When on a research trip, in addition to bringing my notes with questions to ask historical interpreters (these people are the bomb diggity, btw), I also have to remember to be present in the moment. Don’t schedule every waking moment. Allow time to explore and discover. Put the notes aside and observe. Close my eyes and smell the air, listen to the birds. Imagine what it must have been like for the people to hear and see and smell all of this for the first time. Imagine how different it must have been for them. Yes—I absolutely have done my research. I know the time period and social expectations. But that’s all stuff that can be found in a textbook, or worse Wikipedia. Yikes! The narrative details for historic fiction come from the discovery of what actual life was like for regular people. Delving into people’s daily, personal, life is the fun part. What did they do for fun? Who would they have likely talked with throughout the day? What did they consider hygiene? It’s this that intrigues me. And it’s the items in museums that often spur my imagination. Case in point…
While visiting the Jamestown Settlement, I discovered this gem. (Make sure you zoom in on this picture.) According to the placard, and remember—someone who knows something about this era had to put this together, it is: “Ear Picker, silver, 17th century.” Ok so far. An ear picker. Sounds handy. Silver? Wow, the person who owned this must have had some money. Then I kept reading, “In the form of a dolphin, this cosmetic implement was used to scrape scale from the teeth, clean dirt under the finger nails, and scoop out earwax.” WHAT?? This was used on the teeth and in the ears? Teeth and ears!? (I did promise a mash-up of hygienic routines, did I not?) And the word used with earwax is “scooped.” I now picture a person scooping earwax, like one would scoop ice cream, out of their ears, then immediately moving to pick their teeth. It’s so gross! Disgusting! Intriguing, because here’s the thing: I’m sure there wasn’t just one person with this habit. Someone took the time to make this implement out of silver and form it into a dolphin, for crying out loud. If this was discovered, then someone thought it important enough to be included on a journey to the New World, much like I pack dental floss or toothpaste when I travel. Ha! A connection! But wait—would this be for individual use or would an entire family have shared it? Gross! And yet… Just like that—I have the start of a conversation between characters and a connection to the modern world.
It’s this type of discovery that keeps me going. Now I have a gross, but factual, detail for my novel. Now, wonder where I can get one? <wanders off to check Amazon>