Here is a list of bloggers who will be attending the International Congress on Medieval Studies. During the rest of week we will be checking in and linking to any interesting posts they deliver:
In the Middle
The Ruminate
The Rose Garden
Unlocked Wordhoard
Blogenspiel
Steve Muhlberger
I know I have missed a lot of bloggers that will be there, so please send me a message at medievalists.net@gmail.com and I will add your name to the list.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
International Congress on Medieval Studies (Kalamazoo)
Sadly, we will not be attending the 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies held May 8-11, 2008 at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. During the congress, we will post links to bloggers and news who are there. For now, we are going to post some information for those going to Kalamazoo for the first time, about what to expect and what to attend.
The congress is held every year on the grounds of Western Michigan University, which has its own Medieval Studies graduate program.
Originally, the congress was held only at one corner of the university known as the valleys, but over the years it has grown much larger and has spread over most of the campus. The three valley buildings, however, are still used as the main housing area for attendees.
If you do stay on site, your room will mostly look like this, a fairly spartan set up. They provide you with a pillow, bed sheets, blanket, towels and soap. If you have room to take your own pillows and blankets, please do so, as this is not the best quality.
You can prepay for meals which are served in a cafeteria in the valleys, but I would advise against it - the food is really terrible, just terrible. Instead, there are a few places on the campus and many more just off of it where you can have a decent meal. The Bronco Mall, which is on the lower level of the Bernhard Center (this hall hosts the plenary lectures and a lot of other activites) has a few fast food places, including a McDonald's and Subway. This is also the place to go to access computers for either online surfing or to finish up your paper before you give it.
One highlight of the congress is the book exhibits room, which in recent years has even spread out to a few extra rooms. Around 40 booksellers are here, representing all the academic publishers that deal with the Middle Ages. Besides offering hours of browsing, the book room sees a lot of business getting done between authors and potential publishers. If you like buying books, prepare to spend your money here. Good deals can be had, especially on Sunday morning when everyone is packing up.
Finally, I should add that there are lots of sessions for you to attend. Usually 50 separate ones take place at the same time, with a wide variety of topics being talked about. This session was attended by only a dozen people, but others will draw up to 100 strong. Plan ahead on what you want to see, and figure out how to get there as it can be a long walk from place to place.
This is a very brief overview, and a later date we will add a much larger guide to Kalamazoo on the main medievalists.net site.
The congress is held every year on the grounds of Western Michigan University, which has its own Medieval Studies graduate program.
Originally, the congress was held only at one corner of the university known as the valleys, but over the years it has grown much larger and has spread over most of the campus. The three valley buildings, however, are still used as the main housing area for attendees.
If you do stay on site, your room will mostly look like this, a fairly spartan set up. They provide you with a pillow, bed sheets, blanket, towels and soap. If you have room to take your own pillows and blankets, please do so, as this is not the best quality.
You can prepay for meals which are served in a cafeteria in the valleys, but I would advise against it - the food is really terrible, just terrible. Instead, there are a few places on the campus and many more just off of it where you can have a decent meal. The Bronco Mall, which is on the lower level of the Bernhard Center (this hall hosts the plenary lectures and a lot of other activites) has a few fast food places, including a McDonald's and Subway. This is also the place to go to access computers for either online surfing or to finish up your paper before you give it.
One highlight of the congress is the book exhibits room, which in recent years has even spread out to a few extra rooms. Around 40 booksellers are here, representing all the academic publishers that deal with the Middle Ages. Besides offering hours of browsing, the book room sees a lot of business getting done between authors and potential publishers. If you like buying books, prepare to spend your money here. Good deals can be had, especially on Sunday morning when everyone is packing up.
Finally, I should add that there are lots of sessions for you to attend. Usually 50 separate ones take place at the same time, with a wide variety of topics being talked about. This session was attended by only a dozen people, but others will draw up to 100 strong. Plan ahead on what you want to see, and figure out how to get there as it can be a long walk from place to place.
This is a very brief overview, and a later date we will add a much larger guide to Kalamazoo on the main medievalists.net site.
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies (March 2008)
Here are some abstracts from volume 32, issue 1 of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies.
