Little Ponies and Saltwater Cowboys

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I wrapped up the year's focus on Colorado history featuring a historical marker honoring the very first Christmas in this state. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/12/by-tiffany-amber-stockton-last-month-i.html.

Today, it's a new year, so we have a new theme. I'm in the process of writing a 3-book series set on a little island called Chincoteague, just off the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It will feature the stories of my family on my mother's side, many of whom grew up or spent a lot of years on the island.

CHINCOTEAGUE PONIES

I don't know about you, but growing up on the Delmarva Peninsula (made up of the entire state of Delaware, and parts of Maryland and Virginia) meant the 1947 book, Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry was famous in those parts. Everyone I knew had heard of or read this book, and the majority of them had actually been to the island itself.

For me, there's an even more personal connection, as my grandfather (mom's dad) grew up on the island. His father owned a barbershop there where he first learned to cut hair. In 1961, Marguerite's book was made into a movie, and the barber shop was featured in one scene. That shop was sold just prior to WWII when my grandfather's family moved to Washington, D.C. and a Father & Son barbershop was opened on Pennsylvania Avenue. In the early 1950's, my great-grandfather retired and returned to his beloved Chincoteague where he died in 1956. When my grandfather left D.C. to also return to Chincoteague in 1978, he took over ownership of a barbershop and continued cutting hair until he passed away in 1982.

I grew up hearing the stories of Misty and the BeeBee family on which Ms. Henry based her book. It wasn't until I was in my late teens when I realized there are several streets on Chincoteague island named after members of my family. There's no doubt in my mind that this connection is the primary reason for my love of horses as a little girl and even to this day.

So many evenings were spent reading about Misty, drawing pictures of horses, and dreaming one day of owning a horse of my own. We had a family reunion one year on Chincoteague, and it took place right around the time of the annual Pony Penning Day. This is a time when the ponies (who actually live and roam wild on the neighboring Assateague Island) are rounded up by the island's fire department volunteers and driven across the shallow channel between the islands.

This event has been taking place since 1925, and the men who do the roundup are called "saltwater cowboys" as they often have to get into the water with the ponies to keep them swimming toward Chincoteague or help the yearling foals swim.

Ms. Henry highlighted this event in her book, which went on to receive the coveted Newbery Award Medal for children's literature. As a child, I never really questioned much about the horses depicted in photographs, and their size never made a difference to me until I saw them up close and in person this one year during Pony Penning Day.

They weren't much taller than I was, and their bodies appeared to be rather plump. I learned this is because of their diet consisting mostly of the grass from the saltwater marshes surrounding Assateague. The salt actually stunts their growth and causes their bellies to be slightly bloated. There have even been times when these ponies have been connected to the Shetland Ponies, located on the Shetland Isles to the northeast of Scotland, but there is no tie between these two breeds.

For years, I was so enamored by Marguerite Henry and her stories. I've read every single one of her books about horses, and even one about a donkey named Brighty in the Grand Canyon. Once I began writing my own historical fiction, it never dawned on me to use Chincoteague as a setting in any of my books.

During a conversation with an editor at a writer's conference, I realized I had actually been putting Ms. Henry and her stories of Chincoteague on an unreachable pedestal. That editor laughed a bit and told me it had been 65 years since that story was written, which meant it was probably safe to use the island as a setting. (grins)

So, that's what I intend to do this year. That editor is interested in a series set on the island and including some of the stories of my family intertwined with the stories of the primary characters. Over the next several months and possibly through this entire year, I'll be featuring various aspects about Chincoteague and Assateague Islands as they pertain to the research I'll be doing for my newest series. Grab your reins and saddle up with me as we travel along this journey and engage in a little horseplay. *smile*

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever read Misty of Chincoteague? Had you even heard of this book before reading this post?

* What is your favorite memory from childhood, and has that memory inspired anything you do or love to this day?

* Do you have any historical connections like this that beg to have their story told? What are they?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments below. Next month, I'll delve more into the history of Chincoteague Island.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, two dogs, and two cats in Colorado. She has sold twenty (24) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Hospitals in Nashville During the American Civil War

By Michelle Shocklee

Like most of us, when I think of a hospital, I think of a building specifically created for the care of the sick and injured. I picture clean sheets, sterile instruments, surgical areas, and plenty of beds for all who need them. And while those images may describe some hospitals that existed in the 1860s, most "hospitals" used during the Civil War looked very different. 

