The Medieval World

Heroes in Literature, Part 2: Ogier the Dane

2012-01-24T13:34:00.000Z

Background
Ogier the Dane (French: Ogier le Danois or Ogier de Danemarche; Danish: Holger Danske) was a widely known and exceptionally popular hero both during the medieval period and later. He was known for being one of Charlemagne's finest knights. The legendary character first appeared in The Song of Roland (c.1100), and is the central hero in La Chevalerie d'Ogier de Danemarche (c.1200). La Chevalerie is a chanson de geste (Old French epic) that details the tale of Ogier the Dane. The form that has survived to the present day was likely composed around 1200 by the poet Raimbert de Paris.

La Chevalerie d'Ogier de Danemarche

According to the poem, Ogier was the son of the Duke of Denmark and a hostage at Charlemagne's court in his youth. His father had neglected his duties to Charlemagne, and as a result Ogier was imprisoned in the fortress of Saint-Omer. Here Ogier met and fell in love with the mother of his son, Baudouinet. Ogier was later knighted for his heroic deeds in a battle against the Saracens to defend Rome. There are several accounts of Ogier's heroism after this, including the tales of how he won his sword (Courtain) and steed (Broiefort).

The story then jumps forward to tell of events concerning his now grown up son Baudouinet. In a pivotal part of the poem, Ogier's son plays chess with Charlemagne's son (Charlot) and wins. Charlot was obviously a pretty sore loser; he became so angry that he struck at Charlot with the chessboard and killed him. Ogier then tried to kill Charlot in an attempt to avenge his son, which resulted in Charlemagne banishing him.

After a series of other dramatic events (including Ogier's second attempt on Charlot's life) it happened that the Franks had to go to war against a pagan enemy which only Ogier could defeat. When Charlemagne requested his help, Ogier agreed but only on the condition that he was granted permission to murder Charlot beforehand; Charlemagne had to accept in order to save his kingdom. However, when this moment arose God sent a divine message via St. Michael. Ogier was told he must be content with simply giving Charlot a box on the ears! Because of this Ogier was able to turn his unused strength and might on the enemy. During the battle he reportedly killed a giant in single combat, and rescued the daughter of the King of England. The story ends with Ogier's marriage to her.

12C tomb of Ogier and his comrade at the hero's apparent resting place in Meaux, also featuring figures from Carolingian epic (including favourites Bishop Turpin, Roland and Olivier)

Beyond the Epic

Wall painting of Ogier in a church in Denmark

Due to Ogier's popularity, the Chevalerie version of the story was extended with other adventures, such as Roman d'Ogier en alexandrins, c.1335. Another version of the tale of his youth (Les enfances Ogier) was recorded c.1275 by Adenet le Roi and presented to the Queen of France. The story was also published in late fifteenth century Paris, and reissued many times throughout the sixteenth century. However, Ogier's popularity was not restricted to France. He was well known all over Europe, in particular Northern Europe. His story was included in the thirteenth century Old Norse collection of Carolingian narratives, known as the Karlamagnús saga. It is likely that the translation of this was the cause of Ogier's growth in popularity in Sweden and Denmark. He was even featured in two church murals which can be dated to around this time. A Danish version of his tale was printed in 1534, titled Kong Olger Danskes Krønike.

Statue at Kronborg Castle, Denmark

By the nineteenth century the hero had become a national symbol of the Danish people. A new version of his story was recounted in the famous fairytale Holger Danske by Hans Christian Anderson (1845). A large statue of Ogier now sits at Kronborg Castle in Denmark.This is to fit with the Danish legend that in a time of great need when the kingdom is threatened by a foreign enemy, Ogier will rise from his sleep and save his country.

Willem P. Gerritsen and Anthony G. van Melle (eds.), A Dictionary of Medieval Heroes (The Boydell Press: Woodbridge, 2002), see pp. 186-8 for the section on Ogier the Dane.
Kronborg Castle website

Food fit for a Teutonic Knight: Medieval Soups from Battle Castle

2011-12-11T17:25:00.003Z

A couple of weeks ago the lovely people over at Battle Castle held a medieval soup challenge! Writer Nicole Tomlinson was inspired to begin the challenge after a visit to Poland's Malbork Castle where she saw the above picture of Cherry Soup in the book The Cuisine of the Teutonic Grand Masters in Malbork Castle written by the chef there Bodgan Galzaka. You can read more about this at the blog here.

The challenge was to create the recipes using ingredients available to you but would also likely have been available to the Teutonic Order. Whilst it is too late to join in Battle Castle's soup challenge (apologies for my lateness in writing this!) you could still have a go at creating some of the delicious looking medieval soups that were inspired by the Teutonic Knights. Battle Castle have released three recipes for you to try out for yourself:

Mushroom Soup

Lentil Soup

Cherry Soup

I think the Cherry Soup looks delicious! Here's the recipe:

“ZUPA WISNIOWA” - Cherry Soup

Described as “a warm winter sangria”, this enchanting recipe captures Chef Galazka’s colourful vision and enahnces sweet fruit flavours to balance the delicious dryness of the #1 ingredient - red wine.

Ingredients:

2 398 mL cans Bing cherries, 500 mL water, 100 mL wildberry honey, 1 L dry red wine, 250 mL Greek yogurt, 1 peach, 3 leaves of fresh mint, 1 lemon, ground cinnamon. Makes 6 meal-sized servings or 10 appetizer-sized servings.

