Page 38 of 39

The Book of Margery Kempe: Zierikzee

February 15, 2018 / flemingg / 0 Comments

After departing Norwich and Yarmouth, England, Margery Kempe travels with her confessor and a group of companions and arrives in Zierikzee. Out of personal interest, I looked into Zierikzee and discovered that today it is a small city in southwest Netherlands, near Rotterdam. Margery mentions briefly that they traveled by boat and that it took one day for them to get to Zierikzee from the port in Yarmouth, England. Kempe describes Zierikzee as a “large town” but otherwise does not focus much on the architecture or inhabitants of the city (96). Instead, Margery puts intense focus on the religious practices she performs while in Zierikzee and places immense focus on the way her fellow travelers treat her. For example, she speaks at length about how the Lord visited her in Zierikzee and gave her “tears of contrition for her own sins” and other people’s sins as well (96). She claims to have attended communion every Sunday when it was possible, “with weeping and violent sobbing” so that people marveled at her (97). Kempe then details how in England she had not eaten meat or drunk wine for four years, but that in Zierikzee her confessor asked her to begin doing so. Margery did for a while, but then stopped, and prayed to “her confessor to excuse her if she ate no meat” (97). Her eventual refusal to eat meat annoyed her confessor as well as many of the company she was traveling with. Margery spends most of her time discussing Zierikzee by talking about how cruel her company was to her, stating that they were annoyed by how much she wept and spoke of the Lord’s goodness. Once Margery expresses how hurt and ashamed her company has made her feel, they tell her they hope she dies “the devil’s death” (97). Her closest friends desert her and even her maidservant is taken from her, and the entire company (save one person) abandons her in the night. One of the company invites her to travel with fellow pilgrims to Constance, Germany but she laments over how this company treats her as well, as they cut her skirts short and made her wear a type of sack so she’d look like a fool. She does remark that the man of the house wherever they would stay after leaving Zierikzee treated her kindly and with high esteem, leaving the impression that the people of this area were very kind towards women, moreso than her original English company. It is never stated what time of the year they arrived, or how long Margery Kempe stayed. However, it can be assumed it was a couple weeks, as she describes going to communion on multiple Sundays.

Margery Kempe as a traveler is evidently consumed with the culture of Christianity, but focuses on a reverence between her personal relationship with God, claiming that God visits her and forgives her for disobeying her confessor when she speaks to God directly. She frequently has visions of the passion of Christ, which move her to tears, as they did in Zierikzee. She describes her tears as though they are a hairshirt, a gift from God proving her superior love for him. Her way of gaining auctoritee (authority) through writing her travel narrative appears to be a way to reaffirm that her role as a pilgrim is about her pure and true devotion and connection with God, and that her devotion and loyalty is stronger than those she is traveling with to see a variety of Holy sites. The main thing I found interesting in Zierikzee was Margery’s description that she had not eaten meat or drank wine for four years in England, prior to her travels to Zierikzee and beyond. Her confessor asking her to eat meat and drink wine out of obedience and her pleading with God to forgive her for not listening, thus causing animosity between Margery, her confessor, and her company, was a topic I wished to delve into. The role of eating meat and drinking wine in Christianity of the Middle Ages seems as varied then as it is today. Dominican Friar Thomas Aquinas stated that moderation in wine is sufficient for salvation, but that for certain persons absolute abstinence is necessary to reach perfection (Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 149). On the other hand, the medieval church did still celebrate saints related to wine like St. Amand and St. Martin. When it comes to meat, Christian vegetarianism is still widely debated today, but the practice of Christian vegetarianism has scriptural and historical support. For example, before the fall of man, the Bible is commonly interpreted to describe a setting where all humans and animals with a soul are vegan and that “it was good,” with raw veganism being the diet prescribed by God to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:29-31). While abstinence from meat is most common during periods of fast like Lent, the reasons given by the Church for why it was abstained from were due to the fact that things that are flesh or come from flesh (eggs, etc.) are “unclean” due to their creation from coitus. When considering Margery and her cultural religious background, she may have adopted this lifestyle of abstaining from meat and wine in order to become closer to God and become more God-like herself, by mimicking the diet of man before the Fall. She could have viewed this diet as a way to strengthen her relationship with God, which is why she chooses to disobey her confessor, as his wishes may have been seen as trying to tear her farther from God. In this way her refusal to obey her confessor and the chagrins of her company can almost be viewed as “going against God”. Her company and her confessor may have become frustrated with her diet due to the logistics of travel. Perhaps meat and wine were some of the most readily available meals to the group in Zierikzee, and her denial of these became a burden when trying to dine on the road.

The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Alexandria

February 15, 2018 / Molly / 0 Comments

It took Benjamin of Tudela two days to get from Lammanah to Alexandria. In his descriptions of Alexandria, Benjamin of Tudela is focused on the appearance of the city and the legends behind it. He is incredibly intrigued by the legend of Alexander of Macedon, the city’s founder. Benjamin was immediately impressed with Alexandria for its legacy of being strong and beautiful after Alexander of Macedon named it after himself. He notes the immaculate architecture and the importance of the city’s Aristotelian academy where people from all over the world travel to study. He also pays attention to the physicality of the city: the wide and straight streets and its position over a hollow.

