Liberty Trees

By Rebecca May Davie

The last two posts were about Trail Trees that give directions to important locations: Part 1 and Part 2. This time the discussion centers around trees that point toward freedom. 

This spring as I planned for a trip to Europe with a fellow writer, I read about the “Liberty Tree” in Bayeux, France. Of course, I wanted to see it in person. It did not disappoint! The French planted “Un Platane,” an American Sycamore tree, in 1797. It is still thriving 225 years later. Opposing parties cut down or destroyed other Liberty Trees; so it is amazing that this magnificent tree survived.

If the individuals who placed this tree in the ground could see 

what is transpiring this summer of 2022, they would be in awe. First, the tree lives. Second, colorful light displays like holograms flash over the bark and across the leaves to celebrate peace. In the Place de la Liberté Square and upon the cathedral, spectators can view the show from nightfall through midnight.

Why did the French plant this tree? The French revolutionary government decided upon the symbol of Liberty Trees in 1792, based upon the American tradition. Many small trees were placed in Bayeux. This sole remaining Liberty Tree supplanted all others in 1797.

After returning from Europe, I visited Virginia with my family in July. While there, I read about a Liberty Tree at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. This 17-foot metal fabrication stands in celebration of the symbol. Twenty hanging lanterns display messages. View the images and a description on their website. While investigating, you can post a message on one of the lanterns of the tree. There is also a map of displayed messages from visitors across the globe.

What or who inspired this symbolic movement? How did it come about? Below, read a timeline of America’s first Liberty Tree in Boston, Massachusetts:

1664 – Individuals planted an elm on Orange Street in direct opposition of British rule. The settlers wanted to separate from the oppressors and rule themselves.

1765 – August, an effigy hung from the tree in opposition to the Stamp Act (passed by the British Parliament in March).

People posted notices and complaints on the tree. They gathered below the branches to discuss the state of events.

During the American Revolution there was violence, mobs, tar-and-feathers, and other demonstrations. A town meeting resulted in a vote against the violence. After, a copper plate affixed there stated, “Liberty Tree.”

1766 – Lanterns hung in the tree to celebrate the repealing of the Stamp Act.

1775 – British troops cut down the Liberty Tree.

Around Liberty Trees Americans plotted, planned, and protested in resistance to British rule. Other cities and communities installed Liberty Trees as the stories spread. As you read above, another country also adopted the symbol.

Have you visited a Liberty Tree? Please comment and share your experience.

For more information, read: The Story Behind a Forgotten Symbol of the American Revolution: The Liberty Tree.

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator

and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 75 Plans on the Bible.com app. 

Rebecca lives in the mountains with her husband, the youngest of their two sons, and a rescued dog named Ranger. If it were up to her, she would be traveling - right now. As a member of ACFW, FHLCW, Jerry’s Guild, and Hope*Writers, Rebecca learns the craft of fiction while networking with a host of generous writers. She is working on her first fiction novel. This story unfolds from the 1830s in Northern Georgia.

Connect with Rebecca:

Clubhouse Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest Twitter Website 

To celebrate reaching 3 Million views, HHH is hosting a HUGE giveaway of over 60 books in 18 prizes, so there are many chances to win! One grand prize will consist of 10 books, two readers will win a second prize containing 5 books, and there will be 15 winners of a third prize containing 3 books each. There are several ways to earn entries, such as following, or commenting on the HHH blog each day. Thank you for being part of the HHH community, and best wishes in the giveaway!

Notre Dame Cathedral Part 5: The Bells

By J. M. Hochstetler

Today’s post finishes up my series on the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris as it was before the recent fire. In this installment, we’ll focus on the bells whose beloved tones are a cherished daily part of Paris life.

During the French Revolution, all but one of the cathedral’s bells were melted down to make weapons and guillotines for the revolutionaries’ grisly work. The destroyed bells were first replaced during the mid-19th century, and then again in 2013 during the celebration of Notre-Dame’s 850th anniversary. In a formal ceremony that drew extensive media coverage, the new bells were washed with holy water, anointed inside and out with chrism oils, and blessed before being installed, again completing the cathedral’s full complement.

