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Saturday, May 29, 2021 - 07:00
Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 202 – The Adventuress by Catherine Lundoff - transcript
(Originally aired 2021/05/29 - listen here)
This quarter’s original story is by Catherine Lundoff. Catherine has a long writing career covering fantasy and science fiction, historical, horror, and (under the pen name Emily L. Byrne) erotica. In addition to writing her own fiction, she teaches workshops on both the practice and business of writing and publishing. This year she’s also the coordinator of the Pride Storybundle, which both she and I will have books in. I’ll have more details about that next week in the On The Shelf episode.
Catherine’s latest novel is Blood Moon, the second book in the Wolves of Wolf’s Point series, featuring a pack of menopausal werewolves who protect their community and solve crimes. The series is published by Queen of Swords Press, yet another one of Catherine’s projects – a publishing house devoted to swashbuckling tales of derring-do, bold new adventures in time and space, mysterious stories of the occult and arcane and fantastical tales of people and lands far and near.
“Swashbuckling tales of derring-do” is an apt description of the story Catherine has for us today. Set in the Carribbean of the 17th century, this adventure features the pirate Jacquotte Delahaye and the courtesan and spy Celeste Girard as they encounter a rival adventuress, known by the code-name “Astrea”. This is the third of the Jacquotte and Celeste stories that the Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast has been delighted to host. I love the blend of peril, intrigue, flirtation, clever escapes, and solid historical settings. So set your imagination for blue seas, dark alleyways, and secret messages in “The Adventuress.”
This recording is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License. You may share it in the full original form but you may not sell it, you may not transcribe it, and you may not adapt it.
The Adventuress
By Catherine Lundoff
“William Byam is the most fawning fair-tongu’d fellow in the world…” Celeste paused to look up at Jacquotte Delahaye over the stolen letter that she was reading from to see if the pirate captain was paying any attention to what she was reading aloud. “She has a barbed tongue, this English lady. But, listen, there is more: this Byam, he seeks to make an alliance with the Spanish king to make himself lord over this English Willoughbyland.” She stumbled slightly over the unfamiliar syllables of the colony’s name.
“Of course he does,” Jacquotte muttered. She was poring over a list of loot that her crew had taken from the English merchantman that they had captured only yesterday, but she looked up with a sigh. So far the only thing of any real value had been the bundle of letters that she had taken from their captain. For a brief moment, she wondered if anyone would pay for this information, at least until she saw the gleam in her companion’s eye.
“If I read her code aright, she says she is in danger, that this Byam may imprison her or worse soon. She must have proof of this connection to Spain—I must go and learn more. King Louis will want to know of this. Do you have pirate business in Cartagena or nearby, perhaps? If not, I can go alone. Perhaps Marie would like to accompany me.”
Celeste tapped her lovely pink lower lip thoughtfully with her finger. She was sprawled on the bed wearing a delightful lace and satin confection that made Jacquotte long to take it off as swiftly as possible. She rose and crossed the wooden floor with three strides that effortlessly adapted to the motion of the waves beneath the ship. “’Pirate business,’ as you so charmingly call it, can be done on the shipping routes that lead from Cartagena as well as those that venture near Port Royal or even Saint Martin. And we can even dabble in respectability. Bosun Miguel is eager to see how well a cargo of tobacco will sell in the markets of Paramaribo and here I can give him the chance to find out.” The pirate captain leaned down and gave her lover a rough, passionate kiss.
“Don’t you need to tell them to change course?” Celeste murmured some time later.
Jacquotte rose with a sigh and began getting dressed. “I sometimes wonder, chéri, who the actual captain of this ship is.”
Celeste watched her leave the cabin with a laugh before she rose and got dressed. Then she went to the desk to begin her own examination of the papers that Jacquotte had been studying so intently.
***
It was fortunate that it was a relatively short journey from Jacquotte’s hidden island base on St. Germaine to the waters of Surinam, at least from Celeste’s perspective. She wanted to find this English lady before the woman was imprisoned or found a way off the colony and back to England or wherever she planned to go next.
She spent some hours considering the writer’s likely identity, in hopes that it would help her find the other woman more quickly. The signature on the letters had been in code, like many of the references; “Astrea” was unlikely to be her true name. From her writing style, Celeste deduced that she was educated, but probably not a noble. A high-ranking servant like a governess or a companion, perhaps? Or an unmarried lady sent to the colony by her relations to find a husband in the circle of exiled nobles and men of means who had fled Cromwell’s Commonwealth?
They called such women “adventuresses,” among other things, and it amused Celeste to think that she was seeking a kindred spirit. Perhaps they might find some ground for exchanging information that benefitted them both. A shout from the deck interrupted her thoughts and she rose to exit the captain’s cabin in a flutter of long skirts.
Land was clearly visible on the horizon, complete with palm trees and a snug harbor near a beach that beckoned through the glass when she borrowed it from Jacquotte. The captain had her crew strike their privateer colors and replace them with a Dutch flag before they sailed into the shipping lanes where other vessels were likely to identify them. The visible parts of the deck and the pirates themselves had undergone a transformation into a well-armed merchant ship: unusual, but far from rare in these waters.
Celeste had transformed herself into a young colonial lady from Saint Martin and Jacquotte, more reluctantly, was turned into a respectable-looking young man who could be introduced as her brother. Marie and a few of the other pirates who had been servants in their previous lives were dressed for their parts as well and the whole party climbed into one of the small boats and disembarked in the port at Willoughbyland without incident after they anchored in the harbor.
“How much did you bribe the harbormaster?” Jacquotte asked her bosun, just loud enough for Celeste to hear her and flutter her fan up to hide her smile. The pirate captain threw her hands up in a brief gesture of disgust when Miguel answered her question in quiet, courteous tones, as befit a senior crew member on a rich merchant vessel. Having seen Miguel covered in blood with a dagger clenched in his teeth while swinging a cutlass on more than one occasion, Celeste turned away to study the crowd on the wharf to observe what she could of the locals as much to stop herself from laughing out loud at the incongruity.
The wharves were full of sailors, merchants and laborers, like any other merchant shipping port on the sea, but for the fact that so many of them were plainly English. A woman in a plain brown gown walking along the dockside in front of their ship caught her eye just then, despite the fact that the other woman was a drab bird in the sea of color and movement around her.
Their eyes met and the other woman quickly dropped her gaze and hurried away toward a side street, heading away from the wharf. “Marie, “ Celeste said thoughtfully, “ did you see that lady? The one in the plain brown gown who seemed to be in a hurry not to be noticed?”
“Oui, Mademoiselle. She became nervous when she saw you looking at her.” Marie tilted the parasol that she held over Celeste’s blonde curls. “Would you like me to see where she goes? I will meet you at the inn after that.”
Celeste nodded and took the parasol, watching as Marie vanished into the patchwork of crowds that swarmed around them. Jacquotte moved up to stand beside her, “Anything amiss?”
