William Marshal. The Greatest Knight: Timewatch Reminder

A reminder that the Timewatch programme about William Marshal - The Greatest Knight - is on BBC2 on Saturday at 8.10pm if you're in the UK!

The write up sounds as if it might be a bit 'boy's own' adventure without the budget, but it will be interesting to see how much of the essence of the great man - the Winston Churchill of his day - they actually manage to capture. I've just listened to the audio clip. Hmmm.... a lot about tournaments and warfare etc but very, very little about the Marshal himself. I really, really hope the programme focuses on the all round achievements of this remarkable, charismatic personality and doesn't just concentrate on the prowess of his lance. There was so much more to William Marshal than that. You can listen to the audio clip here: http://tinyurl.com/27cayj
There was a comment made that knights didn't have particular well developed leg muscles.. I don't know how true this is in an archaelogical context, but it seems to me that your legs would have to do a lot of work on the tourney field keeping you in the saddle. They wouldn't just be extraneous appendages. I'd be interested to know from a more informed viewpoint than that of the audio commentators.

The Next Lot of Research Books

Here is the next chunk of research books I've used to help me write THE TIME OF SINGING.
These are the more general ones involving politics and aspects of Medieval life. I've not listed them all, I'd still be here this time next week, but here's a cross-section selection. (try saying that 3 times fast!)
The picture is from The Castle Story by Sheila Sancha. It's a fabulous resource detailing the history of castle building throughout the Middle Ages. I particularly like it for its clear diagrams and reconstruction illustrations which have really helped me get a grasp on how things might have looked. If you click on the picture, it should enlarge to give you a good idea of how Framlingham Castle looked before my hero, Roger Bigod, rebuilt it when he was finally granted the earldom in 1189.

Also for the story of Framlingham Castle, I used a detailed article in Castles Conquests and Charters: The Collected Papers of R.Allen Brown published by Boydell.

English Heritage's guidebook to Framlingham Castle

Norman Stone Castles (1) The British Isles 1066-1216 by Christopher Gravell, illustrated by Adam Hook, Osprey Publishing. Fortress series. Has a good diagram of Framlingham's curtain wall and how it worked in defending the castle

The Building of Orford Castle - a translation from the Pipe rolls 1163 - 78 translation by Valerie Potter.

The Birth of the English Common Law by R.C. Caenegem - Cambridge University Press

English Justice between the Norman Conquest and the Great Charter 1066-1215 by Doris M. Stenton

England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings by Robert Bartlett

The City of London from Prehistoric Times to 1520: edited by Mary Lobel (maps)

Survey of Medieval Winchester vols 1 and 2 by Derek Keane

Old London Bridge Lost and Found by Bruce Watson - Museum of London


England Without Richard 1189-1199 by John. T. Appleby

The Medieval Garden by Sylvia Landsberg

Tournament by David Crouch

Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience by Michael Prestwich

The Sword in the Age of Chivalry by Ewart Oakeshott

Cogs, Caravels and Galleons: The Sailing Ship 1000 - 1650 - Conway's History of the Ship

Sexuality in Medieval Europe: doing unto others by Ruth Mazo Karras

The Plantagenet Empire 1154-1224 by Martin Aurell

Next time, for a finale, I'll post a few pictures from my own gallery of photographs I have used to inform and inspire me.

Continuing the Research Books

Next up as promised, here is the list of my primary source research books used in the writing of THE TIME OF SINGING. I don't read Latin, but I can have a good guess at some of the gist when it isn't in translation - although obviously it's a boon when a translation is available. All of the below material is from sources around at the same time as my characters, so I feel they give me an immediate handle into their world and one that I can interpret for myself at first hand, rather than have it go through the filter of later opinion.

Not in any order:
Jocelin of Brakelond: Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds.
Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal, vols 1 and 2 - Anglo Norman Text Society
Richard FitzNigel - Dialogus de Scaccario - Oxford Medieval texts
Constitutio Domus Regis - Oxford Medieval Texts
The Treatise on the Laws and Customs of the Realm of England Commonly Called Glanvill - edited and translated by G.D.G. Hall - Oxford Medieval Texts
The Church Historians of England vol 1V part 1. The Chronicles of Melrose and Jordan Fantosme's Chronicle
The Great Roll of the Pipe for the 9th Year of Richard I. Click on the picture below for a larger image and you should be able to see an example of the pleas my hero Roger Bigod was hearing in Yorkshire in this period during his term as a royal justice on the itinerant circuit.