Preparation:

Drain cherries. Pour water and honey into a pot. Add half the cherries and cook for 15 minutes at medium heat. Cut peach into thin slices, grate lemon zest and chop mint. Add wine to the pot and cook until alcohol has evaporated (approx. 3 minutes). Add cinnamon bit by bit, tasting until a desirable level of warm spiciness is achieved. Portion other half of cherries into bowls and then ladle hot soup over them. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt to each bowl. Finish with peach slices, mint, and lemon zest. Serve promptly.

Recipe inspired by “The Cuisine of the Teutonic Grand Masters in Malbork Castle” by Bogdan Galazka, Head Chef at the Gothic Cafe, located at the castle. Malbork is one of six castles featured in the Battle Castle action documentary series, airing in Canada in early 2012 on History Television and on Discovery UK.

For the other two recipes visit the blog here, and to find out more about the show which is hosted by Dan Snow click here

Liebster Blog Award!

2011-12-04T17:35:00.001Z

I've just been given a Liebster Blog award by The Early Modern World! Thank you very much!

The word Liebster is German & means ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’. The award is given to bloggers with around 200 followers or less in the spirit of fostering new connections, and is a nice way to show appreciation for their work.

The Rules are:

Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Reveal your top five picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
Post the award on your blog.
Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogsphere – other bloggers.
And, best of all – have fun and spread the karma!

So, in no particular order, here are my 5 picks:

Pure Medievalry ~ This is a fairly new blog written by a lovely person I discovered on Twitter (@sirthopas). He writes about a variety of topics within the medieval period aimed towards newcomers, enthusiasts, and academics alike.

Esmeralda's Cumbrian History and Folklore ~ I love this blog! It's written by @mabhmac, and is definitely worth checking out!

Seeing Symbols ~ This is another blog that I discovered through Twitter. It's written by MrsSymbols. Her posts on symbols and the symbolic are always a fascinating read.

The String of Bede's ~ The focus of this blog is Christianity and culture in Britain and Ireland, and roughly covers the period 500-1100AD. It's written by @Bede_String from Twitter, and is updated regularly with interesting posts!

Vitrearum's Church Art ~ A great blog about church art, with a focus on the medieval. There are some beautiful images on here!

Even though I don't think I'm supposed to nominate The Early Modern World back, I'd just like to make a special mention to this blog. It's written by my good friend @EMhistblog. Despite it venturing far from my comfort zone of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the posts on there always interest me and are well written. So if you haven't read it already, head on over to The Early Modern World. It's rather good there!

Hell-mouths!

2011-11-17T23:52:00.000Z

I love a good hell-mouth picture, so thought I'd post a few up here:

From a late 14C Book of Hours. This scene shows the Last Judgement. On the left border, souls climb a ladder up towards Heaven. At the bottom the dead awaken from their graves and move either towards paradise, or the gaping jaws of Hell.

Part of a cycle of wall paintings at the church of Saint Mary in Pickering, North Yorkshire. They were completed in the late 15C, and restoration work was carried out in the 19C. This one shows Christ rescuing souls from the jaws of Hell.

15C alabaster depicting the Harrowing of Hell. A small devil holding a key and blowing a horn is sitting on top of the hell-mouth, representing the doorkeeper of Hell.

A page that illustrates the Office of the Dead from the Bedford Hours (15C). The centrepiece is an image of the Last Judgement. Christ welcomes worthy souls into Heaven, whilst the damned are beaten and dragged into Hell's mouth.

Early 14C manuscript showing scenes of the life of Christ. The image at the top left depicts the Harrowing of Hell.

An image from the Winchester Psalter (c.1225). The damned are being swallowed into a hell-mouth, with an angel to the left about to lock the jaws behind them. Inside Hell are lots of tortured souls, including kings and queens - nobody is above judgement.

13C manuscript. this images shows the battle of the beast during the Last Judgement.

13C manuscript with this page depicting the fall of the angels. Christ sits above in his circle of Heaven surrounded by ranks of angels. In the lower part of the circle rebel angels can be seen falling downwards into the jaws of Hell, transforming into devils along the way.

Sources Used

All of the images above were from Medieval Imaginations: literature and visual culture in the middle ages

Heroes in Literature, Part One: William of Orange

2011-10-30T00:05:00.002+01:00

William of Orange (or Guillaume d'Orange in Old French) is the central hero in a number of chansons de geste, including: Chanson de Guillaume, Enfances Guillaume, Couronnement de Louis, and Aliscans, amongst others. These poems along with others about William's family make up the 'cycle' of chansons known as the Cycle of William of Orange (the other two cycles are known as: The Cycle of the King, and The Cycle of Barons in Revolt).

Perhaps the most well known epic that has William as the hero is the Chanson de Guillaume (The Song of William). It is one of the oldest chansons and was the founding poem of the entire William of Orange cycle. It is likely that it was the popularity of the central hero William that inspired further song-tales of him and his family.

Figure 1. Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

The fictional character William of Orange has been identified with the historical Count William of Toulouse, a cousin of Charlemagne who was known for his defence of Christian land against Spanish pagans. After the death of his wife William befriended a monk, and later became one himself in Aniane. He founded an abbey in Gellone, which eventually became known as Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert after him. William of Toulouse died on 28 May 812, and was canonised in 1066.

