Spoken Moment One/ Proof of Concept "In the Kitchen"
2020-2021
Research Paper and Laurel's Challenge For Immersive Moment One " In the Kitchen"
Title of Entry- Creating an accurate medieval spoken/bardic moment Abstract- The concept of this entry was to use Art and Science research methods and thought processes to recreate a common spoken word moment from between the 12th to 15th century. This moment would be as if one could “go back in time” and view a medieval moment. It is both a research piece and performance art. The viewer should feel as though they have a window into the past.
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. Process and Creation
Step one- Identifying needs/ materials etc.
When you go about putting together a puzzle, a pie or a pair of pants you have to figure out what you will need. Laying out those pieces on the table and reviewing what you plan to do is key to success. Planning a large project is similar. When planning or deciding to commit to a work I like to “map” my thought process and list the steps, questions and problems ahead.
Figure 1. Mind Map
The first draft was messy so I neatened it up to look like this:
How do I recreate a period moment of a woman telling an extant tale? GARB PIECE TO BE TOLD SETTING/FILMING
-Consider literacy/research this
-Garb must be based on an extant design and documentable to the same time and location as the piece
-Garb should match the literacy rate of the teller of the tale (ie. if noble women were the “only literate women” gown should be noble)
-Materials should be accurate/authentic
-Do I make this or is it acceptable to buy/commission the gown?
Extant piece Have a copy of it in the original language Do I read from a book as would be accurate OR memorize as one would for Crown Bardic? WHICH IS MORE REAL?
-IN period language or the language of my audience?
Where was the reading of books done?
If I can’t find a building with extant based architecture should I/ can I find period trees?
Time of day
Geographic location matches where I am “supposed to be” ( ex. Not at a beach if I should be near a mountain in the background)
How will I film this? Whose help will I need. Figure 2. Thought process clearly organized
My “big questions” or possible parts requiring MORE work were highlighted. These were areas that I needed to identify people to go to for feedback and consultation.
Step Two- Analyzing each area and problem solving Figure 3. Notes and Source Material
Once I clearly had identified the areas that I needed to focus on in order to recreate a realistic moment, it occurred to me that books being rare and valuable would not be likely to be a thing a woman would take on out into a damp forest or field to read. I needed an indoor location or a piece written on a single sheet of paper. I used paper based notes as I selected my information and organized my thoughts. I then put them into the table below. I add source links directly into the tables so that I can find them and have references later in a complete write up.
Area to be addressed Thoughts and possible solutions
Garb I decided that I wanted to be able to make or purchase garb that was simple in construction, accurate in material and seen in art or other extant work. My original piece ideas came from the late 16th and 17th centuries and I realized that the garb required either no longer fit or would be harder to construct. I realized I also had sewing space, time and financial barriers. I consulted my Laurel as well as others and determined that making clothing was not the focus of this project. I decided that garb from the early 15th century or earlier would be practical for me to make or obtain. Because wool and linen are period for that time it also helped me focus my fabric choices. Having a time period helped me narrow down when my piece should originate. ( https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-clothing-and-fabrics-1788613)
Setting Searching for a setting had proved more difficult than originally thought. Though the process led me to discover that a number of entire medieval buildings have in fact been moved to the United States and are open for tours ( https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/in-the-early-1900s-dozens-of-centuriesold-european-buildings-came-to-america-where-is-medieval-america-now https://www.toursofdistinction.net/blog/medieval-castles-locations-usa/ ) Because travel was not an option due to the pandemic I need to find a more local location. I decided to search for medieval and medieval like structures in my state of Massachusetts that would be free, open to the public and permit filming. I decided to research each location and find one similar to it in Europe at the time of my performance piece.
The piece The performance of the piece is the biggest and most important aspect of this project. I initially had thought to do a piece from the book “The Heptameron”, written by Queen Marguerite of Navarre in the later part of the 16th century.(http://www.heptameron.info/day2/tale1.html) However upon further reflection I realized that the garb and location of a women with access to a copy would be harder to recreate and definitely be that of a higher class citizen. I was led to think about what written works a middle class citizen may own . Christian biblical works came to mind however I wanted to keep the piece secular. It was then I noticed a book of 15th century recipes I already owned. Additionally, these are written in the original English of the time and would give my reading a realistic feel. Furthermore, a woman receiving a letter with a recipe seemed to be a likely and very plausible moment. ( https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8108676-a-fifteenth-century-cookry-boke) Another possibility would be the works of Matthew of Paris, a monk in the 13th century who recorded historical and daily happenings.
