March

To celebrate the first day of March, here's the next calendar page from Les Tres Riches Heures, also called the Duc de Berry's "Book of Hours." It shows a medieval scene of planting and plowing against the backdrop of the Château de Lusignan, one of the duke's favorite residences. He spent his time traveling around the French countryside with his court, enjoying himself like any modern day tycoon.

The detail and color is exquisite, considering how tiny the page is. You can see the Zodiac symbols for Aries (ram) and Pisces (fish) moving along the top as February and March pass. This particular book of hours is considered one of the great art treasures of France, and the pinnacle of illuminated manuscript.

William Morris came much later and was a Victorian renaissance man, but much of his art and writing reflected medieval themes. Not only could he design drop dead beautiful wallpaper and tapestry, he also translated ancient texts and wrote poetry. Maybe not great poetry, but still! I liked the word "throstle" in this poem he wrote about March. I looked it up-- a "throstle" is an old world song thrush.

March

Slayer of winter, art thou here again?
O welcome, thou that's bring'st the summer nigh!
The bitter wind makes not thy victory vain,
No will we mock thee for thy faint blue sky.

Welcome, O March!
Whose kindly days and dry
Make April ready for the throstle's song,
Thou first redresser of the winter's wrong.

"Flora"