Emmanuel bell. Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0

Each bell is given a name. Emmanuel, the cathedral’s largest bell and the bourdon, the one with the lowest pitch, occupies the south tower. It is tuned to F sharp and is the only bell that survived the revolution, possibly because at thirteen tons it would have required extraordinary efforts to remove it from the belfry. It was installed during the 15th century and was recast in 1681 at the request of King Louis XIV who gave it its name. Emmanuel sounds each hour of the day and has been rung to mark some of the most important events in France’s history. It sounded the “Te Deum” for the coronations of the French kings and has been rung for the funerals of French heads of state, the visits of important world leaders, the end of wars, national and international tragedies, and holy days such as Christmas, Easter, and Ascension. Bell ringers and musicians still consider this bell to have one of the most beautiful tones in all of Europe.

Accompanying Emmanuel in the south tower is the cathedral’s second largest bell, a drone bell named Marie in homage to the Virgin Mary. At six tons and tuned to G Sharp, Marie is called the petite bourdon). Cast in a foundry in The Netherlands, it is engraved with the phrases “Je vous salue Marie,” (in French, “Hail Mary”) and “Via viatores quaerit,” (in Latin, “The way is looking for travelers”). Below is an image of the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, surrounded by stars and a relief with the Adoration of the Magi.

Eight bells of graduated sizes occupy the north tower. At left are nine of the bells on public display in the cathedral’s nave in February 2013. From left to right are Jean-Marie, Maurice, Benoît-Joseph, Étienne, Marcel, Denis, Anne-Geneviève, Gabriel, and Bourdon Marie.

South Bell Tower

The largest, named Gabriel after the Archangel Gabriel, who announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, weighs four tons and plays A sharp. It was cast in a bell foundry outside Paris in 2013 and is inscribed with the first sentence of the Angelus. Forty engraved lines represent the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 40 years the children of Israel spent wandering in Sinai desert. It is used mainly for ordinary masses on Sundays and chimes the hours throughout the day. Like Emmanuel and Marie it is also used to mark important events.

Anne-Geneviève is the second largest bell in the north tower and the fourth largest in the cathedral. Its name is a tribute to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The second line of the Angelus is engraved on it as well as three lines representing the Trinity and the three theological virtues. Weighing three tons, it is tuned to B and is also used to mark specific events. It is the only bell that remains silent during the Angelus Domini at 8 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. in the summer.

Denis is the third largest bell in the north tower and fifth largest in the cathedral. Named in honor of Saint Denis, the martyr who was also the first bishop of Paris c. 250, the bell has engraved on it the third phrase of the Angelus and seven lines representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven Sacraments. It weighs 2 tons and plays C sharp.

Marcel, the fourth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s sixth largest, is named for Saint Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris in the fifth century, who was known for his tireless service to the poor and sick. The fourth phrase of the Angelus is engraved on it. Tuned to D sharp, it weighs 1.9 tons.

By Thesupermat - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Étienne, the fifth largest bell in the north tower and seventh largest in the cathedral at 1.5 tons, plays E sharp and is named after the first Christian martyr, St. Étienne (in English St. Stephen). It commemorates the old cathedral church of Paris that preceded Notre Dame, which was dedicated to the saint and carries the fifth phrase of the Angelus. Its most prominent feature is a gold stripe above the nameplate.

Benoît-Joseph is the sixth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s eighth largest, named in honor of Pope Benedict XVI, using the French version of his pontifical name and his given name, Joseph. It plays F and weighs 1.3 tons. It has two silver stripes above the skirt, one silver stripe above the nameplate, and is inscribed with the sixth phrase of the Angelus. This bell is used for weddings and sometimes chimes the hour replacing Gabriel, generally on the Ave Maria.

