Real Renaissance festivals

And as long as we're being Elizabethan...

Here's a collection of what the British Library is calling Renaissance Festival books. No, not those nutty American Renaissance Festivals. Books about festivals and observances (and the people thad made them) from the Renaissance, digitized for your reading pleasure.

What is a festival book?

Festival books are printed accounts of these occasions, issued by or with the approval of court, city or religious authorities. They are often customised with the arms of a princely house, hand-coloured illustrations or a fine binding. The books usually offer eye-witness accounts of a festival, sometimes embellished with moral or philosophical reflections - though at their simplest they may just be a list of names.

Enjoy!