The Medieval Nun
| About Me |
My name is Keri Peardon. I live in Eagleville, TN with my husband Stuart, horse Infanta, and beastly cat,
Grendel (the dog, Molly, belongs to my parents).
I started making and selling crafts when I was 8 years old, going to craft shows with my grandmother and her
neighbor, Patsy. I did that every summer and fall until I left home for college when I was 18.
After college, I got into medieval reenacting and my artistic skills were applied to making stuff for me and my
husband. I also learned a number of new skills, including sewing, pattern-drafting and several forms of
weaving. (I made all of the clothes we are wearing in this picture, from patterns I made myself, plus I made my
jewelry).
After working 6 years as a legal assistant I was laid off, and I decided it was time try my hand at being a
"starving artist."
Grendel (the dog, Molly, belongs to my parents).
I started making and selling crafts when I was 8 years old, going to craft shows with my grandmother and her
neighbor, Patsy. I did that every summer and fall until I left home for college when I was 18.
After college, I got into medieval reenacting and my artistic skills were applied to making stuff for me and my
husband. I also learned a number of new skills, including sewing, pattern-drafting and several forms of
weaving. (I made all of the clothes we are wearing in this picture, from patterns I made myself, plus I made my
jewelry).
After working 6 years as a legal assistant I was laid off, and I decided it was time try my hand at being a
"starving artist."
This is Infanta, our horse. She's taken a dislike to my husband riding her (we think she's anti-men; she'll let our
female horse trainer ride her easily), so she's up for sale. We're also in the process of looking for another
(rideable) horse to replace her with.
female horse trainer ride her easily), so she's up for sale. We're also in the process of looking for another
(rideable) horse to replace her with.
About St. Gertrude of Nivelles, icon of The Medieval Nun shop:
St. Gertrude, who lived from 626-659, was an abbess in what is now modern Belgium. She was know for her
hospitality to pilgrims and the aid she gave visiting Irish monks. In the middle ages, she was often depicted with
mice or rats around her, but no one knows why that symbol stuck to her. She was actually invoked against
plagues of rodents (maybe she's pictured taking them all in) and was also toasted by people preparing to leave for
a journey. She was popular in the Low Countries and in England. Her feast day is March 17, the same as St.
Patrick. Nearing her death, another saint told her that St. Patrick would look after her in death, so that may be
why they share a feast day. She is also said to take care of the newly deceased on the first night after their death
(in the middle ages it was assumed that it took the soul three days to get to where it was going in the afterlife;
this probably comes from the thought that Jesus did not ascend to Heaven while he was waiting for the
resurrection).
Why did I chose her for my store's icon? Actually, I just liked the picture. She looked appropriately religious
and nun-like, while being industrious. I myself have worked a drop spindle before (although I'm not great at it),
and I actually thought she had a collection of cats around her, trying to play with her spinning. I can understand
that; I have to run Grendel out of my stuff all the time. It wasn't until after I chose the picture that I found out
about St. Gertrude. I will have to remember to ask her blessing over my mousetraps the next time we get one in
the house. She's supposed to be particularly associated with field mice, which, living in the country, is what we
get. We also travel a good deal doing re-enactments, so she's not a bad saint to be aligned with.
Information provided by: The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
St. Gertrude, who lived from 626-659, was an abbess in what is now modern Belgium. She was know for her
hospitality to pilgrims and the aid she gave visiting Irish monks. In the middle ages, she was often depicted with
mice or rats around her, but no one knows why that symbol stuck to her. She was actually invoked against
plagues of rodents (maybe she's pictured taking them all in) and was also toasted by people preparing to leave for
a journey. She was popular in the Low Countries and in England. Her feast day is March 17, the same as St.
Patrick. Nearing her death, another saint told her that St. Patrick would look after her in death, so that may be
why they share a feast day. She is also said to take care of the newly deceased on the first night after their death
(in the middle ages it was assumed that it took the soul three days to get to where it was going in the afterlife;
this probably comes from the thought that Jesus did not ascend to Heaven while he was waiting for the
resurrection).