Onomastics, gender, office and images on Byzantine lead seals: a means of investigating personal piety, by John Cotsonis pp.1-37
Abstract: Based upon a database of 7,390 lead seals that bear religious figural imagery in conjunction with the names and official titles of their owners, this paper investigates the contribution of lead seals to our understanding of the choice of various religious images as an expression of personal piety. The study examines the roles of homonymity, gender, family names and official titles in individuals' selections of sacred images for their seals. Tables and figures display the numerical and statistical results that are compared to trends found in other media.
Exile and return in John Mauropous, Poem 47, by Christopher Livanos pp.38-49.
Abstract: The author reads an epigram by John Mauropous as an engagement with epic and biblical traditions. Critical studies of exile and return from different eras of the Greek literary tradition by Émile Benveniste, Gregory Nagy and Nancy Sultan are used to provide a theoretical approach to the tradition with which Mauropous engages. It is suggested that Mauropous' wanderings in the territory of the xenos and return to the familiar world of the philos, and especially his personification of his home as a trophos (nurse), allude to Homer, and that epic language and motifs strengthen the poet's assertion of selfhood and make ancient literary themes relevant to Mauropous' life as a scholar and churchman.
Relations between the Fatimid and Byzantine empires during the reign of the caliph al-Mustans ir bi'llah, 1036-1094/427-487, by K.E.F. Thomson, pp.50-62
Abstract: Throughout the history of the Fatimid empire (909-1176/296-566), Byzantine sources support the idea that contact was kept to a minimum for trade. However, Arab historians reveal that in fact al-Mustansir engaged in correspondence, gift exchanges and embassies with several emperors. Descriptions of these mutual relations in the reign of al-Mustansir are a political mirror to the international effects of events such as the arrival of the Seljuk Turks, uprisings and civil war, and are also a fascinating insight into the diplomacy of Muslims and Christians banding together at a time of significant crisis for both.
On historical linguistics, linguistic variation and Medieval Greek, by Io Manolessou, pp.63-79
Abstract: This article focuses on two questions: the application of current historical linguistic methodologies to vernacular Medieval Greek in comparison to similar research in other medieval languages, and the notion of linguistic variation in Medieval Greek, in parallel with the possible methods for its fruitful investigation.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Historical Research (May 2008)
The latest issue of Historical Research: The Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research (volume 81, issue 212) contains the following articles:
R. I. Moore - The war against heresy in medieval Europe pp.189–210
Both the level of clerical anxiety about popular heresy in the century or so after 1140 and the breadth and vigour of measures adopted to suppress it, initially in the Languedoc, were disproportionate to its extent, coherence and support. This article therefore seeks an alternative explanation for the launching of the ‘war against heresy’ in thirteenth-century Europe, and finds it primarily in the developing self-consciousness of the new administrative elite produced by the demographic and cultural transformation of Europe in the eleventh century.
Theron Westervelt - Royal charter witness lists and the politics of the reign of Edward IV pp. 211–223
Historians of medieval England have excelled at getting the most information out of what often seem to be the least giving of sources, yet they have tended to shy away from the witness lists to royal charters. A study of the role and purpose of these charters shows that they deserve a second look, and an examination of the charter witness lists from the reign of Edward IV reveals just how useful they can be in the study of late medieval politics.
Evan T. Jones - Alwyn Ruddock: ‘John Cabot and the Discovery of America’ pp. 224–254
Dr. Alwyn Ruddock was one of the best scholars to work on the North American discovery voyages of John and Sebastian Cabot (1496–1508). For thirty-five years scholars in this field awaited the groundbreaking volume Ruddock was said to be preparing on this subject. Yet, when Dr. Ruddock died in December 2005, aged eighty-nine, she ordered the destruction of all her research. This article examines the research claims she made in her 1992 book proposal to the University of Exeter Press and in her later correspondence with U.E.P. Her findings are so extraordinary that they will, if proved correct, transform our entire conception of the scale, nature and importance of John Cabot's achievements.
This last article is freely available here.
R. I. Moore - The war against heresy in medieval Europe pp.189–210
Both the level of clerical anxiety about popular heresy in the century or so after 1140 and the breadth and vigour of measures adopted to suppress it, initially in the Languedoc, were disproportionate to its extent, coherence and support. This article therefore seeks an alternative explanation for the launching of the ‘war against heresy’ in thirteenth-century Europe, and finds it primarily in the developing self-consciousness of the new administrative elite produced by the demographic and cultural transformation of Europe in the eleventh century.