“Curiosity, for the most part. I am hoping that I may have caught a glimpse of our English lady, but it will depend on what Marie sees.”
“You must thank me later for insisting on bringing Marie with us when we left Saint Martin.” Jacquotte gave a throaty laugh as Celeste wrinkled her nose but nodded her agreement. “She will never make a pirate, but you will make a spy of her yet.” The captain turned and ordered their small troop of disguised pirates to pick up the baggage and follow her and they made a small parade of it toward their lodgings.
***
“What I don’t understand,” Jacquotte said, her voice almost plaintive, “is how, despite only being in port a few hours, you have already obtained so many invitations?” She was sprawled on Celeste’s bed, booted feet dangling off the edge, and looked as relaxed as a pirate captain in disguise could look under the circumstances.
“His Majesty’s loyal subjects are ever vigilant and eager to assist each other.” Celeste gave her a wry grin before she went back to carefully arranging the lace around her décolletage. She had not dressed to appear younger than her actual years in some time and it was proving more challenging than she had remembered. The trick was to look innocent and fresh while still appearing intelligent and witty, thus keeping the invitations rolling in.
“Indeed. And the Cardinal?”
“Is no doubt too preoccupied with his own plots to concern himself with us.” Celeste looked up triumphantly and checked the mirror. “Dinner should almost be ready, Marie is ingratiating herself with the salonnier’s servants, you have already readied several escape plans and Miguel and your crew are representing your business interests in the taverns along the wharf. We can relax and enjoy ourselves while we watch for this Englishwoman to reveal herself.”
Jacquotte stood with a sigh and put her jacket back on. She tidied her clothing and held out her arm. “My sister, shall we go down to dine?” Celeste rose with a light laugh and they exited, arm in arm.
Several hours and some social events later, Celeste found herself wishing that they had not eaten such a full meal at the inn before they left. Her stays creaked a little as their host urged ever more food and drink on them and she stifled an unrefined burp as she looked around the house. At least this one was a Frenchmen’s home and furnished with far more style than the English employed here in this strange little colony.
Jacquotte discussed trade with their host and his merchant friends as Celeste considered what they had learned so far. “Astrea” should be easier to find than she had feared; the merchant’s wives had provided her with a short list of possible suspects. The other spy’s fears were well-founded: Governor Byam was imprisoning and exiling his more vocal critics and his advisors had been making overtures to Spain.
In and of itself, Willoughbyland was too small to arouse concern in Paris, but if Spain controlled it, the impact might be far larger than the physical size of the colony: the wealth of the exiled nobles, coupled with its position on shipping lanes and access to good harbors could help seal off this part of the Caribbean to French ships. And that was not a risk to be ignored.
Jacquotte nudged her foot and Celeste started out of her thoughts and back into the conversation with a quiet apology. Pleading exhaustion from their journey, they left soon thereafter for the inn. “What, if anything, did we learn from that tedious evening? Apart form how charmingly distracted you can become during a conversation with merchant’s wives?” Jacquotte inquired in dangerously conversational tones once they were back in their rented coach.
Celeste tilted her head with an amused, coquettish grin. “Do you long for a night in the wharf taverns, my love? Brawling and drinking and dueling and perhaps being taken up by the Watch? You are better at this than you pretend. I have an idea of where to find our English lady and a much shorter list of possibilities as to her identity. What did you learn from your compatriots?”
“They had some difficulty believing that we were Dutch so I passed us off as being French, but from the Sint Maarten side of the island. Apart from that, I believe I may have found several buyers for Miguel’s beloved tobacco cargo.” Jacquotte reached out and coiled a finger in one of Celeste’s blonde curls. “And I learned that this Byam has declared himself governor for life.”
Celeste raised one eyebrow. “Why not king? Why stop at governor?”
Jacquotte shrugged. “Perhaps because it is already taken? Or because they have too many of Cromwell’s former followers in residence now to accept such a thing? They have been tolerant of religious differences and were governed through an assembly, one that elected the governor, at least until last month. Imagine Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Cavaliers and Roundheads, all living peacefully side by side like the proverbial lion and the lamb.” Jacquotte gazed into space for a moment, then added, “Why, they might be pirates!” She laughed cheerfully at the thought.
Celeste frowned at her in wonderment, trying to imagine how such a society had come to be. “Do they keep slaves for their sugarcane fields then? Or are they too at liberty?”
Jacquotte sobered. “They are not so enlightened as that. For that, they would indeed need to be pirates. Perhaps we should declare St. Germaine to be a queendom and welcome all comers?”
The sound of pistol shots and a woman’s scream outside, together with the carriage rattling to a sudden halt had the pirate on her feet in a moment. Celeste pulled the small pistol that she kept in her reticule free as Jacquotte tugged her small sword out of its scabbard. Celeste leaned forward and looked cautiously out the coach window. “Ah!” She exclaimed and unlocked the carriage door so Jacquotte could leap out.
She followed on the latter’s heels to find a woman in a cloak struggling with two men who were trying to take her off the street. One held her arm while she struck at the other, trying to break free, her breath harsh and heavy in the still night air. Celeste looked at Jacquotte and the other nodded, baring her teeth.
“I do not think that the mademoiselle wants to go with you,” Celeste said very firmly. She pointed her pistol at the man holding the woman’s arm while Jacquotte advanced on the other.
Jacquotte’s opponent muttered an oath in Spanish and drew his sword, while the one facing Celeste merely laughed. “What a charming toy, Mademoiselle! But this is not a game for foolish young ladies. Give that to me before you hurt yourself.” He smirked, the expression devilish on his long thin face. He towered over Celeste and the woman that he still held tightly by the arm and while he wore no coat of arms, his stance suggested that he was a Spanish soldier.
Blades clashed as Jacquotte and her opponent began to circle each other and a shot rang out. The Spaniard gave Celeste an incredulous stare, releasing the woman as his hands rose reflexively to his now bleeding chest. A string of oaths poured from his lips and he yanked his own pistol free of his belt. His hand trembled, but not enough, not enough, Celeste thought as she watched him wide-eyed.
The other woman struck at him, something shining in her hand. He gave a gurgling shout and swung his arm out, narrowly missing her face as she twisted his arm and struck him again. Celeste pulled her own knife out just as the woman yanked her arm free and threw him off balance. The man lurched, staggering and bleeding, toward Celeste, his arms stretched wide to seize her.
Celeste braced herself just as a motion caught her eye. Jacquotte’s blood-covered small sword flew straight as an arrow into the man’s chest and he fell with a final gurgle. Celeste whipped around to see the pirate’s foe on the cobblestones bleeding at her feet. Behind her, the inn’s coach could be heard galloping off into the night. Jacquotte uttered an oath and strode over to free her sword.
At that moment, the woman in the cloak turned and fled, her dress streaming behind her as she dashed up the alley and vanished around a corner. “Chase her!” Celeste demanded. “That’s her! It has to be!”
