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abendgulesTwo notes about the Friday evening activities at the Winchester Pilgrimage:
1. As in previous years I invite fellow pilgrims to bring their copies of Chaucer's Canterbury tales with them for a joint reading on Friday evening. This reading has been a welcome way to get into the mood of the event in past years.
As a small change from past years, I suggest we start with the Wife of Bath's tale, and then if we're still feeling keen, we can go on to the Prologue.
Like Shakespeare, the tales are meant to be heard aloud, rather than read silently. The traditional spelling and words make far more sense when you hear them out loud. You need not have any experience reading middle English to take part, and there's no test at the end.
If you're shy, you can still sit in to listen, and do handwork. Just come ready to listen and read, and bring a drink - it's thirsty work!
Tentative start time is 8-ish, but this may change, depending on travel conditions.
I have a couple of copies of the Tales to share, and Mistress Ariel will bring classroom copies to lend. If you have your own copy, please bring it along. If you're keen, you can probably pick up a paperback Penguin-type copy in the classics section of WHSmith, or in a secondhand bookstore.*
2. To allow everyone enough time to start *and finish* a pilgrim's scrip, I'm laying out the materials, tools and instructions on Friday evening.
The scrip is a small canvas bag and is one of the traditional hallmarks of a pilgrim, visible in illuminations and iconography of Saint James from the 12th century onward. Part of the discipline of early pilgrims was to take with them only what fit in the bag,and to rely on God and charity for everything else.
You can sew up a scrip very quickly with easy running stitches, and it's yours to take home.
I'll provide
- pre-cut canvas
- white thread
- needles
- wax
- snips
- instructions
...but feel free to bring your own needles and thread if you prefer!
* Online copies:
http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm
(HTML, includes handy glossary; site uses frames)
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/webcore/murphy/canterbury/
(modern spelling, pdf for printing)
http://molcat1.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/search.asp
(Two of Caxton's copies in British Library, for viewing)
1. As in previous years I invite fellow pilgrims to bring their copies of Chaucer's Canterbury tales with them for a joint reading on Friday evening. This reading has been a welcome way to get into the mood of the event in past years.
As a small change from past years, I suggest we start with the Wife of Bath's tale, and then if we're still feeling keen, we can go on to the Prologue.
Like Shakespeare, the tales are meant to be heard aloud, rather than read silently. The traditional spelling and words make far more sense when you hear them out loud. You need not have any experience reading middle English to take part, and there's no test at the end.
If you're shy, you can still sit in to listen, and do handwork. Just come ready to listen and read, and bring a drink - it's thirsty work!
Tentative start time is 8-ish, but this may change, depending on travel conditions.
I have a couple of copies of the Tales to share, and Mistress Ariel will bring classroom copies to lend. If you have your own copy, please bring it along. If you're keen, you can probably pick up a paperback Penguin-type copy in the classics section of WHSmith, or in a secondhand bookstore.*
2. To allow everyone enough time to start *and finish* a pilgrim's scrip, I'm laying out the materials, tools and instructions on Friday evening.
The scrip is a small canvas bag and is one of the traditional hallmarks of a pilgrim, visible in illuminations and iconography of Saint James from the 12th century onward. Part of the discipline of early pilgrims was to take with them only what fit in the bag,and to rely on God and charity for everything else.
You can sew up a scrip very quickly with easy running stitches, and it's yours to take home.
I'll provide
- pre-cut canvas
- white thread
- needles
- wax
- snips
- instructions
...but feel free to bring your own needles and thread if you prefer!
* Online copies:
http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm
(HTML, includes handy glossary; site uses frames)
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/webcore/murphy/canterbury/
(modern spelling, pdf for printing)
http://molcat1.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/search.asp
(Two of Caxton's copies in British Library, for viewing)
