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Grand Project - Katherine Parr Dress Recreation

Heraldic Dresses

Other period clothing pieces

Jewelry* (see note below)

The above jewelry items are referred to as paternosters, and are the 14th Century precursor to Rosaries. In the 11th and 12th centuries the church started to invite lay brothers and sisters to join their ranks. These people could not read typically, so were not able to read and memorize the 150 psalms that the clergy were to repeat each day. As a replacement, they had them say the paternoster (Our father, who art in heaven...) 150 times, once for each psalm. To make sure they got all 150, they took lengths of cord and tied a number of knots. They then held each knot, saying the prayer, and moved along the line until they had said them all. As time went by, the paternosters started to become fancier, and in the 14th century, members of the clergy were writing about the vain women who carried the paternoster around their wrist, pretending to be reciting their prayers, when, in fact, they were just vain women, showing off their wealth and supposed piety. They are one of the fashion accessories for the 14th century - they're good bling!