Jacquotte gave her a look of incredulity, but wiped her sword clean with a swift motion and ran after the fleeing woman. Celeste followed them, moving as swiftly as she could in her more elaborate dress and tight embroidered jacket. When she reached the end of the alley, Jacquotte and their quarry were out of sight and a piratical oath slipped past her lips. She looked around, wondering if she should hide here and hope Jacquotte came back or try to make her own way back to the inn.
After a long few moments, she thought she saw a landmark that she recognized and gave a cautious glance around. She could hear the Watch’s shouts growing nearer so she turned and faded into the shadows, moving in the same direction that the coach had gone.
***
Jacquotte found herself in what appeared to be a blind alley, her quarry nowhere in sight. She spun around, sword in hand, her gaze darting to each shadow in turn. After a moment, she walked to the end of the alleyway and paused, motionless in the deeper shadows, to wait. After what felt like an eternity, another shadow detached itself from a nearby doorway and slipped away toward the next street.
The pirate followed, sword held carefully against her leg to conceal it from the glow of the moon. There came some distant shouting from behind them: the Watch must have found the bodies. Hopefully Celeste had gotten away and returned to the inn. That dress was not made for speedy pursuits. Jacquotte bit back a smile at the thought of returning in time to help her paramour disrobe.
With an effort, she focused again on her quarry. Celeste thought that this was the woman that they sought, but was she right? Jacquotte did not fancy chasing a random streetwalker through the alleys of a strange town in the middle of the night unless there was a payoff at the end of it. She could, she realized a moment later, simply go back to the inn and say that she had lost the trail. They could look again tomorrow. Or perhaps she could get Celeste to forget this foolishness and they could enjoy themselves here for a bit, then leave for Paramaribo with the rest of the tobacco. The ships were rich in this part of the sea; they could take a merchantman or two while sailing back home.
Just a few more steps and she would go back to the inn…the woman who charged out of the darkness hit her sharply on the head with a stick and Jacquotte reeled back, nearly skewering her with her unsheathed sword. She swore vigorously and caught the woman’s arm as she tried to run away. “You fool! What are you doing? We stopped to defend you!”
“And now you are following me! How do I know that you’re not—”
“A Spanish soldier sent to assassinate or kidnap you? You don’t.” Jacquotte pulled her out into the moonlight. “Are you Astrea?”
Even in the dim light, she could see the other woman’s face pale. Then saw her expression shift. “You’re a woman!”
“Why don’t you yell loud enough for the Watch to show up and find me with bloodstains on my sword, mademoiselle?”
Astrea clapped a hand over her mouth, then dropped it with a sigh. “Very well. Let us suppose that I do use that name. Who are you and why are you following me?”
“Let us say that I am here at the request of a friend. As to who I am, I don’t believe that information would make you feel any better right now. Where are you going? If you mean to return to your lodgings, I suspect that they will be waiting for you there as well. Do you have anything there that you must have?”
“My clothes, some letters…” her voice trailed off and she reached out her hand to rest it against the bricks beside them. For a moment, it looked as if she might faint.
Jacquotte sighed heavily and impatiently. She was a pirate, not a nursemaid or a spy, but she knew that she could not just leave this woman here and return to lie to Celeste. For one thing, Celeste would know, somehow, and for another, well, that was best left unexamined. “Come with me. I will take you to meet the friend who helped rescue you. She can explain everything.”
“Everything?” Astrea arched a dark eyebrow. “She must be most unusual.”
“That she is.”
***
Celeste was sitting in a chair by the fire waiting for them impatiently when they got back to the inn. She leapt up to greet Jacquotte, then froze when she saw that she was not alone. “Wait, why did you bring her here? Are her rooms watched?”
“We had no reason to assume otherwise,” Jacquotte replied with a shrug. “I assured her that you could explain who we are and what our role is.” She walked over to the chair and dropped down into it, helping herself to a large swig from Celeste’s wine jug.
“You…of course, you did. Very well.” Celeste gave her a quick glare, then switched to English. “Astrea, please sit down.” She gestured toward the other chair. The woman favored her with an intense dark-eyed stare that combined exhaustion and distrust. Celeste walked over and grabbed the wine from Jacquotte’s hands. She handed the jug to Astrea, who took it cautiously and sat down slowly and reluctantly.
“I could tell you that we are a brother and sister from Saint Martin, newly arrived with a cargo of tobacco, but you already suspect that to be false. Instead, I will tell you that we have these and that we know what you are doing here.” She walked over to her trunk and pulled out a battered stack of letters, turning them so the other woman could see the broken wax seal.
Astrea blanched and stared at them in horror. Celeste could see her gaze dart around the room, looking for weapons. She must think they worked for the Spanish or for Byam himself. Celeste held up a hand. “I am Mademoiselle Celeste Adele Girard and I am here in the service of France. This is my br—” She paused as Jacquotte shook her head.
The pirate continued where she left off. “I am Captain Jacquotte Delahaye and I am—”
“A pirate!” Their guest gasped. “But how…why…” She trailed off, looking from Celeste to Jacquotte and back again, clearly seeking answers. After a moment of silence, she raised her hands in a puzzled gesture, then shrugged. “All right, you’re a pirate and a French spy, if I’m understanding this correctly. And you have my letters so I assume that you want information that you think I have. I want to make a trade.” Astrea drew in a trembling breath and crossed her arms.
“Indeed,” Celeste tilted her head and sat on the bed across from her. “One might argue, mademoiselle, that you are in no position to bargain, what with the governor being your enemy and Spanish soldiers chasing you.”
Astrea drew in a sharp breath and glared at her, “My letters were in code! You don’t know everything that I found out!”
Celeste gave her a superior smile, but Jacquotte chose that moment to interrupt them with a heavy sigh and a restless movement. “I would like to go to sleep before dawn so I will simply ask what it is you want in return for the information you think you have.”
The other woman eyed them both warily before finally fixing on Jacquotte. “I want passage to Jamaica. I have…acquaintances there that can help me get back to England. I don’t have the funds to take ship from here and, as you have pointed out, I do not believe that Byam or the Spanish would let me leave so easily. I know you have a ship in port: hide me on it and help me get to Port Royal.”
“So simple and yet so much risk for us. Is your information worth that?” Celeste practically purred her words, but one could hear the touch of menace behind them.
It was the beginning of a short negotiation, longer than Jacquotte liked, but shorter than any of them feared. Astrea provided them with additional information and some of the documents that she had obtained. “But not all of them and not my code, not until you get me to Port Royal. Then I’ll give you copies of what I have; I do need something to give my employers when I reach London.”
Celeste glanced at Jacquotte and got a sleepy nod. “Very well. You may sleep on the floor here tonight and we’ll make other arrangements in the morning.”
Astrea’s lips parted in what was clearly going to be a protest, but she stayed silent at Jacquotte’s frown. She accepted a blanket with ill grace and stayed sitting in the chair with the blanket wrapped around her. “I’ll sleep here rather than have you undo my stays, thank you.”
