There are instances of betrothals, marriages, love, flirting, and so on and Birdy mocks them fairly regularly she also appears to be in love with her Uncle George at one point, but does not actually end up marrying him. Wine, mead (an alcoholic drink), beer, and the like are all consumed in great quantities and people are often drunk - especially Birdy's father.īeing pregnant outside of wedlock is mentioned. It was not a kind world during the Middle Ages, and some of that harshness comes into play. There is a swordfight between two young men and one of them ends up dying, after his wound has been somewhat described later, Birdy's mother has a hard time while giving birth. In the header dates of her journal entries she mentions what day it is and often whose feast day, and sometimes mentions saints being martyred in one way or another.

During her angrier moments, she wishes violence upon her family, kicks her embroidery around, and the like. Gypsies and traveling Jews show up at one point.īirdy is pulled around by the ear and shaken and slapped. There is a lot of talk of the Devil and superstitions and there are also a great many feasts for saints, whom Birdy makes fun of in her journal.

In fact, the bad morals rest not only on Birdy, but on almost all the characters in the tale.Īgain, Birdy attempts to curse someone (her plan, at least from her perspective, backfires). She then tries to curse her uncle so that he does not marry her best friend. She also sneaks away from her work and considers running away at one point. Admittedly, many of her antics are funny (especially from the standpoint of the 21st Century, where being forced to marry is almost unheard-of in the Western world) still, for the time in which the story is set, Birdy is exceptionally spirited and careless of her father's wishes. Birdy is rebellious, impish, saucy, and speaks ill of almost everyone around her. But, since she has to keep an account of her life, she feels she might as well put it to good use, and from there on she begins a tirade about life in Medieval Europe, about her longing for freedom, and about her various ways of getting rid of unwanted suitors. Amusing in some places, but also needlessly crude some sexual content and poor morals.Ĭatherine, called Birdy, didn't start a diary because she wanted to her family demanded that she do so.

Catherine called birdy the book