Lilies for Love
Page 29
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 labour 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
week work: two or three days' compulsory labour in the lord's fields
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 Spiritus 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 MYSTERIES is 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). She was married at an early age to the German Emperor but after he died, for political reasons and despite Matilda's vehement protests, Henry brought her back to England and 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, Stephen went to London and was crowned king.
Furious at his treachery, Matilda gathered her own supporters, including her illegitimate half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, who became her commander in chief. In 1139 she landed at Arundel Castle in England, prepared to fight for her crown. Civil war ravaged 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.'
The civil war mostly comprised a series of battles and skirmishes as the principal players fought for supremacy, while the barons took advantage of the general lawlessness to go on the rampage and claim whatever land and castles they could. The year 1141 marked a turning point in Matilda's fortunes. Two brothers, the Earl of Chester and William de Roumare, seized and occupied Lincoln Castle by first tricking the guards into admitting their wives. The Earl of Chester subsequently changed sides to support the Empress Matilda – a welcome move as the Earl of Chester's daughter was married to the son of Matilda's chief supporter, Earl Robert of Gloucester. After some negotiation, Stephen eventually mustered his troops and went to reclaim Lincoln on an ill-fated expedition. According to the chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon, when Stephen heard Mass and, following the custom, offered a candle to Bishop Alexander, it broke in his hands. Henry wrote: 'This was a warning to the king that he would be crushed. In the bishop's presence, too, the pyx above the altar, which contained the Lord's Body, fell, its chain having snapped off. This was a sign of the king's downfall.'
And so it came to pass. The king was defeated and imprisoned in Bristol Castle. The empress met with the papal legate, Bishop Henry of Blois (Stephen's brother), who promised his support, along with several other bishops and archbishops. There was also a meeting between Matilda and Archbishop Theobald in Wiltune shortly before Easter, at which time the archbishop held off promising allegiance until he had spoken to the king and sought his permission to 'act as the difficulties of the time required' (to which Stephen actually agreed!). Matilda then made her way to London for her coronation, which brings us to the end of Lilies for Love.
A note about the hand of St James the Apostle. This relic was given to Matilda by her husband, the German Emperor, 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 – in fact it took forty years to complete – 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, Sharon Penman's When Christ and His Saints Slept is an excellent 'factional' account of that history. On a lighter note, I have also read, and much enjoyed, the Brother Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters, which are set during this period. 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. Non-fiction histories include Henry of Huntingdon's chronicle, The History of the English People 1000–1154, King Stephen by R.H.C. Davis and The Empress Matilda by Marjorie Chibnall.
I have set the Janna Mysteries 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: Barford St Martin (Berford), Baverstock (Babestoche), Salisbury (Sarisberie or Sarum), Amesbury (Ambresberie), Oxford (Oxeneford) and Winchester (Winchestre), Reading (Radinges) and Bristol (Bristou).
Wiltune or Wilton was the ancient capital of Wessex, and the abbey was established in Saxon times. King Alfred founded a new convent on the site after his success against the Danes in 891. Wilton is best known as the home of St Edith, the child of a 'handfast' union between King Edgar and Wulfrid, whom he carried off from Wilton circa 961. Edith received the veil from Bishop Ethelwold of Winchester. It is not known whether she ever became the Abbess of Wilton, but she built the church of St Denis at Wilton, which was consecrated by St Dunstan, and she died shortly afterwards, at the age of twenty-three. Her feast is on 16 September. In 1003 Sweyn, King of Denmark, destroyed the town of Wilton, and possibly the abbey as well. Edith, wife of Edward the Confessor, who had been educated at Wilton, later rebuilt the convent church in stone in 1065. The Abbess of Wilton held an entire barony from the king, a privilege shared by only three other English nunneries: Shaftesbury, Barking and St Mary in Winchester. 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 Combe of Burcombe Manor, for taking me into their family, giving me a home away from home, and teaching me about life on a farm. Mike Boniface, warden of Grovely, who guided me through the forest and shared his insights into the past with me. Dr Gillian Polack, mentor and friend, whose wonderful ideas I have used, and whose knowledge of medieval life has helped shape the series and given it veracity. Catherine Hammond and Gloria Nilsen for their instruction on Catholicism and the Catholic life. Ros Liddington, for showing me around Wilton House and helping me with its history. Linsay Knight and the team at Random House for their support, and my fantastic editor, Zoe, for her meticulous care and skilful editing. Finally, my husband, Mike,
who understands that I often need to live in another place and at another time – my gratitude and thanks to you all.
JANNA MYSTERIES 4: WILLOWS FOR WEEPING
Murder at Stonehenge, and a letter that could change the fate of a medieval kingdom at war.
Janna has joined a band of pilgrims en route to Oxeneford. Along their journey she finds a dead man carrying a letter bearing the seal of Henry, Bishop of Winchestre, now a supporter of the Empress Matilda. Bernard, the leader of the pilgrims, swears Janna to secrecy, and undertakes to deliver the letter to the empress in Oxeneford, where the empress is making preparations to claim the crown.
Will Janna find the answers she seeks in Ambresberie? Dashing newcomer Ralph has promised to help Janna with her quest to find her father – but can he be trusted? And with the empress routed by the queen and her mercenary army, and evidence of Bishop Henry's treachery in Janna's own hand, what does the future hold for the empress and her supporters – and for Janna?