Figure 2. William of Orange?

This image is within the Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (currently housed at The Metrapolitan Museum in new York). It was once believed to depict Daniel in the lions' den, however it has been suggested that it could instead be William of Orange with the lion from his coat of arms (described in various works, including Couronnement de Louis).

I'll end this post with a small extract from the Chanson de Guillaume, which in my opinion is one of the finest of the Old French epics. This extract has Count William bravely arriving to the battlefield with back-up; persevering with the fight against the odds (a key theme throughout the poem):

The Count set off with Sir Girart and leading

Knights fully armed and thirty thousand liegemen

To Archamp field and Desramed the Heathen;

They journeyed through the cold night air, unspeaking

Till break of dawn and light of day appearing;

When they arrived at Archamp on the seaboard,

The Moor had won; the French were fled or beaten;

(. . .)

A league or more they'd ridden from the beaches,

When William the Count rode up to meet them

With well-armed knights and thirty thousand liegemen,

One half of whom were very keen to greet them

With blows of iron to show their strength of feeling!

They cried: "Mountjoy!" and moved to strike them fiercely;

Those Pagan lords were helpless to receive them:

They had no arms to counter blows or deal them;

They turned in flight towards the shore, retreating

Inside their ships and sundry other sea-craft;

They seized their arms and roused themselves to wield them.

Sources Used

Figure 2 is from William P. Gerritsen and Anthony G. van Melle (eds.), trans. by Tanis Guest, A Dictionary of Medieval Heroes: Characters in medieval Narrative Traditions and Their Afterlife in Literature, Theatre and the Visual Arts (The Boydell Press: Woodbridge, 2008), p. 134; see also pp. 132-6.

The extract of Chanson de Guillaume is from Michael Newth (trans.), Heroes of the French Epic:Translations from the Chansons de Geste (The Boydell Press: Woodbridge, 2005), p. 77; see also pp. 31-142.

‘The Coronation of Louis’, in Joan M. Ferrante (trans.), Guillaume d’Orange: Four Twelfth-Century Epics (Columbia University Press: Chichester, 2001), pp. 63-139.

‘The Song of William’, trans. by Muir, Lynette, in Glanville Price (ed.), William, Count of Orange: Four Old French Epics (J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd.: 1975), pp. 131-203.

The Bearded Lady - The Legend of Saint Wilgefortis

2011-05-25T20:13:00.002+01:00

Wilgefortis was a young Christian noblewoman, the daughter of a pagan king (sometimes the King of Portugal). Her father had arranged a marriage for her to another pagan. Reluctant to enter into the marriage because of the vow of chastity she had taken, she prayed for God to make her repulsive to her future husband. Miraculously, when she awoke she discovered she'd sprouted a beard! The newly grown beard had the effect Wilgefortis had hoped for, and as a result the engagement was broken. Her father was rather less pleased with his daughter's actions, and the consequences of her new beard. He became enraged, and ultimately had her crucified.

This legend is connected to a story that when a destitute fiddler played before her crucified body (or a statue of her) she gave him one of her golden boots. The fiddler was sentenced to death for the theft of her boot, but was granted his request to play before her for a second time. He did so, and in the presence of an audience she kicked off her other boot, thereby proving his innocence. Images of Wilgefortis often show her on the crucifix with one shoe off, and a fiddler playing at her feet.

The legend of Saint Wilgefortis became quite popular during the medieval period, and her cult spread from around 1350. She was often invoked by women having marital problems with their troublesome husbands. There are different versions of the story from various places, and the saint is known by many names. In England she was known as Uncumber. In the Austrian version she was known as Kümmernis, which came from 'Kummer' meaning 'sorrow' or 'sadness'. Whilst in Italy and France she was known as Liberata, meaning 'liberator'.

Further Reading:

Elizabeth Nightlinger 'The Female Imitatio Christi and Medieval Popular Religion: The Case of St Wilgerfortis', in Bonnie Wheeler (ed.), Representations of the Feminine in the Middle Ages (Academia Press: Texas, 1993).
Isle E. Friesen, The Female Crucifix: Images of St. Wilgefortis Sine the Middle Ages (Wilfrid Laurier University Press: Ontario, 2001).

The Crusades and Those Left Behind

2011-01-17T13:38:00.000Z

I've been reading through a lot of medieval poems/songs recently as part of research for my dissertation. I came across one called Giammi Non Mi Conforto (Never Again that Comfort for Me). It is from the mid-thirteenth century, and was written by an Italian nobleman named Rinaldo d'Aquino. I found it interesting because although it was written by a man, it is from the perspective of a woman who has been left behind by her crusader lover. It is really quite insightful into what the people who were left behind went through; and actually rather sad.

Never Again that Comfort for Me

Never again that comfort,

Never that joyous heart.

The ships down in the harbor

Are straining to depart.

Away all the people run

To lands across the sea.

But me - poor weeping thing -

What shall become of me?

Away, away he'll run,

Fade quietly out of sight,

Leaving me here alone.

All day, all the night

Many will be the sighs

That assail me constantly

Not in heaven, nor on earth

Will life exist for me.

O holy, holy Savior

Who from Mary came our way!

Watch, protect that lover,

Since you're taking him away.

