More Imperative Information about the World of Silence
Silence is a play in many capacities about forced labels, and the inability to fit them. Though it is easy to categorize a lot of information about the world of Silence as either “Viking” or “Anglo-Saxon”, this is by no means applicable to all information regarding the world of Silence. This is due to the fact that a key plot point within the show is in the fusing of those two cultures. This section of the website is dedicated to the information that lends itself to being less easily categorized. Rather than force these few niche topics into a category for which they do not fit, we will let them remain here, free of labels, performing their role without the burden of pretending to be something they are not.
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The Diverse Geography and Climate of Medieval England
Written by Appalachian State University Student: Dylan Brown
Silence, by Moira Buffini, is a play about many different and interesting things. It’s a period piece, a love story, a historical dramatization, and at its core, an adventure. Throughout the play, the titular character, Silence, and their companions make their way all across England, braving a diverse climate and terrain that covers the huge expanses of the country.
Climate
In Brian Fagan’s The Great Warming, he details the harvesting practices of southern England and provides an incredible amount of detail about the seasons of medieval England. Fagan writes:
“Even in the warmest of decades, the climate of medieval Europe was one of sharp extremes. Weeks of snow, epochal winter storms, powerful tempest-driven surges in the North Sea, long summer droughts…” (Fagan, 27).
“The winter is mild and not too wet. January and February bring frost, even a little snow; but there are no late cold snaps, and spring is early with warm temperatures and just enough gentle rain” (Fagan, 2-3).
At the turn of the first millennium (around the time period of the play Silence), over 80 percent of England’s population relied on agriculture as a means of survival. In the play, there are two very distinct locations with specific geographical features. Those locales are Canterbury in southeastern England and Cumbria in northwestern England. Thanks to Google Maps, there is a clear cut path between these two locations that equals out to about 330 miles in distance. Sadly, the characters in Silence were not fortunate enough to have GPS systems of any sort or even modern roads and pathways to make their journey easier. Instead, the characters relied on beaten paths and trails as they meandered through the country, leaving themselves at the mercy of the weather as well as any other travelers or predicaments they met along the way. Speaking of weather, England is notorious for having gloomy, rainy weather, and this held true for the turn of the first millennium. Fagan writes:
“Torrential rain turning to sleet lashes the village, turning muddy paths into small rivers. Savage gusts of wind tear limbs from the bare trees. The relentless gale shrieks through hedgerows and over thatched roofs, tumbling fray clouds across the sky, shredding the wood smoke that seeps from chimney and roof top.” (Fagan, 27).
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Geography
The map above is known as the Gough Map of Britain, and was estimated to have been created in the thirteenth century and provides an example of the kind of guidance the characters of the play would have had (Harvey, 76). Notice the stark contrasts between modern maps of England and this one. Based on this map and the context of the play, the journey of the characters in Silence would have been fraught with difficulties. The characters had to deal with natural challenges. Travelling by carriage, the characters have over three hundred miles of ground to cover. The carriage is faster than walking and has more room for storage but posed its own challenges. For example, the carriage would not be as agile as walking on foot, meaning that it would be more difficult for the carriage to take off-road paths in order to remain hidden from danger. The journey of the protagonists in the play takes them from Canterbury in the south-eastern portion of England, and across a treacherous terrain as they attempt to make their way towards Cumbria, located in the north-western portion of England. The map below should help give a perspective on the distance travelled. Keep in mind that the path the map provides follows modern roads and paths that would not have been present during the time of the play, but serves as an indication of distance.
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Works Cited
Baker, Alan R. H., and Mark Billinge. Geographies Of England : The North South Divide, Material
And Imagined. n.p.: Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2004., 2004. Library Catalog. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Davis, Henry. Medieval Europe. [Electronic Resource]. n.p.: [Luton, England] : Andrews U.K. Ltd.,
2010., 2010.Library Catalog. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Fagan, Brian M. The Great Warming : Climate Change And The Rise And Fall Of Civilizations.
n.p.: New York : Bloomsbury Press : Distributed to the trade by Macmillan, c2008., 2008. Library Catalog. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Harvey, P. D. A. Medieval Maps. n.p.: Toronto ; Buffalo : University of Toronto Press, 1991., 1991.
