OT - Urban Legend, was: Re: SC - cosmetics

[Stefan li Rous]

I used the term "urban legend" because I first heard this on the Rialto 
and it is in one of my files. At least I thought it was. When I went
looking I couldn't find it in the cosmetics-msg file. But I did find
this:
>  _Elizabethans at Home_ Lu Emily Pearson, Standford, California:
> Standford University Press, 1957.
> 
>  The Index has entries under "cosmetics and hairdressing."
> 
> P. 596 According to Vives the white paint/makeup the Elizabethan's used
> was down right dangerous due to the poisonous metals, lead and mercury (
> "both by the reason of the cruse (white lead) and quick silver....")

egads!
 
> "Laura C. Minnick" wrote:
> > 
> > Stefan li Rous wrote:
> > > However, I heard that Queen Elizabeth I didn't. Just kept adding more
> > > white lead when the layer cracked or her skin started being affected.
> > > Or is this just urban legend?
 
> Sorry, Lainie, I just caught this on the rebound, as it were; it really
> isn't in response to your words above. Why is anything of questionable
> veracity now referred to as Urban Legend? Whatever happened to just
> plain old legend? Rumor? Are there no longer any folklorists other than
> Jan De Brunevand (spelling approximated)?... sheesh!
> 
> Adamantius, who knows rural areas have as many fibbers as the Urbans of
> The Rome...

- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****