Jacquotte sighed and stripped out of her outer garments before climbing into the bed behind Celeste. She blew out her candle and while the two spies stared at each other by firelight, closed her eyes and was soon quietly snoring.
***
Getting the English spy to the ship involved some inventive planning. Marie and one of the men went to her rooms and gathered her meager possessions and spun her landlady a tale about her staying with newly arrived friends from England. Once a few shillings lined her pocket, she helped them pack Astrea’s things.
Then, there was the matter of the tobacco cargo. Miguel managed to sell most of it, though at a lower price than he had hoped. Still, it was enough to make this a profitable voyage and Jacquotte was loath to alienate the local merchants by fighting their way out, as her crew suggested. Their departure would, she thought with a heavy sigh directed at the women across the room from her, have to be done Celeste’s way.
“A pity we cannot easily disguise you as a man,” Celeste said wistfully, eyeing Astrea’s curves. She tilted her head to one side and Astrea rolled her eyes.
The Englishwoman plucked a pillow from the bed and a sash from Celeste’s clothes and proceeded to lash the former to her stomach. “There. A change of clothes, a hat, some dirt rubbed on my face to look like a sparse beard and I am a man, for the nonce. Long enough to get to your ship and even enough to pass inspection as long as no one looks too closely.” She bowed awkwardly over her newly padded middle.
“Convincing enough for me. I’m off to the ship to prepare, but I’ll be back in two hours with a cart to fetch you. Be ready.” Jacquotte nodded in a way that made it clear that this was not a request and swept out the door.
“I begin to feel as if I am in a comic opera,” Celeste said, throwing her hands up. “Very well. We will try what you suggest.”
When the cart arrived, Celeste was accompanied by Marie and a plump, pale man whose head was being eaten by an overly large hat. They were nearing the wharf when soldiers marched in from a nearby street and surrounded them. Jacquotte’s hand went to her sword, but Celeste caught her arm. “Gentleman, why do you stop us? We are simply returning to our ship.”
“And these, Mademoiselle, are part of your crew?” The biggest of the soldiers smirked, his expression suggesting such a thing to be impossible.
Celeste laughed musically. “Oh, you jest sir! No, of course not. This is my brother, my maid and my brother’s servant. We are bound for the Lynx and returning to Saint Martin and home.”
“Indeed.” The soldier swaggered closer to take a hard look at Astrea, who slouched and looked bored. She tugged her forelock under the hat and gave an awkward sitting bow, then spread her legs on the bench and scratched her inner thigh, just below the padding she had inserted in her breeches. The soldiers guffawed. “Got French fleas, do you? Well, take them away. You’re not the one we’re looking for.”
They parted and let the cart through, but the party was silent until they reached the Lynx and unloaded. As they prepared to set sail, Celeste eyed their companion. “You could almost be an actor with such an ability to disguise yourself.”
Astrea laughed. “My thanks, Mademoiselle. I have quite enough trouble being taken for a whore already.” Her face grew thoughtful. “Though perhaps I might claim the anonymity of my pen and write some of my adventures down for the stage. Mercí, Mademoiselle. You have given me an idea.” She turned and began to walk away, her steps leading her toward the Captain’s cabin where she would stay until they reached Port Royal.
“Wait,” Celeste called after her, intrigued by her shift in expression. “What is your name, your real one?”
The other woman turned and doffed her oversized hat. “Aphra Behn. Mrs. Aphra Behn, at your service. Look for it if you find yourself in London in a couple of years.”
Celeste shifted her parasol and gave her an amused sidelong glance. “Oh, I will, Mrs. Behn. I will.” She watched the other woman walk away and tried to imagine a female Shakespeare. Jacquotte caught her eye and she laughed quietly at the direction her thoughts had taken. “Why not?” She murmured to herself and climbed the stairs to the foredeck to join the captain.
Show Notes
This quarter’s fiction episode presents “The Adventuress” by Catherine Lundoff, narrated by Heather Rose Jones.
Links to the Lesbian Historic Motif Project Online
- Website: http://alpennia.com/lhmp
- Blog: http://alpennia.com/blog
- RSS: http://alpennia.com/blog/feed/
- Twitter: @LesbianMotif
- Discord: Contact Heather for an invitation to the Alpennia/LHMP Discord server
- The Lesbian Historic Motif Project Patreon
Links to Heather Online
- Website: http://alpennia.com
- Email: Heather Rose Jones
- Twitter: @heatherosejones
- Facebook: Heather Rose Jones (author page)
Links to Catherine Lundoff Online
- Website: Catherine Lundoff
- Website: Queen of Swords Press
- Twitter: @clundoff
- Facebook: Catherine Lundoff
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Thursday, May 27, 2021 - 20:11
This will be the last session I blog for this year—and just in time because the recorded sessions will be going off the web in a day or two. In the past half dozen years I’ve been delighted at how many papers there are on the history of magic, across a wide variety of cultures and practices. One of the pitfalls in writing historical fantasy is being insufficiently imaginative regarding magical elements. We get so much of our exposure to historic magic filtered through popular culture, which has all the hazards of anything picked up from popular culture. One of the ways I combat that in my own work is to go back to original sources, in all their irrational detail. And the magic papers at Kalamazoo have given me a lot of leads, as well as a passing exposure to even more magical cultures that I don’t have time to explore on my own. For the immediate topic—love magic—I’m glad to see that one of the papers addresses the issue of consent, which is most often ignored within the historic context itself.
Carved in Apples, Addressing Stars, or Encrypted: Love Magic in the Medieval and Early Modern German Tradition - Chiara Benati, Univ. degli Studi di Genova
German love magic texts are attested relatively late (14th c and later) as compared to healing charms. It’s a heterogeneous group of texts with a variety of purposes, not only attracting love but also retaining the attention of a straying partner. The love-attraction charms are usually directed at women. The name of the target is a key element, incorporated into the charm. This is combined with other physical elements. There is usually a description of the negative effects the target should feel if they don’t succumb. A sample: write certain symbols on your hand, and at a specific time and place speak the formula demanding that the person (by name) love you. A similar one, but write the symbols on an apple (while it’s still on the tree) and see that the target eats it. (Often the charms are directed at someone who is unaware of the practitioner’s interest.) Another formula involving writing the target’s name on the tongue of a frog. The previous involved very short formulas, in some cases just symbols and the target’s name, but there are also longer texts with more details of what is desired and the consequences of not responding. The desired state is described in terms similar to obsession: compulsive thoughts, inability to sleep, etc.
Charms against infidelity are often focused on periods of temporary separation. They may invoke Christ as guarantor of the partner’s fidelity. They often have a threatening tone and may use Marian analogies to describe the pain the partner will suffer if they are unfaithful. The paper goes in detail into a specific 15th c charm that includes formulas found in another magical text as well, but in this case the charm is written in a mixture of Greek and Latin letters. The parallels between the two charms indicate a connected tradition despite other differences in the texts. Speculation that the use of Greek letters may have been to disguise the magical nature of the text, in a context where users of magic were beginning to be prosecuted.
