Story of Your Stories-
Researching your bardic pieces in order to add to your performance.
Agenda for Class
Introduction
Rationale for researching a piece and its time and place
How to organize the research and things to consider
One example explained
Questions/ Discussion ( email for those not present [email protected])
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.
- Notes and agenda will be posted on my website and I am available for email questions
Rationale or Why do the “extra work” of researching more about your piece?
Think about some extant or loosely extant pieces you know and love. Then ask and seek these answers-
Most important- WHY DO YOU WANT TO TELL THE STORY? What is YOUR story of this piece? Why are you telling it? Why is it important to you? When you know your “why” your enthusiasm for the piece can give you another source of energy to pull from. Being passionate about your art shows. Knowing your inspiration or goal will help you find the drive to practice and prepare.
UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET OF THE AUTHOR/ ORIGINAL AUDIENCE HELPS and can put actions, phrases or nuances of the story in perspective.
Some questions I ask are… ( and offer a class “More than words” on)
Where did they originate?
How specifically can you narrow down the origin?
What CAN you find out about that region or area at the estimated time of origin?
When were they written?
What battles, political events etc were happening ?
When were they translated into your native language and by whom? How many translations have occurred? ( hint- searching a site like www.abebooks.com can show you some AMAZING extant works for sale that REALLY get you thinking and then help you see translations)
What would a person be, what would they be wearing and where would they tell this?
How to organize the research and things to consider
Unless you are entering a challenge or competition that requires your documentation and about 10 -15 scholarly sites you usually can just keep your research in a file on your computer. A simple google doc works well. If you prefer paper that is also valid. Writing them and storing them will help your mind remember the knowledge and have a handy place to look if and when you need it later. Think of it as “drawing a map for the rabbit holes”.
Here is a sample information organizer. These help me keep focused, organized and save time and frustration
Topic:
Question I had:
Website, person I spoke to, or book:
Notes on what I read:
***Note- if you are seeking serious, scholarly or documentation for a high level competition I suggest going to the Ministry of Art and Science Website. Even if you are just curious and want to get some research help they have a lot of great articles and material. The tools discussed today are a START in that case.
https://moas.eastkingdom.org/teaching-learning/
One example explained
Around Christmas I was given a copy of The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry by 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. Books like this are one place I find stories and new material. I think of them as “inspiration diving boards”.
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 to never be heard from again. That is until one young man appeared. I will not continue the tale here as it is being added to my bardic “set list” for upcoming events and competitions.
Suffice to say I wanted to know more about this piece before I performed it. 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 writings such as Shakespeare, Chaucer and others. In fact, it was translated into several languages and even continues to be studied by scholars.
While researching the piece further, I found an interesting difference between translations. The one I had initially read seems to describe India and tigers, however, earlier translations clearly stated that the father was a Roman Emperor and the setting is clearly outside of Rome. Upon further research it appears that the setting can vary as well as other details from translation to translation. Specifically, the translations from the early twentieth century show aspects of Colonialism rampant at the time. For example, the version I first read suggested a scene in India, complete with a Tiger.
By researching the piece I am able to choose a version more accurate for a medieval telling. I became aware that although the stories are entertaining, they commonly contain a moral as they were written and rewritten by monks. Finally, I had a better understanding of where other period authors were looking for their inspiration .
Sources I have gathered and begun to research thus far related to the Gesta Romanorum -
Gesta Romanorum (Extracts). JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/10.2307/community.14637290. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Kahrl, Stanley J. “Allegory in Practice: A Study of Narrative Styles in Medieval Exempla.” Modern Philology, vol. 63, no. 2, 1965, pp. 105–110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/435710. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Lang, Andrew et. al. “ The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry . Dover Books, 2020. https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Cid-Chivalry-Childrens-Classics/dp/0486454703/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Tale+of+the+Cid%3A+and+Other+Stories+of+Knights+and+Chivalry&qid=1614617106&sr=8-1
“Making Meaning from Moral Reading.” Popular Reading in English c. 1400–1600, by Elisabeth Salter, 1st ed., Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2012, pp. 93–136. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1vwmfr7.7. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Marchalonis, Shirley. “Medieval Symbols and the ‘Gesta Romanorum.’” The Chaucer Review, vol. 8, no. 4, 1974, pp. 311–319. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25093280. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
“The Idea of the Labyrinth from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages.” Google Books, Google, books.google.com/books?id=rW6PDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT184&lpg=PT184&dq=gardinus%2Bemperor%2Bgesta%2Bromanorum&source=bl&ots=_HT_1EFLNn&sig=ACfU3U09iueJ2sYKlSn7PsqM3I_f7z39aA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis7eGwp_LuAhXCU80KHakkBZUQ6AEwBnoECBMQAw#v=onepage&q=gardinus%20emperor%20gesta%20romanorum&f=false.
Researching your bardic pieces in order to add to your performance.
