Christmas Special
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Seven Swans a Swimming
By Professor Kate Williams Seven swans a swimming – well, with giving this, our ‘true love’ was really buying us something rather expensive. Swans have always been luxury goods, a medieval Gucci handbag, if you will. In the medieval period,… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Six Geese a-Laying
By Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers As this is the History blog, today presents an opportunity to celebrate the Six Great Geese of History (as chosen by us). They will be presented – obviously – in chronological order. First up is Aesop’s… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Five Gold Rings
By Dr Heike Schmidt Five Rings of Gold – But Where Did It Come From? When the Gold Coast gained independence from Britain in 1957 the anti-colonial nationalists proudly renamed the country Ghana. Their first head of stead, Kwame Nkrumah,… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Four Calling Birds
By Dr James P. Bowen In 2018, Dr James P. Bowen of Leeds Trinity University was awarded the Poultry Club of Great Britain Research Fellowship at the University of Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life. ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’… Continue reading
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Twelve Days of Christmas: Three French Hens
By Professor Joel Felix To a French historian the three French hens of the 12 Days of Christmas inevitably recalls the story of King Henri IV and the poule au pot (chicken in the pot) which was popularized by Voltaire… Continue reading
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