Courting Stick

The 'courting stick' was a device that allowed young couples, in puritan New England, to talk in private while being chaperoned in the family home. More info: New England Folklore

image source: NY Public Library

The Trukese people of Micronesia also had a courting stick (or 'love stick'), though its use differed from the New England version. According to the Smithsonian:

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jul 30, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Love & Romance

Ella Fitzgerald, “Get Thee Behind Me Satan”

This is a very weird song. Is Satan the boyfriend? I'm not sure. Gospel music of course deals with this subject matter all the time, but to the tune of a wistful ballad?

Get Thee Behind Me Satan Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Get thee behind me, Satan
I want to resist
But the moon is low and I can't say "No"
Get thee behind me

Get thee behind me, Satan
I mustn't be kissed
But the moon is low and I may let go
Get thee behind me

[Bridge]
Someone I'm mad about
Is waiting in the night for me
Someone that I mustn't see
Satan, get thee behind me

[Verse 2]
He promised to wait
But I won't appear and he may come here
Satan, he's at my gate
Get thee behind me
Stay where you are, it's too late

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 3]
Satan, get thee behind me
He promised to wait
But I won't appear and he may come here
Satan, he's at my gate
Get thee behind me
Stay where you are, it's too late

[Outro]
It's too late
It's too late

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 07, 2022 - Comments (6)
Category: Music, Religion, Love & Romance

Widdershins

Many thanks to longtime WU-vie Gerald Sacks for pointing us towards this neat little steampunk cartoon, whose anachronistic future is decidedly weird.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 15, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Science Fiction, Reader Recommendation, Cartoons, Love & Romance

The Tweter, sweater for two

The tweter was a fashion gimmick introduced in 1963. It continued to be sold for about a year before the public lost interest.

Lexington Herald - Nov 1, 1963

Life - Oct 25, 1963

For young women, the tweter apparently posed some challenges. If they agreed to wear it, were they implicitly agreeing to do more than just holding hands? Molly Mayfield thought so.

Tucson Daily Citizen - Dec 5, 1963

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 18, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Fashion, 1960s, Love & Romance

How to get a teenage boy

"step-by-step stalking strategy"

More info: flashbak.com

Posted By: Alex - Sat May 14, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Teenagers, Books, 1960s, Love & Romance

Dud Leaves Home

Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 03, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Children, Cartoons, Dogs, 1910s, Love & Romance

Happy Valentine’s Day 2022!

Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 14, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Death, Holidays, Hollywood, Magazines, Love & Romance

Flirtation Codes of the early 20th Century

What a chore flirtation must have been back then if you had to memorize all these codes.

Philadelphia Inquirer - Oct 8, 1916

Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 16, 2022 - Comments (5)
Category: Languages, 1910s, Love & Romance

The Language and Poetry of Flowers

Once upon a time, each flower held a very specific symbolical meaning. You can read about them in this book.

So be very careful next time you commission a bouquet for someone. You wouldn't want to include any white roses still in bud, lest you seem "ignorant of love."

Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 25, 2021 - Comments (5)
Category: Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Nature, Books, Nineteenth Century, Love & Romance

A Moose for Jessica

In 1987, a wild moose fell in love with what zoologists refer to as a "biologically inappropriate object". His love interest was a cow named Jessica who lived on the Vermont farm of Larry Carrara.

For over two months the moose displayed courtship behavior towards Jessica. He followed her all around, would rest his head on her back, or would push hay toward her as a food offering.

The moose and Jessica

Over 75,000 sightseers came out to Carrara's farm to witness this interspecies romance.

Finally, after 76 days, rutting season came to an end and the moose lost interest in Jessica and wandered back into the wild.

The moose

The romance between the moose and Jessica inspired the book A Moose for Jessica, written by Pat Wakefield with photographs by Larry Carrara. It's available on Amazon, or you can read it for free at archive.org.

More info: wikipedia, New England Living

Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 10, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Animals, Cows, Books, 1980s, Love & Romance