O reverenced and feared

Power from above!

In your hands I place

My tender love.

O cross that saves mankind,

You plummet me to error,

Twisting my grievous mind

Beyond all hope of prayer.

Why, O pilgrim cross,

Why this bitter turn?

Bowed beneath my loss,

I kindle; O I burn.

The Emperor who rules the world

In his peaceful sway

Ravages poor little me

By taking my hope away.

O reverenced and feared

Power from above!

In your hands I place

My tender love.

When he took up the cross,

I didn't know the end was this:

Whatever love he gave me

I repaid him kiss for kiss.

Now I'm thrust aside -

Yes, condemned to prison -

Now I'm forced to hide

In lifelong derision.

The ships are in their moorings.

Soon they'll depart.

With them and that rabble

Sails my heart.

O Father, O Creator,

Guide them to holy haven,

By your sacred cross

They're all enslaven.

And O darling, I beg you:

Take pity on my hysteria.

Write me a little sonnet.

Send it to me from Syria!

Night and day I'll know

Only this bitter strife.

In lands beyond the ocean

Lies my whole life.1

1 Translation from S.J. Allen and Emilie Amt (eds.), The Crusades: A Reader (Broadview Press: Peterborough, 2003), pp.215-17.

Pembroke Castle

2010-11-15T16:58:00.002Z

Hi again! I went to visit Pembroke castle in September for my birthday, and thought I would share a few pictures of it here.

I stayed by the coast in Tenby, which is a gorgeous little town with fantastic surviving medieval walls that I think date to the 13C. The picture to the left shows a section of them.

Pembroke is a lovely little place, it is easy to imagine the castle being an overwhelming sight and dominant feature of the medieval town. As you walk up the main street the castle begins to come into view (as seen in the picture to the right). Arguably one of the greatest Earls of Pembroke was William Marshal (named Earl in 1199 by King John). His banner of a red lion against a yellow and green background was proudly displayed near the front entrance. I thought this was a particularly nice touch.

The original timber castle would have been built after the Norman conquest in the late 11th - early 12thC. However the site itself has a long history. Below the castle is a cavern called The Wogan, which would have been a shelter for cave dwellers during the Stone Age. It can be accessed in the Great Hall. The original castle was constructed by Roger de Montgomery, a cousin of William the Conqueror. Later in 1138 the earldom of Pembroke was created for Gilbert Fitz Gilbert de Clare, a loyal supporter of King Stephen of England. Gilbert was given the nickname 'Strongbow'. He died in 1148 and the earldom passed on to his son Richard, also nicknamed Strongbow. Richard is probably most well known for conquering Ireland.

William Marshal gained the earldom through marriage to Richard Strongbow's daughter Isabel de Clare. It was from this time that major reconstruction work began on the castle in stone. Work began with this beautiful round keep. This is the largest and one of the earliest towers of this design in the country. The stone steps are a later Tudor addition. Originally the keep would have been entered on the first floor by a set of timber steps.

William's sons continued work on the castle after his death in 1219. The Inner Ward was rebuilt in stone. It is also likely the large outer ward was laid out at this time too, and would have replaced an area of the town. This was rebuilt in stone later on by the new lord of the castle William de Valence, a rather unpopular figure at the time. Gradually, bit by bit, Pembroke became the mighty castle that survives today.

Here are some more pictures:

View of Pembroke River

Northgate Tower

Stairway and door leading to Barbican Tower

Where the chapel once was

Western Hall, added between 1219 and 1245. This could have been a retiring room for the ladies of the castle.

Arches in the Norman Hall or Old Hall. This section of the castle most likely dates to the time of Richard Strongbow (1150-70). However at a later date the old timber hall was remodelled in stone, which itself has been reworked a lot over time.

The Great Hall. This was added during the 13C and had two levels. The area on the ground floor would have been used as kitchens, and the first floor would have been the main hall. This can be seen in the architecture too - the arches on the first floor are far more grand than those on the ground floor.

Detail of one of the Early English Gothic style arches in the Great Hall.

Tourneying Noblewomen!

2010-10-09T16:22:00.005+01:00

Whilst reading David Crouch's fabulous book Tournament I came across this superb source which I thought I would share. It is a poem written by Huon d'Oisy III, Castellan of Cambrai.
It is a fictional piece in which the author envisions a tournament at Lagny-sur Marne, that the noblewomen of his day organised and took part in whilst all the knights were away! Crouch dated the poem as having been composed between 1187-1189.

In that year that the knights were away

and the valiant did no feats of arms

the ladies went to tourney instead at Lagny.

The tournament was organised by

the countess of Vermandois and the lady of Coucy;

they said that they wanted to experience

the sort of strokes

that their lovers gave out for their sake.

Ladies from all over the place

organised it that each would

retain a household with her.

When they came to the meadows they got armed

then they mustered in front of Torcy.

Yolanda de Cailly went first on to the field;

Margaret d'Oisy was eager to joust with her;

Amice the hardy rides forward, seizing her reins.

When Margaret saw Yolanda back off,

She shouted 'Cambrai!' and grabbed the reins to drag her away;

Let anyone who saw it launch at her and prevent it!

Then Katherine with the eager face

began to marshal the lines

and to cry 'Move forward'.

