Author: Elisa Germanis

Comparing Margery Kempe’s journey on a modern map and the Psalter World Map juxtaposes how a modern traveler and a medieval traveler visualize the world differently.

The modern map provides a modern traveler with a physical and geopolitical understanding of the world. This map defines countries with strict borders, establishing that different regions have separate cultural and political identities. Cities are labeled, with the more prominent and larger cities labelled in bigger fonts, reflecting their social significance and popularity. Generally, continents are scaled to reflect their comparative sizes. While this map is a world map, it also reflects the U.S. government’s (and some Americans’ perspective of the world). For example, this map uses the label “Gulf of America” rather than “Gulf of Mexico.”  In addition, the labels are in English, meaning that location names are anglified, and not necessarily  written how a native speaker would write them..

The Psalter World Map provides a medieval traveler with a different physical and geopolitical understanding of the world that is largely rooted in Catholicism. Jerusalem, the holiest city, is placed in the center of the world. The cardinal directions are rotated ninety degrees, with east as north, due to the belief that Paradise (the most Northern/upwards point) was in the same direction the sun rises.

While the modern map is divided into countries, the Psalter World Map has no country borders. The T-O structure of the map uses the Mediterranean Sea to generally separate the world into three land masses, though there are no defined countries with names. Instead, it depicts some prominent geographical features, such as bodies of water and mountains, and prominent cities (represented by gold triangles). This layout of the map suggests a worldview in which different geographical groups of people are viewed not by country, but through a religious lens. Each of the three land masses is representative of the descendants of one of the three sons of Noah, informing how the people in each of those areas may have been perceived. For example, the top left of the map is an illustration of Alexander’s Wall, behind which were meant to be the cannibalistic descendants of the evil sons of Cain, the Gog and Magog. By depicting this religious lore, the Psalter World Map identifies those living in the Northeast of the world as evil cannibals.

Like the modern map reflects a modern day American perspective, this map reflects an English perspective from (roughly) the thirteenth century, due to the location and time of its creation. This English perspective of the world is evident in the amount of locations labelled in each area. Outside of Jerusalem with its many labelled (religiously informed) locations, the bottom left quadrant, closest to Britain, contains the most labelled cities. Meanwhile, the right side of the map contains depictions of the “monstrous” races, or people/creatures with multiple or missing body parts. This portrayal of people in the southern part of the world reflects that those in Britain knew less about the world the further it was from them, allowing speculation and folklore to shape their understanding.

An additional element of the modern map that the Psalter World Map lacks is the inclusion of roads. This aspect of the modern map emphasizes that its priority is to give instruction for travel. The modern map suggests that the modern traveler views their place in the world as a specific geographical point, and the purpose of a map is to accurately assess this point in relation to the rest of the world. It offers physical guidance on how to reach a specific location, not only through its depictions of roads, but its depictions of mountainous terrain and bodies of water, which both accurately reflect the physical world and illustrate potential geographic barriers to a modern traveler. Country borders also provide this type of logistical information, as a border crossing can be an obstacle for travelers.

Instead of providing practical and logistical information for travel, the Psalter World Map’s visual priorities are in religious illustration. This purpose can be seen in the colorful and detailed artwork not only on the map but surrounding the map– angels surround the world, along with the upper body of Christ, who has a large halo of gold. In his hand, Christ holds a T-O sphere, expressing that he is ruler of the world. Margery begins her journey in Britain, located at the bottom of this map, and in moving physically upwards on this map to reach Jerusalem, the map shows Margery is moving closer to God on her journey. This idea suggests that in going on her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a medieval traveler like Margery would have held the perspective that she was not only symbolically and spiritually growing closer to God, but also physically moving closer to him. Further, by physically (in her mind) moving up in the world, she could have felt that her religious status and quality of life was also moving upwards. By looking at the modern map, a modern traveller can see the impressive length and physically difficult journey Margery went on (traveling more than 3,000 miles southeast), which, though it does not support this religious narrative of moving upwards and closer to God, does reflect the strength of her religious devotion.

