, Christian is technically ready for war and then Otto will have little choice.

21:20: The village travels through bandit-infested woods. Hebamme is caught when she tries to steal an apple. Christian stops Hildebrand (the blacksmith, I think?) from chopping off her hand. She is tied to one of the wagons, they plan to hand her over to the bailiff. She doesn’t say a single word but just screams and whimpers. There is a monk who coughs blood.

21:15: The village is attacked ofc. Christian has like five seconds of forewarning because Hebamme looks into the woods all antsy and worried. People are wounded and die, amongst others the wife of one Wiprecht (mind him). A woman goes into labour early. Hebamme is off in the woods but hears the screams.

21:30: ofc she helps. the baby is born and lives and so does the mother. Hildebrand’s wife (?) is suspicious but there is an old woman who defends and supports Hebamme. Then Christian wants to talk to her.

21:33: she can stay. Hooray! And that’s me done for today.

[awordwasthebeginning]

the midwife’s secret - sorta liveplogging pt II

btw, did I mention that Hebamme’s name is Marthe?

( @percontaion-points this might answer some questions...)

20:30: the village seems to be wandering through the same landscape as a few days ago. look, I know that Franken/Saxony is fairly large, especially if you walk, but it’s VERY UNLIKELY that you would pass the exact same shrubs after days - if not weeks - of wandering. Christian muses about how he Senses that Marthe has a secret (!) she’s hiding.

20:35: Marthe treats one of the boys (Bertram) who has a hole in his skull because one of the robbers hit him over the head. Hildebrand reluctantly gives her a silver coin to close the hole. Okay then. The old “mentor” woman is called Grete. There is a guy called Jonas who is in a relationship with Emma who is pregnant, which Grete mentions when Emma holds the baby Marthe safely delivered. Emma doesn’t know if the baby is Jonas’s. ...?

20:39: Ridders show up and ask if the village have seen a “wild girl”. Marthe is conveniently hidden beneath Bertram’s blanket and Christian straight-up lies that they haven’t seen anyone in days. Yeah, apart from those robbers, you mean?

20:40: “Here, Father, you must drink something.” - “Okay.” How did I never notice...are all German historical adaptations so lackadaisical?

20:44: The priest dies. Not because of his wound (it looks like it’s healing fine), but because of some illness (that would explain the bloody coughing). Ofc some people, notably Hildebrand and his wife Griseldis, accuse Marthe of being a witch. How original. Lukas (Christian’s squire), Christian, and Jonas bury the priest.

20:50: Forgot to mention: Marthe’s mother was apparently drowned (well...tortured in a ducking stool) as a witch. - There is something like an uprising: the villagers don’t want to continue if Marthe stays with them. Grete reminds them that Marthe saved Hiltrud (the pregnant woman) and that Christian is a better master than their old one. Phew. They then reach the site of their new settlement.

20:54: quick flashback to Christian’s oath of fealty to Otto. I guess their formal kiss is the most homo we’re going to get in this series. Anyway, Christian needs to ride to Meißen (!!! yes! We’re getting there!) and Marthe shall accompany him, allegedly because there’s someone who needs medical help.

20:59: Lukas takes Marthe to the kitchen, from where they can see the banquet. He gives her the who’s who: Otto, Hedwig, and Bad Guy - a knight called Randolph who is said to have murdered Christian’s wife. What confuses me is that Randolph is, in the books, described as a “blonde giant” - some Dolph Lundgren lookalike - but here he’s played by Sabin Tambrea who is more of a Sherlock Holmes/Ben Whishaw’s Q type.

Aaaand that’s me done for today, too. Heavens, I’m tired. There’s being productive and tired, and then there’s being tired because you sit in an office 9-5 and also someone’s poked a metaphorical hole in you and you feel like an empty balloon.

[awordwasthebeginning]

the midwife’s secret - sorta liveblogging pt. vi

22:37: Marthe picks up what looks like a chestnut/conker, which is hilarious considering a) the trees surrounding her seem to be beeches, which don’t tolerate many other trees around them, and b) horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) didn’t really grow in Saxony - or anywhere in central Europe, really - before the Siege of Vienna, some 500 years later. Off to a good start.

22:42: Chris and the others (Arnulf the armourer riding among knights again) meet some other dudes in the Elbsandsteingebirge. For some reason, Chris is the only one who draws a sword. BUuuut they’re Albrecht’s (Hedwig’s dad’s) men, so it’s fine. Meanwhile, Randolf is tasked with getting...stuff...to the villages in the vicinity.

22:46: Chris meets Albrecht, with some dead men decoratively hanging from the trees in the background, only to be told to bring “his men” to the meeting place. They’ll attack the Lion’s castle at new moon, which sounds very Avalonian but does make sense (no moonlight --> stealth attack). Ah, the dead men apparently served the Lion.

22:51: Randolf and his two cronies arrive in Christian’s village to deliver... cabbage, apparently. They bitch about the village not having proper bread and wine. Bruh. Then Marthe and Emma (?) bring in some more food and Randolf recognises Marthe - and also Chris’s amulet - and he figures out that Chris gave it to her, ergo she’s important to him. Marthe flees and hides the amulet in the reeds that make the roof of Chris’s house.

23:00: Randolf and his two henchmen rape Marthe. Sorry, there’s no better way of saying it. Emma (?) says she should marry, she “needs someone to protect her”.

23:02: So Marthe goes to tell Griseldis that she’ll agree to marrying Wiprecht. fucking WIPRECHT. I bet Randolf is pissing his pants.

23:05: So they’re laying siege (?) to the Lion but 300 men are on their way to support the dude. Albrecht says they need to attack now. Otto doesn’t want to because it’s hopeless. (It’s still fucking ridiculous that this actor plays Albrecht’s actor’s son-in-law. He could be his father.) Chris is like, there’s another way! give me 10 men and I’ll delay the 300 men. Albrecht goes “fine” and nobody seems to think about what’ll happen once that’s done and the 300 men are still approaching, just slower.

23:08: Marthe and Wiprecht get married and literally nobody is happy about this.

23:10: this is overlapped with Chris and his men freeing some horses and setting things on fire. Christian, ofc, is in the middle of the attack/fight and gets shot with 2 arrows while wedding Marthe says “I do”.

----- end of this episode. after like half a year. hooray -----