Magical Matchmaking: Third-Party Love Potions in Medieval Romances - Dr. Dalicia Raymond, PhD English, Spartanburg Methodist College
Compares examples from Tristan & Isolde and Lancelot & Elaine. By “third party” love potions she means potions created and administered by someone other than the target couple. In T&I, Isolde’s mother provides a love potion to Isolde’s handmaiden to be used in the context of her upcoming wedding, but it is accidentally consumed by her and Tristan, resulting in their mutual love and driving the plot. Isolde’s mother intended only positive outcome (that the partners in the arranged marriage would love each other). The potion is intended to be kept secret from the recipients, denying consent to the lovers. The text does not condemn the lovers or the administrator of the potion, but only the potion itself and perhaps the practice of using love potions in general.
In the case of Lancelot & Elaine, Lancelot is framed as the primary victim of the potion while Elaine’s experience isn’t particularly explored. Elaine’s father, believing Lancelot to be the prophesied father of Galahad, arranges for Brisane to make a love potion to ensure that the two has sex (because it’s the will of God). The romance presents the result as a divine plan, despite its immorality. In this case, Lancelot’s coerced desire is explicitly against his stated desires. Elaine is depicted as desiring the outcome, but not as being affected by a potion. It’s unclear whether she is aware that Lancelot has been coerced.
Summary: in contrast to love potions administered by a member of the couple, which generally have personal motivation, these third person love potions are done for political and strategic reasons and are relatively free of consequences. But what consequences there are tend to fall on the victims of the potions, not the administrators.
Reclaiming Freedom with Magic Potions - Mathilde Pointiere Forrest, Louisiana State University
[Evidently the speaker was not able to join the panel.]
Teaching "Love Magic" in the Aftermath of #MeToo - Dr. Emilee J. Howland, PhD, State Technical College of Missouri
Discussion of issues of love magic and consent in Chaucer and Mallory, both of whom faced charges of rape. A general discussion of how to teach topics that parallel evolving social concerns in the classroom. Background discussion of the #MeToo movement, especially in academia. In love magic, a person is compelled by an outside force to participate in sex—negating the person’s right to consent or not. The speaker discusses how the rape charges against Mallory and Chaucer are often presented with justification or amelioration. “It wasn’t actually rape.” “The word didn’t mean what we understand by rape.” “The charges were made by a third party, not by the woman.” These justifications may then be turned around and applied to modern contexts. How can the historic motifs and actions be put in context in ways that are both true to the history and sensitive to student circumstances and reception? Handling direct examples of assault and rape in texts requires one set of approaches. But how does love magic fit into this? How do we navigate the dynamics of consent when trickery or magic remove a character’s ability to provide informed consent? And how do those dynamics change when the outcome (e.g., production of a prophesied child) is depicted as an ultimate good? Does the end justify the means? Dealing with this material is part of the current challenge of progressive academia.
And that's it for Kalamazoo until next year! All that's left now is the unboxening of the books, which all appear to have arrived at this point.
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ConventionsTuesday, May 25, 2021 - 19:53
It's a bit frustrating that some of the more interesting papers are the ones the authors don't want shared. But there are a lot of reasons why speakers request no social media sharing. In some cases, the images are shared that require licences for general "publication" as opposed to research purposes. In some cases, the paper is part of a research project intended for publication and general sharing would undermine the "value" as a publication. Some academics working on "hot button" topics--especially those with marginalized identities--feel the need to carefully manage their public exposure to avoid having to deal with hostile attacks in social media. (Not typically a problem in Christine de Pizan studies, but I'm speaking more generally of the conference as a whole.) The issue of conferences asking for affirmative consent for social media sharing of presentations is fairly new--within the last 4-5 years, I think, for Kalamazoo. But that mirrors the timeframe within which live-tweeting reactions to conference papers moved from an occasional entertainment to a common practice.
Unraveling the Mysteries of High-Warp Tapestries in the Works of Christine de Pizan - Earl Jeffrey Richards, Bergische Universität Wuppertal and Julia A. Nephew, PhD, Independent Scholar
The presenter has requested that their content not be shared on social media. The paper is an examination of various depictions of weaving in art to argue that a specific term that Christine uses does not refer to a weaving technique, but rather to a specific genre of content depicted in tapestries.
Christine de Pizan, from Page to Performance: The Elevated Role of Material Objects in Communicating Thought and Establishing Authority - Suzanne Hélène Savoy, Independent Scholar
The presenter has requested that their content not be shared on social media. The paper explores the use of objects referenced in Christine’s work employed as props in the speaker’s dramatized presentation of Christine’s works.
High Roofs and Shining Stones: Urban Space and the Art of Building in the City of Ladies - Shou Jie Eng, Independent Scholar
Examines Christine’s description of the building of the (metaphorical) city of ladies in the context of urban planning, as well as imagined spaces. The philosophy of urban/architectural planning has a tradition of philosophical considerations, thereby approaching the same metaphorical understanding as Christine from the other side. [This is my interpretation of what he’s saying.] Urban design and building design reflect each other at different scales with corresponding functions and meanings. He’s working from a translated edition alongside various illustrated versions of the manuscript. [I’m going to confess that the analysis is a bit too abstract for me to summarize neatly.] The overall sense seems to be a comparison of Christine’s allegorical advice on building with the advice given by architectural manuals for actual physical structures. The speaker seems a bit surprised that Christine would be so knowledgeable about functional architectural practices.
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ConventionsMonday, May 24, 2021 - 20:06
One definite advantage of watching these sessions in recorded form in the comfort of my own home is that I can take the laptop out into the garden and relax in a lawn chair while watching. These papers were all jam-packed full of details and descriptions, which don’t always make for good textual summaries. So this is just a taste of what was offered.
Lucky Charms: Instances of Protective Amulets and Trends in Byzantine Dress - Ms. Angela L. Costello, MA, Independent Scholar
Looks at jewelry and textile motifs used as protective magic, including cross-cultural influences in Byzantine practice. (The paper is being read very quickly, so it will be hard to take notes and listen carefully at the same time.) A special focus is on the “Mati” blue eye-bead against the evil eye that has been used up to the present day. Discusses various pre-Christian motifs that persisted even in the face of condemnation. E.g., coins and pendants of Alexander the Great. Generalized motif of “holy rider” representing various horseback figures. Gorgon motif on amulets used up through the late Byzantine period. Not all motifs appear on textiles, e.g., no examples of Gorgons. Always difficult to tell the intent of such motifs sort of contemporary commentary. Earlier examples may have been considered directly protective, later examples as invoking intermediaries. Cross-cultural innovations in motifs such as the holy rider can make it difficult to clearly identify magical motifs among similar themes – not all riders are “holy riders”. In clothing, even the use of individual colored threads may have magical purpose, e.g., red threads used in specific locations in tunics. Compare other uses of red threads or knots in popular magic. Emperors might wear (or have themselves depicted wearing) clothing evoking the holy rider image to represent a protective presence. Shift in Byzantine fashions to Ottoman-inspired kaftans. (Suggested this is a “protection by imitation” of the encroaching Ottomans?)
