The great codpiece crisis of 1534
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Cod pieces gone wrong. That is a story we're going to talk about today when a cod piece of Henry VIII's went horribly wrong, led to a whole fashion mess that doesn't get talked about that often, but we're going to break it down today. So welcome back friends to the YouTube channel for the Renaissance English History Podcast. I am Heather. I've been podcasting on Tudor England with my show since 2009, which makes it the original Tudor History Podcast.

This channel is where I put all of my episodes from all of my shows, as well as tons of extra content like this video right here. So cod pieces, they are one of the curious fashion artifacts that make modern eyes widen and eyebrows raise. If you've ever seen a portrait of Henry VIII or one of his courtiers with a rather prominent accessory, you might have wondered what on earth were they thinking?

Originally, the codpiece had a purely practical purpose. In the late Middle Ages, men's hoses were two separate pieces that had a rather inconvenient gap in the middle. So the codpiece was a handy little flap or pouch that covered this area, keeping everything in place, functional, sensible, and discreet.

but by the time we reach the tudor period the codpiece has transformed into something quite different become a symbol of masculinity of power and quite frankly a way to show off but how did it go from a simple cover to an outrageous ostentatious symbol of fashion excess

It all started one day when Henry VIII made a bold and, as it turned out, quite unfortunate fashion choice. So let's get into it. Before we do, though, if you would like to see more Tudor history in your YouTube feed, who doesn't? Go ahead and hit subscribe so you never miss a video that we put out.

So picture the scene. It's a grand court event at Hampton Court Palace. Henry VIII is in his prime still, he's strong, powerful, larger than life. He enters the room making a statement as only Henry could. Except this time it wasn't his armor or his famously wide shoulders that caught everyone's attention. It was the codpiece.

Not just any codpiece. Oh, no, no, no. This was an enormous codpiece, a towering testament to his confidence and presumably his masculinity. Of course, this was right when Anne Boleyn had just had her daughter, Elizabeth. This is we're talking about 1534. He wants to show off that he's still fertile, that he can still have sons. No one really knows what sparked this idea. Perhaps it was a tailor's prank gone wrong. Maybe Henry himself decided to push the boundaries of codpiece fashion.

Either way, there was a gleaming, oversized accessory that practically needed its own throne. The courtiers were stunned, but of course no one was going to criticize the king's choice. We all know about the emperor who has no clothes, everything's like, everything like that. So they actually did the opposite. Compliments started flowing like fine wine. Majestic, your grace, the true display of royal power. A codpiece fit for a king.

Henry naturally was pleased. He strutted around the court with an unmistakable swagger, completely unaware that his daring fashion statement would soon spiral into something far beyond his control.

was the beginning of the great Tudor codpiece crisis. Once Henry VIII had set the trend, the floodgates opened. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to just have a codpiece. Oh no, now it had to be bigger, bolder, and more elaborate. After all, if the king himself was showcasing his confidence with such flair, who were they to hold back? Cordiers and noblemen across the realm rushed to their tailors with increasingly absurd requests. This is all during 1534, 1535. It's overshadowed with some other events happening then, but...

The goal was to outdo one another, to have the most impressive, eye-catching, and downright bizarre codpieces at court. Soon, codpieces began to take on extravagant shapes and styles. One particularly fashion-forward gentleman commissioned a codpiece shaped like a lion's head with emerald eyes that glinted ominously in the candlelight.

Another opted for a ship, complete with tiny sails and rigging, as if the codpiece might set sail on its own at any moment. The more daring nobles added mechanical elements. One particularly inventive courtier had a codpiece with a hinged door that opened to reveal a miniature painting of his family crest. Another had one that could be wound up to play a tune, supposedly Greensleeves, but the melody was so muffled that it sounded more like a sad cat.

And of course, there were then the jewel-encrusted masterpieces, diamond, rubies, pearls, turned in codpieces into the veritable crown jewels, if you will. Some were so heavy they had to be supported by extra straps or even a discreet servant trailing behind holding a delicate silk cord to keep the whole contraption upright.