Theron Westervelt - Royal charter witness lists and the politics of the reign of Edward IV pp. 211–223
Historians of medieval England have excelled at getting the most information out of what often seem to be the least giving of sources, yet they have tended to shy away from the witness lists to royal charters. A study of the role and purpose of these charters shows that they deserve a second look, and an examination of the charter witness lists from the reign of Edward IV reveals just how useful they can be in the study of late medieval politics.
Evan T. Jones - Alwyn Ruddock: ‘John Cabot and the Discovery of America’ pp. 224–254
Dr. Alwyn Ruddock was one of the best scholars to work on the North American discovery voyages of John and Sebastian Cabot (1496–1508). For thirty-five years scholars in this field awaited the groundbreaking volume Ruddock was said to be preparing on this subject. Yet, when Dr. Ruddock died in December 2005, aged eighty-nine, she ordered the destruction of all her research. This article examines the research claims she made in her 1992 book proposal to the University of Exeter Press and in her later correspondence with U.E.P. Her findings are so extraordinary that they will, if proved correct, transform our entire conception of the scale, nature and importance of John Cabot's achievements.
This last article is freely available here.
The 'Controversial' Pizza Commercial
The Middle Ages in popular culture perhaps, but apparently this commercial for Domino's has been getting negative reviews from pizza delivery people.
Doing a Master's program in medieval studies in Great Britain
So you want to study A master's in medieval studies
Liz Ford
3 May 2008
The Guardian
The middle ages is a period often only touched upon at school, if at all, so it's perhaps not everyone's first choice for a historical postgraduate course - but maybe that's what makes it a bit special. The chance to work with original manuscripts dating back hundreds of years must surely be fascinating.
What will I study?
David d'Avray, professor of history teaching MA medieval studies, University College London
The MA has four elements; a thesis, a medieval language - usually Latin - and two other units. Students can take the usual kind of medieval graduate courses, for example medieval magic, medieval papacy or early medieval identities. They can also, however, get much more intensive technical training in reading and using medieval manuscripts, and in the scholarly languages a professional medievalist needs. Professional medievalists need palaeographical and linguistic skills, and few have them when they graduate with BA degrees in history or English.
Frances Eustace, MA medieval studies student, University of Bristol
I'm taking a two-year, part-time course including compulsory core elements, three options and final dissertation. Core texts include Chaucer and Boethius. I'm also studying Latin and paleography. I opted to take further Latin, old French, medieval English drama and medieval secular song.
Julie Kanter, MA medieval history graduate, King's College London
I studied the required subjects of materials and methods, Latin - intermediate and advanced - and palaeography, as well as my chosen optional classes of English royal government and Magna Carta. My dissertation was an analy sis of the household account rolls of Edward I.
Why do medieval studies?
D'Avray: Many of the things that made the modern world, such as the nation state, the idea of Europe, universities and international banking techniques, began in the medieval period. Some students on the course have acquired a taste for medieval studies as undergraduates and want to understand the period at a more profound level.
Eustace: I am a professional musician, specialising on historical instruments and this, combined with a move to an area of Wessex with a great deal of medieval history, led me to an interest in the culture and history of the period.
Kanter: I chose to study medieval history because I am fascinated by it. I find the emergence of bureaucratic administration quite interesting. I also really liked the fact that my course allowed me to actually handle medieval source material.
What are the job prospects?
D'Avray: Academic jobs in medieval studies are scarce, though some of the recent graduates of the MA who are currently completing doctorates are likely to be near the head of the queue. Some make different choices, however. Some go on to become lawyers. Several others have become archivists. The archival profession has concentrated so much on electronic resources that it is very short of the manuscript expertise that graduates of this MA have acquired.
Eustace: I plan to continue to be a freelance musician, but hope to include more education workshops and other more integrated programmes of performance combining music, literature and contextual cultural history.
Kanter: At the moment I'm continuing my studies in medieval history by pursuing a PhD at King's College London. The title of the thesis I am working on is Analysis of the Itinerary of 13th Century English Kings. To go for a doctorate, it was, of course, necessary to have first completed my MA. Ideally I want to lecture in medieval history at university level.
Can you get funding?
D'Avray: In the UK, the main source of funding for postgraduate work in the humanities has always been the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The competition is incredibly intense , but this MA has done well.