Agenda for Class
Introduction
Rationale for researching a piece and its time and place
How to organize the research and things to consider
One example explained
Questions/ Discussion ( email for those not present [email protected])
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.
- Notes and agenda will be posted on my website and I am available for email questions
Rationale or Why do the “extra work” of researching more about your piece?
Think about some extant or loosely extant pieces you know and love. Then ask and seek these answers-
Most important- WHY DO YOU WANT TO TELL THE STORY? What is YOUR story of this piece? Why are you telling it? Why is it important to you? When you know your “why” your enthusiasm for the piece can give you another source of energy to pull from. Being passionate about your art shows. Knowing your inspiration or goal will help you find the drive to practice and prepare.
UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET OF THE AUTHOR/ ORIGINAL AUDIENCE HELPS and can put actions, phrases or nuances of the story in perspective.
Some questions I ask are… ( and offer a class “More than words” on)
Where did they originate?
How specifically can you narrow down the origin?
What CAN you find out about that region or area at the estimated time of origin?
When were they written?
What battles, political events etc were happening ?
When were they translated into your native language and by whom? How many translations have occurred? ( hint- searching a site like www.abebooks.com can show you some AMAZING extant works for sale that REALLY get you thinking and then help you see translations)
What would a person be, what would they be wearing and where would they tell this?
How to organize the research and things to consider
Unless you are entering a challenge or competition that requires your documentation and about 10 -15 scholarly sites you usually can just keep your research in a file on your computer. A simple google doc works well. If you prefer paper that is also valid. Writing them and storing them will help your mind remember the knowledge and have a handy place to look if and when you need it later. Think of it as “drawing a map for the rabbit holes”.
Here is a sample information organizer. These help me keep focused, organized and save time and frustration
Topic:
Question I had:
Website, person I spoke to, or book:
Notes on what I read:
***Note- if you are seeking serious, scholarly or documentation for a high level competition I suggest going to the Ministry of Art and Science Website. Even if you are just curious and want to get some research help they have a lot of great articles and material. The tools discussed today are a START in that case.
https://moas.eastkingdom.org/teaching-learning/
One example explained
Around Christmas I was given a copy of The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry by 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. Books like this are one place I find stories and new material. I think of them as “inspiration diving boards”.
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 to never be heard from again. That is until one young man appeared. I will not continue the tale here as it is being added to my bardic “set list” for upcoming events and competitions.
Suffice to say I wanted to know more about this piece before I performed it. 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 writings such as Shakespeare, Chaucer and others. In fact, it was translated into several languages and even continues to be studied by scholars.
While researching the piece further, I found an interesting difference between translations. The one I had initially read seems to describe India and tigers, however, earlier translations clearly stated that the father was a Roman Emperor and the setting is clearly outside of Rome. Upon further research it appears that the setting can vary as well as other details from translation to translation. Specifically, the translations from the early twentieth century show aspects of Colonialism rampant at the time. For example, the version I first read suggested a scene in India, complete with a Tiger.
By researching the piece I am able to choose a version more accurate for a medieval telling. I became aware that although the stories are entertaining, they commonly contain a moral as they were written and rewritten by monks. Finally, I had a better understanding of where other period authors were looking for their inspiration .
Sources I have gathered and begun to research thus far related to the Gesta Romanorum -
Gesta Romanorum (Extracts). JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/10.2307/community.14637290. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Kahrl, Stanley J. “Allegory in Practice: A Study of Narrative Styles in Medieval Exempla.” Modern Philology, vol. 63, no. 2, 1965, pp. 105–110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/435710. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Lang, Andrew et. al. “ The Tale of the Cid: and Other Stories of Knights and Chivalry . Dover Books, 2020. https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Cid-Chivalry-Childrens-Classics/dp/0486454703/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Tale+of+the+Cid%3A+and+Other+Stories+of+Knights+and+Chivalry&qid=1614617106&sr=8-1
“Making Meaning from Moral Reading.” Popular Reading in English c. 1400–1600, by Elisabeth Salter, 1st ed., Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2012, pp. 93–136. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1vwmfr7.7. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
Marchalonis, Shirley. “Medieval Symbols and the ‘Gesta Romanorum.’” The Chaucer Review, vol. 8, no. 4, 1974, pp. 311–319. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25093280. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.
“The Idea of the Labyrinth from Classical Antiquity through the Middle Ages.” Google Books, Google, books.google.com/books?id=rW6PDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT184&lpg=PT184&dq=gardinus%2Bemperor%2Bgesta%2Bromanorum&source=bl&ots=_HT_1EFLNn&sig=ACfU3U09iueJ2sYKlSn7PsqM3I_f7z39aA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwis7eGwp_LuAhXCU80KHakkBZUQ6AEwBnoECBMQAw#v=onepage&q=gardinus%20emperor%20gesta%20romanorum&f=false.