Why did I chose her for my store's icon? Actually, I just liked the picture. She looked appropriately religious
and nun-like, while being industrious. I myself have worked a drop spindle before (although I'm not great at it),
and I actually thought she had a collection of cats around her, trying to play with her spinning. I can understand
that; I have to run Grendel out of my stuff all the time. It wasn't until after I chose the picture that I found out
about St. Gertrude. I will have to remember to ask her blessing over my mousetraps the next time we get one in
the house. She's supposed to be particularly associated with field mice, which, living in the country, is what we
get. We also travel a good deal doing re-enactments, so she's not a bad saint to be aligned with.
Information provided by: The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
| The Medieval Nun Keri Peardon, proprietress 3619 Rocky Glade Road Eagleville, TN 37060 Website: www.TheMedieval Nun.com Etsy Store: www.TheMedievalNun.etsy.com E-mail: Keri@TheMedievalNun.com |
This is Grendel Beast, the Flesh-Eater. At least, that's what I say he would be called if someone wrote a Dark
Ages Viking saga about him. When he was a kitten, he was completely monstrous. He wanted to eat people and
fight all the time. I said we needed to name him after some medieval monster, like "Leviathan." My husband
said that was a water monster and not fitting. So I thought about it a bit more and said, what about "Grendel,"
after the monster in Beowulf? He said he had been trying to remember the name of the monster in Beowulf
himself, and that it was perfect. Like that famous monster, he wants to fight and draw blood for no particular
reason. He's also got this long, hairy arm that can reach under doors like you wouldn't believe. So fitting.
Thankfully, though, he has mellowed out a bit (he was a year old in the spring) and he doesn't want to bite and
kill all the time. He gets overcome with fits of loving, which usually involve him jumping on my husband's chest
and rubbing his face in his beard. But he can't help but be a monster; he'll bite an ear while he's there.
He likes killing everything but mice. He brought a headless, legless baby bird into the house one morning (I'm
not squeamish, but finding that about got me) when he was still just a kitten. I found a dead adult bird in our
yard recently and assume that was him. My husband watched him catch a baby rabbit one day. But the cat was
completely oblivious to the field mouse running across our kitchen floor last fall, and I could not get him to smell
it or find out where it had gone. I finally had to set a trap with bacon where he couldn't get in it and I had the
mouse in less than half an hour. It's pretty bad when you have a cat, but still have to trap your own mice.
He also gets stuck in trees that he's too afraid to climb down.
Ages Viking saga about him. When he was a kitten, he was completely monstrous. He wanted to eat people and
fight all the time. I said we needed to name him after some medieval monster, like "Leviathan." My husband
said that was a water monster and not fitting. So I thought about it a bit more and said, what about "Grendel,"
after the monster in Beowulf? He said he had been trying to remember the name of the monster in Beowulf
himself, and that it was perfect. Like that famous monster, he wants to fight and draw blood for no particular
reason. He's also got this long, hairy arm that can reach under doors like you wouldn't believe. So fitting.
Thankfully, though, he has mellowed out a bit (he was a year old in the spring) and he doesn't want to bite and
kill all the time. He gets overcome with fits of loving, which usually involve him jumping on my husband's chest
and rubbing his face in his beard. But he can't help but be a monster; he'll bite an ear while he's there.
He likes killing everything but mice. He brought a headless, legless baby bird into the house one morning (I'm
not squeamish, but finding that about got me) when he was still just a kitten. I found a dead adult bird in our
yard recently and assume that was him. My husband watched him catch a baby rabbit one day. But the cat was
completely oblivious to the field mouse running across our kitchen floor last fall, and I could not get him to smell
it or find out where it had gone. I finally had to set a trap with bacon where he couldn't get in it and I had the
mouse in less than half an hour. It's pretty bad when you have a cat, but still have to trap your own mice.
He also gets stuck in trees that he's too afraid to climb down.
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