From his writing, it is clear that Benjamin is impressed with Alexander and his product of Alexandria. He writes of a story about a lighthouse tower that Alexander built with a mirror on top of it so that the inhabitants of the city could see ships coming from the west and protect Alexandria from attempted attack. The Christians began to arrive at the lighthouse with their ships and eventually captured Crete and Cyprus. Benjamin goes into great detail about the function and legend of the lighthouse and how it has become a symbol for Alexandria, as it is somewhat of a port city, or a “commercial market for all nations,” as he puts it, listing various Christian and Muslim kingdoms who use it as such. At the end of his passage about Alexandria he describes a marble sepulchre by the coast and then quickly mentions that there are about 3,000 Jews who live in the city.

It is unclear as to how long Benjamin of Tudela spent in Alexandria, however it becomes clear what is important to him based on his writings. Benjamin is Jewish, but does not mention anything about the 3,000 Jewish people living in Alexandria. With just the mention of the number of Jews, it seems that it is enough for him to know that at least there are Jews present in the city. He is, however, careful to mention that it was the Christians who captured Crete and Cyprus from the powerful Alexander of Macedon.

The way Benjamin of Tudela writes of Alexandria makes it seem as if he is very familiar with the city via stories he has heard from other travelers. His tone makes it seem as though he is excited to finally see this famed city with his own eyes. He does not make note of anything that is too surprising to him, save for the marble sepulchre with the mystery ancient characters.

As a modern reader, I am not too surprised about any of Benjamin’s observations about Alexandria. I would expect this sort of fascination about the history of the city, however, I expected there to be more wonder in his tone of writing, especially about the people since he described Alexandria to be so busy. But, if he heard stories and descriptions of Alexandria prior to his own journey, he must not be too surprised about the actual appearance of the city.

The writer’s purpose in this journey seems to be to prove that he was there and remember specific details about it. It does not feel like this was written with the intention of an audience. If it was, it would have more fantastical details about the people and the landscape. To him, the importance was see what was actually there and noting how many Jewish people lived in the city.

The Book of the Wanderings of Felix Fabri (Circa 1480-1483): Botzen

February 15, 2018 / Kara Smith / 0 Comments

Felix Fabri describes his Botzen, now modern-day Bolzano, Italy, in the accounts of each of his pilgrimages to Jerusalem. His second account, however, describes the town in much more detail. Fabri focuses his second description on the people and culture of Bolzano, mainly on their tendency to be “sinful, given to drunkenness, luxury, and pride beyond measure” and so often overcome with fever symptoms that it ceases to be considered an illness (13). Interested in the ethnic composition of the town as well, Fabri notes that the majority of its citizens, as of a few years prior, were Italian, making the common language Italian, but that Botzen is now a German town. Commenting on the relationship of the people to their buildings, Fabri highlights that the town had recently almost entirely burned, a recurring incident that left many displaced, with more expensive buildings being constructed in the ruins.

Fabri’s group only stayed in Botzen for one night, the 20th of April , before continuing on their journey. They arrived after dinner on the 20th and left after dinner on the 21st. Fabri mentions that Botzen’s wine is “especially good” and “all fruits are sweet” there, but does not mention what they ate at the monastery or elsewhere (13).

To explain the cause of the widespread fever symptoms, Fabri explains that mountains on one side of the town block the “fresh wholesome air” so that the wind only comes from the nearby “pestilent marshes,” thus briefly describing the terrain of Botzen (13).

The climate of Botzen is described through Fabri’s telling of his previous visit with a friend. The friend jokes that the town must be the coldest town in the world to cause such widespread fever symptoms, but Fabri replies that it may be one of the warmest in actuality. A dry and hot climate would explain the widespread fires, too.

Some of the most interesting details of this account are revealed when Fabri describes the religious buildings, such as the monasteries and churches that were not touched by the flames, “as though by a miracle” (12). It is slightly confusing as to why Fabri refrains from directly calling the event a miracle, even though he readily tells the story of how the convent dormitory roof was saved from being devoured by flames when the Prior “called upon the Blessed Virgin for help” and accepts that the fire was caused by the “vengeance of Heaven” on the sinful town (13). Obviously, he fully believes in the interference of divine power in the town, so his reaction is a bit out of character.

It’s interesting to think that the constantly changing ethnic composition of Botzen and how it seems to directly influence which district and nation the town is considered part of. Fabri says that it was initially Italian, then switched to a German town. That shift caused the Botzen’s convent to switch from belonging to the province of St. Dominic to belonging to Fabri’s province. Since Botzen is now part of Italy again, it would be interesting to revisit the religious affiliations of the town.

The Book of Margery Kempe: Jerusalem

February 14, 2018 / kayleigh / 0 Comments

When Margery Kempe sees Jerusalem from above, she prays for God to reveal to her the heavenly as well as the earthly city of Jerusalem, and feels that she gazes on heaven. Overwhelmed with grace, she almost falls off the ass she is riding, and mentions that two German pilgrims and a priest assist her.