Maurice is the seventh largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s second smallest, weighing one ton and playing G sharp. It’s named after Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris who laid the first stone for the construction of the cathedral in 1163. It has two gray stripes below the nameplate and the inscription, “Pray for us, Holy Mother of God.” This bell is used for weddings.

Notre Dame de Paris

Jean Marie, the tenth and smallest bell is tuned to A sharp and weighs 0.780 tons. It bears the name of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was the bishop of Paris from 1981 until 2005. It has a small gray stripe above the skirt and displays the eighth and last sentence of the Angelus. This bell is also used for weddings.

Four additional bells were added at the top of the North Tower in 1856 to replace those destroyed during the French Revolution. These rang daily for basic services, the Angelus, and the chiming of the hours, but were placed in storage in February 2012. The largest of these, Angélique-Françoise weighs 2.11 tons and is tuned to C sharp. Antoinette-Charlotte, weighing 1.47 tons, is tuned to D sharp. Jacinthe-Jeanne at 1 ton is tuned to F. The smallest at 1,691 lbs. Denise-David, is tuned to F sharp like Emmanuel.

In 1867, a carillon of three bells were put in place in the spire with two chimes that linked to the monumental clock. Another three bells were placed in the actual structure of the Notre-Dame Cathedral itself so that they could be heard inside. These have not been rung for some time, but their restoration was under consideration before the fire.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris! Please take a moment to listen to the ringing of the cathedral’s bells, then share your answers to the questions below.

