Sir Derek Jacobi had his hair shaved to a tonsure during filming, instead of wearing a bald cap. Some actors felt that was a little too much; others had their own heads shaved.
At the end of the story, Hugh Beringar refers to Cadfael as "a rare Benedictine". "A Rare Benedictine" is the title of Ellis Peters' (Edith Pargeter) three story collection covering Cadfael's transition from soldiering to the monastic life.
This episode takes place in August 1138.
This episode is based on the second novel in "The Cadfael Chronicles", which was published in 1979.