MEDIEVAL STUDIES MAGAZINE FROM MEDIEVALISTS.NET

MedievalVolume 2 Number 15 May 9, 2016

Dictionary of Old English Leonardo da Vinci: DNA and Cats

Anne of Brittany, Queenof France

6 11 33

The

Fifteen Tips for Your First Trip to The Zoo

Magazine

Kzoo 2016

The Medieval Magazine May 9, 2016

Dictionary of Old English gets$160,000 in funding

Danielle Trynoski gives us the Do's andDon'ts when attending the InternationalCongress of Medieval Studies.

Fifteen Tips for Your First Trip toThe Zoo

ICMS: The Bailey of the IvoryTower

Daniele Cybulskie remembers her first tripto Kalamazoo.

Susan Abernethy offers this biography ofthe late-medieval Queen.

Anne of Brittany, Queen ofFrance

Page 6

Page 19

Page 23

Page 33

The Dictionary of Old English, a projectaimed at collecting and defining all thewords from Old English texts writtenbetween the years 600 and 1150, hasreceived $160,000 in funding from theNational Endowment for the Humanities.

THE MEDIEVAL MAGAZINE

Editor: Peter Konieczny Website: www.medievalists.net This digital magazine is published eachMonday. Cover Photo: Images from theInternational Congress on MedievalStudies

4 6 9 11 15 18 19 23 26 29 33

Medieval women better dressed than men, researcher finds Dictionary of Old English gets $160,000 in funding Plans underway to build a home for Sutton Hoo Ship Replica Leonardo da Vinci's DNA: Experts unite to shine modern light on a Renaissancegenius Why Leonardo da Vinci would have aced the internet cat craze Kzoo2016: The 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies set to begin Fifteen Tips for Your First Trip to The Zoo ICMS: The Bailey of the Ivory Tower A Bad Medieval Road Trip The history of student loans goes back to the Middle Ages Anne of Brittany, Queen of France

Table of Contents

Medieval womenbetter dressed than

men, researcher findsWomen in the Middle Ages often wore better quality clothes than men.This is one of the conclusions drawn by Leiden archaeologist ChrystelBrandenburgh, who studied textile remnants from the period from 400 to1000 A.D. She will be defending her PhD dissertation this month at theUniversity of Leiden.Apart from differences in the clothes worn by men and women, Brandenburgh alsofound many regional variations in textile use. Women in Rhenen and Wijchen, forexample, were mostly buried in linen cloth, whereas Brandenburgh found twill clothin the graves of men in the region. In Lent-Lentseveld, on the other hand, she foundno traces of linen in women’s graves, but linen was found in the graves of men andchildren. Searching in museums and archives In other countries, research on textiles has really taken off in recent decades, but nocomparable development has been seen in the Netherlands, Brandenburgh explains.For her PhD research she searched in museums and archives for textile remnantsfrom burial grounds and settlements spread over the Netherlands. The textileremnants from sites that have already been excavated have in most cases not beendescribed at all or only described very summarily. ‘In the collection at the Museumof Antiquity, for example, I found two pieces of clothing that people didn’t evenrealise existed.’ Cloth disintegrated There was generally very little left of the material that she found. ‘You have to imaginethat people were put into their graves completely clothed. In many cases, they wereburied with all kinds of gifts that were also wrapped in cloth, and then sometimesthere was even another cloth on top of that. Of all that material, you might find justa couple of remnants of about a square centimetre.’ The cloth has often completelydisintegrated and all you can see is the impression left by the cloth in the worn layeron metal accessories like clasps and pins.

Medieval News

Reconstructing garments The people buried in the graves often wore several layers of clothes over one another,Brandenburgh concludes after analysing the textile remnants. ‘But I generally haveto hazard a guess at the shape and cut of the garments: there isn't enough informationavailable to be certain.’ She did carry out some experiments on the material, fromwhich she was able to determine the type of material and for a limited number of thesamples she could also determine the colour. What she discovered was that the redcolour found in clothes from burial mounds in the northern Netherlands came fromthe common madder plant and the dark brown colour came from other sources. ‘Idiscovered, for example, that a brown hat was made of brown wool that had beendyed even darker. I was able to see this because there was some decorative stitchingon the hat that hadn’t been dyed.’ Clothes have meaning Clothing provides valuable information about people, according to Brandenburgh.‘It’s functional, but it also expresses the identity or position of the wearer.’ She regardsher research as the starting point for further studies on textiles. ‘I have concentratedonly on the textile remnants found because so little research has been done in thisfield. But there is more information to be gained from the other contents of the grave,which can add to our knowledge.’ New excavation techniques like CT and 3D scansand isotope research make it possible to draw further conclusions about clothing.

15h century Book of Hours Genève, Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. lat. 33, p. 4r –Book of Hours - Image: e-codices / Flickr

In March the NEH announced $21.1 millionin grants for 248 humanities projects, but thisis the only money being given to aninstitution in Canada. Operating out of theUniversity of Toronto, the Dictionary of OldEnglish began about 35 years ago to providea standard reference work for scholars of thelanguage. The project has now completed two-thirds ofthe words, and this year will be publishingthe entries beginning with the letter H, oneof the most important in the language.