Nashville newspaper article, 1863

My novel Under the Tulip Tree takes place in Nashville and includes scenes from the Battle of Nashville that took place December 15-16, 1864. While researching the book, I was surprised to discover that most of the hospitals that sprang up after this battle, as well as the Battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864), were not hospitals at all. The vast majority of injured soldiers were carried to private homes, businesses, hotels, schools, and churches where doctors, nurses, and an army of volunteers--both white and black--did their utmost to care for the gravely and mortally wounded men from both sides. 

Nashville was a Confederate-held city until Federal troops took control of it in February 1862. In March 1863, a list of Union hospitals was published in the local newspaper. Wounded or ill soldiers would have been brought to one of these reinvented businesses, depending on the soldiers' rank, color, and the level of nursing skill required to meet their particular needs. 

For more than a century, it has been estimated that about 620,000 Americans died in the conflict, with more than half of those dying off the battlefield from disease or festering wounds. That enormous number means that thousands upon thousands of men needed a hospital at some point during the years between 1861 and 1865. 

At least two Nashville hospitals were housed in former Confederate gun factories. Others took over schools where learning came to an abrupt halt and students were replaced with men suffering from dysentery, venereal diseases, infections, and fevers. If a patient was diagnosed with small pox, they were immediately taken to a hospital for that specific disease in order to prevent spreading. Separate hopsitals were also created for prisoners of war as well as black patients.  

If an officer was wounded or fell ill, he was taken to the Planter's Hotel to recuperate. The neighborhood was quiet and the hotel offered lovely grounds where the men could get some fresh air and exercise. The same was true of hospitals located in Howard high school, Hume high school, and Hynes high school. All provided excellent grounds and even views of the city. 

Hospital Number 19, Nashville, TN, 1863

But in December 1864, these hospitals would overflow with gravely injured and dying men after the Battle of Nashville. In fact, despite the seemingly large number of hospitals set up in the years prior to the battle, the number of wounded far exceeded the preparations. Approximately 10,000 casualties resulted from the two-day battle. Every bed was occupied with wounded men. Blood-soaked floors were lined with bodies. Men even had to wait outside in the bitter cold before room could be found inside, usually because another poor soul had died. 

Today, most of the buildings that once housed these makeshift hospitals are gone or have been transformed into businesses and condominiums. Several private homes that were used as hospitals remain intact, including Carnton Plantation in Franklin. I've had the privilege of spending time in an 1840s private home outside of Nashville where wounded Union soldiers were taken after the battle. As I walk the halls and climb the stairs, I can't help but wonder what sights and sounds those old brick walls witnessed.  

Hospitals aren't my favorite place to go--either as a patient or a visitor--but I'm truly thankful for the modern medical facilities available to us these days. If we've learned anything during the pandemic of 2020, it's how incredibly vital fully staffed and fully equipped hospitals are!  

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online at www.michelleshocklee.com.

UNDER THE TULIP TREE

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085F4YQ11/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Birmingham, England: Canal City

 

When people think of cities built on canals, Birmingham, England is not the first place that comes to mind. Rather with its 118 islands separated by twenty-six miles of canals and linked by over 400 bridges, Venice, Italy is the most well-known. However, intriguingly, Birmingham has more than thirty-five miles of canals with the city. 

 

Canals are called artificial waterways if they are used for carrying vessels to transport goods and people, and aqueducts if they carry water supply. In most cases, the engineered works have a series of dams and locks that create reservoirs of low speed current flow. A canal is also known as a navigation when it parallels a river and shares part of its waters and drainage basin. 

 

The first canal built in Birmingham was constructed between 1768 and 1772 from the edge of Birmingham at Newhall Wharf to meet the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal at Aldersley. A second canal followed in 1784. As the network of canals expanded, the companies building them merged in 1794 to become Birmingham Canal Navigations. At its working peak, BCN contained over 160 miles of canals. The BCN is built on three main levels, each with its own reservoir linked by locks at various locations on the network. 

