I should qualify that it was probably intended as a bodice lacer
that women used to lace a string or a ribbon through the lace holes of their bodices. They're usually about 7 cm long, often made out of silver with various kinds of decoration or spiral-twisted. They could be dull-pointed as they weren't intended to pierce fabric.But surely many a lacing pin's been used for ripping bodices asunder, releasing buoyant bounties... in short, for unbosoming.
The grave's a fine and private place
Even the pin's location suggests illicit bodice-opening shenanigans. The pin probably dates to the 18th Century, but it was discovered at a Viking boat grave dating to 800-1000 AD. A little archaeological imagination makes the connection: Rundkvist surmises that three hundred years ago a Swedish lass lingered at the grave site with her bodice gaping. Apparently lovers have frequented graves for a long, long time.Reinterpreting romance novel cover art
So what does this mean for the literary bodice ripper? Romance novels have a long tradition of lurid covers; the older novels in the genre often featured a bare-chested man ripping open the bodice of a stunned-looking woman. Or should I say, apparently ripping open. If the bodice ripper is really a bodice lacer, that puts a new complexion on the matter.Consider the Valerie Sherwood cover below (left). In light of this new information, the man is not ripping off the woman’s gown but holding it on--for lack of a lacing pin. The Penelope Neri cover similarly shows a gentleman attempting to rectify a wardrobe malfunction. And Sandra Hill's Viking's prodigious digit? Likely the universal sign for "your pin's coming loose", much like the modern "XYZ" or "examine your zipper".
(Thanks to the Smart Bitches for their trove of covers.)
By these lights, these books have been done a, ahem, grave injustice. Bodice rippers? More like bodice savers!
More bodice ripper archaeology
See the full-size image and explanation at the excellent Aardvarchaeology blog. Rundkvist also gave a warm welcome to several "bodice ripper authors", and later had a career crisis and was advised to go into the bear-pelt ripper business.More details on the excavation are in Antiquity v. 79 no. 303 (March 2005).
9 Comments:
Oh, hilarious and so very enlightening. I love this reinterpretation of the covers. And it only makes sense that the men would show such empathy. They are shirtless, they know what it feels like. They don't want another person to have to endure the exposure to the night chill, and the unsavory glances.
CJ, exactly. They may be Vikings, pirates, and rakes, but they still get goosebumps.
It's a whole new angle on the construction of masculine identity, isn't it. Forget the tug-of-war between tender and rakish instincts. It's all about some archaeologist getting the details wrong. Bodice pins and who knows what else....
Will a rake have to be redefined now as a fellow who is passionate about properly laced bodices?
I'm sure Kate Rothwell once had The Bewitched Viking cover on her blog with the tag "pull on this".
CJ: Will a rake have to be redefined now as a fellow who is passionate about properly laced bodices?
Good question. I suppose it depends. I believe rakes generally have to stop raking for the happily ever after... so do the covers show the "before" or the "after"? How do you tell the difference from the cover pose?
Ongoing rakeness (poised to rip bodice), "Niiiice. I could share those with a friend or six."
Post-rakitude (hastily grasping sliding bodice), "Whoa there, let's save that for later."
Tumperkin: I'm sure Kate Rothwell once had The Bewitched Viking cover on her blog with the tag "pull on this".
Heh. The Smart Bitches call that the "C’mere and pull my vikingly finger" cover, and Longmire even Photoshopped it. It doesn't sound like anyone else sees it as "Let me help you with your bodice" :)
BTW, I finally googled "Pull my finger". I had no idea the joke was that old. Wikipedia says it's in Monkey Business (1952). I'm trying to imagine Cary Grant asking Marilyn Monroe to pull his finger. (Well, really I'm trying to imagine Cary Grant farting at her.)
I did not know that. Thanks for such an informative piece!
Hi Heather!
It's Martin Rundkvist who made the delightful leap from archaeology to romance. I just... decorated it :)
I've never seen that "pull my finger" cover! Reminds me of my grandpa, god rest his soul.
Your grandpa taught you to pull his finger? Too funny.
I had no idea that joke was so popular. It sounds like the odds are the Viking really was saying "Pull my finger", not "Your fly's open, ma'am".
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