While the modern map is a physical representation of the earth, visualizing logistical and terrain-related information, it also reflects a modern day geopolitical understanding of the world. The Psalter World Map frames the world from a religious viewpoint, both physically and through the religious illustrations surrounding it. Rather than categorizing people by countries, it expresses a medieval idea in which areas are generally understood through religious scripture and speculation. In mapping Margery Kempe’s journey on both of these maps, a viewer is able to compare their modern day understanding of the world and travel to the Catholic perspective through which pilgrims like Margery Kempe saw the world and understood other people.

Margery travels from Jerusalem back to Venice by ship. Though she does not mention the length of their journey, she notes that many of her companions were very ill. Margery does not describe the conditions of the ship or other travel difficulties that might have inflicted this illness, though she does bring this situation back to her relationship with God, saying that he assured her no one would die if they were on the same ship as her. By sharing this message from God, Margery frames herself as a favorite or someone special in the eyes of God. Upon arriving in Venice, Margery’s companions abandon her, saying “they would not go with her for a hundred pounds” (111). This comment from her fellow pilgrims expresses the frustration and tiredness Margery’s travel companions felt after traveling with her for so long.

Margery states that God tells her that he will make sure she arrives in Rome and then England safely if she wears white clothes. Margery responds “’If you are the spirit of God that speaks in my soul, and I may prove you to be a true spirit through counsel of the church, I shall obey your will; and if you bring me to Rome in safety, I shall wear white clothes, even though all the world should wonder at me, for your love” (112). This response is interesting because Margery’s phrasing “If you are the spirit of God” implies that she is not fully sure that God is speaking to her at this moment. As a woman with many children, Margery wearing white clothes (indicative of virginity and purity) would have been seen as blasphemous. Therefore, Margery’s insistence that the voice of God told her to wear white could have been perceived as her actually being spoken to by the voice of the devil. By setting up this condition where she must arrive safely in Rome before wearing white, Margery will be able to provide proof that it is God speaking to her upon her safe arrival (and then will be justified for wearing white).

Margery then meets an Irish man of around fifty years old with an old broken back (named Richard). She recalls her confessor telling her that when all her companions abandon her, God will provide a broken-backed man to escort her. Margery tells Richard to guide her to Rome, and he responds with “No, ma’am” and a list of fears: they have no weapons, they could be robed, and Margery could be taken away from him and raped. Richard’s concerns emphasize the dangers of travel during this time, and the heightened risk (of being raped) that Margery faces due to being a woman. Margery responds  that God will look after them and she will give him two nobles. He agrees, suggesting that either Margery’s connection to God or the promise of two nobles (or both) are very convincing.

Once they set off, Margery describes coming across two Grey Friars and a woman “that came with them from Jerusalem” (113). As Margery previously describes being abandoned and alone, it is likely that this trio sailed on the same ship as her to Venice, and they were then separated up until this point. Margery describes the woman as having an ass which bears a chest containing an image of the lord. Margery writes that she travels with this trio while Richard returns to his occupation (begging), but he returns every morning and evening. The logistics of this situation are very confusing and Margery does not care to elaborate (does Richard only beg once they have stopped at a city?– otherwise, it would be unlikely he could stay caught up with the group).

Margery describes that though she does not speak the same language as the trio, they provide her with food, drink, and lodgings, and therefore she prays for them. This language barrier suggests that Margery is able to form connections with people, regardless of linguistic and cultural differences, through a shared dedication to religion. Margery writes that when the group arrives at fine cities, they place the image of the lord in the laps of respectable wives. Margery is moved to tears by the wives’ devotion. She writes that “When these good women saw this creature weeping… so astonishingly and so powerfully… they arranged a good soft bed and laid her upon it, and comforted her” (114). Here, Margery (as usual), depicts her weeping (and therefore the strength of her faith in God) as unique and incredible. This kind treatment of Margery, despite her language barrier with these women, once more demonstrates her ability to make connections with people through shared devoutness. However, it is also possible that because of the language barrier, these women did not understand Margery’s tears, and were simply concerned for her well-being.

Ultimately, Margery’s focus on herself, her relationship with God, and how other people perceive her suggest that she is attempting to record her own (or something like a) hagiography. She consistently depicts herself as having a more powerful connection to God than those around her, and further describes suffering for God. Interestingly, in this section Margery also demonstrates that while her devotion to God is often insufferable to those spending long periods of time with her, this connection to God can also convince people to help her and provide for her on her journey (regardless of language/cultural barriers).