So let those who are watching for her sign go forward,

pull at the reins, give and evade swordstrokes

and brandish their tall lances

. . .

cause iron to ring out

and pull mail hoods out from under helmets

and cause to break

. . .

with great panache!

Bringing up the rear come a great reinforcement,

Isabel, who comes to maintain the fight;

The lady seneschal also arrives

and she will have no mercy on them at all.

A squadron comes riding after her

with Adeline riding and shouting . . .

for the lady seneschal.

. . .

Alice de Trie rides in front of Yolanda

crying 'Aguillon!'.

Very fine she looks, riding along the ranks.

The queen rides before all on an iron gray steed

. . .

armed with a mace and wearing a silver hauberk;

with no contradiction she carries it across the field;

Jehane comes riding up behind her

who has retained many a serjeant with her;

Isabel rides out and encounters

the brave Alice de Monceaux,

and forces her to offer pledge for ransom;

she is carried off with her

riding on a roncin.

The countess of Champagne soon appears

riding on a Spanish dappled horse,

and she and her people ride gently into the fight;

everyone rides against her and mills around

and the fight there is very fierce.

More than a hundred attack her,

and Alice reaches out to grab her,

she and her company seize the countess's reins,

Alice - she of the noble body -

crying 'Montfort',

and the countess dismounts now she is taken,

and Yolanda is made a captive fairly,

she who is not proud and scornful,

as a German would be.

Isabel - whom we all know - gallops on to the field,

and attacks like a mad thing,

crying over and over again her war cry,

'Let's get them, Chatillon!'

A company rides up in ambush

and hems in Amice on every side,

and her lance breaks on a shield;

She cries 'Lille! Let's get their reins,

they're in our power!'

The countess of Clermont has been

struck by a mace across her abdomen,

right where her kidney is.

Clemence attacks heedlessly with her club

. . .

and cries 'Beausart!'.

The whole company is routed and disperses in flight;

and no one stays to fight

when [Clemence] see Ida of Boulogne, the distinguished;

she rallies first on crossing a ditch,

she takes the countess by the reins,

and cries out 'God our help'.

The fighting there is very intense

Isabel of Marly rides up crying

'God our help!', and she gives and takes many cuts.

A company rides by the other side of the river;

Gertrude, who cries 'Mello'

pursues it across the fords.

Agnes de Triecoc rides up, who has sustained

many cuts to her arms that day,

she has broken many lances, and seized many reins,

she has hit out at many, and many times attacked.

Beatrice cries out 'Poissy!'

There is no one

. . .

better than she,

and Joie d'Arsi approaches

. . .

Marion de Juilly and makes her turn and dismount,

then she jousts at her

and cries 'Saint Denis!'.

All passed across the river, Alice de Rolleiz,

jaunty of body, rides up with her company;

Clemence de Bruai goes in front,

Ceciloa de Compiegne rides directly behind

pushing forward

and attacks Isabel d'Ausnai

who has wondered into the middle of them;

The fair Alice falls on her with enthusiasm

who cries 'Garlandon!'

. . .

Agnes rides up crying 'Paris!';

Ada de Parcain sees them:

she cries 'Beaumont!',

and pursues them right into the middle of the town,

and sees coming there Agnes of Cressonessart;

Isabel de Villegaignart also rides up.

Th tournament breaks up

because it was now growing late.

I have said and recounted a little,

and now I shall return to it;

they announced a tournament the next day.

You shall be told of the prowess of Yolanda.

When she had closed her helm

and urged forward her horse Morel,

she took her checkered shield,

hurling herself among the maidens in the meadows.

There were a hundred of them bearing lances;

she asked for no truce.

With no hesitation she rode to joust

right in amongst the other side.

far and wide and for a long time they have trumpeted

and serenaded what they witnessed.

She defeated and broke

all opposition on every side.

She set up her tent on the meadows outside Torcy;

she slept there, and gave away

whatever she had won.1

References
1. David Crouch, Tournament (Hambledon and London: London, 2005), pp.167-171

Raoul of Cambrai

2010-10-06T19:29:00.002+01:00

The old French epic known as Raoul of Cambrai, belongs to a genre of poems known as the chansons de geste (meaning 'songs of deeds' or 'songs of war'). Of the numerous chansons that survive today the majority of their manuscripts date from around the twelfth century. However it is highly likely that the poems themselves are much older and were preserved through oral history.

Entertainers called jongleurs would have sung or chanted the poems to a number of people. As they were written in the vernacular, this suggests that they would have been performed or read for the entertainment of a lay audience. Jongleurs also performed other forms of poetry, juggled, mimed, played instruments, and even did acrobatic tricks! They were often thought to be untrustworthy, and belonged to the lowest level of medieval society. As they relied upon the generosity of their audience for their pay, this would show that what they performed would have been the popular form of entertainment at that time. The chansons de geste in particular were highly popular.

Traditionally these epic poems have been arranged by their content into three main cycles. These are: the Cycle of the King, the Cycle of William of Orange, and the Cycle of Barons in Revolt (or revolting barons!). Raoul of Cambrai is a superb example from the last of these cycles.

The poem (along with many other chansons) is set during the reign of Louis IV of France, the son of Charlemagne. It weaves a tale of feudal ties and vengeance, which culminates in Raoul being killed by his vassal Bernier at the end of the first section. It would seem that the poem is most likely fictional, however it is possible that there are some historical links to it.

