The Chapter House
Inspiration & Site - The Heart of the Project
The Stolen Room
When I was twelve, we moved to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. Shortly after this, my mother discovered that students and residents could go one day a month to many of the local museums for free. A wonderful world suddenly opened and I had two favorites, the Higgins Armory Museum and the Worcester Art Museum. In the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) there was (and is) a room called “The Chapter House” and every time I stepped inside I felt as though the past were just a breath away. That feeling has never stopped in the past 30 years. However, recently the room has shown me a bit more.
Two years ago I walked into the Chapter House on a Sunday and it occurred to me that I had an extant place to recite an extant piece if I could get permission. The thought filled me with excitement for this chance to fuse my passion for research with my love of bardic arts and public speaking. After a carefully worded email I was granted the permission to do so, provided I let them know ahead of time, have no recording equipment other than my phone and follow all WAM rules.
I was excited and giddy at the thought. But then I had more thoughts…What was said in this room? Who had said it? Was it prayer or scripture? I realized that I didn’t understand the room as well as I wanted to despite being a lifelong visitor. So, I began to research.
The Chapter House was actually part of a larger Benedictine priory in La Bas- Nueil that was established in the 11th century. It was well known for its wine and shipped it for centuries to nobles all over Europe. It was desecrated during the French Revolution and the ruins still stand to this day. That is, they stand without the Chapter House. It was taken to Worcester in 1927 despite the pleas of the local people.
While this was fascinating I wanted to know more, so I emailed the librarian at the WAM and she sent me several scanned and interesting articles from the arrival of the stones to the present. This made me wonder about the ruins now? Where exactly were they? What was a Chapter House and how had it fit in as part of a larger piece of history?
Using the information provided by WAM, I was able to locate La Bas Nueil in the province of Berrie, France. Via Google Earth I could take a 360 degree tour and walk the streets bordering the ruins. I found a house built into them and a Bed and Breakfast in what was the stable. I reached out to the B&B owners to see if they knew more about the property and they have since put me in touch with the caretaker of the ruins.
In the process of virtually exploring the rest of the Priory, I was also able to see a small sign and confirm where the Chapter House had once stood. This combined with other research told me that it had opened to a garden and the priory had bordered large fields and vineyards.
It was at this point I returned to the Chapter House, stood inside and thought about looking out at the landscape I was now familiar with. I had a better sense of place. Now, I wanted to understand what happened in this room.
I returned to my research and discovered a chapter house was a room where two primary things occurred. Daily business was discussed and chapters of the Rule of Saint Benedict were read. It was not the chapel I had thought. The words that were spoken were indeed recorded and surprisingly not all were sacred.
Choose Your Words Carefully
Initially, when I stood in the Chapter House I was overcome with ideas for spoken bardic pieces. The acoustics were amazing and it was an extant location. Chaucer had seemed a good fit but then I quickly felt it wrong once I began to understand what the Chapter House was.
Should I use a Psalm or other such piece? No, that was not the right choice either. I did not wish to offend others or be religious.
Wait! The Chapter House was a room for business! Perhaps the business done here had been recorded and could be read. With that thought I was off in search of the words that had once been spoken in the Chapter House.
My first inclination was to look for records and I reached out to a friend who is French and has worked as a librarian both there and in the United States. She was able to help me find new resources and that some of the records are still in existence from 1518 to the 1700’s. However, they are in France and can be seen but not scanned.
Knowing that the records were kept I searched for other records of surrounding priories. I was able to find a record of one 150 miles to the south. It had been translated in the late 1800’s and a reprint was available in French and Latin. Up until this point I had been using my own knowledge of French, the translations of my friend, and google translate but this was going to require Latin. Which, while translatable for me, takes more time than French.
Even though I had the records of another nearby Abbey, they were not the words of the Chapter house and so I searched more. I started with learning about the Benedictine Order. It was then I realized that sections of the Rule of Saint Benedict dealt with such things as kitchen duty, dormitories and daily life.
Reading a passage describing how one should dress or eat or work was both absolutely accurate and not expressly religious. An even more exciting realization was that each day of the year had a specific reading. It was possible for me to in fact read the passage that had been spoken on a specific day in that room.
What to Wear?
The room was understood, the words were found but now there was a new path to explore carefully. What to wear to record the words? The robes of a Benedictine are very specific to their order and it would not be appropriate to even consider donning them for any reason. That was not an option. I did research on what they would have worn and undyed wool or linen seemed likely. Additionally, there were accounts of local people receiving worn out clothing from the monks.
A short tunic made of this fabric would be a good compromise. I could show my body from the waist up and wear a modern pair of leggings or jeans to avoid any confusion to a passerby. The final filmed product would then have me in a period appearing garments while still respecting the others around me.
Currently my next steps are to consult with others about this idea, then possibly find information on the linen and wool of central France and create my tunic.
Until my next post-
What now? I need to once again reach out to the WAM and ensure my presence reading and recording would be welcome. A tunic needs to be sewn. And, perhaps the greatest challenge of filming will finally come to fruition.
