Candles on All Souls
Fascinating, Cozy Allhallowtide…
One of my favorite things about writing historicals is that I have no idea at the outset what I’ll learn in the course of telling a story! There are so many searches that I do that surprise me, from facial hair fashion, to when doctors began taking pulses (Time Will Tell - book 4).
In researching for“A Bird in the Hand”, I discovered Allhallowtide. Learning this romantic word for the three days that run from October 31st through November 2nd was my first education. I knew about Halloween (of course) and vaguely about All Souls’ and All Saints’ days, but I thought they might be two names for the same day.
An evening at Allhallowstide
I learned that there were a couple of times of year, one in May and one in November, that were historically understood to be very much “between” worlds. In the day precisely between the autumn equinox and winter solstice it was believed that the veil between this life and the afterlife was thin and, because of this, spirits might travel more easily between the seen world and the unseen. It was a time to offer food and prayers for the beloved departed (as the idea that the souls of the dead could possibly return “home” for up to two days) and to keep vengeful spirits appeased.
The ancient Christian church found this a suitable time to celebrate saints that had bravely met their earthly death as martyrs and established All Saints’ Day in the 8th century (moved from May to November by Pope Gregory III). Previously, a martyr’s life had been remembered on the anniversary of their death, but soon there were too many individual holidays to keep track of- and what about those unknown, unremembered faithful that had lived and died? All Saints’ Day was adopted as an inclusive holiday to reflect upon all the saints.
An Italian Madonna Adoring the Christ Child painting
The triad of days was complete when, in the 11th century, All Souls’ Day was added as November 2nd. This was a day to pray for deceased loved ones, those faithful that had not been sainted. It was common to bake batches of soul cakes to pass out in exchange for a prayer from a doorstep visitor while they ate one of your proffered, piping-hot cakes. Another supplication might be made on All Saints’ and/or All Souls’ Day at the cemetery. Candles are lit in windows and are taken to gravesites to aid souls from purgatory to heaven or to show respect.
In “A Bird in the Hand”, “my” hero, Christopher Morton, is a young vicar and as such, he has special responsibilities during Allhallowtide. Thankfully, he finds time to secure the hand of his love despite it. He is definitely distracted this year. For my part, I am prepared to forgive him, but let’s hope by next Allhallowtide he is more able to keep his mind in his work!
If you’re a Team Tilney Austenite, a fan of Mr. Bingley, fond of Roger and little Molly Gibson, or secretly feel that Miss Jane Fairfax deserved better, I think you’ll enjoy your time spent with A Bird in the Hand… in hand!
BBC Northanger Abbey - Henry Tilney
Here is a watercolour study painted outdoors on location much like Cherise might have done.
A Most Inconvenient Love—- A mysterious vicar, a baron’s daughter and a painting; can art and fate unite them?
Miss Cherise Hamblin is nothing if not passionate about art, so when a new minor masterpiece is anonymously donated to a neighboring church, she rushes to see it. While there, she catches a glimpse of Mr. Morton, the new vicar, and meets his delightfully outspoken mother. This chance encounter only increases her curiosity about the mysterious Mortons. When Cherise is finally introduced to Mr. Morton, unexpected sparks ignite a secret friendship and she risks losing her heart to a man beneath her station; a man her parents will never accept.
Christopher Morton thought he would be content as the vicar of Wellsey. Discreetly wealthy, he settles into local life, but he finds money, friendliness, long walks and fine art won’t make up for his past when it comes to falling for a titled lady. With rumors about that she is to marry the son of his benefactor within the year, Christopher understands how hopeless it is to become attached to Miss Hamblin, and if his head could only convince his heart to let her go, he might yet be happy.
With pressures mounting, can art and fate bring them together, or are Cherise and Christopher doomed to remain star-crossed?
“... The premise seems rather simple & understated, but the author writes her characters & dialogue with a richness that is an absolute pleasure.” Vibliophile, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer, “Creatures of Habit” Book One: Spring, A Year in Cherrybrook
Here’s a mood board I made with some, but not all, of my inspirations for this memorable fall romance!
Resources:
https://breakpoint.org/allhallowtide/
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2018/10/24/the-season-of-the-dead-the-origins-and-practice-of-allhallowtide/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allhallowtide#:~:text=Allhallowtide%2C%20Hallowtide%2C%20Allsaintstide%2C%20or,the%20first%20Sunday%20of%20November)
