Medieval advice for birthing

[medievalrosalie]

"Open you roads and door!" So says Hildegard von Bingen in advice for a mother-to-be in labour. "May you come out of this door without dying or the death of your mother." These words are part of advice on what to say for safe delivery in childbirth.



Hildegarde von Bingham, like many of her contemporaries, felt that the natural world had a lot to offer, and this was applicable to the pains which accompanied childbirth. This was not considered witchcraft, as stones were a part of the natural world, given to us by God, and therefore to be used in the proper way to help us.

You'll notice that the use of the sard in this instance, was not magical in the least itself, but coupled with an invocation to God to help the suffering mother. 

Here are the mineral properties of sard, as listed on the gemrockauctions website:

    Mohs hardness: 6.5-7

    Color: Reddish-brown, brown

    Crystal structure: Trigonal

    Luster: Vitreous (glassy), greasy, waxy, or resinous

    Transparency: Semi-transparent to opaque

    Refractive index: 1.53-1.54

    Density: 2.56-2.68

    Cleavage: None

    Fracture: Conchoidal or granular

    Streak: White

    Luminescence: None

None of this seems particularly helpful for a birthing mother. The most helpful thing in the advice from Hildegarde was to massage the thighs.

For more information about the secret trials and tribulations of medieval women, peek behind the scenes of their lives in "The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women," available through your local bricks and mortar bookshop, Mango Publishing or your favourite online book seller.