Embroidered Correspondence

A code of needle and thread

My wife received a parcel from her mother this morning. It was the most beautiful dress. I don't know why, but she has been crying since.
Lord Cedric Adderly to his brother
  Amongst the noble ladies of Serukis, there is a secret language that allows them to communicate with each other. Through the fine embroidery of handkerchiefs, undergarments or even full dresses, messages are able to be sent between castles without anyone being the wiser.  

Usage

  When Seruic noble ladies get married, they often travel vast distances away from their family home to live in the home of their husband. The separation from their mother and sisters is often difficult. Often, the women left behind will slip embroidered handkerchiefs with hidden messages of encouragement and love into the woman's luggage before they leave. When the woman arrives in her new home, she discovers the messages and these give her courage for the days ahead.   Handkerchiefs are the most common canvas for these embroidered messages, because they are smaller and therefore quicker to embellish. Noble ladies often use these to gossip about their husbands, family life, and court life without fear of the wrong eyes reading them.   However, embroidered correspondence is not always used in such a frivolous manner. In times of war, these embroideries can be used to feed information behind enemy lines if a woman finds herself on a different side than her family, or to share tactics and news with women whose husbands have chosen to keep them in the dark.   It is not unheard of that dresses be used for longer, more complicated messages. However, these can take several months to complete and are therefore not suitable for more urgent messages. A particularly notable use of embroidered correspondence on a dress was the gown that Lady Charlotte Rowse sent her mother in 5266 EA. This gown was a detailed journal of every instance of physical abuse her husband had commited over a six month period.  

Common Motifs

 
A Flaming Heart
This denotes an affair of the heart or passion. Depending on what else is stitched around it, this can allude to an illicit tryst, an ongoing affair, or merely an expression of love for their spouse.  
A Feather
This denotes a young man. This is often used by women to gossip about potential spouses for their daughters.  
A Rose
This motif often refers to the Elenasia family. It is often used in gossip about court life. A thornless rose is often used to criticise the family.  
A Sword
This denotes conflict. This can be used during times of war for serious messages, such as plans for battle or tactics. It can also be used for more frivolous gossip about arguments, feuds or fallings out.


Cover image: by jackmac34

Comments

Author's Notes

This article was written as part of Summer Camp 2020.   Prompt: Write about a secret code or cypher in your world: who uses it, and for what purpose?


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Jul 19, 2020 22:37 by Laurabones

What a great idea! The gossiping by embroidery is something i can actually see groups of women doing.

Jul 19, 2020 22:49 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thanks! I would totally partake if I was a noble lady with not much else to do. :D

Emy x
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Jul 20, 2020 05:57 by Char Mulder

I love this idea. The last paragraph about Lady Charlotte really struck me though. Brilliant.

Jul 20, 2020 08:49 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you so much! <3

Emy x
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Jul 20, 2020 11:57

Wow I love this and the fact that you gave us some ideas as well is amazing I can imagine lots of different types of messages going back and forth!

Jul 20, 2020 12:19 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you! At some point I'd love to stitch some examples to show off here! :D

Emy x
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Jul 20, 2020 17:19

I would love to see that!

Jul 20, 2020 16:19

Fantastic idea! At the start I was interested, then found it uplifting, then funny, then serious, and then at the end, it became extremely poignant. I can see this in a novel - as a final sentence when the handkerchief is unfolded and there is a...... Love this article :)

Jul 20, 2020 16:36 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you so much. I was stuck on this prompt for so long and it all just came together into something I'm excited to develop further. :)

Emy x
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Jul 21, 2020 06:03 by Wendy Vlemings (Rynn19)

I love the idea of using embroidery to send secret messages. That first quote hooked me the moment I read it. :)

Author of Ealdwyll, a fantasy world full of mystery.
Jul 21, 2020 08:54 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you! :D I think this is one of my favourite Summer Camp articles I've written.

Emy x
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Jun 26, 2021 21:47 by Annie Stein

Oh poor Lady Charlotte!   I love the idea of hiding communication in embroidery. I must imagine those are some very interesting handkerchiefs though!

Creator of Solaris -— Come Explore!
Jun 26, 2021 22:11 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you! I intend to make a couple at some point to illustrate it! :) <3

Emy x
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Jun 27, 2021 10:04 by Annie Stein

Wow! That would be awesome!

Creator of Solaris -— Come Explore!
Sep 15, 2024 01:57

I adore this. Do different families have dialects or variants of the code that are not widely shared?

Sep 15, 2024 11:14 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Thank you! <3 Yes, definitely - and sometimes individuals have a symbol or motif they use just between them. It's a very personal language.

Emy x
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