Do you live or work where church bells sound the hours of the day? If so, do you find it pleasurable or distracting? If there are no bells in your vicinity, what other sounds might capture your attention on a typical day, for example, wind blowing through the trees, wind chimes, bird songs, animal sounds like the lowing of cows, bees buzzing in the garden? Or does the cacophony of city streets energize you? Please share the sounds you enjoy during your day!

~~~

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is a professional editor, a publisher, and the author of award-winning historical fiction whose books have been endorsed by bestselling authors such as Lori Benton, Laura Frantz, Jocelyn Green, Michelle Moran, and MaryLu Tyndal. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. She is also the author of One Holy Night, which won the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and co-authored the award-winning Northkill Amish Series with Bob Hostetler. Her latest release is Refiner’s Fire, Book 6 of the American Patriot Series.

Notre Dame Cathedral Part 1 and Giveaway!

by J. M. Hochstetler

Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, East Side

I’m sure that most of us have heard of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. It’s recently been in the news because of the destructive fire that started on the evening of April 15, 2019, while the cathedral was undergoing repairs to its roof. The building sustained serious damage, including the destruction of its wooden spire and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above its vaulted ceiling as well as some of the valuable relics it housed. Thankfully, however, preliminary reports are that many relics were saved and that the stone structure itself remains stable. Fund-raising efforts and plans for repairs are already underway.

Part of my June release, Refiner’s Fire, is set in Paris, so I thought I’d take a closer look at this iconic building and also offer a giveaway. We’re starting today with the history of the cathedral’s construction, and next month Part 2 will delve into some of the marvelous details and treasures Notre Dame contains.

Building a Medieval Cathedral

Nave of Notre Dame

Notre Dame means Our Lady, and the famous medieval cathedral is located in the center of Paris on the Île de la Cité, one of two remaining natural islands in the Seine River. An outstanding example of French Gothic architecture, it’s one of the most widely recognized structures in Paris. Around 12 million people visit annually making it the city’s most visited site.

It’s thought that a pre-Christian Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter originally occupied the site. It was succeeded by four earlier churches, and then in 1160 the Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, decided to build a cathedral in the new Gothic style. He had the Romanesque church on the site demolished and used its materials for his cathedral. Actual construction began between March 24 and April 25, 1163, with King Louis VII and Pope Alexander III present for the laying of the cornerstone.

North Rose Window

Building a medieval cathedral wasn’t a speedy or inexpensive process. It not only required a constant influx of money, but also massive amounts of materials, intensive labor, and highly skilled craftsmen, which becomes quite apparent when you look at the construction timeline. It was 1177 before the choir was completed, and the high altar wasn’t consecrated until 1182. The four sections of the nave behind the choir and its aisles up to the clerestories were finished in 1190, followed by the bases of the façade and the first traverses. The work was still in process when Heraclius of Caesarea called for the Third Crusade from the cathedral in 1185. At some point a decision was made to add transepts from the altar to bring in more light and to use four-part instead of six-part rib vaults to make the roofs stronger and allow for greater height. These were finally completed in 1208, with work still continuing on the nave. A large portion of the western façade was built by then, but it wasn’t complete until around the mid 1240s. And it took from 1225 to 1250 to construct the nave’s upper gallery, along with the two towers on the west façade.

Cross section of buttresses
by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc

The cathedral remained a work in progress for a very long time, however. During this same period the transepts were remodeled in the latest Rayonnant style and a gabled portal was added to the north transept, with a spectacular rose window placed above it. That gave impetus to modifying the southern transept in a similar design, and both portals also received a rich embellishment of sculpture. The south portal features scenes from the lives of St Stephen and several local saints, while the north portal features Christ’s infancy and the story of Theophilus.

An important innovation in the 13th century was the use of a structure called a flying buttress. A series of these were built on the outside of the choir during this period as well. Before these were developed the entire weight of the roof pressed down and outward on the walls and the abutments that supported them. Flying buttress distributed the weight from the vault’s ribs evenly to a series of counter-supports topped with stone pinnacles outside the building to give them greater strength and stability. This allowed the walls to be built higher and thinner with larger windows so that the interior felt light and airy, like a vision of heaven. It isn’t known for certain whether the first flying buttresses were used before the 13th century, but detailed laser scans of the structure seem to indicate that the buttresses were part of the original 12th century design. The cathedral’s first buttresses were replaced by larger and stronger ones in the 14th century as additions and alterations continued.

Later Alterations

Many more alterations were made to the cathedral during the Renaissance, when the Gothic style lost popularity. The interior pillars and walls were covered with tapestries, then in 1548 some of the statues were damaged in riots by Huguenots, who considered them idolatrous. The 17th and 18th centuries brought many more changes during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV in line with the period’s more classical style. The sanctuary was rearranged and the choir largely rebuilt in marble. Many of the stained-glass windows that dated to the 12th and 13th centuries were taken out and replaced with white glass windows for more light. Can you imagine? What were they thinking? And in the second half of the 18th century, the spire was damaged by wind, so it was simply removed.

The Cult of Reason is celebrated at Notre-Dame
during the French Revolution, 1793

The worst damage happened during the French Revolution, however. The cathedral was desecrated and many of its religious relics and other treasures were defaced, destroyed, or stolen. In 1793 the building was dedicated to the Cult of Reason and later to the Cult of the Supreme Being. The Goddess of Liberty was installed on several altars in place of the Virgin Mary. Except for the statue of the Virgin on the cloister portal, all the large statues on its façade were destroyed. Twenty-eight statues of biblical kings at the west façade, believed to represent French kings, were beheaded. Happily many of these heads were found at a nearby excavation site in 1977 and can be seen at the Musée de Cluny. The building was eventually used as a warehouse for the storage of food and for other purposes.

Efforts at Restoration

The Cathedral at the Beginning of Restoration 1847
by Hippolyte Bayard

With the arrival of the new century, the cathedral’s situation finally began to improve. In July 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte signed an agreement to restore Notre Dame to the Roman Catholic Church, which formally took place in April 1802. Then on December 2, 1804, he and his wife Joséphine, were crowned emperor and empress of France there with Pope Pius VII officiating.

Much of Notre Dame remained in ruins, however, until 1831, when Victor Hugo’s novel Notre-Dame de Paris, published in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, became such a success that it restored public interest in the cathedral. In 1844 King Louis Philippe started a movement to restore it. A large team of architects and craftsmen worked from historical drawings and engravings to replace the original decorations or, where these were missing, to add embellishments consistent with the original style. They also replaced the original spire with one that was taller and more ornate. This restoration took twenty five years.

Modern Renovations

Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, West View

Over the centuries, air pollution caused the cathedral’s stone exterior to deteriorate and discolor. And August 1944, while Paris was being liberated during WWII, some of the medieval glass was damaged and replaced with glass in modern abstract designs. It was becoming obvious that the building needed serious repairs. Finally in 1963 in time for the cathedral’s 800th anniversary, the façade was cleaned of its accumulation of soot and grime and the stone restored to its original color. But deterioration continued, and by the late 1980s, some of the gargoyles and turrets had fallen off or were dangerously loose. So another renovation began in 1991, during which much of the exterior was replaced, with authentic architectural elements being retained. The cathedral’s pipe organ was also upgraded to a computerized system, and the west face was cleaned and restored in time for millennium celebrations in December 1999.

For the building’s 850th anniversary in 2013, the four 19th-century bells from the northern towers were melted down and recast in bronze to simulate the sound of the cathedral’s 17th century bells. But after more than eight centuries, the building was showing signs of deterioration consistent with its age, which led to the most recent renovation. A €6 million renovation of the spire began in late 2018, during which the copper statues on its roof and other decorative elements had to be temporarily removed. By luck or providence, that happened just days before the fire broke out.

With the release of Book 6 of my American Patriot Series, Refiner’s Fire, I’m giving away a copy of Daughter of Liberty, or any volume of the series if the winner already has it —except Refiner’s Fire, which I’ll be giving away in June after its release. If the winner has all the books in the series so far, I’m happy to offer a copy of either Northkill or The Return from the Northkill Amish series. To enter, please leave a comment on this post answering the question below before the end of the day.

Notre Dame is a work of art in and of itself. What features of the cathedral do you find the most impressive and/or beautiful?

Be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. I’ll announce the winner first thing tomorrow morning.