Margery travels from Venice to Jerusalem by ship with her group of pilgrims. She does not note how long this journey takes, however she states that her pilgrims arrange a ship and obtain wine containers and bedding for themselves for this journey, though not for her (so she must obtain bedding herself). She then describes receiving a warning from God not to travel on the ship her fellow pilgrims had arranged, assigning her a different ship to sail in. She tells this information to her party, who sells their wine containers to join her on this other ship. This description of travel focuses on Margery’s relationship with God and the other pilgrims. While the pilgrims frequently express dislike towards Margery and exclude her, here Margery describes a reversal of power dynamics. Margery draws on religious authority and places herself in a position of power, even expressing that rather than her needing the pilgrims, they need her (“though it was against her will, she went on with them in their company, for they did not dare to do otherwise”)(103). Funnily, the pilgrims even have to sell the wine containers that they excluded her from.

Margery describes more mistreatment on the sea voyage to Jerusalem, expressing that a priest in the party took away her bedclothes and her sheet, rebuking her for being “false” (103). She does not explain why the priest does so, though says “she supposed they were annoyed with her” and proceeds to apologize  to the group for any annoyance she has caused, and tells the party that she forgives them for any wrongdoing they have done upon her (103). By describing this drama on the ship, Margery emphasizes overcoming struggles on her journey for God. She also places herself in a position of religious virtuosity (above the other pilgrims)  by apologizing (when she has not described having anything to apologize for) and forgiving the party for their mistreatment of her. She even says “God forgive you for it, as I do,” very closely linking herself with God and God’s feelings (and therefore authority) (103).

Once reaching land, Margery rides a donkey into Jerusalem. Rather than describing her surroundings, Margery focuses on her emotional reaction to seeing the holy land, and expresses that her emotions are so strong they are reflected through her body. She notes that one of these bodily reactions is almost falling off of her donkey. She writes that two German pilgrims helped keep her from falling, suggesting that Jerusalem was a center of interaction between many different cultures, all connected through the act of pilgrimage.

Rather than describing Jerusalem physically, Margery uses words such as “earthly” and “blissful” to describe it (103). This word choice demonstrates that Margery’s attention is very  much focused on the divine aspects of Jerusalem, rather than anything cultural or visual. She does not describe any logistical aspects of her stay, though she does write about visiting sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount of Cavalry. In these locations, Margery weeps more loudly and dramatically than she ever has before, explaining that she is unable to control the divine sensations and passion she feels when being in such holy locations. Like before, many pilgrims are frustrated with her displays of passion, and so she expresses that she attempts to withhold her tears for as long as possible. However, she ultimately bursts into tears, reflecting the power of Margery’s religious devotion. She says that those who haven’t seen her tears before are amazed and astounded, highlighting the uniquely intense nature of her sobbing.

Margery’s focus on her relationship to God, divine locations, and how people perceive (and usually mistreat) her and her religious devotion suggest not only that Margery prioritizes all that has religious connection, but that Margery is recording her story in order to demonstrate how devoutly passionate (and close with God) she is.  Further, by framing her faith as stronger than and superior to the faith of others (meaning she is more closely linked with God), she is able to place herself in a position of some power through religion.

Rather than traveling with the other pilgrims, Margery Kempe travels to Bologna with an escort, an old man named William Wever who she meets in Constance. Rather than describing the terrain she travels across, she describes feeling the spiritual comfort of God throughout her journey. She does not mention the time it took to travel from Constance to Bologna, though she says that “they went on day by day and met many excellent people. And they didn’t say a bad word to this creature, but gave her and her man food and drink, and the good wives at the lodgings where they put up laid her in their own beds for God’s love in many places where they went” (101). These lines depict her journey as filled with very generous people. It is uncommon for Margery to meet so many people and not be openly insulted or criticized. While the specific type of lodgings Margery stays in are not mentioned, the mention of wives suggests that they may have stayed in people’s personal homes. The incredible level of hospitality described, in which wives give Margery their own beds to sleep in, may imply that in the areas Margery travelled through to reach Bologna, there was a major societal duty of hospitality (especially for women). It is also possible that this description of hospitality is Margery exaggerating, as this section of her journey is not witnessed by the other pilgrims.