Feet of Fines for the 7th and 8th years of the Reign of Richard I - Pipe Roll Society

Feet of Fines for Norfolk and Suffolk 1199 - 1215
Pipe Roll Society

Court, Household and Itinerary of Henry II - collated and translated by the Rev. R. W. Eyton.

Roger of Wendover's Flowers of History volume 2 part 1. 1170 - 1215 AD

That's about it I think, although there may be one or two others lurking in forgotten corners. Next time round I'll list the political and social history sources that haven't fitted into these first two categories.

New Year, New Title, and grubbing among the tomes

First of all A Happy New Year to everyone and hope that it's a good one!

For me the first of January was deadline time to have a title for the work in progress. For the last year it's been known as Roger and Ida - the names of the protagonists, but obviously that's not what it's going to be called when it arrives in bookseller's catalogues. I had made a few suggestions to my publisher but there was nothing we could agree on. Finally, over the Christmas break, I got out my bible and headed off to the work of Ecclesiasts, Proverbs and the Song of Solomon to see if there was anything there that would fit. Eureka there was. Roger and Ida I now hereby officially name THE TIME OF SINGING. This comes from the lines:

'My beloved speaks and says to me:
'Arise my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth
the time of singing has come.'

Isn't that just beautiful? I have always loved the song of Solomon. It's a beautiful poem. The quote is very appropriate to the novel because when Roger first sets eyes on Ida she is singing, and she loves music. Gardens and orchards feature quite a lot in the novel too. There's also a line from the poem that says: 'Your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.' Since Ida had an affair with King Henry II before she married Roger Bigod, I felt that this line was synchronicity. I had been let to the right place and I am relieved to have a title to take the novel forward.

I thought I'd begin listing the research books I've been using to write THE TIME OF SINGING.
Perhaps a handful at a time. They won't be in any sort of order - just as they are assembled on the shelf above my PC at the moment. I have an extensive research library but the books I know I'm going to need to refer to, I pull out of the stacks and keep close.

Obviously biographies of the most important personages are important.
The main ones I have used - other than checking out the Dictionary of National biography online are:

The Bigod Family: an investigation into their lands and activities 1086-1306 by Susan Atkin (PHD thesis)
Henry II by W. L. Warren
King John by W. L. Warren
Eleanor of Acquitaine by Marion Meade
Eleanor: April Queen of Aquitaine by Douglas Boyd
Eleanor of Acquitaine and the Four Kings by Amy Kelly
Richard I by John Gillingham
The Bigod Earls of Norfolk in the Thirteenth Century by Marc Morris
William Marshal, Knighthood War and Chivarly 1147-1219
Who's Who in Medieval England by Christopher Tyerman

Next up in a few days the primary sources:

Post Script. Roger Bigod's Christmas

I mentioned in the post below (Merrie Christmas) that I'd post an Akashic moment re a Christmas spent with my current hero Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk and his wife Ida de Tosny, former mistress of King Henry II.
I asked Akashic consultant Alison King to go back to the early years of their marriage, before Roger was granted the Earldom.
Here's a snapshot moment.