 

For nearly 170 years the canal system bustled with activity. During the Industrial

Revolution, the canals were used to transport coal from the Duke of Bridgewater’s mines in Manchester, iron, and other heavy goods, playing a crucial role in the development of Birmingham and the Black Country. Toward the end of the 19th century the tonnage of goods carried is reported to reached eight and half metric tons. Known as the “first manufacturing town in the world,” Birmingham was referred to as the “City of a Thousand Trades” after achieving city status in 1889. 

 

However, before that the city became home to Cadbury’s first production facility on Bull Street in 1824. It is thought that Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by his visit to the facility. Two decades later, the city was the location of the first official tennis matches (long before Wimbledon). J.R.R. Tolkein lived in Birmingham during his early life, and many scholars agree that the areas of King’s Heath and Sarehole probably inspired his hobbits’ homes. 

 

Eventually railways and roads took over the long distance transportation of freight, and use of the canals decreased. By 1980, all commercial traffic had stopped, and the canals fell into disrepair. Over the years many were restored and as a result housing, shops, restaurants, and bars now line the sides of these historic waterways.

 

Have you ever traveled on a canal?

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Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is also a trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. To learn more about Linda and her books visit http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Legacy of Love (Keepers of the Light, 10) Escaping Boston to avoid a marriage of convenience aimed at garnering society’s respect for her family name in the shadow of her father’s war profiteering, Meg Underwood settles in Spruce Hill, Oregon. Despite leaving behind the comforts of wealth, she’s happy. Then the handsome Pinkerton agent, Reuben Jessop, arrives with news that she’s inherited her aunt’s significant estate, and she must return home to claim the bequest. Meg refuses to make the trip. Unwilling to fail at his mission, Reuben gives her until Christmas to prove why she should remain in Spruce Hill and give up the opportunity to become a woman of means. When he seems to want more than friendship, she wonders if her new-found wealth is the basis of his attraction.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LBWJMXR

Snowballs Go Way Back

by Anita Mae Draper

Snowball Fight, Anonymous (Flemish), circa 1510. Public Domain, courtesy of The Walters Art Museum, Wikimedia

A snowball can be classified as the simplest, most economical toy for all ages. It's free. It's usually fun. It's good exercise for muscles you didn't know you had, and when thrown at the wrong target, the evidence often disappears. The above image by an unknown Flemish artist is from the December page in a Book of Hours. Created on parchment using ink and paint, the complete illuminated page is a beautiful illustration of 1510 artwork, yet it's the snowball fight I want to explore. Are they only throwing snowballs at each other, or is the middle person aiming to try the man leading a donkey in the background?

One hundred years earlier, Venceslao Boemo, an Italian artist, created a fresco of a snowball fight at the base of the Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento, northern Italy. Unlike the first image, the participants in this painting appear to be of higher birth, based on their garments and yet they seem to be enjoying the sport just as much. 

Snowball Fight at Buonconsiglio Castle, Trento, Italy, c1400. Public Domain, Wikimedia

Cornelis Dusart (1660-1704) was a Dutch painter, draftsman, and printmaker. He was born and died in Haarlem, Netherlands, and used colored chalks and watercolor for his remarkable drawings of peasants. His work of a peasant pair throwing snowballs is thought to have been published on the March page of an Amsterdam calendar between 1680 and 1690.

Month of March, by Cornelis Dusant, c1680-1690. Public Domain, Wikimedia

Of course, the throwing of snowballs made great imagery for satirical drawings in newspapers and periodicals, such as this drawing published by Laurie & Whittle, London, England in 1794. The accompanying description reads, "Two well-dressed young women (left) stand behind a tree with snow-balls to pelt a thin and elderly man in old-fashioned dress (right) who walks in profile to the right, clenching his fist and holding up his stick. He is plastered with patches of snow. A third young woman kneels behind the others, making a snowball. Three others (right) are amused."

Snowballs, published 12th May 1794, by Laurie & Whittle, London. Creative commons, courtesy of the British Museum.

Snowball fights are a good way for a novelist to ramp up, or relieve tension between the hero and heroine. Do you know of any Regency or Victorian romance novels, novellas or short stories that use a well-thrown snowball to gain attention or have some fun? I know that Mary Balogh has included a snowball scene in her novel, Someone to Trust. Who knows another one?