~~~

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is also an author, editor, and publisher. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Book 6, Refiner’s Fire, releases in April 2019. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 Indie Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, received the 2017 Interviews and Reviews Silver Award for Historical Fiction and was named one of Shelf Unbound’s 2018 Notable Indie Books. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and a finalist in the Carol Award.

~~~

Images

1. Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris: East side. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License,_version_1.2

2.Nave of Notre-Dame de Paris, 22 June, 2014. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License,_version_1.2

3. North Rose Window. Photo by Julie Anne Workman. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

4. Cross-section of the double supporting arches and buttresses of the nave, drawn by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc as they would have appeared from 1220 to 1230. Public domain.

5. Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, West view, Paris, France. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License,_version_1.2

Guarding the Kings of France

by J. M. Hochstetler

For my current work-in-progress, Refiner’s Fire, Book 6 of my American Patriot Series, I’ve had to recreate the French court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. I’m finding a lot of interesting—and scandalous—details of daily life in a palace, but today, I’m going to focus on a relatively mundane concern they shared with our modern-day leaders: security. You can be sure that between the Royal Bodyguard and the famed Swiss Guards, the French monarchs had the situation well in hand, at least until the French Revolution broke out.

Royal Bodyguards

Garde du corps, era of Louis XVI

In 1418 Charles VII of France founded an elite Scottish military unit called the Garde Écossaise to serve as his personal bodyguards. They later formed the first company of what became the Royal Bodyguard (Garde du Corps du Roi), which continued as the senior Scottish Company until the Bourbon monarchy ended with the French Revolution.

The Royal Bodyguard consisted of four companies, and a detachment accompanied the French king wherever he went. They guarded where he slept and even escorted his food from the kitchen to his table. A special detachment of 24 “Guards of the Sleeve” (Gardes de la Manche) stood so close to the king during court ceremonies that his sleeves actually brushed them. They wore embroidered white and gold cassocks over their blue, red, and silver uniforms. From the 16th century onward, Frenchmen primarily made up this unit, but it kept the name and certain Scottish commands.

Swiss Guards

Soldier and officer of Gardes Suisses in French

 service in 1757: Marbot, Alfred de, 1854

Beginning in the late 15th century units of Swiss soldiers called Swiss Guards served at various European courts. The earliest permanent unit was the Hundred Swiss (Cent Suisses), created in 1480 when France’s Louis XI retained a Swiss company for his personal guard. They served at the French court until 1817 as bodyguards and ceremonial troops, sharing guard duties inside the palace with the king’s Royal Bodyguard. The Swiss Guards (Gardes Suisses), guarded the palace’s entrances and outer perimeter as well as serving in the field as a fighting regiment in wartime.

The Guards and their officers were all recruited from Switzerland. They maintained a high reputation for discipline, which followed the Swiss codes of conduct, which were significantly harsher than those of the regular French Army. Accordingly they received considerably higher pay than did French soldiers. Their uniform consisted of red coats with dark blue lapels and cuffs edged in white embroidery, with the grenadier company wearing bearskins, while the rests of the companies wore the same three-cornered hats as those of the French infantry. The Hundred Swiss were armed with halberds with the royal arms in gold on the blade and gold-hilted swords.

Swiss Guards During July Revolution,
Jean Louis Bezard, c. 1832

The most famous, and tragic, episode in the history of the Swiss Guards was their defense of the Tuileries Palace in central Paris on August 10, 1792, during the French Revolution. Of the 900 Swiss Guards stationed there, about six hundred were killed during the fighting or were massacred after they surrendered. Sixty taken as prisoners to the Paris City Hall were killed there by the crowd. An estimated 160 more died of their wounds while in prison or were killed during the September Massacres that followed. Apart from fewere than 100 Swiss who escaped from the Tuileries, some of whom were hidden by sympathetic Parisians, the regiment’s only survivors were a detachment of 300 that had been sent to Normandy a few days earlier.

The Hundred Swiss had been disbanded when Louis XVI was taken from Versailles to the Tuileries in October 1789. Reformed in 1814, they accompanied Louis XVIII into exile in Belgium the following year. After the Battle of Waterloo they returned with him to Paris, where they resumed their traditional role of palace guards at the Tuileries until a new French guard company replaced them in 1817.

