I have a character who's not royalty, but born of nobility. I'd like one of her main attributes to be piety. How would this be exhibited in an 1100ish Norman woman living in England? Any insight into the religious landscape during this period would be great. Recommendations for reference material would be very welcome. Thanks!
Pious Norman "Lady" Early Medieval England
- Thread starter PhyliA_Dobe
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Is she married? If not she might consider being a nun. If she is then, and her family have money, she could build a church, have a private chapel in her home, do good deeds (feed the poor). She might also dress in a non-frivolous style that reflects her piety. She might also pay for repairs to the church and/or give the local church gifts to beautify it - pay to have murals painted, candlesticks, alter clothes which she could embroider herself.
Is she young? Married? Widowed?
There would be certain things a pious and charitable widow woman could do that society would accept as "good works", like feeding the hungry or providing for sick children.
If she's a bit of a rebel or had a husband who believed similarly, she could teach the poor to read (when no one's looking.)
There would be certain things a pious and charitable widow woman could do that society would accept as "good works", like feeding the hungry or providing for sick children.
If she's a bit of a rebel or had a husband who believed similarly, she could teach the poor to read (when no one's looking.)
No, she really couldn't.
For one thing, the odds that she could read, even if she's a nun, are astronomically slim. The odds that her husband could read are not much better, and teaching the poor to read would be, well, ridiculous, and possibly, not even legal because of various laws regarding status.
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Agree with all you have said Medievalist. The idea of teaching the poor to read made my little brain boggle! Quite apart from the legal and social angles just getting the materials needed to teach them would require enormous effort. A pious woman would not do something that would be frowned on - it would be so against what she would have been taught about the duty of a wife and the role of a woman.
When I was at Winchester Cathedral, Margaret of Scotland was held up to be a fine Pious type (or maybe a relic of hers is there?) (I guess she is a bit
too high rank to be a good example and definitely anti-Norman):
http://floscarmelivitisflorigera.blogspot.com/2009/06/st-margaret-queen-of-scotland-click-to.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09655c.htm
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Small detail to consider--in those centuries the Mass was much less common than today. She might petition a bishop to be allowed to have an extra Mass held. She also might commission a special Book of Hours for someone--but keep in mind that in terms of time and money that would be akin to building someone a house today. Then again, perhaps she might try to purchase a Book of Hours that belonged to someone special--a particularly pious knight or nobleman for example. That might translate in our terms with getting someone a car that once belonged to Elvis.
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Good point about relics. A chunk of the true cross or a thorn from the crown of thorns would be good.
Could she go on pilgrimages?
It's a bit too early for either pilgrimages or relics, honestly.
c. 1100 the Normans were still having to exert fairly harsh control over money and lands, and there were still sharp divides, culturally, legally, and linguistically, between the Normans and the Saxons, never mind the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.
c. 1100 the Normans were still having to exert fairly harsh control over money and lands, and there were still sharp divides, culturally, legally, and linguistically, between the Normans and the Saxons, never mind the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.
Again, this is c. 1100. Even psalters were a bit of a rarity.
Tapestries on religious subjects and church vestments, were hugely popular in the era, and in England as well as Normandy.
Couldn't she say, take a boat to Normandy and visit some relics? Avoiding all White Ship style transport of course (which the King's neice Lucia-Mahaut forgot to do).
Disambiguation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Ship
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The problem is that thus far the concepts of pilgrimage and relics were not what they would be in even another 100 years.
There were relics; just not all that many, and mostly, in Rome.
The people who generally went on pilgrimages were engaging in perambulation as either a specific penance as assigned to them, often formally, or because of a some private but major sin, and a desire make restitution and show contrition.
It would not have been a "normal," or even a safe thing for a woman to do, and it would have been a little odd.
The first primary source account I can readily find regarding a woman on pilgrimage is early 13th century.
A noblewoman at this time would probably not be able to read, but she could have texts read to her. She might invite her chaplain or another priest to read for her regularly.
Stretching the idea just a little bit, she could even be a literary patron and commission her priest to write an ecclesiastical history. This was more likely to be a role of the high nobility, but perhaps you can take some literary liberties.
Stretching the idea just a little bit, she could even be a literary patron and commission her priest to write an ecclesiastical history. This was more likely to be a role of the high nobility, but perhaps you can take some literary liberties.
People's definition of pious differs, but I believe they practiced self-mortification in the 1100s as a sign of piety even among the lay persons.
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If her marital status is not an issue (aka you don't need her to be married) - have her be the abbess of a nunnery.
Otherwise I'd go with having her own private chapel and supporting a priest to say Mass there and do all the other services throughout the day. She'd probably take communion fairly often - once a month, maybe? (As opposed to just at Easter.)
If you've got access to a university library, you could check out Ermengard of Narbonne by Fredric Cheyette. It's been a good decade since I've read it, but IIRC it's about a 12th century noblewoman (in France, but your MC is Norman so it might work).
Otherwise I'd go with having her own private chapel and supporting a priest to say Mass there and do all the other services throughout the day. She'd probably take communion fairly often - once a month, maybe? (As opposed to just at Easter.)
If you've got access to a university library, you could check out Ermengard of Narbonne by Fredric Cheyette. It's been a good decade since I've read it, but IIRC it's about a 12th century noblewoman (in France, but your MC is Norman so it might work).
Also...
for more background info have a look at Resources by Era, stickied at number 5 in the Historical section of the Genres dept.
Heaps of suitable resources and sources there for you.
for more background info have a look at Resources by Era, stickied at number 5 in the Historical section of the Genres dept.
Heaps of suitable resources and sources there for you.
Wow, I can't thank you all enough! Yes, she is married. And now I'm going to make a bunch of notes from your responses. The fount of inspiration doth run over. xoxo
Unfortunately, no. She's being held as a captive for the majority of the story. I'm wondering what ramifications that will have on her marriage once she's free'd. It's not part of the story, per se. Just plain ole curiosity. Would her husband take her back out of duty? Reject her entirely? Interesting side note to a comment from above, but she is caught up in the Norman/Breton fighting between the Welsh princes and the Norman marcher lords along the welsh border.
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She could have her own little prayer book or book of hours (meaning the prayers for the hours of the day), personally made. They were usually very small, palm or hand sized (vellum is expensive!), with standard prayers for times of day and holidays. Really wealthy nobility had multicolored illuminations, but pen-and-ink illustrations were used in more humble ones. Books, of course, were a big deal, since they had to be entirely handmade, and one's own actual prayer book is an important sign of piety.
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Oh -- and she doesn't have to know how to read either. People knew those prayers by heart. It was the symbolism of having the prayer book that mattered.