Eustace: I'm funding myself, hence the need to be a part-time student.
Kanter: As a US citizen I was not eligible for any funding. I was, however, able to get student loans at good rates.
Course links:
MA in medieval studies, University College London www.ucl.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,820 full-time or pounds 1,915 per year part-time. Duration One year full-time, two years part-time.
MA in medieval studies, University of Bristol www.bristol.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,950 ft; pounds 1,975 pt. Duration One year ft, two years pt.
MA in medieval history, King's College London www.kcl.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,900 ft, pounds 1,950 pt. Duration One year ft, two years pt.
Liz Ford
3 May 2008
The Guardian
The middle ages is a period often only touched upon at school, if at all, so it's perhaps not everyone's first choice for a historical postgraduate course - but maybe that's what makes it a bit special. The chance to work with original manuscripts dating back hundreds of years must surely be fascinating.
What will I study?
David d'Avray, professor of history teaching MA medieval studies, University College London
The MA has four elements; a thesis, a medieval language - usually Latin - and two other units. Students can take the usual kind of medieval graduate courses, for example medieval magic, medieval papacy or early medieval identities. They can also, however, get much more intensive technical training in reading and using medieval manuscripts, and in the scholarly languages a professional medievalist needs. Professional medievalists need palaeographical and linguistic skills, and few have them when they graduate with BA degrees in history or English.
Frances Eustace, MA medieval studies student, University of Bristol
I'm taking a two-year, part-time course including compulsory core elements, three options and final dissertation. Core texts include Chaucer and Boethius. I'm also studying Latin and paleography. I opted to take further Latin, old French, medieval English drama and medieval secular song.
Julie Kanter, MA medieval history graduate, King's College London
I studied the required subjects of materials and methods, Latin - intermediate and advanced - and palaeography, as well as my chosen optional classes of English royal government and Magna Carta. My dissertation was an analy sis of the household account rolls of Edward I.
Why do medieval studies?
D'Avray: Many of the things that made the modern world, such as the nation state, the idea of Europe, universities and international banking techniques, began in the medieval period. Some students on the course have acquired a taste for medieval studies as undergraduates and want to understand the period at a more profound level.
Eustace: I am a professional musician, specialising on historical instruments and this, combined with a move to an area of Wessex with a great deal of medieval history, led me to an interest in the culture and history of the period.
Kanter: I chose to study medieval history because I am fascinated by it. I find the emergence of bureaucratic administration quite interesting. I also really liked the fact that my course allowed me to actually handle medieval source material.
What are the job prospects?
D'Avray: Academic jobs in medieval studies are scarce, though some of the recent graduates of the MA who are currently completing doctorates are likely to be near the head of the queue. Some make different choices, however. Some go on to become lawyers. Several others have become archivists. The archival profession has concentrated so much on electronic resources that it is very short of the manuscript expertise that graduates of this MA have acquired.
Eustace: I plan to continue to be a freelance musician, but hope to include more education workshops and other more integrated programmes of performance combining music, literature and contextual cultural history.
Kanter: At the moment I'm continuing my studies in medieval history by pursuing a PhD at King's College London. The title of the thesis I am working on is Analysis of the Itinerary of 13th Century English Kings. To go for a doctorate, it was, of course, necessary to have first completed my MA. Ideally I want to lecture in medieval history at university level.
Can you get funding?
D'Avray: In the UK, the main source of funding for postgraduate work in the humanities has always been the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The competition is incredibly intense , but this MA has done well.
Eustace: I'm funding myself, hence the need to be a part-time student.
Kanter: As a US citizen I was not eligible for any funding. I was, however, able to get student loans at good rates.
Course links:
MA in medieval studies, University College London www.ucl.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,820 full-time or pounds 1,915 per year part-time. Duration One year full-time, two years part-time.
MA in medieval studies, University of Bristol www.bristol.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,950 ft; pounds 1,975 pt. Duration One year ft, two years pt.
MA in medieval history, King's College London www.kcl.ac.uk
Cost pounds 3,900 ft, pounds 1,950 pt. Duration One year ft, two years pt.
Medieval silver coins found near Lund, Sweden
Boy, 9, and grandfather find medieval silver treasure in Sweden
28 April 2008
Trend News Agency
A 9-year-old boy's search for shrapnel on an old battlefield resulted in a huge find of medieval silver coins near the Lund in southern Sweden, local media reported Monday, reported dpa.