~~~

Book 6, American Patriot
Series

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is also an author, editor, and publisher. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Book 6, Refiner’s Fire, releases in April 2019. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 Indie Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, received the 2017 Interviews and Reviews Silver Award for Historical Fiction and was named one of Shelf Unbound’s 2018 Notable Indie Books. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and a finalist in the Carol Award.

No Christmas for You!

No, I'm not doing a post about the Grinch. I'm actually going to post about a time in history when Christmas was forbidden.

Does anyone have a guess as to when this would have been? Or perhaps to give you a bit of a clue, where the ban on Christmas took place?

Not the United States.
Not England.
Not Austrailia.

How about France?

Yes, France. From 1793-1800, France did not celebrate Christmas.

I can hear you asking now, "But wasn't France predominantly Catholic back then?" "Don't Catholic countries really like to celebrate Christmas?"

Yes, and yes, to both those questions. But from 1789 until 1799, France experienced a rather bloody and turbulent revolution. I won't go into all the details regarding the relationship of the Catholic Church to the French Government both before and during the revolution, but let's just say that the former French king looked rather fondly on the church, and the church was laden with wealth and property. The average French peasant family was struggling to clothe themselves and store up enough food so they wouldn't starve come winter, while the average priest and nun had stockpiles of food.

Church being Looted

These strained relations between the church and the masses resulted in the Dechristianization of France. The church was slowly stripped of its property and other assets while priests were made to conform to new French laws over Papal ones. The year 1793 saw a dramatic increase in anti-church sentiment. In November, churches were looted, closed for public worship, and converted into storehouses. Public worship was forbidden, as was any displays of the cross or other religious icons. Town and street names were changed so that they reflected no association with religion, (for example any name with the word "saint" in it would have been renamed, like the Rue St. Honore). The calendar was changed so that weeks had 10 days and there was no Sunday. And finally, all religious holidays were banned.