Additionally, part of me would like very much to be able to accept the offer to explore the priory grounds in France and visit the archives. I feel there are still more stories to be told about this location.
Of course in the telling of this story there are many details I discovered in many sources and those are posted as well.
Works Cited Benedict, and Justin McCann. The Rule of Saint Benedict: In Latin and English. Martino Fine Books, 2019.
Benedict. The Rule of St. Benedict: In Latin and English. Sheed and Ward, 1972.
Benedictine Way of Life - Stella Maris College. https://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/benedictine-way-of-life.pdf.
Catherine. “Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachusetts)." Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachussetts) - Patrimoine Et Inventaire De Nouvelle-Aquitaine - Site De Poitiers, https://inventaire-poitou--charentes-fr.translate.goog/operations/les-monuments-disparus/266-decouvertes/1090-monuments-deplaces-la-salle-capitulaire-du-bas-nueil-de-berrie-vienne-a-worcester-massachussetts?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
“Chapter House of the Benedictine Priory of Saint John at Le Bas-Nueil.” – Works – Worcester Art Museum, https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le.
“The Chapter House.” Chapter House Durham World Heritage Site, https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/learn/architecture/cathedral/intro/chapter-house.
CHARLES, Dominique. “Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-NueilBerrie (86).” Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-Nueil - Berrie - Journées Du Patrimoine 2021, https://www-journees--du--patrimoine-com.translate.goog/SITE/le-prieure-saint-jean-ancienne-abb-194393.htm?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
Crozet, R. “A Visit to La Bas Nueil.” Worcester Art Museum Bulletin , Mar. 1958.
Étienne Cholet Paul François. Cartulaire De L'Abbaye De St Étienne De Baigne. Clouzot, 1867.
Geneseo, SUNY. “Western Humanities I.” Lumen, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-geneseo-humanities1-1/chapter/the-rule-of-st-benedict-chapters-51-73/.
Google Maps, Google, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bas+Nueil,+86120+Berrie,+France/%C3%89glise+Saint-%C3%89tienne+de+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+75+Rue+du+G%C3%A9n+de+Gaulle,+16360+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+France/@46.2262692,-1.1900814,8z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x48078c1ea35ba9d9:0xc2ed75ea2993cd8e!2m2!1d-0.095898!2d47.062187!1m5!1m1!1s0x48006950e9f5dfa9:0x3c5314af0ad1bfca!2m2!1d-0.2356119!2d45.3802199.
http://www.vtech.fr, V-Technologies / Ligeo-Archives -. “Recherche Transversale.” Archives Départementales Des Deux-Sèvres Et De La Vienne, https://archives-deux-sevres-vienne.fr/archive/resultats/transversale/n:150?RECH_S=Prieure%2Bde%2BBas-Nueil%2BBerrie%2C%2BVienne&x=38&y=23&RECH_SELECTOR%5B0%5D=archives&RECH_SELECTOR%5B1%5D=etatcivil&RECH_SELECTOR%5B2%5D=recensement&RECH_SELECTOR%5B3%5D=matricule&RECH_SELECTOR%5B4%5D=electorale&RECH_SELECTOR%5B5%5D=cadastre&RECH_SELECTOR%5B6%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B7%5D=poilus&RECH_SELECTOR%5B8%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B9%5D=presse&RECH_SELECTOR%5B10%5D=doleance&RECH_SELECTOR%5B11%5D=contenus&type=transversale.
“Loire Escapes.” Loire Escapes, http://www.loireescapes.com/.
Marolleu , P. Information Request about Le Prieure Saint Jean Inbox, 31 Jan. 2022.
This was a response email from the local historian and owner of the remains of the rest of the priory the Chapter House was stolen from
Moisand , Edith. Liberian Edith Moisand- Links for Your Research, 12 Aug. 2021.
Morin, Rebecca. WAM Publications - Worcester Chapter House (Acc. 1927.46), 11 Aug. 2021.
“Prieuré Saint-Jean.” Cirkwi, 18 June 2020, https://www.cirkwi.com/fr/point-interet/1200702-prieure-saint-jean.
“The Rule.” OSB DOT ORG, 9 Sept. 2018, https://www.osb.org/our-roots/the-rule/.
Sidsel. “Medieval Fabrics and the Use of Colour, Part 2.” Postej & Stews, 6 Dec. 2019, http://postej-stew.dk/2019/05/medieval-fabrics-part-2/.
“Vestiges Du Prieuré Du Bas-Nueil à Berrie.” Retour à L'accueil De Monumentum, https://monumentum.fr/vestiges-prieure-bas-nueil-pa00105349.html.
Virtue, Cynthia. “Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages Assembled by by Cynthia Du Pr Argent.” Some Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages (Photos), https://www.virtue.to/articles/extant.html.
Worcester Art MuseumFollow this publisher - current follower count:48. “Access Magazine Fall 2012.” Issuu, 2 Jan. 2013, https://issuu.com/worcesterartmuseum/docs/access-magazine-fall-2012/20.