Tailors were overwhelmed, their workshops bustling day and night. There were even rumors of tailors importing artisans from Italy just to keep up with demand. In cities and towns, regular men began mimicking the trend, albeit with slightly more modest designs, usually involving embroidery and a few strategically placed feathers.

The fad became a frenzy. Overnight, men strutted around court like peacocks, proudly displaying their oversized, over-decorated codpieces. The sheer creativity, or perhaps absurdity, of these designs became a source of gossip not just at court but across Europe. Ambassadors from other countries rode home in bewilderment, disillusioned.

describing the english court as a parade of walking sculptures as the cod-pieces grew larger the problems became apparent walking around with a miniature dragon on your pelvis it turns out isn't as practical as you might think some cod-pieces became so bulky that men had to adopt an awkward waddle much like a penguin

one notorious mishap involved a courtier attempting to bow before anne boleyn only for his enormous ship-shaped codpiece to tip him over completely another had a codpiece fashioned like a jeweled goblet

During a particularly vigorous dance, the stem snapped, sending pearls scattering across the floor. By far the most ambitious design was the infamous mechanical marvel codpiece. It was actually commissioned by the Duke of Norfolk, who, of course, was particularly vain. It featured a small wind-up clock and a compartment for carrying scented herbs. Unfortunately, the clock mechanism jammed during a royal banquet, sending sprigs and gear flying. Henry himself was reportedly unimpressed.

muttering something about foolish excess. Matters came to a head when a delegation from France arrived. They were negotiating Elizabeth's marriage to France. The French court was used to more restrained fashions than what was happening in England at the time, and they were absolutely scandalized by the sight of men sporting what looked like ornate battering rams on their attire. One French ambassador said to have quipped, are they men or are they castles?

The sheer impracticality and embarrassment finally reached a tipping point. Even Henry, who had of course started the whole trend, began to tire of the chaos that it had caused. It was time to rein in the ridiculousness. So at a rare moment of fashion restraint, Henry issued a royal decree that said no codpiece should exceed the size of a standard turkey leg.

To make matters even more official, he demanded that tailors across the kingdom measure their creations against an actual roasted turkey leg from the royal kitchens. Now, reactions, of course, were mixed. Some courtiers were relieved that they could once again walk without fear of toppling over. Others lamented the end of this short-lived creative expression. Tailors scrambled to adjust existing pieces, hurriedly snipping and stitching to comply with the new regulations.

Rumor has it that one particularly stubborn nobleman, determined to keep his dragon-shaped codpiece, tried to argue that technically it was two turkey legs wide, not one long. Henry was not amused.

Despite a few protests, though, the decree held. Smaller, more practical codpieces became the norm, and court life slowly resumed to some semblance of normality and dignity. Ambassadors reported back home to their home countries that England had finally regained its senses, or at least as much as could be expected. Of course, some of the more flamboyant codpieces did not simply vanish. A few of the most elaborate ones were donated to the royal wardrobe as curiosities.

Others were simply kept as family heirlooms, carefully stored in chests and brought out as a humorous reminder of a time when fashion in England went just a little bit too far. And they actually had a display several years ago at the V&A featuring some of these codpieces. If you were able to check that out, I would love to know in the comments. So what do you think about the royal codpiece trend? Let me know in the comments your thoughts on codpieces in general.

Of course, you guys, it's April 1st, so none of this is actually true. It was just a fun little joke I played on you, and if you believed me, I would love to know that in the comments too. Alright, that was fun. I actually had fun recording that. I had to stop a couple of times to laugh because I was having a very difficult time being serious as I was recording it. And in fairness to me, codpieces did start to get a little bit out of hand, don't you think? I hope you're having a great, fantastic day. Spring is coming, and, uh,

Happy April Fools. All right, friend. I'll see you back here with an episode dropping tomorrow. And I hope you have an amazing day. And don't forget to drink your water. I'll be back soon. Bye. ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

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