Update: Thanks to Linda Shenton Matchett, another HHH blogger, for sharing that she has a snowball fight between the male and female protagonists in her WWII novellette, A Doctor in the House. 

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Anita Mae Draper served a 20-year term working on air bases in the communication trade of the Canadian Armed Forces before retiring to the open skies of the prairies. She uses her experience and love of history to pepper her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Anita Mae Draper's published stories appear in Barbour Publishing, WhiteFire Publishing, and Guideposts Books. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking out Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

World War 2 Homefront - How People at Home Were Encouraged to Support the War Effort

 

By Pamela S. Meyers

My upcoming novel, Rose Harbor, is set in home front-World War 2, and I’m very grateful that my parents kept a few artifacts from that time period. These include some unused ration stamps and a little booklet published by the U.S. Office of Civil Defense, called “What Can I Do? The Citizen’s Handbook for War.” 

After 1941, like almost every able-bodied man, my dad tried to enlist, but because he had a history of kidney stones, he was rejected. This little booklet was written for people like him who couldn’t physically go to war but could still help. 

The first part of the booklet focuses on several topics regarding what everybody can do everywhere: 

1) Protect Ourselves – Use black-out curtains, know where your warden post is located, etc. 

2) Civilian Mobilization – Be ready to contribute in the ways described in the booklet. 

3) Conservation – Get along with less and take good care of what you have so it will last. 

4) Salvage – Saving things you can’t use and sending them back to the smelter to be remade. 

5) War Budget – Save money and invest regularly in war bonds, save to pay your taxes. 

6) Health – Take good care of yourself and avoid getting sick as best you can. 

7) Information – Understand what’s going on by listening to the news and reading newspapers. 

8) V-Homes – A home should be saving, salvaging, conserving, and converting. A V-home award is a badge of honor for families who have made themselves into a fighting unit on the home front. 

The other half of the booklet lists various occupations that require certain skills and how people who work in those occupations can be used at the home front to apply these skills to certain volunteer positions. These are broken down into categories such as industry and trades, business, professionals (which involves teachers, clergy, medical, librarians, lawyers, and creatives like musicians, artists, editors, and writers. Another section focuses on farmworkers, and another on what women can do such as converting their home lastly is a short section on what children can do. 

The back cover contains an index of occupations and the page numbers that describe what those in certain occupations can do to help in the war effort. 

 I immediately looked at what writers could do and I would have been directed to the Information segment to write publicity items, war news, instructions for rationing, and education in war aims. 

 A manager of a movie theater can help by showing documentaries that inform about the war, including the work done in the factories converted to produce ammo, guns, and other weapons. They were also responsible for providing a few hours of relaxation for those who are pulling double-shifts in the factories, etc. 

 From a novelist’s perspective, this booklet has provided valuable information such as what my characters who were on the home front could do based on their skill sets. I’ve heard over and over again about how the entire country pulled together in whatever way they could to help win the war. That period of time wasn’t called the Greatest Generation for nothing. 

What artifacts from another time has your family saved through the years?

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In the historical fiction series, Newport of the West, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin's rich history is told through a fictional family who, having been displaced by the Great Chicago Fire, moved from Chicago to the beautiful Geneva Lake. Follow the generations of the family through the decades in this 4-book series. The final book, Rose Harbor, releases May 2021.

Pamela S. Meyers was raised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the setting for her historical novels. 

She is currently working on Rose Harbor, a World War 2 home front novel.

She lives in northeast Illinois with her two rescue cats, is active in her church, and enjoys jaunts north over the state line into her native Wisconsin.

Her books are sold locally in the Lake Geneva area and on Amazon. 

Tribute to Darlene Franklin

We received the sad news that one of our blogger/authors who started with us at the beginning of the HHH blog has passed away. Darlene Franklin, a well known author, now dances on streets of gold. Darlene had over 68 books published and 300 devotionals. She will be greatly missed by so many readers and her fellow authors. 

As a tribute to Darlene we are posting several of her early posts on Hero's, Heroine's and History. 