Library Catalog. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Wickham, Glynne William Gladstone. The Medieval Theatre. n.p.: Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ;
New York : Cambridge University Press, 1987, c1974., 1987. Library Catalog. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
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Criminal punishments in 11th century England
Written by Appalachian State University Student: Lauren Pavlacka
The prevalence of crime within the play Silence and the punishments that ensue calls us to look at how criminal offences were handled in 11th century England. The main “crimes” that are presented deal with homosexuality, rape, murder, and a case of vagrancy. Understanding the punishments implemented for these specific crimes in Medieval England will enhance our understanding of how they were dealt with within the context of the play.
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Punishments implemented for crimes in Medieval England vary on a wide spectrum. To narrow the research to cater specifically to Silence, we can look at the specific crimes dealt with in the play. Homosexuality is a topic presented within the play, however, the time in which it is set, the word “homosexuality” wasn’t even used. “Sodomy” was the word used to describe sinful sexual acts, which homosexuality would fall under. From a religious perspective, it was viewed as being extremely sinful. Being that religion was so deeply integrated in the way criminal offences were handled, sodomy acts had very harsh punishments. Though religious doctrine isn’t law, the morals that religion elicited caused there to be a very high standard presented in the way people were expected to behave. This caused crimes to be punished more harshly than they would be if religion wasn’t such a prominent part of the cultural. Castration and execution were two that would very commonly be put into place when dealing with instances of homosexuality (Halsall, 1). In instances of rape, it is often difficult to find a clear cut answer as to how it was viewed and punished. The punishment would not typically be severe unless the crime was repeated. In fact, prostitution was actually used as a means to regulate rape in an attempt to prevent it from happening as often. Most commonly, rape was only punishable by a fine. Rape was not considered to be an incredibly severe crime, because women were not viewed as equal and did not have nearly as many rights as men did (sortore). In the play, we learn that Eadric’s wife was raped and, consequently, he murdered her because he viewed her as “damaged. There aren’t really repercussions following his actions, which is a prime illustration of how rape was viewed and handled, and the inconsistencies that came about. As far as murder as it is presented in the play, the research I’ve found indicates that during this time, murder was illegal. Connecting with the play more, it was also illegal for men to murder their wives. Most of the emphasis was on adultery, and men had the right to punish their wives themselves if their wives cheated on them, however they were not actually allowed to murder them. If a man did in fact murder his wife, he would be banished, lose his wife’s property, and lose the ability to remarry (Neal). For Eadric specifically, however, he was not punished for murder because of his high status.
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It’s also important to look at the variations in how criminal punishments were implemented, specifically how gender differences and social class effected punishment. With crimes committed during this time, social class had a pretty significant impact how punishments were implemented. For example, at one point during the play Ethelred is found lying in the street for no reason, which is a criminal offense. Vagrancy was a pretty serious offense, and had severe punishment. He is thrown in jail because he isn’t recognized as the nobleman that he actually was. Had he been recognized as a King, he wouldn’t have been put in jail (Laws and Politics).
Because of the way they were viewed in society, it is initially believed that women were punished more severely for common crimes, but in fact, men would typically receive the harsher punishment (Sandra).
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Works Consulted
Clark, Sandra. Women And Crime In The Street Literature Of Early Modern England.
n.p.: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003., 2003. Library Catalog. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
Halsall, Paul. "The Experience of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages."
Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University, 1988. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/gaymidages.asp>.
"Laws and Politics - Poverty, Vagrancy, and Theft in the Late Medieval
Ages and Long 18th Century." Laws and Politics - Poverty, Vagrancy, and Theft in the Late Medieval Ages and Long 18th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <https://sites.google.com/a/guilford.edu/poverty-vagrancy-theft-latemedievalages-18th-century/home/thieves/laws-and-politics>.
Neal, Derek G. The Masculine Self In Late Medieval England. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Sartore, Melissa. Outlawry, Governance, And Law In Medieval England. New
York: Peter Lang AG, 2013. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Medieval Norman Culture
Written by Appalachian State University Student: David Sabbagh
In Moira Buffini’s Silence, the character Emma, a native of Normandy, experiences a culture shock because of the differences between the culture of England and her native land. The culture, history, and government in Normandy was unique in all of Europe. This essay will examines the aspects of Norman culture that influenced the life of the historical Emma of Normandy.