Alexander Granhof, 9, and his grandfather made the recent discovery, dubbed "silverado" by archaeologists. "We went out on the field looking for cannonballs," Alexander Granhof told the online edition of the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
"I found a piece of metal and thought at first it was shrapnel from a shotgun. I shouted to grandfather and then we discovered more and more coins," he added.
In all, the pair found more than 4,600 coins on the field. Archaeologists, using metal detectors, boosted the tally to 7,000 but did not rule out that even more coins were hidden in the soil. "This is incredible," Bernd Gerlach of the Lund University Historical Museum told reporters.
Both Alexander and his grandfather Jens Granhof are interested in archaeology and went treasure hunting after reading about a treasure buried somewhere in the province of Scania. No reward sum has yet been determined but the silver in the treasure alone was estimated to be worth 1.5 million kronor (250,000 dollars).
During the 13th century when the coins were hidden, the sum could have fetched some 15 serfs, museum head Per Karsten said. The coins had been placed in two urns that were wrapped in cloth. The treasure was likely buried during troubled times, and one theory was that the coins were church taxes collected from nearby farms. The find included thousands of English coins with a high silver content and some other markers that likely were used locally.
28 April 2008
Trend News Agency
A 9-year-old boy's search for shrapnel on an old battlefield resulted in a huge find of medieval silver coins near the Lund in southern Sweden, local media reported Monday, reported dpa.
Alexander Granhof, 9, and his grandfather made the recent discovery, dubbed "silverado" by archaeologists. "We went out on the field looking for cannonballs," Alexander Granhof told the online edition of the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
"I found a piece of metal and thought at first it was shrapnel from a shotgun. I shouted to grandfather and then we discovered more and more coins," he added.
In all, the pair found more than 4,600 coins on the field. Archaeologists, using metal detectors, boosted the tally to 7,000 but did not rule out that even more coins were hidden in the soil. "This is incredible," Bernd Gerlach of the Lund University Historical Museum told reporters.
Both Alexander and his grandfather Jens Granhof are interested in archaeology and went treasure hunting after reading about a treasure buried somewhere in the province of Scania. No reward sum has yet been determined but the silver in the treasure alone was estimated to be worth 1.5 million kronor (250,000 dollars).
During the 13th century when the coins were hidden, the sum could have fetched some 15 serfs, museum head Per Karsten said. The coins had been placed in two urns that were wrapped in cloth. The treasure was likely buried during troubled times, and one theory was that the coins were church taxes collected from nearby farms. The find included thousands of English coins with a high silver content and some other markers that likely were used locally.
Lecture on East Anglia and the Hanseatic League in Norwich
In medieval times Norwich grew wealthy on trade with mainland Europe
1 May 2008
Norwich Evening News
In medieval times Norwich grew wealthy on trade with mainland Europe, and a leading expert on the subject will later this month give an illustrated talk on the subject at Dragon Hall in King Street.
Historian, lecturer and former Mayor of King's Lynn Dr Paul Richards will talk about East Anglia and the Hanseatic League and explain the importance of the arrival of German traders (between 1270 and 1570) to our region. Proceeds from the event will help towards the upkeep of Dragon Hall.
The talk on Thursday, May 15, starts at 7.30pm, tickets are £4.50 or £3 (N&N Heritage Trust members), ring 01603 663 922 or visit www.dragonhall.org
1 May 2008
Norwich Evening News
In medieval times Norwich grew wealthy on trade with mainland Europe, and a leading expert on the subject will later this month give an illustrated talk on the subject at Dragon Hall in King Street.
Historian, lecturer and former Mayor of King's Lynn Dr Paul Richards will talk about East Anglia and the Hanseatic League and explain the importance of the arrival of German traders (between 1270 and 1570) to our region. Proceeds from the event will help towards the upkeep of Dragon Hall.
The talk on Thursday, May 15, starts at 7.30pm, tickets are £4.50 or £3 (N&N Heritage Trust members), ring 01603 663 922 or visit www.dragonhall.org
Medieval bridge timbers preserved
Medieval timbers preserved
2 May 2008
Loughborough Echo
MEDIEVAL bridge timbers found in Hemington are being preserved, thanks to British Sugar. The company has supplied more than 40 tonnes of liquid sugar to Leicestershire County Council, free of charge, to preserve an 11th Century bridge discovered in the village. The third and final batch of 26 tonnes was delivered last week.