Despite the fact that Raoul of Cambrai is an epic poem and therefore some aspects would have been exaggerated, it is still a superb source for gaining an insight into the late twelfth century (the period in which the surviving version was written). One area in which it would be of use is to the study of knighthood. For example:

'On the next day the praiseworthy Count Raoul knighted Bernier and invested him with the best arms on which he could lay his hands. He put a strong well burnished hauberk on his back and laced a golden helmet on his head. Then he girded the sword with which he was knighted to his side and Bernier straight away mounted his good warhorse.

As soon as Bernier was mounted on his horse every one could see what a good knight he had become. He seized his gold banded shield and held the sharp lance with its pennon fastened by five golden nails in his hand. Then he charged forward on his horse and returned to his place again. There were many knights in the square and they said one to another: "How well he looks in his arms. Even if he is the son of an unwed mother, he must still be of rich and noble birth".' 1

This passage from Raoul of Cambrai tells us a great deal about the ceremony of knighting, and also ideals of being a good knight. For example, that care was taken to describe Bernier's extravagant equipment shows that this was a very important ceremony - and an occasion to be proud of. Due to the expense of this equipment it is also indicative of the growing association between knighthood and the nobility in this period, despite the fact that Bernier was a bastard. Weapons, armour and warhorses did not come cheap, and especially not the lavish examples described above!

This is just one example of the use of this fantastic source. The tale it tells can also help historians gain an insight into many other themes, such as: contemporary ideas about noble society, ideals of the family, the relationship between lords and vassals - the list could go on! And not only is this useful, but it also makes an excellent read!

1 'Raoul de Cambrai, An Old French Epic', trans. Jessie Crosland, revised by Richard Abels, USNA 1993 at

http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/sources/cambrai.htm

Sources Used:

Duggan, Joseph J., '1095 - The Epic', in Denis Hollier (ed.), A New History of French Literature (Harvard University Press: 1994), pp.18-23
Kaeuper, Richard W.,Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2006)
Newth, Michael, Heroes of the French Epic: Translations from the Chansons de Geste (The Boydell Press: Woodbridge, 2005)

Ideals of Marriage from The Goodman of Paris

2010-06-13T18:41:00.014+01:00

This post contains a number of extracts from a text called The Goodman of Paris. It was written between 1392-4 by an elderly merchant from Paris to his new much younger wife. The author has very kindly included his ideals of marriage and has even thrown in a few recipes for her - lucky girl!

'You being the age of fifteen years and in the week that you and I were wed, did pray me to be indulgent to your youth and to your small and ignorant service, until you had seen and learned more; to this end you promised me to give all heed and to set all care and diligence to keep my peace and my love, as you spoke full wisely, and as I well believe, with other wisdom than your own, beseeching me humbly in our bed, as I remember, for the love of God not to correct you harshly before strangers nor before our own folk, but rather each night, or from day to day, in our chamber, to remind you of the unseemly or foolish things done in the day or days past, and chastise you, if it pleased me, and then you would strive to amend yourself according to my teaching and correction, and to serve my will in all things, as you said.'

'I have often wondered how I might find a simple general introduction to teach you the which, without the aforesaid difficulties, you might of yourself introduce into your work and care. And lastly, me-seems that if your love is as it has appeared in your good words, it can be accomplished in this way, namely in a general instruction that I will write for you and preto you, in three sections containing nineteen principal articles....'

'The first section of the three is necessary to gain the love of God and the salvation of your soul, and also to win the love of your husband and to give you in . this world that peace which should be in marriage. And because these two things, namely the salvation of your soul and the comfort of your husband, be the two things most chiefly necessary, therefore are they here placed first. And this first section contains nine articles.'

'The fifth article of the first section telleth that you ought to be very loving and privy towards your husband above all other living creatures . . . I set here a rustic ensample, that even the birds and the shy wild beasts, nay the savage beasts, have the sense and practice of this, for the female birds do ever follow and keep close to their mates and to none other and follow them and fly after them, and not after others. If the male birds stop, so also do the females and settle near to their mates; when the males fly away they fly after them, side by side . . . Of domestic animals you shall see how that a greyhound or rnastiff or little dog, whether it be on the road, or at table, or in bed, ever keepeth him close to the person from whom he taketh his food and leaveth all the others and is distant and shy with them; and if the dog is afar off, he always has his heart and his eye upon his master; even if his master whip him and throw stones at him, the dog followeth, wagging his tail and lying down before his master to appease him, and through rivers, through woods, through thieves and through battles followeth him.'

'The sixth article of the first section saith that you shall be humble and obedient towards him that shall be your husband, the which article containeth in itself four particulars.
The first particular saith that you shall be obedient: to wit to him and to his commandments whatsoever they be, whether they be made in earnest or in jest, or whether they be orders to do strange things, or whether they be made concerning matters of small import or of great; for all things should be of great import to you, since he that shall be your husband hath bidden you to do them . . . The third particular is to understand that if he that shall be your husband shall forbid you to do anything, whether he forbid you in jest or in earnest or whether it be concerning small matters or great, you must watch that you do not in any manner that which he has forbidden.
The fourth particular is that you be not arrogant and that you answer not back your husband that shall be, nor his words, nor contradict what he saith, above all before other people.'