Alison: Oh, this is Roger feeling ohhhhh, this is lovely. This is not at all like his usual calm self. Shivers down the back, a spark in the left side near his solar plexus. Smiles, happiness, ohhhh, spiciness! A myriad of tastes and colours. This is the slim, slight, light younger man. I comment that Alison had once compared him to a ballet dancer. Yes, not tall, but with that kind of muscular formation. I am getting the shivering feelings again. They are playing hobby horses and the horses are all incredibly decorated. He’s watching this (Alison laughs). They’re having an indoor tournament, but instead of spears they’ve got kind of dumbbell rattles with a ball on either end of the stick and they’re assaulting each other. It’s hilarious. There are bells on the hobby horses as well. It’s not ever so serious because the hobby horse jousters are doing it theatrically for the audience, so it’s a bit of a performance. I think they may be re-enacting recent conflicts and taking the mickey out of people. One person theatrically fell off his horse and the other person was over him with his dumbbell and got his small sword out (Alison waves to demonstrate). Everyone’s cheering. ‘Yay!’ Obviously the one who fell got his just deserts. Alison whoops with laughter. Now there’s a man dressed as a woman. Flicking the wimple and the hair and adjusting the jewels on the headdress. It’s a little bit like Les Dawson in drag – the over-accentuated female movements. He’s telling jokes about who loves who in the castle. It’s telling tales and generally really just embarrassing people – ‘I could tell you a tale or two, but I wouldn’t of course because that would be telling.’ And then he goes on to reveal all. Is Roger the butt of any of these? Not so far. I don’t know if the man who is dressed up is pretending to be the gatekeeper or pretending to be the gatekeeper’s wife and getting all the gen from that. So it’s like party pieces from the castle staff? Yes! I’ll see if Roger has a performance to do. Yes, but his isn’t funny. It’s sword play. He does the twirly swords. (Alison demonstrates – a bit like a cowboy twirling a colt 45). Roger is very clever at this. He’s thrown a sword, somersaulted and caught it. That’s the grand finale. Then he puts the sword in the floorboards and gets a round of applause. A bit of a naughty thing to do, but it’s only once a year. Ida sings a song. Someone’s playing a stringed instrument. It’s got a big round body with a little neck and only a few strings. It’s played with a bow and it stands upright on the table. That’s the end of the party. Everyone can have some more mulled wine and then get back to their private conversation.

MERRIE MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS!!!

I thought that since the festive season is well upon us, I would include a 12 days of Christmas hotch potch of extremely random but less well known Medieval facts surrounding the celebration. At the end I've also enclosed a 'Marshal' Christmas moment from my Akashic Record notes. Watch out for a 'Bigod' Christmas gathering in the next few days too!

Above to start is a cartoon illustrating the detail that it was the shepherd's right to twelve nights of dung at the time of the winter feast. Makes a change to a sack of coal I suppose.

2. Every Christmas, Roland le Petteur (12th century) had to perform a 'leap, whistle and fart' before the court as a stipulation of holding his lands.

3. William The Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Cathedral on Christmas Day 1066.

4. In the Middle Ages, three masses were celebrated on Christmas Day. The first was at midnight (the Angel's Mass). The second was at dawn (The Shepherd's Mass) and the third was during the day. (The Mass of the Divine Word.)


5. In 1209, King John was at Windsor for Christmas.

6. When portraying the Three Kings in the Medieval period, Baltasar was frequently portrayed as a black man and gave the gift of Myrhh to the infant Jesus.

7. St Nicholas was a popular medieval saint, but his feast was on the 6th December and it wasn't until after the Reformation that he began to morph into Santa Claus.

8. There was a belief in the early middle ages that if it was windy on the eleventh of the twelve days of Christmas, it meant that 'all cattle shall perish.' Oh dear.

9. The ceremony of passing the wassail cup at this time of year was first recorded by Peter de Langtoft in the 1320's. The apparent custom was for the leader of a gathering to raise a cup and cry 'Wassail!' (old English for 'Your health). The company would answer 'Drinkhail!' and the leader would drink and pass it on to the next person of the company with a kiss and so on.

10. In 1171, Henry II spent the Christmas feast in Dublin and remained there until March of the following year.

11. It was the custom at Christmas for the lord and lady to give their retainers and dependents new clothes. Seven ells was the amount of cloth adjudged to provide enough for a tunic in the thirteeth century. How much was an ell? How long is a piece of string! This website has a little bit more of an explanation. http://tinyurl.com/2lcfbg

12.Here are the Medieval Baebes singing a version of the Medieval English Carole 'Adam lay y-bounden.'




A Marshal Family Christmas Gathering in Normandy, Christmas 1198

Alison (Akashic consultant):

William’s mindset.