When I was twelve, we moved to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. Shortly after this, my mother discovered that students and residents could go one day a month to many of the local museums for free. A wonderful world suddenly opened and I had two favorites, the Higgins Armory Museum and the Worcester Art Museum. In the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) there was (and is) a room called “The Chapter House” and every time I stepped inside I felt as though the past were just a breath away. That feeling has never stopped in the past 30 years. However, recently the room has shown me a bit more.
Two years ago I walked into the Chapter House on a Sunday and it occurred to me that I had an extant place to recite an extant piece if I could get permission. The thought filled me with excitement for this chance to fuse my passion for research with my love of bardic arts and public speaking. After a carefully worded email I was granted the permission to do so, provided I let them know ahead of time, have no recording equipment other than my phone and follow all WAM rules.
I was excited and giddy at the thought. But then I had more thoughts…What was said in this room? Who had said it? Was it prayer or scripture? I realized that I didn’t understand the room as well as I wanted to despite being a lifelong visitor. So, I began to research.
The Chapter House was actually part of a larger Benedictine priory in La Bas- Nueil that was established in the 11th century. It was well known for its wine and shipped it for centuries to nobles all over Europe. It was desecrated during the French Revolution and the ruins still stand to this day. That is, they stand without the Chapter House. It was taken to Worcester in 1927 despite the pleas of the local people.
While this was fascinating I wanted to know more, so I emailed the librarian at the WAM and she sent me several scanned and interesting articles from the arrival of the stones to the present. This made me wonder about the ruins now? Where exactly were they? What was a Chapter House and how had it fit in as part of a larger piece of history?
Using the information provided by WAM, I was able to locate La Bas Nueil in the province of Berrie, France. Via Google Earth I could take a 360 degree tour and walk the streets bordering the ruins. I found a house built into them and a Bed and Breakfast in what was the stable. I reached out to the B&B owners to see if they knew more about the property and they have since put me in touch with the caretaker of the ruins.
In the process of virtually exploring the rest of the Priory, I was also able to see a small sign and confirm where the Chapter House had once stood. This combined with other research told me that it had opened to a garden and the priory had bordered large fields and vineyards.
It was at this point I returned to the Chapter House, stood inside and thought about looking out at the landscape I was now familiar with. I had a better sense of place. Now, I wanted to understand what happened in this room.
I returned to my research and discovered a chapter house was a room where two primary things occurred. Daily business was discussed and chapters of the Rule of Saint Benedict were read. It was not the chapel I had thought. The words that were spoken were indeed recorded and surprisingly not all were sacred.
Choose Your Words Carefully
Initially, when I stood in the Chapter House I was overcome with ideas for spoken bardic pieces. The acoustics were amazing and it was an extant location. Chaucer had seemed a good fit but then I quickly felt it wrong once I began to understand what the Chapter House was.
Should I use a Psalm or other such piece? No, that was not the right choice either. I did not wish to offend others or be religious.
Wait! The Chapter House was a room for business! Perhaps the business done here had been recorded and could be read. With that thought I was off in search of the words that had once been spoken in the Chapter House.
My first inclination was to look for records and I reached out to a friend who is French and has worked as a librarian both there and in the United States. She was able to help me find new resources and that some of the records are still in existence from 1518 to the 1700’s. However, they are in France and can be seen but not scanned.
Knowing that the records were kept I searched for other records of surrounding priories. I was able to find a record of one 150 miles to the south. It had been translated in the late 1800’s and a reprint was available in French and Latin. Up until this point I had been using my own knowledge of French, the translations of my friend, and google translate but this was going to require Latin. Which, while translatable for me, takes more time than French.
Even though I had the records of another nearby Abbey, they were not the words of the Chapter house and so I searched more. I started with learning about the Benedictine Order. It was then I realized that sections of the Rule of Saint Benedict dealt with such things as kitchen duty, dormitories and daily life.
Reading a passage describing how one should dress or eat or work was both absolutely accurate and not expressly religious. An even more exciting realization was that each day of the year had a specific reading. It was possible for me to in fact read the passage that had been spoken on a specific day in that room.
What to Wear?
The room was understood, the words were found but now there was a new path to explore carefully. What to wear to record the words? The robes of a Benedictine are very specific to their order and it would not be appropriate to even consider donning them for any reason. That was not an option. I did research on what they would have worn and undyed wool or linen seemed likely. Additionally, there were accounts of local people receiving worn out clothing from the monks.
A short tunic made of this fabric would be a good compromise. I could show my body from the waist up and wear a modern pair of leggings or jeans to avoid any confusion to a passerby. The final filmed product would then have me in a period appearing garments while still respecting the others around me.
Currently my next steps are to consult with others about this idea, then possibly find information on the linen and wool of central France and create my tunic.
Until my next post-
What now? I need to once again reach out to the WAM and ensure my presence reading and recording would be welcome. A tunic needs to be sewn. And, perhaps the greatest challenge of filming will finally come to fruition.
Additionally, part of me would like very much to be able to accept the offer to explore the priory grounds in France and visit the archives. I feel there are still more stories to be told about this location.
