Researching Sheep

I’m at the point of my new book where I’m having to do a bit of unusual research. I love learning new things about a time period, and there are two items I’m researching. One is sheep shearing in the 12th century. It became clear to me, when I visited Ireland this past summer, that sheep and wool are a huge part of the Irish industry. They were also part of the early monetary system. Instead of using money, they would often pay people in terms of cattle, sheep, or even horses.

I’m looking for information on what tools would be used in the 12th century for shearing or whether they used tools at all? If any of you own sheep, I’d love to know their personality when it comes to shearing. Do they stand by and let you take care of business? Or will they fight you off?

The other research topic is the festival of Lughnasa. I’m really looking forward to researching this summer festivity, because it gives me the chance to pass along some trivia to readers and it makes the book more interesting. In The Warrior’s Touch, I used the feast of Bealtaine. It’s more commonly known as Beltane or May Day. The Irish used to make several fires along hilltops, to honor the god Belenus. These were known as Bel fires. They would drive the cattle between the Bel fires to bless them and pray for a fruitful harvest. And let’s just say that the humans weren’t opposed to celebrating their own fertility rites.

Women used to wash their faces in the morning dew in the hopes that it would make them beautiful. Men would bring hawthorn branches to decorate the thatched huts of the women they admired. And a May Queen and King were chosen to play the part of Danu the goddess and Belenus, her lover.

Can’t you just imagine the story possibilities?