PLANE SPOTTING IN WORLD WAR II

Hi. This is Darlene Franklin coming to you again. My third book in the Maple Notch Dreams series comes out in January. Homefront Dreams takes place against the backdrop of life on the homefront during the Second World War.

Movies like It's a Wonderful Life and my mother's childhood memories form the basis of my impressions of life during the war. After a friend mentioned the volunteer work of plane spotters, I knew I wanted to include it in my book.

As many as one and a half million Americans became part of the Army Air Forces Ground Observation Corps. The Aeroplane Spotter was published in January 1940. By July of that year, months before the United States joined the war, the town of Mayfield, New York, had already organized volunteers and set up regular schedules on December 10, 1941.

The citizens of Kent, Connecticut, beat Mayfield to it, however, beginning the earliest Corp. They quickly sprang up and down both coasts. They chose the highest point in the area for their observation posts, of course, and usually worked in pairs. Citizens of every age took part, from high school students to senior citizens.

The observers were meant to serve as an early warning system to avoid another surprise attack like the one at Pearl Harbor. They had to stay current on all military planes, both Allies and Axis. Playing cards were used for quick recognition of the various planes.

For all the preparation, only one German airplane ever entered American air space during the war. American airmen flew a captured plane to Florida. The locals weren't advised of the arrival, to test their effectiveness. They identified the make and model of the plane before it reached land.

Friendly aircrafts provided some amusement. A plane flew at treetop level in Connecticut, rising just in time to avoid the local hill. (The pilot in my book wasn't so lucky.)

While plane spotting continues to be a popular hobby (I found several journals for plane spotters at Amazon), the need for the organized corp carried over from World War II to the Cold War before dwindling away.

SOUP KITCHENS

Hi there. This is Darlene Franklin. Since the heroine of my next release (Golden Dreams, September)works in a Depression-era soup kitchen, I thought I would write on their history. Did they start with the Great Depression, or extend back to the era of work houses for the poor?

Imagine my surprise to learn they had their origins with the military. Count Rumford came up with the perfect inexpensive,savory, and nutritious meal possible, a barley soup that also included peas, potatoes, wheat bread, vinegar, and salt. Of course water made soup an ideal food for large groups. Extra mouths to feed? No problem, only add more water. His creation led to the creation of soup kitchens across Europe. The Human Society of New York opened a kitchen in 1802.

Like today, debate raged over the question, did soup kitchen discourage self-reliance? Or did it perpetuate the problem? The popularity declined in the 1820s. The Salvation Army is notable for keeping its food depots open through all economic and political climates.

Soup kitchens revived in the wake of Black Monday, October 28, 1929, when Wall Street crashed. For instance, the of the Capuchin Service Center of Detroit started up less than a week later, on November 2, and fed 1,500-3,000 people a day. For many, their soup kitchen meal was the only food they had all day.

Churches and other private charities established the early soup kitchens. The state and federal governments got involved by the mid-1930s, to the point where every town had some kind of food provided for the hungry.

Volunteers of America started during this era and has remained one of the biggest providers, expanding their services to other social services such as children's daycare and services for the elderly.

The biggest surprise (even more so Count Rumford) is that gangster Al Capone began the frst soup kitchen in Chicago in an effort to clean up his bad boy image.

The need for food relief has waxed and waned. Of course, soup kitchens no longer serve soup exclusively. The 1980s saw a resurgence of services and then again as recently as 2006.

ICE RINKS

Hi, this Darlene Franklin, your native New Englander still spinning tales about my home country. For my second book in the Maple Notch Days series (fifth Maple Notch book overall), I planned a story about figure skating (my favorite winter sport)at the 1932 Olympics, which were held in Lake Placid, New York. She practices in an old mill house that has been converted into an indoor ice rink. Historically, Sonja Henje won the second of her three Olympic medals at the 1932 Olympics.