Of course in the telling of this story there are many details I discovered in many sources and those are posted as well.
Works Cited Benedict, and Justin McCann. The Rule of Saint Benedict: In Latin and English. Martino Fine Books, 2019.
Benedict. The Rule of St. Benedict: In Latin and English. Sheed and Ward, 1972.
Benedictine Way of Life - Stella Maris College. https://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/benedictine-way-of-life.pdf.
Catherine. “Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachusetts)." Monuments Déplacés : La Salle Capitulaire Du Bas-Nueil, De Berrie (Vienne) à Worcester (Massachussetts) - Patrimoine Et Inventaire De Nouvelle-Aquitaine - Site De Poitiers, https://inventaire-poitou--charentes-fr.translate.goog/operations/les-monuments-disparus/266-decouvertes/1090-monuments-deplaces-la-salle-capitulaire-du-bas-nueil-de-berrie-vienne-a-worcester-massachussetts?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
“Chapter House of the Benedictine Priory of Saint John at Le Bas-Nueil.” – Works – Worcester Art Museum, https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le.
“The Chapter House.” Chapter House Durham World Heritage Site, https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/learn/architecture/cathedral/intro/chapter-house.
CHARLES, Dominique. “Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-NueilBerrie (86).” Prieuré Saint-Jean Du Bas-Nueil - Berrie - Journées Du Patrimoine 2021, https://www-journees--du--patrimoine-com.translate.goog/SITE/le-prieure-saint-jean-ancienne-abb-194393.htm?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc.
Crozet, R. “A Visit to La Bas Nueil.” Worcester Art Museum Bulletin , Mar. 1958.
Étienne Cholet Paul François. Cartulaire De L'Abbaye De St Étienne De Baigne. Clouzot, 1867.
Geneseo, SUNY. “Western Humanities I.” Lumen, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-geneseo-humanities1-1/chapter/the-rule-of-st-benedict-chapters-51-73/.
Google Maps, Google, https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bas+Nueil,+86120+Berrie,+France/%C3%89glise+Saint-%C3%89tienne+de+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+75+Rue+du+G%C3%A9n+de+Gaulle,+16360+Baignes-Sainte-Radegonde,+France/@46.2262692,-1.1900814,8z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x48078c1ea35ba9d9:0xc2ed75ea2993cd8e!2m2!1d-0.095898!2d47.062187!1m5!1m1!1s0x48006950e9f5dfa9:0x3c5314af0ad1bfca!2m2!1d-0.2356119!2d45.3802199.
http://www.vtech.fr, V-Technologies / Ligeo-Archives -. “Recherche Transversale.” Archives Départementales Des Deux-Sèvres Et De La Vienne, https://archives-deux-sevres-vienne.fr/archive/resultats/transversale/n:150?RECH_S=Prieure%2Bde%2BBas-Nueil%2BBerrie%2C%2BVienne&x=38&y=23&RECH_SELECTOR%5B0%5D=archives&RECH_SELECTOR%5B1%5D=etatcivil&RECH_SELECTOR%5B2%5D=recensement&RECH_SELECTOR%5B3%5D=matricule&RECH_SELECTOR%5B4%5D=electorale&RECH_SELECTOR%5B5%5D=cadastre&RECH_SELECTOR%5B6%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B7%5D=poilus&RECH_SELECTOR%5B8%5D=cartespostales&RECH_SELECTOR%5B9%5D=presse&RECH_SELECTOR%5B10%5D=doleance&RECH_SELECTOR%5B11%5D=contenus&type=transversale.
“Loire Escapes.” Loire Escapes, http://www.loireescapes.com/.
Marolleu , P. Information Request about Le Prieure Saint Jean Inbox, 31 Jan. 2022.
This was a response email from the local historian and owner of the remains of the rest of the priory the Chapter House was stolen from
Moisand , Edith. Liberian Edith Moisand- Links for Your Research, 12 Aug. 2021.
Morin, Rebecca. WAM Publications - Worcester Chapter House (Acc. 1927.46), 11 Aug. 2021.
“Prieuré Saint-Jean.” Cirkwi, 18 June 2020, https://www.cirkwi.com/fr/point-interet/1200702-prieure-saint-jean.
“The Rule.” OSB DOT ORG, 9 Sept. 2018, https://www.osb.org/our-roots/the-rule/.
Sidsel. “Medieval Fabrics and the Use of Colour, Part 2.” Postej & Stews, 6 Dec. 2019, http://postej-stew.dk/2019/05/medieval-fabrics-part-2/.
“Vestiges Du Prieuré Du Bas-Nueil à Berrie.” Retour à L'accueil De Monumentum, https://monumentum.fr/vestiges-prieure-bas-nueil-pa00105349.html.
Virtue, Cynthia. “Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages Assembled by by Cynthia Du Pr Argent.” Some Extant Clothing of the Middle Ages (Photos), https://www.virtue.to/articles/extant.html.