'Certes, fair sister, such services make a man love and desire to return to his home and to see his goodwife, and to be distant with others. Wherefore I counsel you to make such cheer to your husband at all his comings and stayings, and to persevere therein; and also be peaceable with him, and remember the rustic proverb, which saith that there be three things which drive the goodman from home, to wit a leaking roof, a smoky chimney and a scolding woman. And therefore, fair sister, I beseech you that, to keep yourself in the love and good favour of your husband, you be unto him gentle, and amiable, and debonnair.'

'Have a care that in winter he have a good fire and smokeless and let him rest well . . . And in summer take heed that there be no fleas in your chamber, nor in your bed'

The author then wrote a number of ways of dealing with fleas, and other such insects which might displease a husband. He finished off his guide with a few recipes

'Cinnamon Brewet
Break up your poultry or other meat and stew it in water, putting wine therewith, and [then] fry it; then take raw dried almonds in their shells unpeeled and great plenty of cinnamon and bray them very well and moisten them with your broth or with beef broth and boil them with your meat; then bray ginger, cloves and grain [of Paradise] etc., and let it be thick and red....'

'Soringue of Eels
Skin and then cut up your eels; then have onions cooked in slices and parsley leaves and set it all to fry in oil; then bray ginger, cinnamon, clove, grain [of Paradise] and saffron, and moisten with veruice and take them out of the mortar. Then have toasted bread brayed and moistened with pur6e and run it through the strainer, then put in the purse and set all to boil together and flavour with wine, verjuice and vinegar; and it must be clear....'

'Stuffed Pigling
Let the pig be killed by cutting his throat and scalded in boiling water and then skinned; then take the lean meat and throw away the feet and entrails of the pig and set him to boil in water; and take twenty eggs and boil them hard and chestnuts cooked in water and peeled. Then take the yolks of the eggs, the chestnuts, some fine old cheese and the meat of a cooked leg of pork and chop them up, then bray them with plenty of saffron and ginger powder mixed with the meat; and if your meat becometh too hard, soften it with yolks of eggs. And open not your pig by the belly but across the shoulders and with the smallest opening you may; then put him on the spit and afterwards put your stuffing into him and sew him up with a big needle; and let him be eaten either with yellow pepper sauce or with cameline in summer....'

Source Used:
The source that has been quoted in this post is from
"The Goodman of Paris" translated by Eileen Power in The Goodman of Paris, (London: Routledge, 1928), and reprinted in Richard M. Golden and Thomas Kuehn, eds., Western Societies: Primary Sources in Social History, Vol I, (New York: St Martins, 1993)
It can be found on-line at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook

The Goose Who Led a Crusade . . . well, sort of!

2010-05-15T13:37:00.001+01:00

The effect that the preaching of the First Crusade had on people cannot be overly emphasised. Pope Urban II's speech had been electrifying, and news of this incredible new venture spread far and wide. The enthusiasm created for this new idea of a crusade was phenomenal. People had been whipped up into a mad frenzy of mass hysteria. A small glimpse of this can be seen when reading accounts of events at this time, some of which even describe a divinely blessed goose who almost led a crusading venture.

We hear of this goose in Albert of Aachen's (or Albert of Aix's) chronicle which also described the events of the Peoples Crusade, led by Peter the Hermit.
'There was also another abominable wickedness in this gathering of people on foot, who were stupid and insanely irresponsible, which, it cannot be doubted, is hateful to God and unbelievable to all the faithful. They claimed that a certain goose was inspired by the holy ghost, and a she-goat filled with no less than the same, and they had made these their leaders for this holy journey to Jerusalem; they even worshipped them excessively, and as the beasts directed their courses for them in their animal way many of the troops believed they were confirming it to be true according to the entire purpose of the spirit.' [1]

Guibert of Nogent recorded a similar event in his chronicle 'The Deeds of God Through the Franks'
'What I am about to say is ridiculous, but has been testified to by authors who are not ridiculous. A poor woman set out on the journey, when a goose, filled with I do not know what instructions, clearly exceeding the laws of her own dull nature, followed her. Lo, the rumour flying on Pegasean wings, filled the castles and cities with the news that even geese had been sent by God to liberate Jerusalem. Not only did they deny that this wretched woman was leading the goose, but said that the goose led her. At Cambrai they assert that, with people standing on all sides, the woman walked through the middle of the church to the alter, and the goose followed behind, in her footsteps, with no one urging it on. Soon after, we have learned, the goose died in Lorraine; she would certainly have gone more directly to Jerusalem if, the day before she set out, she had made herself a holiday meal for her mistress. We have attached this incident to the true history so that men may know that they have been warned against permitting Christian seriousness to be trivialized by vulgar fables.'[2]

There have been other similar accounts of this kind (see the chronicle by Fulcher of Chartres [3]). Whether these accounts are based on real events or not, that they were even recorded gives us an insight into the mindset of these people who were caught up in the whirlwind of the First Crusade. That people believed a goose had been blessed by the Holy Spirit and would lead them to Jerusalem, shows the mass hysteria conjured up by the preaching of the First Crusade.