So I looked into the history of ice rinks. I don't understand how it works all that well; mechanics and science aren't areas I understand all that well. The process is similar to the one used in refrigerators and air conditioners. A base of concrete or sand is covered with pipes carrying the coolant of choice; and a mixture of water and other chemicals goes on top. Indoor rinks encouraged the growth of the sport of ice hockey. Figure skating was added as a sport to the 1908 Olympics--on an indoor rink during the summer games in London! The first successful ice rink, the Glaciarium, opened in London in 1876. The first one in the United States was built

in 1879 at Madison Square Garden. Two brothers, Lester and Joe Patrick, opened two skating rinks three days apart in Canada in 1912. Over the next several decades, they built ice rinks across northwestern United States and western Canada. Today people enjoy 1,700 rinks across America.

As a final note, the ice at Rockefeller Center is outdoors. The area, known as the Sunken Gardens, didn't attract visitors, so they converted it into an "temporary" ice rink in 1936. Today it's probably the most recognizable area of the Rockefeller. a story outdoor rins glaciarum earlyU.S. Rockefeller Center 1st in US Madison Square Garden http://www.howstuffworks.com/ice-rink.htm 1876: The first indoor ice rink opens in London. The ice is made through an expensive process of sending a mixture of glycerin and water through copper pipes. 1879: The first indoor ice rink in the United States opens in Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. 1908: The first Olympic figure-skating competition is held on a refrigerated indoor rink as part of the Summer Games in London Patrick brothers opened first two ice skating rinks in Canada, 3 days apart, in 1912. They built ice rinks across northwestern US and western Canada. 1700 rinks in US today. same basic technology as for refrigerators and air conditioning systems. 

History of the Garnet: January's Birthstone

Blogger: Amber Schamel

 

 Happy New Year, everyone! My prayer is that 2021 is a wonderful year for all of us.

Let's kick off the new year with learning about January's birthstone, the garnet. 

We usually think about the garnet being a red stone, however it can actually be a range of different colors including pink, green, yellow, purple, or even brown or black. The stone also has a wide range of history, and thanks to it being so durable, we have artifacts dating back to the bronze age.

The word, "garnet" comes from a Latin word meaning "seed or grain". Most believe that this is probably a reference to the pomegranate seed, which is similar in color, and thus gave the garnet its name.

The garnet has been used by royalty for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptian pharaohs used them in many forms of jewelry, and adored them enough to pack their graves with them as well.  The pectoral pictured here was found in the tomb of Princess Sithathoryunet, and includes many semiprecious stones, including the garnet. 

Egyptian Pectoral found in the tomb of
Princess Sithathorynet.
Public Domain

In ancient Rome, garnets were often carved into the signet rings that stamped some of the most important documents in ancient history. According to Plimy, a Roman scholar, the garnet was one of the most popularly traded gems around 23 to 79 A.D. 

Roman signet made of garnet. 2nd Century AD
Photo courtesy of lot-art.com

In ancient times, red garnets were often referred to as carbuncle. However, that term may have also been used for almost any red stone. According to the Islamic and Jewish legends, red garnet was one of the four stones on the signet given to King Solomon by God. This seal is the predecessor of the modern Star of David.

If carbuncle was indeed referring to the red garnet, it is mentioned several times in the Bible. It would have been one of the stones in Aaron's breastplate, and is also mentioned as one of the stones covering the "anointed cherub" that most scholars believe refers to Satan before his fall. 

Another Jewish tradition says that Noah took the garnet onto the ark as a source of light. During the flood, the sun nor moon was there to provide light, so he used the stone that shone "more brilliantly by night than by day" which was how Noah knew the difference between day and night during that catastrophe. 

Garnets seem to have a light that comes from within. This is a translucent garnet, backlight by a flashlight. This specimen came from the Red Embers Mine in Erving, Massachusetts, USA. “Fiery Dragon Eyes (Red Embers Garnet),” photo by Mike Beauregard. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

In the middle ages, the garnet was a favorite of clergy and nobility alike. At this time, people believed dragons had eyes made of garnet. The belief that garnets granted protection and healing to the wearer was very widespread, and in fact, during the crusades, the gem was worn by both Christian and Muslim warriors.

When the Bohimian garnet deposits were discovered in central Europe around 1500, the garnet became more widely available.

It is commonly believed, even today, that the garnet can signal coming danger by turning pale. Regardless of whether or not the stone holds any abilities, it still fascinates people, making it a coveted gem in all parts of the world.

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain and between enjoying life as a new mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!