Once restoration is complete, the timbers - part of the largest medieval wooden structure in the region, after Lincoln Cathedral's roof - could be put on display. Timbers from three medieval bridges were found in Hemington Quarry in 1993 by a retired local GP, the late Chris Salisbury.
The council funded the University of Leicester Archaeological Services team to study and excavate the site. Sections of the 11th Century bridge were so large that they had to be lifted by eight people.
Since the wet timbers were removed from the site, a painstaking conservation process has been taking place at Snibston Discovery Park, which involves immersing them in tanks of liquid sugar. The sugar crystals gradually replace the water and prevent the wood from warping.
Coun Ernie White, cabinet member for Community Services, said: "It's amazing to think that timbers from a Norman bridge are being preserved with sugar - and that they could eventually be displayed to the public."
2 May 2008
Loughborough Echo
MEDIEVAL bridge timbers found in Hemington are being preserved, thanks to British Sugar. The company has supplied more than 40 tonnes of liquid sugar to Leicestershire County Council, free of charge, to preserve an 11th Century bridge discovered in the village. The third and final batch of 26 tonnes was delivered last week.
Once restoration is complete, the timbers - part of the largest medieval wooden structure in the region, after Lincoln Cathedral's roof - could be put on display. Timbers from three medieval bridges were found in Hemington Quarry in 1993 by a retired local GP, the late Chris Salisbury.
The council funded the University of Leicester Archaeological Services team to study and excavate the site. Sections of the 11th Century bridge were so large that they had to be lifted by eight people.
Since the wet timbers were removed from the site, a painstaking conservation process has been taking place at Snibston Discovery Park, which involves immersing them in tanks of liquid sugar. The sugar crystals gradually replace the water and prevent the wood from warping.
Coun Ernie White, cabinet member for Community Services, said: "It's amazing to think that timbers from a Norman bridge are being preserved with sugar - and that they could eventually be displayed to the public."
Review of Blue Flame, by KM Grant
Review: Children's fiction: Catholics v Cathars: Mary Hoffman is thrilled by a tale of star-crossed 13th-century lovers: Blue Flame by KM Grant 320pp, Quercus
Mary Hoffman
3 May 2008
The Guardian
Cathars are surprisingly fashionable. You can date the rise in interest in them back to Emmanuel LeRoy Ladurie's Montaillou, a grisly account of a Cathar village and the Inquisition, published in the UK in 1978. But in the decades since, they've become unfairly associated with Dan Brown-esque plots about the Holy Grail such as Kate Mosse's Labyrinth.
So one might approach KM Grant's Blue Flame with caution on reading that the flame is a mysterious rallying symbol for Occitania, the area now known as the Languedoc, in the south of France. There is danger in seeing the middle ages through a modern lens, and the rather garish cover with its crenellated castle conjures up the 19th-century theme park that is Viollet-le-Duc's over-restored Carcassonne.
But I hope it won't put readers off, because there is much to enjoy and admire in this book. At its heart is a love story between Raimon, a weaver's son, and Yolanda, daughter of the Count of Castelneuf. They are nearly 14 and have grown up together, romping through the countryside round Castelneuf, swimming in the river, playing with Yolanda's large hound, Brees.
Then the hormones kick in, and they both want more than friendship. But Raimon's family is Cathar and Yolanda's Catholic, and her creepy uncle Girald has been appointed Inquisitor. Even worse, her brother has returned from Paris with a northern noble, Sir Hugh, with a view to marrying Yolanda off to him. Clearly the young lovers are about to be star-crossed.
All of this part of the novel is marvellous and the book ends on a high of misunderstandings and seemingly impossible entanglements involving Raimon, Yolanda, Sir Hugh and false accusations of murder. It is the first of a trilogy, rather misleadingly described by its publishers as set during the "12th-century Cathar crusades". There is indeed a prologue set in 1199 (so just 12th century) in which one of the characters kills Richard I, but then the action skips more than 40 years ahead and the main story takes place in 1242. Between these dates fell the Albigensian crusade, in which Pope Innocent III launched a bloody war on the heretics of the Midi, in which hundreds of thousands were burned or put to the sword. This is rather glossed over in Blue Flame as "The Cathars and Catholics bickered and fought".
