Janna smiled to herself. God didn’t need her help to run the world, but he would surely expect her to do what she could to help herself.
Her way had been made clear to her, and she would follow it. She would find her father and, at the same time, fulfill her vow to avenge the death of her mother by bringing the culprit to justice. She had made a good start. She resolved that she would do all in her power to make a good finish. She bent her head and joined in with the congregation as the priest began to pray.
Glossary
Aelfshot: A belief that illness or a sudden pain (like rheumatism, arthritis or a “stitch”) was caused by elves who shot humans or livestock with darts.
Ague: Fever and chills.
Alewife: Ale was a common drink in the middle ages. Housewives brewed their own for domestic use, while alewives brewed the ale served in alehouses and taverns. A bush tied to a pole was the recognized symbol of an alehouse, at a time when most of the population could not read.
Amercement: A financial penalty imposed on those found guilty of a crime.
Amor vincit omnia: Love conquers all.
Apothecary: Someone who prepares and sells medicines, and perhaps spices and rare goods.
Baron: A noble of high rank, a tenant-in-chief who holds his lands from the king.
Bailiff: Appointed by the abbess (or a baron) to manage the home farm, mills, etc.
Boonwork: At busy times in the farming year (such as haymaking and harvest) villeins were required to work extra days in the lord’s fields. In return, they were given food and ale.
Breeches: Trousers held up by a cord running through the hem at the waist.
Canonical hours: The medieval day was governed by sunrise and sunset, divided into seven canonical hours. Times of prayer were marked by bells rung in abbeys and monasteries beginning with Matins at midnight, followed by Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext and Nones through the day. Vespers was at sunset, followed by Compline before going to bed.
Cellaress: Responsible for everything to do with food and supplies for the cellar, refectory, kitchen, mill, bakehouse and also the gardens, woods and farm produce.
Chantress: Responsible for the choir, for books, and for teaching singing and reading.
Chapman: Pedlar.
Cot: Small cottage.
Cresset: A primitive light made from a wick floating in a bowl of oil or animal fat.
Currency: While large sums of money could be reckoned in pounds or marks, the actual currency for trading was silver pennies. There were twelve to a shilling and twenty shillings to a pound. A penny could also be cut into half, called a “ha’penny”, or a quarter, called a “farthing”.
Dorter: Dormitory.
Dower/dowry: A sum of money paid for a woman, either as a marriage settlement or to secure her place in an abbey.
Feudal system: A political, social and economic system based on the relationship of lord to vassal, in which land was held on condition of homage and service. Following the Norman conquest, William I distributed land once owned by Saxon “ealdormen” (chief men) to his own barons, who in turn distributed land and manors to sub-tenants in return for fees, knight service and, in the case of the villeins, work in the fields. The Abbess of Wilton held an entire barony from the king and owed the service of five knights in return.
Hagiography: The written life of a saint.
Hayward: Manorial official in charge of haymaking and harvest, and the repair and upkeep of hedges and ditches.
Heriot: A death duty to the lord of the manor, usually comprising the best beast, and sometimes also some household goods such as metal utensils or uncut cloth. This constituted “payment” for the loss of a worker.
Hue and cry: With no practicing police force other than a town sergeant to enforce the law, anyone discovering a crime was expected to “raise a hue and cry”—shouting aloud to alert the community to the fact that a crime had been committed, after which all those within earshot must commence pursuit of the criminal.
Infirmarian: Takes care of the sick in the infirmary (abbey hospital).
Kirtle: Long dress worn over a short tunic.
Lavatorium: Washroom.
Leechcraft: A system of healing practiced during the time of the Anglo-Saxons, which included the use of herbs, plants, medicines, magical incantations and spells, charms and precious stones.
Misericord: A room in the infirmary where strict dietary rules do not apply.
Mortuary: Death duty paid by a villein to the parish priest—usually the second-best beast.
Novice: After about a year serving as a postulant, and if your vocation remains firm, you become a novice until such time as you are deemed ready to take your final vows.
Obedientiary: Holder of an office within a convent (or a monastery) eg sacristan, porteress, chantress, cellaress.
Oblate: A young child given to a monastery or abbey by its parents.
Pilgrim: Anyone who makes a journey to a sacred place.