How Revealing: Attire in Late Thirteenth-Century Hispanic Texts - Marija Blašković, University of Vienna
Looks at two chivalric texts—El Cid, and the Partidas (law/customary codes)--and how clothing is used in them. Detailed prescriptions of colors for different groups in ceremonial contexts, as well as general directions about clothing and appearance. Didactic philosophical discussions of the meanings of various parts of knightly dress and armor. This detailed concern for knightly appearance is reflected in the descriptions of clothing and accoutrements in Cantar de Mio Cid. The poem also contains negative examples of clothing of non-virtuous men. These same passages generally have the details of clothing edited out in the version included in the Estoria de España. Examples from other versions included in historic chronicles with varying levels of clothing description. (There are a lot of cataloged details from various texts. In general, they tie back to the manuals on the proper appearance of knights and the importance of clothing to status.) Examples of woodcut illustrations of the tale of the Cid from the 16th century.
Quilts of Many Colors: The Paned Quilts of Henry VIII - Ms. Lisa Evans, Independent Scholar
Physical examples of pieced quilts are difficult to find before the early modern period, however inventory descriptions can be highly suggestive of colorful pieced coverlets. We are given inventory descriptions of three items from Henry VIII’s inventories whose descriptions are consistent with this type of item but highly unusual. Additional data from artistic depictions and descriptions are brought in to support a vision of what these objects may have looked like. Inventories contain both a large number of very plain quilted coverlets of linen or wool, in addition to a smaller number of luxury fabrics. Most of the high-end “paned coverlets” were of two colors only, sometimes embellished with needlework(?). None of these paned quilts survive, however later traditions in pieced, quilted coverlets suggest some of the visual possibilities. The three focal objects from the Richmond inventory are different in having 3-6 colors. We are shown some examples of colorful pieced clothing/furnishings form Asia. European examples of descriptions in literature that clearly describes coverlets pieced of multiple colorful luxury fabrics. Example of Italian domestic frescos painted in trompe l’oeiul to depict pieced wall hangings, including the hooks used to hang them. Manuscript illustrations of knightly trappings suggestive of piecing. Examples of two-color paned cloths of estate. Various examples of clothing from 16th c Germany and Italy that appear to be colorful piecing. An acknowledgement that some of the artistic examples may be imaginative or created by painting or patterned weaving rather than piecing. Actual examples of pieced furnishings include the 14th c. Anjou Textile, the 15th c Impruneta Cushion (very colorful piecing in small complex designs). No indication in Henry VIII’s court of pieced clothing, though Anne of Cleves may potentially have introduced German fashions for paned clothing. And Anne of Cleves has a connection to Richmond, which may then have a connection to the multi-colored paned quilts in the Richmond inventory, though this is speculation. The fashion for paned quilts faded in the next century in favor of imported Indian fabrics. Later fashions in pieced quilts, including paned/striped designs seem to have been a re-invention.
Blackwork in Red, Cockatrice, and Rabbit: A Peculiar Jacobean Waistcoat-as-Bestiary - William E. Arguelles, The Graduate Center, CUNY
A study of a waistcoat with red “blackwork” designs of beasts and plants. The base fabric is a linen/wool blend and the embroidery is done in red wool. Description of the needlework techniques. Garment was reworked in the late 17th century (?to accommodate a stomacher?) resulting in some cutting and piecing of the embroidery. The motifs are embroidered across some seams, suggesting that the garment was assembled first, though in other places the embroidery ends at the seam. So a combination of approaches. A set of lacing holes appear to be added later as they sometimes pierce the motifs. Now we move on the motifs and their arrangement. There is an interplay of the mythical and the mundane with no clear order. (The speaker is badly misidentifying various floral motifs.) Beast motifs: parrot (identified as a sparrow), squirrel, rabbit, leopard, and cockatrice. Reference to a possible heraldic connection for the cockatrice. Insect motifs: butterfly in all stages including caterpillar and chrysalis. Insects are more common on the back of the garment, with beasts more on the front. The cockatrice is given the most prominence in the design. Various animal motifs repeat, though in slightly different variations, but appear to be taken from the same base pattern. Discussion of the cockatrice motifs and their significant placement on the garment’s back, while the “featured” motif on the front is the leopard. (This seems to be mostly a descriptive paper rather than having a thesis.)
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ConventionsSunday, May 23, 2021 - 20:59
I had meant to start watching the recorded sessions from Kalamazoo last week, and then my day-job landed on my head, not to let up until 10pm Saturday night when my emergency investigation closed. So I'll be blogging the remaining recorded sessions I have earmarked this week, since the recordings are going away after that.
Dressed to Fail: Textile Signifiers in Medieval Icelandic and Welsh Texts - Dr. Sarah M. Anderson, PhD, Princeton University
The presenter has asked that their paper not be shared on social media. The title and scope has been revised from the version in the schedule.
Chrétien’s Chevalier au lion: Nudity, Tattered Clothes, and the Distress of Undress - Monica L. Wright, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The presenter has asked that their paper not be shared on social media.
Thresholds of Fashion in the Sixteenth-Century Scottish Court - Melanie Schuessler Bond, Eastern Michigan University
General topic is how clothing represents levels of social status, as reflected in specific garments, fabrics, and dyes. In general, the correlation of garments and status is identified based on known status of specific wearers, but from this, meaningful exceptions can be identified. The data is taken from the accounts of the Regent (the Eral of Arran), and represent garments authorized from his accounts. People of the time had a detailed understanding of fabric and dye values and could interpret people’s status (or claims to it) on that basis.
Men’s “gowns” (garment) correlate with high status. Most men did not receive them. (Chart of distribution of fabric prices for men’s gowns.) The “coat” was a more general garment. Fabric prices are shown again, including distribution relative to the wearer’s rank. There is a general correlation, however notable exceptions are pages wearing expensive fabric to reflect the status of their employer.
Women’s clothing is primarily reflected by upper class individuals and so is somewhat less useful for statistics. (This paper has lots of lovely charts and graphs of data.) Women’s hoods correlated with the highest status. Women’s gowns were not as restricted to higher status in the way that men’s gowns were. A chart of the prices of dyed wools, showing the overall relative value as well as the range of value for each color. More fabric values based on variety within each general fabric type. The most expensive fabrics (e.g., cloth of gold) are not included in the inventory data and restricted to the Regent’s immediate family. Purple garments again appear primarily for the regent’s immediate family, especially in the context of wedding garments.
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ConventionsSaturday, May 15, 2021 - 19:48
The conference is over, save for the sessions I've marked for viewing when they come out in video in a couple of days. (So there may be a few more blogs on those over the next week.) As a wrap-up for this, the first virtual 'Zoo, I present to you the collated, edited, and organized...