Even Christmas.

Officially, these policies lasted until Napoleon and the pope signed the Concordat of 1801.

I don't know about you, but I can't imagine explaining to my children "I know we celebrated Christmas last year, but we're not allowed to this year."

I've written two books set during the French Revolution. Sanctuary for a Lady came out in 2012, and The Soldier's Secrets releases in April of 2014. While the books don't have much about the absence of Christmas in them, the loss of religion comes up multiple times in both novels, with everything from the local church being used as a storehouse to the Revolutionary calendar.

Now I'm curious about you. How many of you knew that Christmas was banned during the French Revolution? I'm also curious to know if any of you have ever not celebrated Christmas for one reason or another. Please go ahead and share in the comments below.

*****

Naomi Rawlings is the author of seven historical Christian novels, including the Amazon bestselling Eagle Harbor Series. While she'd love to claim she spends her days huddled in front of her computer vigorously typing, in reality, she spends her time homeschooling, cleaning, picking up, and pretending like her house isn't in a constant state of chaos. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan's rugged Upper Peninsula, along the southern shore of Lake Superior where they get 200 inches of snow every year, and where people still grow their own vegetables and cut down their own firewood--just like in the historical novels she writes.

Madeleine Cakes a la French Style

New Year's Greetings from Carla Stewart

A number of years ago, I found a recipe in Country Living Magazine for heart-shaped chocolate Madeleine cakes. It was a Valentine edition with a shopper's guide to purchase the special cast-iron mold. 

Cast Iron Heart Mold

I've long since lost the recipe although I've kept the mold and have used it periodically for brownies and cupcakes when I want the fun flair of a heart-shaped dessert. Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought I'd share the history of Madeleines (the original version) and a chocolate version.

Madeleine is a French form of Magdalen (Mary Magdalen, a disciple of Jesus, is mentioned in all four gospels. 

There are several versions on the origin of Madeleine cakes, but the two most popular ones hail from the 18th century and the little French town of Commercy, of the Lorraine region. 

One: Nuns in France during the 18th century frequently supported themselves (and their schools) by making and selling a particular sweet. Commercy was home to a convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, but during the French Revolution, all the convents and monasteries of France were abolished, and legend has it that the nuns sold their recipe for Madeleine Cakes for a large sum of money to bakers there when their convent closed.  

Version Two: A young servant girl named Madeleine in Commercy, France, made them for Stanislas Leszcaynska, the deposed king of Poland, when he was exiled to Lorraine. He gave the delicate cakes the name Madeleines. His daughter Marie, who was married to Louis XV (1710-1774), was quite fond of them. They became wildly popular in Versailles, where they are still made today. 

So what are Madeleine cakes? 

Madeleine Cakes

They are small delicate sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape derived from the special pans they are baked in. Aside from the special pan, no other special tools or ingredients are needed. 

The traditional recipe is made with vanilla or a lemon zest. I've included instructions for both the traditional and chocolate versions. 

Mold for Madeleines

  
Traditional Madeleine Cakes:

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 

Preparation: Cream the butter and granulated sugar on high until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest to the butter. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. 

Beat the mixture on medium-high for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color and is very fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Very gently fold the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture. Once the batter is smooth, cover it and transfer it to the refrigerator for 2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 375F. Generously grease 2 standard Madeleine pans and spoon the cold batter into the molds. Bake them for 10 to 13 minutes, until they are puffed and turn golden brown. Invert the pans onto wire racks and give them a hard tap to remove the cookies from the molds. Serve them warm dusted with a bit of confectioners’ sugar for the best flavor. 

This recipe makes 12.

Chocolate Madeleines (from Epicurious) 

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• Pinch Salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Butter for buttering the pans

Preparation:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa and the salt.
2. Place the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until thick and lemon-colored. Fold in the flour, then melted butter.
3. Butter the Madeleine pans generously, then spoon in the batter, filling each about three fourths full. Refrigerate the filled Madeleine pans and the remaining batter for one hour.
4. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
5. Bake the Madeleines just until they are firm and puffed, about 7 minutes. Turn them immediately from the molds, wipe out the molds, let cool and continue baking the Madeleines until all of the batter is used. The Madeleines are best when eaten slightly warm or at room temperature the same day they are made. 