Step Three- Preparing to create a historical moment
Area of focus Solution and preparation
Garb Once I had selected a recipe from the 15th century, I had a clear idea of what time and place my moment would take place in. I decided on a sideless surcoat and an undergown. https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:186525&datastreamId=FULL-TEXT.PDF Numerous examples of this garment combination exist in both paintings and a few extant pieces. (To complete a more accurate look I would cover my hair with a Brigitta cap ( https://clothingthepast.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/how-to-make-a-st-birgitta-coifcap/#:~:text=The%20original%20linen%20cap%20is,inches%20above%20the%20bottom%20edge. ) and not wear any SCA regalia.
Location While searching for a location my first choice was the Chapter House room at the Worcester Art Museum. It is a complete room from a French Benedictine priory. (https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le ) A request to recite and record there has been sent however at this time a reply has not been received. I found a site called Poet’s Seat in Greenfield, Massachusetts (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/poet-s-seat-tower ) that has architecture similar to an 11th century monastery in Italy. I was able to confirm this by using a Google image search and having the search engine look for a location that had visual similarities to Poet’s Seat. (https://www.amicidisanpietro.it/visit-to-san-pietro-al-monte/ )
Figure 4. Email
Piece I chose a recipe from the cook book on how to make a dish from pork and chicken that resembles a Cockatrice ( a mythical creature) when finished. It is a semi completed dish and one a person may have inquired about and wanted the recipe for due to its uniqueness. While most bardic work is done “off book” ( memorized) I decided that holding a letter and reading over the recipe seemed more authentic to the moment I was trying to create.
Changes, Substitutions and Rationale for Them
Area of focus Substitutes, changes and challenges for final product/filming
Garb After seeking feedback on my outfit aspects of it were not completely accurate. For example, the fit of my surcoat was too long and the undertunic was not the correct piece to be worn with the surcoat. It was also suggested that a simpler outfit would be more appropriate to be cooking in. Additionally, the weather changed and two layers of wool became too hot to wear. I decided to wear a simple working garment similar in color, cap and lack of sleeves to one in a book of hours owned by Henry the VIII.
Figure 5. From Henry the VIII book of Hours
Location I was unable to get to the filming location I had researched due to pandemic and other related non reschedulable issues. Because cooking can and would have been moved outdoors in warmer weather a wooden table was set up outside for the filming.
Piece/Performance A Fifteenth Century Cookery Boke( recipes from the British Museum and Bodleian Library)
In the original Middle English translation:
Thanks and Acknowledgments Mistress Albreda Alyse Mistress Pagan Graeme Master Peregrine the Illuminator Mistress Rayzia bint Rusa Master Michael of York Master Grim the Skald My ever supportive husband Lord Damhan MacRonain
To any good persons not listed who may have helped and memory has not provided me with aid, I do offer my thanks and encourage you to let me know your name so I may add it.
Sources America's top 10 medieval Castle locations. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.toursofdistinction.net/blog/medieval-castles-locations-usa/ Anderson, J. L., & Adams, A. (1962). A Fifteenth Century Cookry Boke. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Associazione amici di San Pietro al Monte. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.amicidisanpietro.it/visit-to-san-pietro-al-monte/ Chapter house of the Benedictine Priory of Saint John at Le Bas-Nueil. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/15838/chapter-house-of-the-benedictine-priory-of-saint-john-at-le Day 2 of The Heptameron - TALE 11. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from http://www.heptameron.info/day2/tale1.html Discovery of the month. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from http://tudoraccidents.history.ox.ac.uk/?page_id=177 A fifteenth century COOKRY boke by John L. Anderson. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8108676-a-fifteenth-century-cookry-boke Hayward, Paul L. (n.d.). Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/haywardp/hist424/seminars/Paris.htm Navarre,, M. R., & Reyff, S. D. (1982). Heptamřon. Paris: Flammarion. Purcell, B. (2019, September 25). The American robber barons who Stole Medieval Europe. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/in-the-early-1900s-dozens-of-centuriesold-european-buildings-came-to-america-where-is-medieval-america-now Saraitindall, & Saraitindall. (2016, January 19). How to make a St. birgitta coif/cap. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://clothingthepast.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/how-to-make-a-st-birgitta-coifcap/#:~:text=The%20original%20linen%20cap%20is,inches%20above%20the%20bottom%20edge Snell, M. (n.d.). Here's how you could have been fashionable in the middle ages. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-clothing-and-fabrics-1788613 Ugc. (2015, January 12). Poet's seat tower. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/poet-s-seat-tower Walker, P. A. (n.d.). FASHIONING DEATH: THE CHOICE AND REPRESENTATION OF FEMALE CLOTHING ON ENGLISH MEDIEVAL FUNERAL MONUMENTS 1250-1450. Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw%3A186525 Woodland Trust. (n.d.). Juniper. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/juniper/#:~:text=Common%20juniper%20is%20native%20to,spreading%20shrub%20or%20small%20tree.
Blog Post Summary for Immersive Moment One " In the Kitchen" / Proof of Concept
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.
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.
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