King Henry VIII
Just a quick post today to bring to your attention a very interesting and informative article that I just read about the development of the codpiece. In the article, we learn about the introduction of the codpiece, its rise in popularity during the reign of the Yorkist kings of England, its absolute rise to fame during the reign of Henry VIII and its disappearance during Elizabeth’s reign.
What I found most interesting was the idea of the ‘exaggerated codpiece’ being used as a container for medication for the relief from the symptoms of syphillis. The author states that the codpiece, “enclosed a specialized bandage and protected outer clothing from being stained by the medicine.”
I had heard of the codpiece being used to hold one’s valuables but never as a container for medicine!
Read the full article here.
Enjoy
Wow, that is really interesting! As I’ve stated in my show, the only explanation I’ve ever heard was to keep Henry VIII’s clothing from brushing against his disgusting ulcer. I may mention this on my next episode if that’s ok with you! 🙂
Absolutely fine Virginia!
Wow that was a really interesting piece. I don’t think Henry VIII had syphilis though – but still it’s an interesting theory!
Link to story is broken