Postulant: Anyone who enters the abbey with the intention of becoming a nun.
Pottage: A vegetable soup or stew.
Reeve: The reeve was usually appointed by the villagers, and was responsible for the management of the manor. Shire reeves (sheriffs) were appointed by the king to administer law and justice in the shires (counties).
Reredorter: Lavatory.
Rule of St Benedict: St Benedict lived circa 480–547 AD, and composed his Regula Monachorum (Rule for Monasteries) in 515 AD. This became the common Rule for all Western monachism, directing monks to live in religious houses, observe all the usual religious exercises and employ themselves in manual labor, teaching, copying manuscripts, etc. Seventy-three “chapters” of direction make up the Rule.
Sacristan: Looks after the sacred relics and treasures of the abbey.
Scapular: A loose, sleeveless tunic worn while doing rough work.
Scrip: A small bag.
Scriptorium: A room in a monastery (or abbey) where monks (or nuns) wrote, copied and illuminated manuscripts. In a private home it served as the office of the estate.
Steward: Appointed by a baron to manage an estate.
Tiring woman: A female attendant on a lady of high birth and importance.
Villein: Peasant or serf tied to a manor and to an overlord, and given land in return for labor and a fee—either money or produce.
Wardrober: In charge of clothing including sewing, spinning and weaving fabric, and providing animal hide for shoes, etc.
Water meadows: The land on either side of a river that floods regularly.
Wimple: Linen head cover draped over hair and around cheeks and neck.
Wortwyf: A herb wife, a wise woman and healer.
Glossary of Latin terms from the Mass:
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritu Sancti, Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum, Amen. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Author’s Note
The Janna Chronicles are set in the 1140s, at a turbulent time in England’s history. After Henry I’s son, William, drowned in the White Ship disaster, Henry was left with only one legitimate heir, his daughter, Matilda (sometimes known as Maude). At the age of eight, she was betrothed to a much older man, Heinrich, Emperor of Germany, and she was sent to live in that country until, aged twelve, she was considered old enough to marry him. Evidently she was beloved by the Germans, who begged her to stay on after the Emperor died, but at the age of twenty-four, and childless, Matilda was summoned back to England by her father. For political reasons, and despite Matilda’s vehement protests, Henry insisted that she marry Count Geoffrey of Anjou, a boy some ten years her junior. They married in 1128, and the first of their three sons, Henry (later to become Henry II of England), was born
in 1133.
Henry I announced Matilda his heir and twice demanded that his barons, including her cousin, Stephen of Blois, all swear an oath of allegiance to her. This they did, but when Henry died, Matilda went to Normandy while Stephen went straight to London to gather support, and then on to Winchester, where he claimed the Treasury and was crowned King of England.
Not one to be denied her rights, Matilda gathered her own supporters, including her illegitimate half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, and in 1139 she landed at Arundel Castle in England, prepared to fight for the crown. She left her children with Geoffrey, who thereafter stayed in Anjou and in Normandy, pursuing his own interests. Civil war between Stephen and Matilda raged in England for nineteen years, creating such hardship and misery that the Peterborough Chronicle reported: “Never before had there been greater wretchedness in the country … They said openly that Christ and His saints slept.”
I became interested in this period of English history while researching the Shalott trilogy. As this new series began to fall into place, I realized that this time of shifting allegiances and treachery, of fierce battles and daring escapes, of great danger and cruelty, formed a perfect setting with many plot possibilities. Janna’s quest to find her father brings her into the company of nobles, peasants and pilgrims, jongleurs and nuns, spies and assassins, and even King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. With England in the grip of civil war, secrets abound, loyalties change and passions run high. Janna will encounter the darkest side of human nature: the jealousy, greed, ambition, deceit and fear which so often lead to betrayal and murder. As well as solving the mystery of her past, and of her heart, Janna’s mission is to find out the truth and bring the guilty to judgment. But she will need great courage, intelligence and insight to escape danger, and also to solve the many crimes she encounters along her journey.
A note about the hand of St James the Apostle. This relic was given to Matilda by her husband, on their marriage. After his death, and to the dismay of the German people, Matilda brought the relic back to England. It was given to Reading Abbey by her father, Henry I, who was also buried there. I felt some indignation on Matilda’s behalf (the hand was given to her, not to her father) so I took the liberty of moving the hand to Wiltune (where her own mother had spent her childhood) on the grounds of safekeeping, for it is true that Reading Abbey took some time in the building—forty years in all—while the citizens of Reading supported the king rather than Matilda.
