A rare strip of parchment more than 3 meters long and decorated with Christian emblems, shows chemical traces of its use by women in medieval England as a magical amulet around them during pregnancy and childbirth, according to a new study.
On the surface of the strip of parchment – called a ‘birth belt’ or ‘birth roll’, the researchers found traces of plants and animals proteins of medieval treatments used to treat common health problems during pregnancy, and of human proteins corresponding to servo-vaginal fluid. These traces indicate that the belt was worn by women while they were giving birth.
“This particular belt shows visual evidence that it was heavily handled as much of the image and text was worn,” biochemist Sarah Fiddyment of the Department of Archeology at the University of Cambridge said in an email to Live Science. “It also has numerous stains and stains, giving the general appearance of a document that has been actively used.”
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Fiddyment is the lead author of the new study, which was published in the journal on Wednesday (March 10) Royal Society Open Science.
The long and narrow parchment was originally made, probably in the late 15th century, from four strips of sheepskin that were thinly scraped and stitched together. The resulting strip is illustrated with Christian images, including photographs of the nails of the crucifixion; the sacred monogram IHS, which is a way of writing Jesus’ name; possibly a standing figure Jesus; and his cross wounds, dripping with blood. The text of Christian prayers also appears on both sides.
Birth Belts
The birth belt described in the study is a rare example that survives in the Wellcome Collection, a museum and library of science, medicine, life and art in London.
Such belts were formerly commonplace as magical means of protecting women from the dangers of childbirth, which were a major cause of death in the Middle Ages.
There are several references to its use in medieval England, and churches and monasteries often lent it to pregnant women in exchange for a donation; when the wife of English King Henry VII became pregnant, the sum of six shillings and eight pence was paid “to a monk who brought our Lady gyrdelle to the queen,” according to historical records.
Women wear the roles of illustrated parchment or silk wrapped around their waist and pregnancy stump, in one of several configurations; the scrolls were about 10 centimeters wide and about 3.3 meters long – it was thought that such a belt would fit Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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But birth certificates and other ecclesiastical rituals were aimed at destruction during Henry VIII’s so-called ‘Dissolution of the Monasteries’ which began in 1536. Protestant reformers regarded the rituals of childbirth as ‘sanctuaries for forbidden religious practices,’ and they actively sought to suppress them. they – although rebellious midwives continued to use birth cords in the cunning way, the researchers wrote.
“One of the major concerns of the Reformation was the addition of aid from supernatural sources outside the Trinity,” co-author Natalie Goodison, a historian at the Universities of Durham and Edinburgh, explained in an email. “The birth girdle seems to have been of particular concern because it seems to be exploiting both ritual and religious powers.”
Narrative proteins
The researchers examined the birth belt non-invasively by applying cushioned small plastic films to the surface so that chemical traces of a material were transferred to the disk – a technique previously used to study brittle paper documents and even old mummified skin.
Their tests showed traces of proteins from honey, cereals, legumes – such as beans – and milk from sheep or goats, all of which are ingredients of medieval treatments for childbirth and the associated health problems.
For example, beans have been said to heal lesions in the uterus and initiate the flow of breast milk; It is suspected that goat’s milk gives strength after blood loss, which occurs frequently during childbirth, the researchers wrote.
The researchers also found traces of 55 human proteins on the parchment of the birth roll, but only two in a control sample of parchment that was known not to be used in childbirth.
The proteins on the birth canal were overwhelmingly those found in human cervical vaginal fluid, the researchers wrote: “This may give a further possible indication that the role was actually used during childbirth.”
This particular maternity belt dates back as early as the early 15th century, and it was forgotten or silently stored about 60 years later during the dissolution of the monasteries.
It is now one of only a few birth belts that survived the initial purification and fluctuations of power between the subsequent Catholic and Protestant princes of England who influenced the birth practices during their reign, including the use of birth belts.
“If the surrogate wife had been employed by the midwives, it could have been used for 150 years, but we think the longer date is less likely,” Goodison said. “The fact that this manuscript was so clearly worn indicates that it was used very well. … My impression is that it has been used in hundreds of installments.”
Originally published on Live Science.