Gerri Russell's Blog, page 9
March 7, 2010
Who could be a knight?
Theoretically, anyone could become a knight. However, being a knight was quite expensive. Knights were required to purchase heavy armor to help their survival rate, good weapons, and at least two horses—one to ride and one to carry their equipment. If captured, be it in battle or in tournament, a knight had to pay a hefty ransom. He also lost his horse and armor to his victorious captor. If the knight became successful, he had to maintain his position lavishly. This included supporting...
March 6, 2010
The Mystique of the Medieval Knight: A New Blog Series
[image error]Arguably the most lasting influential aspect of medieval knighthood was the idea of itself as depicted in literature over the ages. When most contemporary people hear the words medieval knight, they think of knight in shining armor riding a large white horse. They imagine the knight bravely wielding his sword or lance in defense of a damsel in distress, or courageously charging forth to glory and honor on the field of battle. Or perhaps the image of a crusading knight comes to mind, with his ...
The Mystic of the Medieval Knight: A New Blog Series
[image error]Arguably the most lasting influential aspect of medieval knighthood was the idea of itself as depicted in literature over the ages. When most contemporary people hear the words medieval knight, they think of knight in shining armor riding a large white horse. They imagine the knight bravely wielding his sword or lance in defense of a damsel in distress, or courageously charging forth to glory and honor on the field of battle. Or perhaps the image of a crusading knight comes to mind, with his ...
February 21, 2010
Parting Wisdom
I cannot believe my time here in Scotland is coming to an end. My days here were all I dreamed they would be. I will remember this trip always, and write about what I've seen for years to come in the pages of my books. [image error]
My last day in Edinburgh was spent being a true tourist. I shopped along the world-famous Princes Street. I bought a kilt for my husband so when I miss Scotland, I'll have my own adorable Scotsman at home.
I listened to my last on-the-street bagpipe performance. Let's...
February 14, 2010
Some Castles Are Truly Palaces
Today it was raining a lot. I even broke down and bought an umbrella. After that, the rain stopped, of course. But it didn't matter. I'd already decided to spend the day touring inside at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
[image error]The Palace at Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and is the official residence of the Queen when she is in Scotland. The State Apartments are renowned for their magnificent plasterwork ceilings and beautiful tapestries.
One of the most impressive rooms in...
February 13, 2010
February Contest
Enter to win in the February Valentine's Day Contest at GerriRussell.net
The Question:
What were the three mystical stones used in Gerri Russell's Stone's of Destiny series?
The Hint:
Read the back cover descriptions for The Warrior Trainer, Warrior's Bride and Warrior's Lady to find the answer.
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Win:
Winner's choice of the following Gerri Russell backlist books in the Stones of Destiny Series.
To Enter:
Click here to submit your contest entry and to read the Fine Print.
The contest runs through...
February 7, 2010
Edinburgh Castle and Roslyn Chapel
Edinburgh is a very big city, and very crowded at present. Usually there are half a million people that live in the area. Currently there are over a million people in town. Why? Someone thought it was a great idea to have every festival the city hosts during the month of August. The streets are packed with people attending the International Festival of Music and Drama, The Fringe Festival, the Film Festi[image error]val, Jazz and Blues Festival, the Book Festival, the Arts and Crafts Festival, and the...
January 31, 2010
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The tickets are almost impossible to get. They play to a sold out crowd every performance. Who or what am I referring to? No, it is not the latest pop singing group. It's the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.[image error]
As you arrive, the streets are a throng of people all heading up the Royal Mile to Castle Hill and Edinburgh Castle.
Every year the tattoo has a theme. This year the theme celebrates the centenary of Queen Victoria School at Dunblane. The children from the school participated as...
January 24, 2010
Heading to Edinburgh
I headed back to a much more populated part of Scotland today. Started the day off with a trip through Dundee– a city known historically for its jam, jute and journalism. Today, the only industry that survives is journalism. Dundee is the home [image error]of the Sunday Post.
Dundee also had a past as a whaling center, but that declined when the whale population dwindled. Yet that very industry is what set up Dundee as the premier location for the first scientific exploration in 1901 to the Antarctic...
January 17, 2010
When the Queen is in Residence . . .
Balmoral Castle was off limits today. The Queen is in residence. So I got diverted to the very scenic Cairngorms National Park, then poked around the quaint little town of Ballater where the Royals are said to shop when in the area. After that, it was off to Crathie Church where the Royals attend services when at Balmoral. The Royal Family have their own separate entrance to the church.
One of the things I have so enjoyed seeing are the Scottish cottage houses that dot the...