Margery writes that she arrived at Bologna faster than the pilgrims that abandoned her, which shocks them and convinces them to allow Margery to rejoin their party. It is possible that because Margery was only traveling with one other person, they did not face any hold ups that a large group of people travelling might have encountered. However, Margery is only allowed to rejoin the group under the condition “you will not talk of the Gospel where we are, but you will sit and make merry, like us, at all meals,” which she agrees to (101). Margery notes nothing else about Bologna, emphasizing her focus on her relationship with God and people’s perceptions of her (often their difficulties with how she expresses her faith).

Margery then states that they travelled to Venice. She does not offer details about her travel (beyond that she is once more traveling in a group). For once, she actually notes how long they stayed in a location– 13 weeks.  Margery writes that while in Venice she receives communion every Sunday in a house of nuns. Her access to communion suggests a strong presence of Christianity in Venice (and considering its close proximity, also in Bologna).  Once more, Margery and her relationships are the primary focus. She writes that she is very welcomed among the nuns, who are “greatly amazed” at Margery’s “devotion and plentiful tears” (102). Margery may be attempting to brag and uplift herself, or, these nuns could have been appreciative of a woman (that is not a nun) with whom they share a strong sense of religious devotion. Additionally, Margery once more causes meal-time conflict by talking about the Gospel despite her agreement not to. Margery then eats alone for six weeks (potentially a reason she originally mentions the length of her stay– in order to emphasize she ate alone for almost half of it).

Margery then describes falling “so ill that she thought she would die” (102). Margery does not mention the symptoms of her illness (though it is logical to think she fell ill due to her constant exposure to the difficulties of travel and new places). She instead emphasizes that she believes God made her ill then well again, perhaps to test her faith or as a form of penance. Margery also adds that her maid servant serves the other pilgrims instead of her while she is sick, building on this victim narrative where Margery is struggling, sick and alone, for God.

While Margery describes incredibly little about Bologna and Venice, her focus on herself, other’s opinions of her, and God, uplifts her as an astonishingly devout woman.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1HbuaCGSKFTQ6g2a401ydKwmg9ks_1mk&ll=43.03211994311013%2C18.638816449999965&z=5

Margery primarily describes what directly impacts her (such as conflict with her fellow pilgrims) and the strength of her connection to God. For each location, I have chosen an icon that represents something she emphasizes in her description of her time there. Additionally, I have color-coded these locations with yellow, green, or blue in order to depict how connected to God Margery feels at these locations (evaluated by the amount she weeps). Yellow locations are those in which Margery briefly discusses or mentions her feelings of religious passion. Green locations are those in which she depicts a strong, direct connection to God (with crying). Blue locations are those in which she feels so connected to God, her body is fully overtaken with excessive, passionate weeping.

Margery Kempe travels with her fellow pilgrims to Constance despite their disputes in Zierikzee. As the text does not specifically state how they travelled, it can be assumed that like most pilgrims, they walked. Margery does not provide the amount of time this journey took, however she does mention that her fellow pilgrims caused her “much shame and reproof as they went along” during the journey by making her wear a short gown and “some white canvas in a kind of sacking apron” so that “she would be taken for a fool” (98). This visual form of shaming through an outfit that is sexual (as implied by its length) and ugly suggests a cultural importance placed on female appearance in Margery’s society. Her group makes her dress a certain way so she is “taken for a fool,” directly connecting a woman’s visual appearance to how she would be treated (with signs of sexuality or aesthetically unappealing qualities leading to a woman being treated with less respect). Margery details that her group continues to shame her by making her sit at the end of the table when eating, “so that she scarcely dared speak a word” (98). This enforcement of her silence suggests another cultural expectation placed on Margery– for women to be quiet while the men speak.

However, Margery also describes that “the good man of the house where they were staying… would always do whatever he could to cheer her up before them all and sent her what he had from his own meal” (98). Practically, this description implies that Margery and her group of pilgrims were housed and fed (seemingly generously) by a man of Constance, perhaps suggesting an emphasis on religious obligation in Constance. Further, this man’s kind treatment of Margery, despite her group’s annoyance, may suggest kinder or more polite treatment of women in Constance. 