Worcester Art MuseumFollow this publisher - current follower count:48. “Access Magazine Fall 2012.” Issuu, 2 Jan. 2013, https://issuu.com/worcesterartmuseum/docs/access-magazine-fall-2012/20.
Winter 2021- 2022 Update on Recreating a Spoken Medieval Moment
( Reexamining the location)
About two years ago I was at the Worcester Art Museum in the Chapter House, a room moved in the 1920’s from a medieval Priory in France. Without going to Europe, I could stand in a medieval room, I had done so many times before in my life but this time I had a new idea. (you can see this room too by the way… https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le )
What if I could speak some of the same words, stories or other works once read in this room? Could I make it echo again with sounds from its past? I reached out to the museum and they said that would be fine as long as I only used a cellphone and yes, I could be in researched garb. I was excited, elated and then I began to think. What WAS said there?
I had planned to use this as an Art and Science Bardic/Research project. I already loved research and it seemed a natural step to fuse bardic and research more closely.
However, with the creep of COVID and other constraints I realized that to properly create a moment from the past of THIS building I needed to do more research about it, the people in its past. I used the ideas and my early research to complete creating my A and S project for online display. In that document I talked about future steps, and for the past year, I have been working on them.
First, I talked to the museum librarian and asked if they had any more information beyond what was publicly listed. This led to her pulling the file on the Chapter House and opened doors to some interesting leads. I learned more about the origin of the room and changes that had been made to it over time by the Benedictines who lived there.
That file was a lead and a question. What happened to the rest of the priory? What was the story of the region it was in? Over the next year I accessed French Historical sites and ultimately was able to email an inn owner who now has space in what was once the stables of the priory
(https://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?aid=340295;label=metatrivago-hotel-4814344_xqdz-cc2e24_los-1_nrm-1_gstadt-2_gstkid-0_curr-usd_lang-en-us_mcid-10_dev-dsk_losb-1_bw-18_bwb-15_pg-0_defdate-def_gsb-2_sl-sld_tstar-0_trat-0_tprc-0_tamnt-0_cod-1640234602_trvref-45b28286-b83b-4a7d-b155-643e795003ae;sid=4419a6d515779b0d3436a4b2e1de76d8;city=-1412084;expand_sb=1;group_adults=2;group_children=0;highlighted_hotels=4814344;hlrd=no_dates;keep_landing=1;no_rooms=1;redirected=1;source=hotel;srpvid=52dc2138c9260013&room1=A,A,; ). They were enlightening and helpful and passed my information to the current owner and caretaker of the rest of the priory ( here is one site https://monumentum.fr/vestiges-prieure-bas-nueil-pa00105349.html but I recommend walking around using google earth https://earth.google.com/web/search/3+Impasse+du+Moulin,+86120+Berrie,+France/@47.06193455,-0.09512529,45.08887863a,0d,60y,302.37163876h,76.56634821t,0r/data=CpQBGmoSZAolMHg0ODA3OGMxZTlmMTAyZWQzOjB4YjE5NWIzMzU0NGE3ZmY0NRkBiuze5YdHQCFAjdasjne4vyopMyBJbXBhc3NlIGR1IE1vdWxpbiwgODYxMjAgQmVycmllLCBGcmFuY2UYASABIiYKJAnokQW3xM01QBHlkQW3xM01wBnE2zdH7NMYwCFp947VyY1bwCIaChZSVGIxU2lhYU5yT3VOaWhmNTE4eXhBEAI )
To my excitement the owner and caretaker of the main ruins and property emailed me a few days ago. She has welcomed me to call her for more details in March when she returns to the property and even visit. Getting to rural France is not an option right now financially however I am hopeful she can use facetime and give me a virtual tour (and maybe someday I can find a way to see this remote and amazing ruin I feel I know).
On top of understanding the where and what I was trying to recreate, I also had some insight into what would have been said in that room. The more I researched the more I realized that in many senses the Chapter house was a business room. I was able to ask a friend who is a French librarian to help me inquire if the business records still existed and according to her they may. That was fascinating but still not a document I could read from ( yet… I have hope I can find out more from the caretaker in March).
In the meantime I did find Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Baigne (en Saintonge), , an 1868 copy and translation of the happenings of an abbey about 100 miles to the south of the priory. They were both founded around 800 and existed till the French Revolution. So, while not the writings from “my site”, they are copies of extant work from the Benedictine order nearest to it. While some of it is in French, most of it is in Latin and is taking some time to translate but is fascinating. I opted to not read it online and was lucky to get a used reprint of it.
So, I have the place, I have a clearer idea of the words to speak and am closer to my final recording goal. Meanwhile I am working on how to translate the work of the past two years into an accessible and educational format. Short videos? Class notes and a class about how research is a search for the story of a thing we create? Another paper?
This update is a placeholder for that work and the next chapter of this bardic research journey. “Time Travel” is tricky because you have to really know the time and place and so many small things. However it is a fascinating trip!
