Authors: Felicity Pulman
Her transformation was completed in a few moments. She smoothed her hand down the silky blue fabric of her gown and smiled, well content. She had never worn anything so fine in her life. Her smile grew broader as she reached up to secure the fine gauzy veil that completed the ensemble. Her hair, grown long again, fell loose around her neck. She longed for a mirror to see what she looked like, elated to think she was no longer bound by the Sin of Pride.
'You look quite the young lady now.' Sister Grace answered her unspoken question. 'For certes a lot more attractive than the ragged ruffian I first encountered!'
Janna laughed. 'Thank you, Sister. Thank you for your kindness.'
'And thank you for your kindness, Johanna,' the nun replied. Seeing Janna's surprise, she continued, 'I have watched your progress here with great interest. I have seen how lovingly you have cared for our sisters here. We shall miss you, you know.'
'As I shall miss you.' Janna reached out and gave her an impulsive hug, remembering too late that close physical contact with another sister was a sin. She tried to pull back. 'I'm sorry,' she apologised.
But Grace was laughing as she returned Janna's hug. 'Don't worry,' she whispered. 'The Rule no longer applies to you, not if you're leaving us.'
The Rule. Janna felt the burden of sins, both real and imaginary, slip from her shoulders. She felt light and free – and also vulnerable. The abbey had been her home for almost a year. There was so much she would miss.
Her interview with the abbess was brief. Remembering her previous lost opportunity and determined not to waste this last one, Janna asked Abbess Hawise for information about her mother.
'She was a disgrace to her convent; that is all I know.' The abbess's lips pursed tight with disapproval. Janna was sure she hadn't forgotten the scene with Dame Alice. Probably the abbess's condemnation of her mother now applied equally to Janna herself. She knew she would get nothing further from the abbess, nor would she miss her in the least.
It was a lot harder to say goodbye to Sister Ursel and to Sister Anne.
'Promise you'll come and visit us, if ever you pass this way again?' Ursel demanded, and Janna promised that she would. There were tears in her eyes and fear in her heart as she crossed the cloister for the last time, and walked through the outer parlour to the courtyard beyond. She would stay for Mass and speak afterwards to the pilgrims, she decided. There was no time to do it now, for the Mass was about to start.
She walked into the nave, mingling once more with the abbey's guests, the lay servants, the beggars and pilgrims, just as she had done when first she came. Ahead of her, she spied Agnes and hurried towards her friend. The lay sister was standing beside Will, their hands touching but not clasped, as befitted the solemnity of this sacred place. Neither of them held lilies now; St Edith's task was done and her deed had been honoured and commemorated.
Janna smiled as she sidled into place on her friend's other side. Agnes glanced quickly at her, and then away.
'Agnes!' Janna was wounded by her friend's indifference.
Agnes's head swivelled around. Her eyes widened in shocked recognition. 'Jesu, it's you!' She looked Janna up and down. 'Why are you wearing those clothes?' she gasped.
'Because I'm leaving today, with the pilgrims? Because I'm not a lay sister any longer?'
Agnes's face fell. Janna grasped her hand. 'I can't stay, you know that. But neither can you?' It was a question, rather than a statement. Janna hoped she knew the answer, and felt a great relief when Agnes nodded shyly.
'Will's asked me to be his wife, and I have agreed to it,' she whispered. 'We will go to see the abbess after Mass, to see if my childhood vows may be broken and to ask what needs to be done.'
'Good luck to you both.' Janna looked from Agnes to Will. 'I wish you great happiness in your life together,' she said softly, and sank to her knees as the procession passed up the nave. She breathed in the spicy incense that scented the air as the young acolyte swung his censer, taking comfort from the sturdy stone walls of the great church and a ritual that dated back almost to the time of Christ. So had it always been; so would it be long after she was gone. It made her realise that, while her quest was important to her, it was the smallest dot in the fabric of God's great plan.
Janna smiled to herself. God didn't need her help to run the world, but he would surely expect her to do what she might 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, fulfil 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.
'caught red-handed'
: literally with blood on your hands
aelfshot
: a belief that illness or a sudden pain (like rheumatism, arthritis or a 'stitch' in the side) 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 recognised 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
apothecary
: someone who prepares and sells medicines, and perhaps also spices and rare goods
bailiff:
appointed by the abbess (or a baron) to manage the home farm, mills, etc
baron
: a noble of high rank, a tenant-in-chief who holds his lands from the king
boon work
: at busy times in the farming year (eg haymaking and harvest) villeins were required to work every day 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
: a pedlar
cot
: small cottage
cottar
: a medieval villein (serf) who occupied a cottage and a small piece of land on his lord's demesne, in return for his labour
cresset
: a primitive light made from a wick floating in a bowl of oil or animal fat
demesne
: manors/land owned by a feudal lord for his own use
Domesday Book
: commissioned by William I after he conquered England in 1066, the book is a meticulous reckoning (for taxation purposes) of who owned what in England, from manors, mills and land holdings down to slaves, pigs and ploughs
dorter
: dormitory
dower:
a sum of money paid for a woman, either as a marriage settlement or to secure her place in an abbey
farthing:
one quarter of a penny
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 subtenants in return for fees, knight service and, in the case of the villeins, work in the fields. The Abbess of Wiltune held an entire barony from the king and owed the service of five knights in return.
forest law
: from William the Conqueror's time, royal forests were the preserve of kings and the 'vert' (living wood) and the 'venison' (the creatures of the forest) were protected. The laws caused great hardship to the peasants who needed timber for building and kindling, while hunger tempted many to go poaching – but they faced punishment, and sometimes even death if 'caught red-handed'.
hagiography
: writing on the life of a saint
hayward
: 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 the best beast, and sometimes also some household goods such as metal objects or uncut cloth. This constituted 'payment' for the loss of a worker.
hue and cry
: with no practising 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 the 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 practised during the time of the Anglo-Saxons, which included the use of herbs, plants, medicines, magical incantations and spells, charms and precious stones
marketmede
: literally 'market meadow'
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
motte and bailey castle
: earth mound with wooden or stone keep (tower) on top, plus an enclosure or courtyard, all of it surrounded and protected by a ditch and palisade (fence)
nostrums
: medicines
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 (such as cellaress or chantress) under an abbot or abbess in a monastery or convent
oblate
: a young child given to a monastery or abbey by its parents
portress
: nun responsible for admitting visitors to the abbey
posset
: a hot drink with curative properties
postulant
: anyone who enters the abbey with the intention of becoming a nun
pottage
: a vegetable soup or stew
pyx
: a container for the consecrated bread at Mass
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).
refectory
: dining room
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 labour, teaching, copying manuscripts, etc. Seventy-three 'chapters' of direction make up the Rule.
rush light
: a peeled rush dipped in hot animal fat, which made a primitive 'candle'
sacristan
: looks after the sacred relics and treasures of the abbey
scapular
: a loose, sleeveless tunic for rough work
scrip
: a small bag
steward
: appointed by a baron (or the abbess) to oversee the estate
stoup
: a basin or font for holy water at the entrance of a church
strip fields
: a system of farming was practised in medieval time, whereby two fields were ploughed and sown for harvest in summer and winter, while a third field lay fallow
tallage
: tax
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
T
HE
J
ANNA
M
YSTERIES
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.