Sources used
[1] Albert of Aachen, available in a slightly different translation online from the Medieval Sourcebook (see Emico, section 7: Version of Ablert of Aix)http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.html

[2] Guibert of Nogent, The Deeds of God Through the Franks, trans. by Robert Levine (Boydell and Brewer: 1997), p.156.
Available online at http://www.bu.edu/english/levine/guibprol.htm

[3] The chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres. Version available online at Google Books: Edward Peters (ed.), The First Crusade: The Chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres and Other Source Materials, second edition (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1998), p.130.
http://tinyurl.com/33eb3th

Chepstow Castle

2010-05-13T11:05:00.031+01:00

I went to visit Chepstow Castle over Easter, it really is a gorgeous place. It is in South Wales, Monmouthshire, which is near to the English border. The castle has Norman origins, and it’s believed it was constructed not long after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The castle is mentioned in Domesday, which says it was built by William fitz Osbern. As Domesday was compiled in 1086, we know it was built some time between these dates. The Norman castle was much smaller than what remains today. Only the great tower survives from the castle’s Norman phase.

The outside of the great tower

The interior. Note the blend of architectural styles in here, this reflects the many different phases of the castle throughout its long history.

Chepstow Castle passed to the great medieval knight William Marshal (I’ll be doing a post about him soon!), through his marriage to Isabel of Clare in 1189. The pair of doors shown here (which were originally at the main gate) have recently been dated to the period of William Marshal. Through dendrochronology, it has been shown that these doors date form no later than the 1190s. This makes these beautiful and well crafted doors, possibly the oldest surviving castle doors in Europe.

William Marshal constructed a revolutionary new gatehouse, the lower and middle bailey defences, along with other fortifications. After he died in 1219 Chepstow Castle passed to each of his five sons. Over this time much more work was done on the castle. Such as the addition of the upper barbican, and the remodelling of the great tower into a gorgeous hall and chamber. The castle is situated on the top of a cliff which is next to the river Wye. The Marshal brothers also greatly added to and extended the defences of this western side, making excellent use of its natural defensive position.

Roger Bigod, the fifth earl of Norfolk, gained the castle in 1270. He added a number of accommodation rooms and chambers, extended the upper level of the great tower, and also built Marten’s Tower (shown here).

By this time the castle had been significantly transformed from its early Norman phase, and continued to be passed to different lords throughout the years. If anyone gets a chance to go, this castle is well worth a visit! Here are a few more pictures of the gorgeous Chepstow Castle - I took far too many to post them all! :D

The main entrance

The great tower

An arch in Roger Bigod's great hall

You can see the lower bailey through these arches

One of the towers added by William Marshal

Remains of the 11C wall painting inside the great tower

The gallery. A passage that runs alongside the great tower, connecting the upper and middle baileys (built late 13C)

View from the gallery

The upper bailey

South-west tower

Walkway which looks down on the upper barbican

View from the walkway

Beasts, Monsters, and the Kingdom of Prester John

2010-05-11T14:13:00.002+01:00

So, I start a blog on the medieval world, but where to begin?! This period is utterly fascinating to me, there are just so many different things I'd like to look at - knights, castles, towns, fashion, literature, medicine, maps, crusading . . . I could go on forever! But in the end I decided to write my first blog on a subject that really caught my interest in the entire period: on beasts, monsters, and the Kingdom of Prester John.

(Kingdom of Prester John)

Prester John was a legendary figure in the medieval period. There were rumours of a kingdom far away from Europe, located somewhere in the East with a Christian ruler. This ruler was Prester John. He was believed to have been a Nestorian and a descendant of one of the Three Magi (referred to in the Bible, and more commonly known today as the three wise men who visited Jesus at his birth).

In 1165 copies of a letter from this priest-king began to spread throughout Europe, originally written to the Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnenus. This gave a renewed spark to the legends of Prester John. However, the letter is known today to have been a forgery which originated from Western Europe. At a time of conflict and strife due to crusading, there was a hope that Prester John would go to the aid of the Christians in the West.

The fake letter described a utopian land overflowing with wealth and luxury. Also included were descriptions of some rather weird but wonderful inhabitants. These were creatures that people genuinely believed lived just beyond the realms of their own lives. Such beasts and monsters included:

The Monopods. These were creatures with a giant foot. Also known as Sciapods, and Monocoli. In surviving imagery these creatures are often depicted as protecting themselves from the sun.

The Panotti were giant eared creatures

The Blemmyae. Headless people, with their face on their chest.

The Cynocephali were believed to be creatures with dog heads, who communicated by barking.

These creatures were described in Prester John's letter as living in his kingdom. They were also believed to have lived just on the outskirts of known and explored land. There are links of these beasts and monsters going back to classical Greek sources. Although, travel and exploration during the medieval period would most likely have encouraged these sorts of legends. At this time people encountered animals they had never seen before, or even dreamt of! Animals such as elephants, giraffes, camels and so on. Imagine just how strange these would have looked to a person who had only ever seen cows, pigs, goats, etc. People would have gone on these travels and when they returned home they would have described what they'd seen. How would you describe an elephant to someone who'd never seen one before? . . .

Sources:

Debra Higgs Strickland, 'Monsters and Christian Enemies', History Today, 50:2 (Feb 2000)
Karl F Helleiner, 'Prester John's Letter: A Medieval Utopia', Phoenix, 13:2 (Summer 1959)
Peter Jackson, 'Christians, Barbarians and Monsters: the European discovery of the world beyond Islam', in Peter Linehan and Janet L Nelson (eds.), The Medieval World (Routledge: Abingdon, 2005)