Recipe Come to Life
Spring 2021
Recreating a Spoken Word Moment as Researched Art and Science
Traditionally, spoken performance has the majority of its focus on the actual piece being presented and the quality of its presentation. I wanted to take on a performance from a research point of view and add to the scope of focus. I wanted to craft and recreate an actual moment that would feel like the viewer was looking into the past and hearing a person speak.
Before I could think of a piece, it became clear that I needed to identify the areas of research for this project. I was able to narrow them down to three categories: clothing, location and piece. For example, I wanted to ensure that I was not wearing clothes of an upper class sixteenth century woman in a stable while reading a “new to her” Magna Carta.
Initially I had decided to start with finding a piece and had considered work by Queen Marguerite de Navarre in her book the Heptameron. However, her work was primarily late sixteenth century and I had no access to clothing of that period. Moreover, sewing the correct garment with fabrics that matched the extant samples in art was not a project that could also be undertaken. I realized that clothing was an important part of setting the time and place.
I started by choosing a sideless surcoat over an underdress with a Brigitta cap and veil. I tried the outfit on and something felt wrong. I sought feedback and confirmed my suspicions that the underdress was not the correct one, my surcoat fit too large and the cap was not a fit with the veil in that context. I later found an image from The Hours of Henry the Eighth showing a woman mowing a field in a shift, overdress and cap similar to one I already owned.
Having a working class outfit changed my focus and thought process on selecting a piece. Would this woman be literate and what and where would she be reading? My son had a book of fifteenth century recipes copied from remaining pieces in the British Museum. This proved that recipes were indeed written down. It would be natural for a woman to wear working clothes. She did not mind being soiled as she read a recipe and used it. This left only the location.
Location was one of the most difficult aspects of this project for several reasons. My first choice would have been to recite a piece in a medieval building. Fortunately, several rooms and buildings have been moved brick by brick to the United States over time and one, a Benedictine Chapter House, is located near me. I inquired about reading aloud at the Chapter House, located in the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA. I didn’t receive a reply till the end of April when I emailed a different person. I was elated when they said I could use this space.
However, by the time it was made available I did not have time to research and prepare a suitable piece. After consulting with others, I determined that the piece I did have memorized that would fit this setting was not a fit for this project (it was part of a Catholic mass for the dead) for many reasons. This would ultimately not be my filming location or “time and place” for this project, but would be the focus of my next project.
With a period recipe and an outfit that was best set for cooking or working I needed a location that would agree with the other elements. I returned to my search for medieval buildings and found Poet’s Seat, a tower in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Although not medieval it does have windows and arches similar to many still existing buildings in Europe. I was even able to use Google image search to help me find a location in Italy with a similar view and structure. Ultimately, weather, distance, a pandemic and other factors prevented me from filming there and I opted to film in my backyard using a simple wooden table.
Cooking outdoors, especially in warmer months, is an activity that has been done since antiquity and continues into the present age. I have a large Juniper tree in my backyard and decided to film in front of it because I could document that common Juniper was and still is found in England, which is where the recipe is from.
Oddly, dressing and filming the moment took a very short amount of time compared to the time spent on researching the many possibilities I had and seeking feedback. However, I can now confidently state based on research that it would have been possible to see a fifteenth century woman wearing a simple linen dress and cap while she read a recipe and prepared to cook outdoors and create a reasonably close moment spoken in middle English.
Understanding the scope and depth that a project like this can have has led me to a place in my combined love of period Bardic work and research that has many fascinating possibilities. Going forward I would like to take the time to properly research a piece, gown and tone and then create a different moment in the Chapter House at the Worcester Art Museum. Additionally, I would like to further research outdoor cooking, the clothing a woman wore and the recipe I read in more depth and improve upon the authenticity of my recording. As for the recording itself, in the future I would research different recording technology and editing.
The complete research planning process, write up as well as sources, documentation and acknowledgments can be found in the document below.
Current Large Work In Progress 3/1/2o21-
Recreating a Moment in Time With Word, Place and Dress
On a visit to the Worcester Art Museum, in Worcester, Massachusetts, I was inspired by an exhibit called the Chapter House. It is an actual room from a Benedictine Monastery from central France that has been moved to the United States stone by stone. In addition to its beauty, I noticed its amazing acoustics and was struck by the reality that I was in an extant building despite not having traveled at all. My next thought was to wonder how a period piece would sound in this room.
Although actual performance/recitation of a short piece was not an option, I started to think of a piece that originated from the same time and place as the Chapter House. Of course one work I know well, Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale, came to mind. That is when I really began to think of details more than the words of the piece itself. Why would a woman be in a Chapter House? Would she or anyone be there reciting Chaucer of all things? And even if all of these strange things came to pass, what would she be wearing?
It occurred to me that just because the building and the piece are extant, it didn’t mean that my performance would be. With this inspiration, it became clear to me that I wanted to be able to time travel in a manner of sorts. I wanted to wear a researched and extant based period outfit, while telling an equally studied story in a location that if not exactly extant, traced via architecture, fauna or terrain to be similar to one in the medieval world.