Very peaceful. It’s a time to relax and spread out with nothing pressing, no duties. He is sitting with Isabelle before a big fire and is all floppy and relaxed. They are sitting on what looks like a sofa covered with skins or furs. It’s low to the floor and I can’t tell what’s under the furs. It’s cushioned though. It’s as if the back rest is made of sacks filled with fleece – very comfortable and warm. The feeling is mellow.

I can feel the children at the sides and that feeling of contentment encompasses them too, although they’re not actually sitting with their parents. It’s just a quiet family time. I can see they (parents) have got some sort of fork with two prongs, curved at the ends. They are toasting something in the fire – just bread. Now they’re dunking it into spiced wine, or some sort of drink with spices in. Not sure if it’s wine or mead. Whatever it is it’s rich and nice and warm. The children want some ‘Me, me, me!’ I can see a little girl with a cap on (Medieval bonnet style). She looks darling, like a little doll or angel, lovely. She’s got dark colouring, pale skin, very sweet. I can see two older boys dancing around and one trying to get something off the other. It’s to do with food. Ah, something in the mead – fruit? It’s like we have cocktail cherries in our drinks today – something like that.

William’s reaction to his children

He has got a lot of experience of people. He can size the children up very well and understand them. He’s very fond of them but also has a professional detachment as well as love. He has made a conscious effort not to categorise them too early on in life. He wants to give them time to grown before they are channeled into a particular thing. He’s a good father, always looking for things that need to be pinned down before they get out of hand. He knows where to set the boundaries, what needs to be pruned. He’s not a touchy feely sort of father except where it feels proper i.e. arm round a son’s shoulder in a back slapping man to man fashion. He’s not cuddly. He’s very tender with his small daughter; he’s aware of his own great strength and doesn’t want to hurt her. Smaller infants and babies are best left to his wife’s women because they are trained to look after them.

Isabelle’s impressions

She is very happy and contented and is currently pregnant.

Above the fireplace is an arrangement on the wall – Big evergreen arrangement with berries with more leaves spreading out – rather like lime leaves but pointed at the tip and glossy and dark. I don’t know what they are. Isabelle’s wearing a light coloured dress in a cosy, flexible fabric – looks a bit like what we’d call fleece these days (probably thickly napped wool?) It’s pink in colour with a bluey tinge with a neutral coloured under tunic. She’s got a pale coloured head covering on. She would only expose her hair to go to bed or in the bedroom.

She has had William’s tunic made for him for Christmas, for his homecoming. It’s of wool, a rusty dark-red in colour with embroidery round the top of the sleeves and braiding at neck. Quite plain otherwise, or most of what I can see is plain. He has taken his belt off to be more comfortable.

They want to hold this feeling of peace and don’t want any pressure so they’re not holding a big celebration. I’m getting conflicting feelings. There is a celebration in the hall but all they are going to do is go through the motions i.e. raise a glass and then retire to the private chamber. They shower coins on the occupants of the hall and then go. They’re happier now. There are people in the private chamber who want to talk to them. Looks as if they’re not having a sit down meal, more of a buffet. Pies, roast chestnuts, food prepared at the fire. There are people warming themselves at the fire too. The whole aim and ambience is low key. The lighting comes from brackets in the walls. I can’t see clearly what’s in the brackets, it keeps changing. It looks a bit like a bundle of sticks. The flame is bigger than the circumference of the sticks.

They’re going for a look outside…doesn’t look that dark, but could be moonlight. It’s just a relief to them both to be peaceful and calm.

The Greatest Knight - Timewatch Documentary

While I'm preparing a slightly longer blog, I thought it worth noting that the BBC programme Timewatch is returning in January with 6 documentaries and one of them is going to be about William Marshal. http://tinyurl.com/2asfqs It sounds as if it's going to be fascinating indeed. Stuart Mitchell, the academic consultant for the series says:
My personal highlights are the programmes on coastal wreckers of early 19th century popular myth and the biographical journey through the life of William Marshal - tournament champion and the greatest knight of the thirteenth century. He can accurately be referred to as the medieval David Beckham, not only because of his fame and stature but also because he was the subject of a big-money transfer deal!"

That's very interesting and leads me to wonder if the researchers have read The Greatest Knight? Back in 2005 in my author's note to the novel I compared William Marshal to David Beckham and mentioned transfer deals.