More Than Just Words- Seeking and Using Extant Locations for Bardic Work
Bards are weavers of moments. However, what would our moments created with period work look like if actually performed in the time and place they originated in?
Agenda for this class-
Introduction
Narrative
Open Discussion and Questions
Introduction
Narrative
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 related to the Narrative-
[email protected]. “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.
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Bards are weavers of moments. However, what would our moments created with period work look like if actually performed in the time and place they originated in?
Agenda for this class-
Introduction
Narrative
Open Discussion and Questions
Introduction
- About Agnes
- Love of Bardic Arts, specifically in storytelling of extant or extant based pieces
- Also love researching and documenting what I find on my literary “travels”
- Teacher in mundane world and enjoy teaching in SCA
- https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/index.php?title=Agnes_Marie_de_Calais
- https://www.agnesmariedecalais.com/
- Class today will be open at points to time-minded conversation, questions and discussions. However, please be aware these may be moved to the end of the class.
- Notes and agenda will be posted on my website and I am available for email questions
Narrative
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 related to the Narrative-
[email protected]. “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.
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