Makes 36 Madeleines (NOTE: My larger heart-shaped molds made 18 cakes)

Chocolate Madeleines dusted with confectioner's sugar

Secrets to making the perfect Madeleine:  

• Make the dough up to three days in advance and chill it in the refrigerator.
• Heavily butter the molds and chill them so the butter hardens before the molds are filled with batter.
• Refrigerate the filled molds before baking.
• Make sure the oven is fully hot before baking the Madeleines.
• Bake for no longer than 7 minutes — the Madeleines should not quite spring back when you touch them. This ensures a moist result.

Wouldn't these be the perfect ending to your Valentine dinner? 

Are there foods you make that have an ethnic origin or story behind them? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Yummmm! 

Carla Stewart is the award-winning author of five novels. With a passion for times gone by, it is her desire to take readers back to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called “home.” Her newest release is The Hatmaker's Heart. In New York City’s Jazz Age, a naïve, but talented young hat designer must weigh the cost of success when the rekindled love with her childhood sweetheart is lost and her integrity in the cutthroat fashion world is tested.

Learn more about Carla at www.carlastewart.com 

Facts about the French Revolution

The French Revolution has a rather gory and bad reputation, and admittedly (with a symbol like the guillotine to represent it) some of that reputation is well deserved. But there is also a lot of misinformation about the French Revolution. Indeed, some of the reasons for the revolution are often lost amid tales of blood and gore. At its start, the French Revolution was similar to the American Revolution in many ways, and the French people had some very understandable reasons for revolting against their government.

Here's a few facts about the French Revolution:

Before the Revolution

• Before the Revolution started in 1789, a loaf of bread cost a week’s salary for the peasant class.
• In 1789, the peasantry paid taxes to nobles, the king, and the church, while the aristocrats barely payed taxes.
• The country was bankrupt.
• The cost of France helping with the American Revolution was a contributing factor to its bankruptcy.

During the Revolution

• Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France before the Revolution, never said “Let them eat cake.”
• Marie Antoinette was Austrian born.
• When the Bastille was stormed, only seven prisoners were being held there.
• Most of the France’s aristocrats were ensconced in Versailles and ignoring the famine and economic troubles until a mob of peasant women stormed the castle and demanded bread in August of 1789.
• The ideals behind the French Revolution were so looked down on by other European monarchies that France ended up fighting Prussia, Britain, Spain and Austria all while having their internal revolution.
• The French Revolutionary Government adopted its own calendar based on tens. Each week had ten days, each day had ten hours, each hour had 100 minutes, and each minute had 100 seconds. This meant the peasants who got one day a week off now had to work nine days before their break.

I've written a novel set during the The French Revolution. Actually, I've written three of them, but the second is releasing in a little over a week. The first question people usually ask me after they find out where my novels are set is "Why the French Revolution?"

Oddly enough, I don't find that question hard to answer, and now you know why.

Do any of the facts mentioned above surprise you? If so, share which ones in the comments below. I'll be giving away one copy of my novel The Soldier's Secrets, to one commenter below.

*****

Brigitte Dubois will do anything to keep her family safe. When she is blackmailed by her father-in-law, his quest for revenge leaves her no choice. To protect her children, she must spy on the man who may have killed her husband. But Jean Paul Belanger is nothing like she expected. The dark, imposing farmer offers food to all who need it, and insists on helping Brigitte and her children. 

Everything Jean Paul did was in the name of liberty. Even so, he can never forgive himself for his actions during France's revolution. Now a proud auburn-haired woman has come to his home seeking work and has found her way into his reclusive heart. But when she uncovers the truth, his past could drive them apart….

For more information about The Soldier's Secrets and the Belanger Family Saga, visit www.naomirawlings.com.