With a specific project goal in mind, I sought out a piece, setting and clothing that I was interested in. With an eye toward inclusivity, I decided to look for female French authors from the same time as my persona, early 16th century France. Immediately, I found Queen Marguerite de Navarre. In addition to being royalty, she was well read and extremely prolific in her writings. She also helped the poor, established orphanages, negotiated treaties and was mother to many children all of whom she ensured were literate).
One of her works, The Heptameron, specifically was of interest to me. The Heptameron is a collection of stories that take place during a plague. Unlike her other writings, which were predominantly religious in nature, this book is filled with entertaining and humorous works. I had a selection and was ready to consider the other two aspects of my project: location and clothing. This is where the scope of my project became clear to me. I needed to research not one extant thing, but three... with all that entailed.
Several hours of research later, things started to become clear to me. First, the book itself was published after Navarre’s death and thus the time period it would have been recited in was moved even later. In moving forward in time, the fashion changed and subsequently was more complex. Furthermore, due to the cost of the books, only a lady of the court would have had access to her own copy. This meant clothing fit for someone of that station and finding a spot that resembled a library of the time. These were two challenges that at this point would be difficult at best for me to recreate.
Knowing that sewing the garments and finding a location would be the more challenging goal to reach, I decided to use The Heptamaron piece for another project. Instead, I looked for a time period that had clothing I felt more confident in creating as well as a setting I could reach. I had several pieces in mind but no real direction for weeks. A friend who does amazing illumination shared a page of the Codex Manesse, or Großer Heidelberger Handschrift, a 14th century anthology of Middle High German poetry with me. The artwork made me realize that this was a dress and overdress that I could sew and more importantly wanted to. But what about the setting? It was then another friend suggested I explore botanical gardens as a possible source of plants that would have been in the background of the codex, or find a coastal area similar to one in Northern France where my persona lived.
With two of the three research areas now clearly defined, I returned to my quest in search of a story to tell. I revisited the Codex Manesse. One drawing was labeled the Rapunzel of Heidelberg and showed a maiden pulling a basket containing her lover up to the window of a windmill. For a short time, I began to draft my own telling of the Rapunzel of Heidelberg. I stopped because, while my inspiration was extant, the words I used would not be.
Around Christmas, I was given a copy of The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry by: Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford. By no means was this edition a “scholarly work” or an extant find BUT it did contain versions of works that were.
While reading, I found a story called The Lady of Solace. It was about a king with a beautiful daughter and a beautiful garden. He was not ready for her to marry and would send suitors into the garden, never to be heard from again. That is until one young man appeared.
The compilation of stories listed it as from the Gesta Romanorum. No author or other details were given, not even a time period. This led me to search the title out and discover that the Gesta Romanorum was a 14th century compilation of stories, allegories and other moral based anecdotes. The work was the basis or inspiration for writers such as Shakespeare, Chaucer and others. In fact, it was translated into several languages and even continues to be studied by scholars. I had found my piece.
Next steps in this project are currently underway. I am learning the piece in modern English and am considering the original Latin. I have researched the surcoat and underdress from the Codex and located a source of linen, as well as several people who are willing to help advise me with the sewing. As for the location, due to the winter weather and pandemic, I have not been able to “scout” locations in person. However, Massachusetts has several botanical gardens that could work, and I believe that the dunes of Crane Beach may also be a possible site. In short, this project covers three areas of research in order to be carried out in the manner that I wish. The initial process to get to that point has taken almost a year and has been fascinating and enlightening. It also would not have been possible if I had not talked to other artisans with interests different from mine.
Sources-
Caeciliajane@gmail.com. “The Heidelberg Rapunzel.” A Historical Miscellany, 31 Oct. 2019, www.danceshistoricalmiscellany.com/the-heidelberg-rapunzel/.
“Chapter House.” Worcester Art Museum, www.worcesterart.org/collection/European/1927.46.html.
“Codex Manesse.” Heidelberg University Library: Codex Manesse, www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/Englisch/allg/benutzung/bereiche/handschriften/codexmanesse.html.
“Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index.” Feminae: Details Page, inpress.lib.uiowa.edu/feminae/DetailsPage.aspx?Feminae_ID=39296.
“Heptameron.” University of Pennsylvania Digital Library: Heptameron, https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/navarre/heptameron/heptameron.html.
Lang, Andrew, et al. The Tale of the Cid, and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry. Dover Publications, 2007.
“Marguerite De Navarre.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/marguerite-de-navarre.
Recreating a Moment in Time With Word, Place and Dress
On a visit to the Worcester Art Museum, in Worcester, Massachusetts, I was inspired by an exhibit called the Chapter House. It is an actual room from a Benedictine Monastery from central France that has been moved to the United States stone by stone. In addition to its beauty, I noticed its amazing acoustics and was struck by the reality that I was in an extant building despite not having traveled at all. My next thought was to wonder how a period piece would sound in this room.