Unofficial ICMS Bingo Squares
(also applicable to other conferences)
There are 35 squares, sorted into 6 categories. This allows for randomization in individual bingo cards. It is recommended that squares be drawn from each category for good coverage. I've attempted to edit and generalize the squares to avoid poking fun at any particular demographic. Feedback on this point is appreciated. These are taken from a private chat channel I participated in with some friends during the conference, and believe me there were things that needed to be edited before appearing in public!
Environment
- Speaker’s cat appears and becomes very affectionate
- Unfortunate Object is visible in speaker’s zoom background
- Barking dog, sirens, or other background noise
- Speaker’s phone goes off during paper
Technology glitches
- Speaker is unable to open key files
- Speaker can’t connect
- Speaker’s sound is muffled/poor quality
- Speaker loses internet connection mid-talk
- Speaker’s connection freezes
Generic Zoom Things
- Previous speaker forgets to mute and has background conversation during paper
- Speaker has lost track of the zoom window
- Speaker is on mute [suggested “free square”]
- Speaker announces, “I’m going to share my screen now” [suggested “free square”]
- Moderator has to ask audience member to mute due to feedback/background noise
- Closed-captioning misinterprets word in amusing or embarrassing way
It Could Happen at Any Conference
- Moderator complains that panel discussion is not covering intended subject
- Speaker you most wanted to hear didn’t show up
- Speaker is missing a page of their paper and improvises
- "This isn’t so much a question as a comment"
- None of the panel discussion members have prepared remarks and all stare at each other in silence
- More than one paper withdrawn from session / speaker not able to appear
- Speaker admits to writing paper the night before
- Paper topic is entirely different from what was originally proposed
Presiders/Presenters Behaving Badly
- Moderator mangles presenter name or paper title
- Moderator/respondent compliments papers with gendered language (e.g., “lovely paper” for a female speaker vs. “wonderful paper” for a male speaker)
- Speaker boasts about and shows off library
- Pre-session chatter among speakers is a bit more candid than is wise for a 'hot mic'
- Speaker engages in egregious name-dropping
- Speaker brings in personal skill/interest unrelated to topic of paper and it overwhelms the content
- Moderator turns off video and is AWOL when speaker finishes
Zoom-Conference Interface
- Speaker’s household member appears in background
- Speaker emails slides to moderator in real-time due to being unable to screen-share
- Speaker requires real-time troubleshooting for technology problems
- Academics of a Certain Age discuss learning the ins and outs of zoom and other technologies
- Speaker is unable to present PowerPoint and see paper text simultaneously
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ConventionsSaturday, May 15, 2021 - 14:37
Nothing really strongly caught my interest in this time-slot. A couple of the session had intriguing session titles but the specific papers didn’t hit my interest-targets. I picked this one more or less at random because it had a textile-related paper. This is the last serious session of the conference. (The next time-slot is devoted to the humorous Pseudo-Society presentation.)
"Ego volo et ordino": Devotion and Women's Charitable Bequests of Textiles in Fourteenth-Century Dalmatia - Giulia Giamboni, University Of California, Santa Barbara
An analysis of bequests in wills, with consideration of the textile content and the specified purposes for them. By specifying, for example, use as vestments, women were able to “occupy space” within the church that was denied to them as women. There is a summary of existing work on this topic in various medieval contexts. This paper will look at three specific case studies.
Noblewoman who made gifts to 6 monasteries, including a garment of red silk enriched with pearls, given to a Franciscan monastery. Also gave garments of samite, fabric ornamented with precious stones, also non-textile gifts. Sometime combinations of garments, textiles, and objects were specified to be given together. There is a suggestion that the gifts were intended to be visually recognizable as her possessions, creating a personal presence.
Second example: wealthy family had donated to create Franciscan establishment and hospital. Woman from this family established school for (?girls -- unclear?) as well as donating rich textiles specified for particular uses, including liturgical garments. Also donated more ordinary fabric intended for everyday clothing for the monks, inserting herself into their personal experience.
Third example: less wealthy woman donates textiles for one specific garment to be worn while celebrating mass “in perpetuity” in the church where she will be buried.
Discussion of political symbolism, given the context – political control by Venice, with local notables aligning themselves with ?Hungary? as a form of resistance. Within this context, the donation of textiles by women to urban monastic institutions they show specific political allegiances, given that the religious institutions were actively involved in political alignments and encouraging the population to resist Venetian rule. There is a discussion of the specific political experiences of the families of the women discussed above.
"Reform Hagiography" in the Twelfth Century: Redefining Female Sanctity During the Gregorian Reform Era - Anna Katharina Rudolph, University of California, Santa Barbara
(I’m going to passively listen to this one because it’s outside my area of interest and my brain is really kind of fried at this point.)
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ConventionsSaturday, May 15, 2021 - 12:29
The session title suggests a focus on material culture, although it’s organized by the International Marie de France Society, so we can expect the papers to be filtered through a literary lens. (This is the second session in a row that ended up containing only a single paper.)
Telltale Textiles: Fabric and Voice in the Lais of Marie de France - Simonetta Cochis, Transylvania University
Paper focuses on the functions of fabric in the tale of Bisclavret (a werewolf story). Examples from the text of how wolf!Bisclavret still shows nobility and gentility, even though “naked”. This is contrasted with how his wife is described as base and treasonous, despite her fine clothing. She has stolen Bisclavret’s clothing, preventing him from returning to human form(?). His clothing become “spoils” of conflict. When the clothing is returned to Bisclavret, he declines to transform back in front of witnesses, but must perform the transformation/dressing in private.
This bare outline leaves many questions around the role of the clothing. Does clothing “make the man”? Or does it have a different function.
The paper looks at using voice and performance as a way of shifting the audience’s perspective to try to access how the tale would have been understood in its original context. [Note: the presenter specializes in medieval performance, especially of the Lais. Fortunately, we are getting translations alongside the original French text performances.] “Voice” can mean both the verbal performance of the storyteller and the character-voices within the tale.
The presenter discusses the importance of reading the Lais aloud in order to gain a deeper understanding, or additional layers of interpretation, beyond what is on the page. A performer/speaker must make choices to embody only one of multiple possible readings that can remain ambiguous on the page.
Getting back to clothing, the stolen clothing represents the fragility of status, while it is the inner qualities of Bisclavret—not the status conveyed by incidentals—that earns him acceptance and praise in the court, even as a wolf.
We now move on to the romance of Lanval. There is a motif of a character reclining on/within fabric in the context of a key interaction between Lanval and his (future) beloved. Lanval goes to sleep with his head on his folded cloak—described in plain and unornamented terms—and then is taken to meet a lady reclining within a tent (on a ship?) described with rich and varied terms indicating luxury and wealth. (Now we get a discussion of analysis of theatrical technique.) The lady’s opulent tent display her nature and character, with the text building up the dramatic tension along with the build-up of the language of description as Lanval/the audience is led to meet her.