She describes her movements through Jerusalem as something like a religious city tour. Beginning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the pilgrims follow friars through the city. The friars carry a cross, and the pilgrims carry candles. During the tour, over the course of three weeks, they visit Mt. Calvary, “the grave where the Lord was buried,” the place of Christ’s crucifixion, a marble stone where his body lay, Mt. Zion, the location of the last supper, the place where the disciples received the Holy Spirit, and the burial place of the Virgin Mary. At many of these sites, Kempe is able to receive mass and plenary remissions (or indulgences). Kempe experiences strong religious emotions, and cries, screams, and prays. She also describes seeing visions and hearing voices. At Mt. Calvary, she describes a vision of Christ’s crucified body. The only features of the landscape that Kempe describes are mountains (specifically Mts. Zion and Calvary) and hills. Descriptions of Kempe’s journey to Jerusalem reveal that she travelled with a group of other pilgrims (all men), although she frequently argued with them and at one point travelled alone with an old man she met along the way. She and her companions stayed in the houses of wealthy people in each city, and travelled by foot, ass, and boat.

It is clear from these facts that Kempe saw almost everything from a religious perspective. She doesn’t describe the people or buildings of Jerusalem, but rather focuses on each location’s association to Christ. Rather than describing the physical aspect of pilgrimage sites, she describes her own reaction to them, what Christ did there, and any visions or voices she experiences in prayer. Kempe’s focus is not ethnographic in any sense. She began her pilgrimage in order to increase her worth in the eyes of God, and she is only interested in the religious significance of the places that she visits. This can also potentially reveal something about the Jerusalem that Kempe visited. It appears from her descriptions that the city had a complex infrastructure in place for accommodating religious pilgrims. Upon her arrival to the city, she immediately interacts with two pilgrims from Germany, revealing that pilgrims are common enough for her to happen to find them in her time of need, and that they come from various locations. In addition, there are friars ready to escort the pilgrims through the city, taking them primarily to religious sites. Masses and plenary remissions are offered at these sites, which seem to be set up to accommodate (and perhaps attract) pilgrims. This implies that the city receives enough pilgrims to necessitate such infrastructure, and that the city encourages the influx of pilgrims. Kempe’s account shows how religious pilgrimages were able to function within a prearranged infrastructure without interacting too much with the non-religious life of a city— although this may also reflect Kempe’s singular devotion to her task.

The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Rome

February 14, 2018 / leffa / 0 Comments

It is unclear when exactly Benjamin of Tudela traveled to Rome, and for how long he stayed, however the journey from Lucca to Rome took him six days. From the start of his travel accounts, it is evident that Benjamin was concerned with the subject of religion. In Rome, Benjamin delved into the presence of Judaism in a city that acts as the kingdom of Christendom, as well as the relationship between the Judaism and Christianity since both religions were present in the city. Benjamin began, as he did with most other places he traveled to, by documenting the number of Jews present at the time that he was visiting— in this case, there were 200 Jews in Rome. He noted that they did not need to pay tribute and upheld honorable positions. He went on to describe the Jewish population in greater detail by highlighting those that were officials of Pope Alexander, great scholars, and important Rabbis.

Benjamin then turned his attention towards the physical landscape and edifices of the city. He observed that Rome is split in two by the River Tiber, and that the city itself is 24 miles in circumference. He made note of significant structures, namely the 80 palaces that belonged to the 80 kings that lived there and even described the histories of some of these palaces, particularly those that housed kings who were important to the Jewish religion. He described other important structures such as the sturdily built palace of Vespasianus, as well as the Colosseum and some of its historical background. Furthermore, he described the catacombs of King Tarmal Galsin. He then payed special attention to various structural elements of buildings. Of these, he described the two bronze columns engraved by King Solomon and taken from the Temple that are now in the church of St. John in the Lateran. His interest in these columns was marked by his allusions to their historical significance in Judaism. He also noted that there are of statues of Samson and Absalom in marble in front of St. John in the Lateran, as well as a statue of Constantinus the Great who built Constantinople.

It is clear that religion played a great role in Benjamin’s travels, yet what is most striking was the way he wrote of it. Benjamin was a Jewish traveler and evidently had a substantial interest in the presence and influence of Judaism within the places that he traveled to. With every new place he visited, his first observation was a count of the number of Jews in that area. He thereby associated the number of Jews with how strong the presence of Judaism was despite a place’s history. Yet, he did not write in a tone that was critical of other religions, or that placed Judaism as superior. Instead he wrote in a more matter-of-fact tone and didn’t hesitate to show the ways in which Judaism and Christianity overlapped as the city developed into the Rome it is today. Benjamin also made sure to include the histories and subsequent significance of the people and buildings he mentioned, revealing that he believed all the details he documented to be important enough to preserve and retell. It would seem to me that Benjamin’s purpose in writing his travel narrative was tell of the presence of Judaism around the world and how it was being preserved— despite the number of Jews present. I therefore believe that Benjamin’s travels were written for those that shared and still share his faith and religion, so that they too could see Judaism’s influence throughout the world.

Mapping the Global Middle Ages