Although actual performance/recitation of a short piece was not an option, I started to think of a piece that originated from the same time and place as the Chapter House. Of course one work I know well, Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale, came to mind. That is when I really began to think of details more than the words of the piece itself. Why would a woman be in a Chapter House? Would she or anyone be there reciting Chaucer of all things? And even if all of these strange things came to pass, what would she be wearing?
It occurred to me that just because the building and the piece are extant, it didn’t mean that my performance would be. With this inspiration, it became clear to me that I wanted to be able to time travel in a manner of sorts. I wanted to wear a researched and extant based period outfit, while telling an equally studied story in a location that if not exactly extant, traced via architecture, fauna or terrain to be similar to one in the medieval world.
With a specific project goal in mind, I sought out a piece, setting and clothing that I was interested in. With an eye toward inclusivity, I decided to look for female French authors from the same time as my persona, early 16th century France. Immediately, I found Queen Marguerite de Navarre. In addition to being royalty, she was well read and extremely prolific in her writings. She also helped the poor, established orphanages, negotiated treaties and was mother to many children all of whom she ensured were literate).
One of her works, The Heptameron, specifically was of interest to me. The Heptameron is a collection of stories that take place during a plague. Unlike her other writings, which were predominantly religious in nature, this book is filled with entertaining and humorous works. I had a selection and was ready to consider the other two aspects of my project: location and clothing. This is where the scope of my project became clear to me. I needed to research not one extant thing, but three... with all that entailed.
Several hours of research later, things started to become clear to me. First, the book itself was published after Navarre’s death and thus the time period it would have been recited in was moved even later. In moving forward in time, the fashion changed and subsequently was more complex. Furthermore, due to the cost of the books, only a lady of the court would have had access to her own copy. This meant clothing fit for someone of that station and finding a spot that resembled a library of the time. These were two challenges that at this point would be difficult at best for me to recreate.
Knowing that sewing the garments and finding a location would be the more challenging goal to reach, I decided to use The Heptamaron piece for another project. Instead, I looked for a time period that had clothing I felt more confident in creating as well as a setting I could reach. I had several pieces in mind but no real direction for weeks. A friend who does amazing illumination shared a page of the Codex Manesse, or Großer Heidelberger Handschrift, a 14th century anthology of Middle High German poetry with me. The artwork made me realize that this was a dress and overdress that I could sew and more importantly wanted to. But what about the setting? It was then another friend suggested I explore botanical gardens as a possible source of plants that would have been in the background of the codex, or find a coastal area similar to one in Northern France where my persona lived.
With two of the three research areas now clearly defined, I returned to my quest in search of a story to tell. I revisited the Codex Manesse. One drawing was labeled the Rapunzel of Heidelberg and showed a maiden pulling a basket containing her lover up to the window of a windmill. For a short time, I began to draft my own telling of the Rapunzel of Heidelberg. I stopped because, while my inspiration was extant, the words I used would not be.
Around Christmas, I was given a copy of The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry by: Andrew Lang and H. J. Ford. By no means was this edition a “scholarly work” or an extant find BUT it did contain versions of works that were.
While reading, I found a story called The Lady of Solace. It was about a king with a beautiful daughter and a beautiful garden. He was not ready for her to marry and would send suitors into the garden, never to be heard from again. That is until one young man appeared.
The compilation of stories listed it as from the Gesta Romanorum. No author or other details were given, not even a time period. This led me to search the title out and discover that the Gesta Romanorum was a 14th century compilation of stories, allegories and other moral based anecdotes. The work was the basis or inspiration for writers such as Shakespeare, Chaucer and others. In fact, it was translated into several languages and even continues to be studied by scholars. I had found my piece.
Next steps in this project are currently underway. I am learning the piece in modern English and am considering the original Latin. I have researched the surcoat and underdress from the Codex and located a source of linen, as well as several people who are willing to help advise me with the sewing. As for the location, due to the winter weather and pandemic, I have not been able to “scout” locations in person. However, Massachusetts has several botanical gardens that could work, and I believe that the dunes of Crane Beach may also be a possible site. In short, this project covers three areas of research in order to be carried out in the manner that I wish. The initial process to get to that point has taken almost a year and has been fascinating and enlightening. It also would not have been possible if I had not talked to other artisans with interests different from mine.
Sources-
Caeciliajane@gmail.com. “The Heidelberg Rapunzel.” A Historical Miscellany, 31 Oct. 2019, www.danceshistoricalmiscellany.com/the-heidelberg-rapunzel/.
“Chapter House.” Worcester Art Museum, www.worcesterart.org/collection/European/1927.46.html.
“Codex Manesse.” Heidelberg University Library: Codex Manesse, www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/Englisch/allg/benutzung/bereiche/handschriften/codexmanesse.html.
“Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index.” Feminae: Details Page, inpress.lib.uiowa.edu/feminae/DetailsPage.aspx?Feminae_ID=39296.
“Heptameron.” University of Pennsylvania Digital Library: Heptameron, https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/navarre/heptameron/heptameron.html.
Lang, Andrew, et al. The Tale of the Cid, and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry. Dover Publications, 2007.
“Marguerite De Navarre.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/marguerite-de-navarre.