une is the sixth month of the Gregorian and Julian calendars, and the second annually to have 
only thirty days. Named for the iuniores, or "young people" in Roman times, June was, in the
Middle Ages, a time for harvesting hay; to feed livestock in the winter, and as a bedding 
material and "safe space" for fleas and body lice year 'round. That, in fact, seems to be a major dividing line between the real Middle Ages and the Middle Ages "as they should have been" (a phrase that one hears often in any meaningful discussion of the SCA as a hobby).

You may meet the occasional authenticity maven in your travels, but none so committed to the notion that they will nurture lice and fleas on their person for the sake of historical accuracy.  Except for Ucla.  Baron Ucla is said to host an entire louse village under his left armpit, and another under his right. He encourages them to war with each other now and then, because it tickles.

The image to the right, there, is from the cathedral at Lausanne, in France, and depicts a medieval fellow (we assume) harvesting hay.

The Old Norse/Icelandic calendar month of Skerpla began on Saturday, 20 May, while the month of Sólmánuðr "sun month" begins on Monday, 19 June 2017.  The Old English Ærra Līþa, or "before summer" was followed by Þrilīþa, "second summer", a leap-month applied when necessary to square things with the solar calendar.  The Old German Brāh-mānod "fallow month", Dutch zomermaand and West Frisian simmermoanne or "summer-month" all begin with the full moon on 09 June.  Celtic, Welsh, and Irish, calendars begin on the new moon, which will be on 23 June.  The Jewish month of Tammuz (year 5777) also begins on this day at sunset, while the Islamic month of Shawwal (year 1438) begins on Sunday, the 25th of June.

The summer solstice occurs on 20 June 2017 at 23:24hrs CDT, and this "midsummer" day would have been significant to all medieval folk. Osprey will get 14 hours and 8 minutes of daylight, give or take, the most of any day this year.

Events of note in June, historically, include:

15 June 1330, the birth of Edward of Woodstock, called "The Black Prince" of Wales. An exceptional military leader, and founding member of the Order of the Garter, Edward III "has attracted relatively little attention from serious historians, but figures largely in popular history" sniffs allegedly serious historian Richard Barber, (who may also have attracted relatively little attention from serious historians) in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

24 June 1519, the death, aged 39 years, of Lucrezia Borgia. Because it did not seem to be healthy to be too close to Lucrezia, she came to be known as a femme fatale, but it is possible that she was merely misunderstood by the gossips and wags of the day. Two of her three husbands (one fled and was broken and forced to sign a "certificate of impotence" by his own family) and her twelve-year-old son all died suddenly, but that might just be a run of bad luck.  In other news, there is apparently such a thing as a Certificate of Impotence.  Who would sign that?

08 June 570, the founding of Islam, the religion, in Mecca, by Mohammed, who prophetted greatly from being the voice of Allah. Islam is still the fastest-growing religion in the world, with 1.8 billion (with a B) followers.  That's just over 24% of the total population of Earth, so read the link above, know it, and be ready for the mid-term exam when Sharia law comes to a courtroom near you.

This apparently really happened: on 26 June 1284, a piper from the area near the town of Hamelin lured 130 children from the town. Contemporary accounts claim, as the story goes, that the mayor tried to cheat the piper once the town's rats were gone, so he charmed the children with his playing, led them away, and they were never seen again. There exists ample evidence not only that this happened, but that the children were deposited in the town of Starogard, in what is now northwestern Poland.

Now ya know: 01 June 1495, the first written record of Scotch whisky, in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, by distiller John Cor. He was apparently given eight bolls of malt, however much that might be, to produce aqua vitae, latin for "the water of life".  Make of that what you will.

Here and now:  Cell phone courtesy month.  "Fight the filthy fly" month.  13 June is International Axe-throwing Day.  17 June is World Juggler's Day, and 22 June 2017 is the Annual Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, if you are going to be up that way.

Pop quiz: What are the five pillars of Islam?  The first correct response will, as usual, receive nothing of value save a mention in this column next month and a free lifetime e-subscription to this rag.  I mean, almanack.  A backup question - How much malt is in a boll?  C'mon, learn something, educate yourself.  Sheesh!

Are there medieval events for July that you'd like to see on this page?  Contact the Chronicler through the officer's page, below, or e-mail to scribe@baronyosprey.org.