[stylist] New to the List and Looking for Guidance on a Project

Fri Jun 6 12:06:29 UTC 2014

What I heard about castles is, because they were truly smelly, they had to be abandoned from time to time so they could "freshen up".  Thus, nobles would have several castles and move from castle to castle.

Shawn

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of William L Houts via stylist
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2014 7:55 AM
To: Homme, James; Writer's Division Mailing List; Tina Hansen
Subject: Re: [stylist] New to the List and Looking for Guidance on a Project

HI Tina,

I know a few things about medieval life, and just a little bit about castles and the lives of nobility.  Generally speaking, castles really weren't very comfortable by our standards.  Even our poorest studio apartments, for instance, have central heating.  The medieval castle, of course, wasn't heated, but instead tended to be cold and drafty, and the stone floors were cold.  Sometimes,  depending upon the wealth of the king or noble dwelling there, the floors could be dressed with animal skin rugs, at least in the major rooms.  More often, the floors, especially in the dining hall, were dressed with rushes; straw mats on which bones and other refuse from meals were thrown.  Walls, at least those belonging to the wealthier nobles, could be dressed in tapestries which, depending upon their quality, were a signal to all guests that their host was a wealthy man.  And that's a central thrust of medieval
life:  men were everything, determined everything and got everything while women, as I like to say, ate turd pie.  Speaking of which, privies were built so the noble behind sitting on them could releive themselves without too much discomfort.  But they were essentially holes in the floor leading to a dung heap.  Speaking of which, medieval life, unlike our relatively sterile modern world, was unbelievably smelly by our standards.  There was the stink from mprivies, the refuse from rotting rushes, and most notably the stink from unwashed bodies. Medieval folks rarely took baths.  Commoners wore the same few garments day to day, until their poor homespun practically fell from their bodies. Because bathing wasn't common, nobles,  if they could afford it, doused 
themselves with perfume.     Nobles had a wider selection of clothes, 
but all people, rich and poor, never bathed. So castles were smelly and cold, in the winter, and smelly round the year, unless the rushes were changed regularly.

It's 5am where I'm writing this, and I'm presently not coming up with more facts. But if you provide more questions, I might be able to address them.

--Bill

On 6/6/2014 3:51 AM, Homme, James via stylist wrote:
> Hi Tina,
> I'm unsure if this will help you at all, but I happen to be reading The Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin. There are a lot of castle descriptions in there. There are lots of different kinds of castles in there, too.
>
> Jim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tina 
> Hansen via stylist
> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 11:36 PM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [stylist] New to the List and Looking for Guidance on a 
> Project
>
> My name is Tina Hansen, and I am new to this list, though I've been around the NFB for some time. I am writing to seek advice on a project I've been working on in my head.
>
> In a lot of literature, all or part of the story takes place in a castle of some sort.
>
> Some time ago, it occured to me that I had no idea what a castle looked like. It also made me wonder if I wasn't the only one.
>
> Given this, I have a 3-d tactile model of what a castle might look like, but I want to add a narrative describing the parts of a castle, but also what life might have been like during that time.
>
> The narrative would be done in a modular fashion, probably using one of the voice labeling units, like the Pen Friend. I would place audio labels on the various parts of the model describing what the part might have looked like or what might have happened in that part of the castle. I might also add something about what might have gone on.
>
> However, I am torn between creating a narrative from scratch or just borrowing some or all of an existing narrative. If I borrowed an existing narrative, it might be OK, but I want it to be engaging without giving up accuracy.
>
> My purpose for this project is, first, to help me get a better understanding of a castle and its place in literature. If nothing, I would understand what a castle might have looked like when I read some piece of literature, such as Harry Potter.
>
> Secondly, I want to use this model as a way to show parents and/or educators how to use tactile, visual, and auditory learning modes.
>
> As a result, my narrative nay not be published around the world, but it will do me some personal good, and it will likely help some parent and/or educator.
>
> Since I'd likely get tired of hearing my own voice, I'd bring in a voice talent to actually read the final narrative. Jaws can help me refine it, along with expert guidance, but when it's time to do the final narrative, I'd want to bring in a voice talent.
>
> I can go online to look for material, but I'm torn between using the material as it is or modifying it in some way to make it my own. If I do try to make it my own, I don't want to give up accuracy. I also don't want the material to sound dull or boring.
>
> Finally, I want the material done in such a way that it works with a variety of audiences.
>
> Again, my project may not get published around the world, but it will help me, and probably some parents or educators in my area.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions from members of this list on tackling a project like this. Thanks.
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