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Founding of Normandy
The name Normandy has its origins in the “northman” invaders that founded it. Normandy has its origins in the frequently Viking invasions that occurred in the north of France from the 700s through the 900s. In 911, the Franks defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Chartres. By this point they had already pushed far into Central France. This led to the King of the Franks, Charles the III, who was also known as Charles the Simple, and the leader of the Viking invaders, Rollo, to sign the Treaty of Saint-Claire-sur-Epte. The treaty granted Rollo control of the northern coast of France, granting him the title Count of Rouen, a position lower than Duke in French nobility. In exchange, Rollo was baptized, declared fealty to the French crown, and agreed to defend the coast against further Viking invasions (Fawtier 50-54).
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The Duchy is Created
Rollo and his descendants ruled Normandy as Counts for the next two generations. Although there was some level of independence, they were still beholden to the French crown. For decades the Normans warred with neighboring principalities, which expanded their territory. The marriage of Richard I, Rollo’s grandson, to the princess Emma of Paris, directly linked the line of the Norman rulers with that of the ruling House of Capet and led to Richard’s elevation to the title of Duke. Richard I also forged alliances with England and former rival Viking clans in the Cotentin peninsula. During this period, Richard I introduced feudalism to Normandy, establishing a landholding elite that further increased Norman power and influence (Neveux 62)
Duchies held a special place in Medieval French society. Although they were technically beholden to the French crown, they were largely independent. As a Duchy, Normandy had its own standing army, coined its own money, levied its own taxes, and could make treaties with foreign nations without consent of the Crown. Chief amongst the privileges granted to Dukes was that they could not be summoned before the King, but only went of their own free will. Normandy used this privilege to avoid getting involved in the military and political affairs of France (Neveux 99).
There were five duchies at the time of Silence. Their power relative to the French crown varied based on who the reigning king of France was. During the time of Richard II’s rule, which is when Silence takes place, the King of the Franks was Robert II, also called Robert the Pious. Robert did much to restore the power of the Church in France. However, he inherited a poor and divided country, and was overall a weak ruler who was unable to control his vassals. For example, in 1003, the year after Silence takes place, he was unable to prevent a rebellion in the Duchy of Burgundy which led to its temporary independence (Fawtier 67). Militarily, Normandy had a military force larger than any of the other Duchies and possibly larger than the French crown itself.
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The Reign of Richard II
Richard II, Richard I’s eldest son, was granted the title Duke of Normandy upon his father’s death in 996. Although some records state that Emma of Normandy was the daughter of Emma of Paris, the general consensus of historians is that Emma of Paris died childless – Richard II and Emma of Normandy were 2 of the 6 children had by Richard I and his second wife, Gunnora. Emma of Normandy was approximately 20 years younger than Richard II (Neveux 74).
Richard II, like his father before him and like the King of the Franks, Robert II, was deeply religious. Despite the relative weakness of Robert II’s rule, Richard II and Robert II were close friends and allies, and Normandy did assist France with military campaigns during this period. Richard’s younger brother - also named Robert - was the Archbishop of Rouen throughout his reign, a position founded by their father (Searle 132). Richard II and his brother increased the authority of the Church, in an attempt to rid Normandy of the last pockets of Viking religion. These edicts, among other things, illegalized polygamous marriage and made divorce taboo, bringing Normandy more in line with European culture, legitimizing them in the eyes of the European nobility (Brundage 432).
In 1000, King Ethelred of England attempted to invade Normandy, attacking the Cotentin Peninsula. However, Ethelred had underestimated Normandy’s military strength. Richard also made use of Viking mercenaries, and the English forces were defeated in less than a year. In an attempt to prevent further warfare, Richard II gave consent for his younger sister Emma to marry Ethelred in 1002 (Neveux 74).
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Conclusion
The Duchy of Normandy was one of the foremost powers of Medieval Europe, despite being technically a vassal of France. Richard II increased Normandy’s power and influence while also allying it with England via his sister Emma’s marriage. Normandy had a unique history that, while influenced by its Viking origins, had become its own unique culture by the time Silence took place.
Works Consulted
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Brundage, James A. Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1987.
Fawtier, Robert, Lionel Butler, and R. J. Adam. The Capetian Kings of France, 987-1328.
London: Macmillan, 1960.
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Lawson, M.K. Cnut – England’s Viking King (2nd ed.), Stroud: Tempus, 2004.
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Neveux, François, and Claire Ruelle. A Brief History of the Normans.
London: Constable & Robinson, 2008.
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Searle, Eleanor. Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power, 840-1066.
Berkeley: U of California, 1988.