For those interested in learning more about the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, there are numerous biographies on both of them, while Sharon Penman’s When Christ and His Saints Slept is an excellent account of that period. On a lighter note, I have much enjoyed the Brother Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters, which are also set at that time. While Janna’s loyalty lies in a different direction from Ellis Peters’ characters, her skill with herbs was inspired by these wonderful stories of the herbalist at Shrewsbury Abbey.
The Janna Chronicles begin in Wiltshire, England. Janna’s quest for truth and justice will take her from the forest of Gravelinges (now known as Grovely Wood) to royal Winchestre, seat of power where the Treasury was housed. I’ve kept to the place names listed in the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror in 1086, but the contemporary names of some of the sites are: Berford (Barford St Martin); Babestoche (Baverstock); Bredecumbe (Burcombe); Wiltune (Wilton); Sarisberie (Sarum; later relocated and named Salisbury); Oxeneford (Oxford), and Winchestre (Winchester).
The royal forest of Gravelinges was the only forest in Wiltshire mentioned in the Domesday Book. While it has diminished in size since medieval time, I have experienced at first hand how easy it is to get utterly lost once you stray off the path! Wiltune was the ancient capital of Wessex. The abbey was established in Saxon times and became one of the most prosperous in England, ranked with the houses of Shaftesbury, Barking and Winchester as a nunnery of the first importance.
Following the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII, ownership of the abbey’s lands passed to William Herbert, lst Earl of Pembroke. Some 450 years later, the 18th Earl of Pembroke now owns this vast estate. A magnificent stately home, Wilton House, stands in place of the abbey and is open to visitors.
While writing medieval England from Australia is a difficult and hazardous enterprise, I have been fortunate in the support and encouragement I’ve received along the way. So many people have helped make this series possible, and in particular I’d like to thank the following: Nick and Wendy Combes of Burcombe Manor, for taking me into their family, giving me a home away from home and teaching me about life on a farm, both now and in medieval time. Ros Liddington, for showing me around Wilton House and helping me with its history. Author Sophie Masson, who provided the French translation of John’s letter. Dr Gillian Polack, whose knowledge of medieval life helped shape the series and gave it veracity. Finally, my thanks to all at Momentum for their thought, care and expertise, and for enabling me to introduce the Janna Chronicles to a whole new audience.
About Pilgrim of Death: The Janna Chronicles 4
Love, revenge, secrets—and murder—in a medieval kingdom at war.
Spies, treachery, a dangerously attractive pilgrim and a murder at Stonehenge test Janna’s courage and ingenuity to the limit as she continues the search for her father in the company of pilgrims and jongleurs. She learns the meaning of betrayal, treachery and heartbreak, while her quest brings her ever closer to the royal court and the dangers of the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda.
For more information, please visit momentumbooks.com.au/books/pilgrim-of-death/.
About Felicity Pulman
Felicity Pulman is the award-winning author of numerous novels for children and teenagers, including A Ring Through Time, the Shalott trilogy, and Ghost Boy, which is now in pre-production for a movie. I, Morgana was her first novel for adults, inspired by her early research into Arthurian legend and her journey to the UK and France to ‘walk in the footsteps of her characters’ before writing the Shalott trilogy—something she loves to do. Her interest in crime and history inspired her medieval crime series, The Janna Mysteries, now repackaged as The Janna Chronicles.
Recently awarded the inaugural Di Yerbury writer’s fellowship, Felicity will spend several months in the UK in 2015 researching and writing the sequel to I, Morgana. She has many years experience talking about researching and writing her novels both in schools and to adults, as well as conducting creative writing workshops in a wide variety of genres. Felicity is married, with two children and five grandchildren, all of whom help to keep her young and technosavvy—sort of! You can find out more about Felicity on her website and blog: www.felicitypulman.com.au or on Facebook.
First published by Random House Australia in 2006
This edition published in 2015 by Momentum
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Copyright © Felicity Pulman 2006
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Unholy Murder: The Janna Chronicles 3
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