Taylor Aucoin
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aucointaylor.bsky.social
Taylor Aucoin
@aucointaylor.bsky.social
360 followers 170 following 19 posts
British Academy Postdoc Edinburgh Uni丨Cultural & Social Historian 丨Medieval & Early Modern Britain 丨 Work, Play, Festivity, Carnival 丨 Louisianan 丨⚜️ 🐯

Website and blog: https://ludicrushistories.wordpress.com/
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aucointaylor.bsky.social
Yes! Cora has already claimed a copy...
October 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
aucointaylor.bsky.social
#ShroveTuesday and dancing go together like, well, Shrove Tuesday and pancakes. It's an old tradition - from Roxburgh Castle in 1314, to Sam Pepys and co in London 1660, to kitchens around the UK today.
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Enjoy some footloose flipping this #PancakeDay! #medieval #earlymodern #Carnival #dance
Timeline showing examples of Shrovetide dancing in medieval and early modern British Isles. 1314, English soldiers dance and sing in Roxburgh castle before Scots forces attack them. 1418, Anglo-Irish nobleman is killed by his blacksmith while dancing. 1505, Clothing purchased for a dance at James IV's royal court in Scotland. 1565, Dancing at a masque performance at Elizabeth I's royal court. 1633, Charles I dances at a masque. 1660, Samuel Pepys and family dance and carouse at a friends house.
March 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
aucointaylor.bsky.social
Looking forward to giving a talk about football in medieval Scotland tomorrow for @cmrsedinburgh.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social

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Please do come along if you're around Edinburgh and interested!

5:15pm, Teviot Lecture Theatre, Old Medical School Doorway 5: hca.ed.ac.uk/centre-medie...
Powerpoint slide which states the title of a talk, 'The Oldest Firm: Institutionalized Football in Medieval Scotland. By Dr Taylor Aucoin, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Edinburgh.' Background is detail from the 1595 Scotia Regnum map of Scotland. Centre of slide is a picture of a football from Stirling Castle, dated to c.1540.
November 25, 2024 at 2:28 PM
aucointaylor.bsky.social
Valentines Day & Shrove Tuesday are neighbors this year. But their amity runs much deeper.
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Vday's link w/ love was a medieval development likely shaped by demographics of Carnival & Lent.
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Marriages were banned in the latter, making Jan & Feb a season of coupling & weddings 1/3
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Bar chart showing marriage banns per month in Perth parish (Scotland) from 1558-1581. There is a peak in January and February falling into a pronounced trough in March. There's another peak in July. Parish register data collected from FamilySearch.org Bar chart showing marriages per month in Prescot parish (Lancashire) from 1549-1595. There is a peak in January and February falling into a very pronounced trough in March. Parish register data collected from FamilySearch.org
February 14, 2024 at 1:36 PM
aucointaylor.bsky.social
My pop culture in premodern Britain seminar coincided with Shrove Tuesday today.

We held a debate about the 'social function' of Carnival- social protest or control?

Teams & captains were picked by lottery via King Cake (aka Twelfth-night cake).

Victors won pancakes, w/ the captain crowned king
A round king cake colored purple, green and yellow (Carnival colors) sits next to a gold paper crown
February 13, 2024 at 5:43 PM