Interestingly, while in Constance, Margery describes her experiences with an English friar rather than depicting the religious community in Constance (though the English friar’s presence infers a Catholic presence). Margery shares her strained relationship with her group and the legate offers her religious comfort. The group invites the legate to dinner, where they ask him to command Margery to eat meat like the rest of them and stop weeping so much. The legate responds that he will not order her to not eat meat when “our Lord gives her strength to abstain” or restrain her weeping when “it is the gift of the holy ghost” (100). He adds that “As for her talking I will ask her to stop until she comes somewhere that people will hear her more gladly than you do” (100). These words from the friar/legate once more suggest that in Margery’s culture, she can draw some forms of power and personal autonomy through religion, however, the expectation to remain silent if men do not want to hear her speak is fairly constant, even if she is discussing religion. 

The text continues to state that the pilgrims “gave Margery over to the legate,” wanting nothing more to do with her (100). This phrasing that Margery can be “given” to someone like an object reflects another way she lacks control in her society. The primary way the group transfers Margery over to the legate is by taking charge of her money (implying that women for the most part were not meant to hold their own money). The legate “organized for her the exchange of her English money into foreign money,” also suggesting that Margery is reaching territory where English money is no longer accepted as much. Additionally, Margery describes the legate as treating her “as though she had been his mother” (100). This comparison suggests the type of control or responsibilities (monetary) a son might have had over his mother in Margery’s society. 

Overall, the near complete lack of detail Margery offers about Constance (including how long she is there) emphasizes that Margery is recording her journey for very personal and religious reasons. While her stop at Constance provides us with little information about the culture there, it does offer insight on Margery’s culture (and its treatment of women). Further, this stop demonstrates a consistent tension throughout Margery’s traveling between patriarchal control and her ability to draw power from religion.

The Book of Margery Kempe states that Margery, traveling with a group of other pilgrims that including her confessor and her maidservant, arrived at Zierikzee on a ship from Yarmouth. While the text does not provide a specific length of time she was in Zierikzee, it says that “she received communion every Sunday,” implying that she was there for at least a few weeks (96). Her receiving communion also suggests that Zierikzee had Catholics and Catholic churches. Zierikzee is described as a “large town,” though no other straightforward descriptions of the city are given (96). Due to Zierikzee’s proximity to water, it is possible that it played a major role in their economy and its people’s daily life, but Margery did take note of it, implying she did not care much about the environment of Zierikzee.

While in Zierikzee, Margery’s confessor becomes extremely angry with her for not eating meat. This dispute may suggest that the easiest and most fulfilling foods that her group could obtain in Zierikzee contained meat, and therefore Margery’s refusal to eat meat caused an issue for the group when getting their meals. Margery largely focuses on this dispute between her and her travel group when describing the rest of her time at Zierikzee. Her group refuses to stay with her for a night, giving her a noble and angrily telling her to “go where she likes and shift for herself as well as she could” (97). Margery does not describe her previous lodgings (with the group) or if she was able to obtain lodgings for the night she was on her own. However, based on the frequency with which Margery describes she suffers, the absence of a description detailing a night of suffering implies that she was likely able to secure lodgings. Therefore, the noble was likely able to cover her necessary costs (either because nobles were an accepted currency in Zierikzee or because they were at least considered to have some value there).

While Margery spends some time describing how “cruelly” her fellow pilgrims treated her, she spends one line describing how she thinks the people of Zierikzee perceived her: “she received communion… with much weeping and violent sobbing, so that many people marveled and wondered at the great grace that God worked in his creature” (96-97). By using the words “marveled and wondered” and framing her tears as a great gift from God, the text implies that some people in Zierikzee may have found her tears to be a wondrous sign of religious devotion and connection to God. However, considering how often people become frustrated with Margery for her constant crying, this view may also just be reflective of how Margery wanted to be perceived, rather than how she was actually perceived. Either way, her crying seems to have been very noticed by people, suggesting few if any people in Zierikzee rivaled the frequency and drama with which Margery Kempe cried.

Rather than describing Zierikzee and its people/culture, Margery Kempe focuses on recording her feelings, her relationship with God, and the suffering she is experiencing for God while at Zierikzee. These focuses suggest that her purpose in having the Book of Margery Kempe written was to gain religious admiration from her journey,  not unlike an attempt at an autobiographical hagiography.