Gender and Agency in Marie de France's Domestic Spheres - Susan Hopkirk, University of Toronto
[Presenter has asked that the paper not be shared in social media. And what is more, the paper was withdrawn at the last minute.]
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ConventionsSaturday, May 15, 2021 - 10:47
A very intriguing session title…which ended up with only one paper. There were two papers listed in the catalog, and the norm is to start with three papers, so I’m guessing that one was pulled at some point earlier. Fortunately, the paper that was given was great enough to make up for being the only one!
Brides and Bridles: Gower's "Tale of Rosiphelee," Asexuality, and Queer Failure - Lacey M. Wolfer, Western Michigan University
Typically treated as a “carpe diem” story in which the protagonist decides she can’t put off looking for love. But this paper examines the story from an asexual lens, viewing the character as being oppressed by normative expectations.
The story appears in the section of the Confessio Amantis on “idleness” (sloth) in which a lover (with the active lover always framed as male) is “doing all he can” to win the love of a woman who seems to just want him to go away. The tale looks at how “activity” is shown as a means of pressuring others, especially women, to comply with another’s desires. Rosiphelee is accused of being “slothful” with regard to love, but she appears simply to be uninterested.
(Gives a shout-out to the modern definition of asexuality from AVEN.) Identifies Rosiphelee as having “asexual possibility” which encompasses those who may be motivated by asexuality but where we are not given access to motivations, only to actions. Brings in descriptions of asexual experiences from the contemporary era to compare with the depiction of Rosiphelee’s experience. The attribution of Rosiphelee’s responses to “sloth” corresponds to modern medicalization of asexuality. The “refusal to progress to sexuality” is treated as refusal to take on adult responsibilities and roles. Rosiphelee is expected to marry to maintain social and economic expectations. There is a discussion of J. Halberstam’s book The Queer Art of Failure and places Rosiphelee’s experience in the context of “queer failure.”
During a nature walk, Rosiphelee meditates on nature especially paired male and female creatures. She “began a quarrel between love and her own heart.” In a dream-sequence she sees a group of queens, well-dressed and beautiful on white horses. As they pass, she notes a straggler who rides an old black nag, who is wearing a bunch of horse halters around her waist. Rosiphelee approaches the woman and asks who they all are. The woman describes a life story similar to Rosiphelee’s who, due to her life choices, must serve the queens as their groom. The bridles represent a belated decision to engage with love.
Rosiphelee considers this as a lesson for her own life and is terrified by the supposed consequences for putting off love. This has been treated by some as an act of agency, with Rosiphelee making a decision based on new information. But in context, she is given no viable alternative to marriage. And she is not entering marriage with a positive desire, but from fear of the punishment for putting it off. Her heart isn’t changed, only her decision on how to act.
There is a suggestion of a metaphoric interpretation of the halters as being a means of coercing another to one’s will with regard to the path taken. Wolfer suggests that there are hints that Gower may have been sympathetic to her plight, rather than creating a story that showed an actual change of heart.
Major category:
ConventionsSaturday, May 15, 2021 - 10:01
I picked this session because of the Amazon paper, which—alas—the presenter does not want shared on social media. It’s the last day of the conference and my initial picks cover five sequential sessions with no break. We’ll see if I decide that walking away from the screen for a while is more interesting than one of the sessions.
"Do you know who my father is?!": Gendered Imperialism and the Exceptional Parent Excuse in Sir Degaré - Arielle C. McKee, Gardner-Webb University
[Paper begins with a content warning for sexual assault and violence.] The romance of Sir Degaré links prowess in battle with the domination and control of women. “Love” and battle are conflated with women being a prize to be won. Standard plot where a king’s daughter will only be allowed to marry a man who bests her father in combat. The princess encounters a faerie on a journey who rapes and impregnates her. The resulting child (Degaré) is left as a foundling with magical tokens to identify him. This misfires when he ends up besting his grandfather in combat and almost marrying his mother, except the magical tokens identify her just in time. Degaré then goes on a quest to find his father, and the ultimate resolution involves him winning a princess as a bride and reuniting his mother and father who then marry.
Women in the story are framed not simply as beautiful but as valuable for their inheritance and status. There is a common theme in medieval romances on the “gift” of women along with land as a reward for service or valor. Because victory in combat is the prerequisite for marrying the princess, “love” is set aside as a motivation in favor of desire for land and power and the demonstration of physical domination.
Degaré’s eventual bride is obtained by defending her and her castle against and attacker/would-be ravisher, and she secures his military services by offering both her lands and herself as payment.
The title of the paper brings in the authority of lineage that excuses one’s actions. The child of an exceptional father is both expected to be exceptional and given freedom from the consequences of the actions taken to claim that privilege. Although the central theme of the romance is Degaré’s search for his parentage, the events rest on the authority, privilege, and magical glamor that he already has by virtue of that unknown paternal privilege, which is accessible to the reader and therefore mitigates the reader’s potential negative judgments of his behavior. Women have no such inherited authority or privilege in the tale, but are framed as continually vulnerable and valuable, accessible to whatever powerful man intersects their path.
Violence, Vulnerability, and Hurt/Comfort Fanfiction in the Stanzaic Guy of Warwick and the Alliterative Morte Arthure - Megan B. Abrahamson, Central New Mexico Community College
Yes, she’s going there: Arthurian romances as fan fiction. And she’s analyzing texts through the lens of fan fiction tropes and formulas. Specifically, the use of excessive violence and resulting injury as a mechanism for allowing “manly men” to engage in physical and emotional closeness.
Guy of Warwick goes on pilgrimage to atone for his past violent deeds, but somehow keeps getting embroiled in other people’s business and engaging in further violence while on the journey. In the Morte d’Arthur, Arthur conquers across Europe until needing to return to deal with Modred. Both Arthur’s and Modred’s pain are driving motivations.
Because the audience is expected to be familiar with the characters and situations, the author is able to begin in media res, similarly to fan fiction, and focus on specific emotional events that are given context by the larger literary context. We get a summary of the elements and meanings of hurt/comfort and examples of the characteristics in medieval art and literature.
In fan fiction, one role of hurt/comfort is to allow hyper-masculine characters to engage in vulnerability/care/closeness. (The paper is being read very quickly so I’m having a hard time keeping up.) The reader participates vicariously in this dynamic.
In medieval romances, the expressed pain/anguish (whether physical or emotional) provides an invitation for one man to engage with and comfort another man. In contrast, women’s pain/anguish is typically ignored by men. Male characters are allowed to express extreme emotions toward each other in the context of these hurt/comfort episodes.
In the Morte d’Arthur, Arthur and Modred’s parallel grief over Gawain’s death (at Modred’s hands) provides the trigger for both to express and recognize emotional pain to each other. Picking up a thread I missed earlier, these scenes also provide context for male characters to gaze on and express admiration for male bodies in an intimate way.
Love, Sex, and Amazons - Suzanne C. Hagedorn, College of William & Mary
[The presenter has requested that their paper not be shared on social media.]
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ConventionsPages