Grant certainly knows how to tell a story. But all the stuff about the blue flame, as a talisman carried by Parsifal (who killed the Lionheart as a boy and is now nearly 50 years old), is less convincing. As a MacGuffin it doesn't really work. It seems to have a life of its own, sometimes guttering to almost nothing and at others bathing the countryside in a brilliant blue light. It never goes out, and Parsifal doesn't know how to use it; he just hides in a cave, watching the action and turning up at crucial plot moments to rescue the young people. Yet Grant handles the suspense well, and her main characters are believable - even the dog. I particularly like the way in which Yolanda never cares about her appearance or how muddy and dishevelled she gets when having her adventures.
Grant obviously hates religious persecution and is even-handed in creating loathsome bigots on both sides. And she has woven such a gripping plot that I shall certainly be lining up to read book two. I hope she doesn't keep us waiting too long.
Mary Hoffman's The Falconer's Knot is published by Bloomsbury. To order Blue Flame for pounds 9.99 with free UK p&p call Guardian book service on 0870 836 0875 or go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
Mary Hoffman
3 May 2008
The Guardian
Cathars are surprisingly fashionable. You can date the rise in interest in them back to Emmanuel LeRoy Ladurie's Montaillou, a grisly account of a Cathar village and the Inquisition, published in the UK in 1978. But in the decades since, they've become unfairly associated with Dan Brown-esque plots about the Holy Grail such as Kate Mosse's Labyrinth.
So one might approach KM Grant's Blue Flame with caution on reading that the flame is a mysterious rallying symbol for Occitania, the area now known as the Languedoc, in the south of France. There is danger in seeing the middle ages through a modern lens, and the rather garish cover with its crenellated castle conjures up the 19th-century theme park that is Viollet-le-Duc's over-restored Carcassonne.
But I hope it won't put readers off, because there is much to enjoy and admire in this book. At its heart is a love story between Raimon, a weaver's son, and Yolanda, daughter of the Count of Castelneuf. They are nearly 14 and have grown up together, romping through the countryside round Castelneuf, swimming in the river, playing with Yolanda's large hound, Brees.
Then the hormones kick in, and they both want more than friendship. But Raimon's family is Cathar and Yolanda's Catholic, and her creepy uncle Girald has been appointed Inquisitor. Even worse, her brother has returned from Paris with a northern noble, Sir Hugh, with a view to marrying Yolanda off to him. Clearly the young lovers are about to be star-crossed.
All of this part of the novel is marvellous and the book ends on a high of misunderstandings and seemingly impossible entanglements involving Raimon, Yolanda, Sir Hugh and false accusations of murder. It is the first of a trilogy, rather misleadingly described by its publishers as set during the "12th-century Cathar crusades". There is indeed a prologue set in 1199 (so just 12th century) in which one of the characters kills Richard I, but then the action skips more than 40 years ahead and the main story takes place in 1242. Between these dates fell the Albigensian crusade, in which Pope Innocent III launched a bloody war on the heretics of the Midi, in which hundreds of thousands were burned or put to the sword. This is rather glossed over in Blue Flame as "The Cathars and Catholics bickered and fought".
Grant certainly knows how to tell a story. But all the stuff about the blue flame, as a talisman carried by Parsifal (who killed the Lionheart as a boy and is now nearly 50 years old), is less convincing. As a MacGuffin it doesn't really work. It seems to have a life of its own, sometimes guttering to almost nothing and at others bathing the countryside in a brilliant blue light. It never goes out, and Parsifal doesn't know how to use it; he just hides in a cave, watching the action and turning up at crucial plot moments to rescue the young people. Yet Grant handles the suspense well, and her main characters are believable - even the dog. I particularly like the way in which Yolanda never cares about her appearance or how muddy and dishevelled she gets when having her adventures.
Grant obviously hates religious persecution and is even-handed in creating loathsome bigots on both sides. And she has woven such a gripping plot that I shall certainly be lining up to read book two. I hope she doesn't keep us waiting too long.
Mary Hoffman's The Falconer's Knot is published by Bloomsbury. To order Blue Flame for pounds 9.99 with free UK p&p call Guardian book service on 0870 836 0875 or go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop
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