Members of the project team have beenworking on this letter for seven years, sincethere are about 3,000 words beginning withH. Besides offering invaluable information toscholars of Old English, the project has beenextremely useful to understanding thehistory of the English language. TheDictionary of Old English also works with theMiddle English Dictionary as well as theOxford English Dictionary.

Dictionary of Old Englishgets 160,000 in funding

The Dictionary of Old English, a project aimed at collectingand defining all the words from Old English texts writtenbetween the years 600 and 1150, has received $160,000 infunding from the National Endowment for the Humanities(NEH) earlier this spring, enough money to keep the projectgoing for two years.

The $160,000 grant from the NEH is dividedinto two parts - $80,000 automatically, andanother $80,000 contingent on receivingmatching donations. The Dictionary of OldEnglish is now looking to fundraise thismoney, and contributions can be providedthrough their website http://doe.utoronto.ca/

The Dictionary of Old English will also be unveiling a new website this summer,with evenmor features for users.

A typewiterbeloning toAngus Cameron,one of thefounders of theDOE, withinstructions onhow to type OldEnglish letters.

A Word from the Dictionary of Old English hand-ge·writ Alternative spelling: handgewrit, handgewryt | hondgiwrit (DurRit) || handgewrite12 occurances 1. signature, autograph Bede 5 17.460.10: Wilfrið Gode se leofa bysceop Eoforwicceastre... for eallum norðdæleBreotone & Hibernia þam ealande... soðne geleafan & rihtgelyfedne wæs andettende, &mid his handgewrite getrymede (cf. BEDA. Hist.eccl. 5.19, 524 et cum subscriptione [var.scriptione] sua corroborauit).Ch IWm (Douglas 7) 59: we gefæstnodan eac þas kartan mid uran agenum handgewrite andmid ures insigeles onðryste to þam þat þara foresprecenan stowe freodom on ecnysseþurhwunie (cf. BL, Harley 76, fol. 140 manus nostre subscriptione cartam hanc decreuimusroborare et sigilli nostri impressione firmare). 2. document in one's own hand, deed, contract; also by extension: bond ÆCHom I, 30 435.190: sum man wæs mid drycræfte bepæht swa ðæt he Criste wiðsoc. &awrat his handgewrit þam awyrigedan deofle. & him manrædene befæste.ÆLS (Basil) 423: ða cwæð se dædbeta, þa deoflu cumað to me, and me swiðe geegsiað, andeac swylce torfiað, and habbað him on hande min agen handgewryt (cf. Vit.Basil. 11.75tenentes manuscriptam meam).ÆLS (Basil) 445: ne sohte ic na hine, ac he sylf com to me, her ic habbe his handgewryt þætic hit gehealde mid me to þam gemænelican dome on þam mycclum dæge; ða cwæð sehalga wer, we clypiað to ðam hælende... oð þæt þu þæt handgewryt agife (cf. Vit.Basil. 11.99ecce manuscriptum habeo... donec reddas manuscriptum).HomU 35.1 208: and drihten sende his agen handgewrit on Sanctus Petrus heahaltare <in>his circan, þær mæst manna færð, þæt he get wolde his mildheortnesse on us gecyðan(HomU 35.2 171 handgewrit).HyGl 2 51.3: precamur ergo subditi redemptione liberi, ut eruat a saeculo, quos solvit acyrographo we biddað, s. Christum, eornostlice underðeodde alysednysse, s. &, frige þæthe generige, s. nos, fram worulde þa ðe he tolysde fram handgewrite, s. diaboli (HyGl 3handgewrite; cf. Col 2:14).DurRitGl 1 32.21: repelle domine conscriptum peccati lege chyrographum eft adrif driht’giwritt’ synnes ae hondgiwrit. 3. glossing manufactum ‘something made by hand’ (ref. to the idols of Egypt), ? as ifmanuscriptum ‘something written by hand’, ? or in error for a form of handgeweorc (givenas an alternative gloss) AldV 13.1 3710: manufacta, s. simulacra handgeweorce, handgewrite (AldV 1 3599manufacta handgeweorte simulata; from ALDH. Pros.virg. 38, 287.6 ecce dominus... venietin Aegiptum et commovebuntur manufacta Aegiptiorum a facie eius [cf. Is 19:1 (vet.lat.); cf.Vulgate simulacra Aegypti]; cf. handgeweorcsense1 cit. 7).Lat. equiv. in MS: chirographum

The Woodbridge Riverside Trust haslaunched a campaign that will see a fullscalereplica of the Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon burialship constructed in Woodbridge, a town inSuffolk, Eeast Anglia. With planning permission granted for the £8million Whisstocks development, theWoodbridge Riverside Trust has launched its

campaign to raise funds for the communityboat shed which forms part of thedevelopment. The 32 metre boat shed – known as the LongShed – will be home to a full-scale replica ofthe Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon burial ship. Theship is the focus of an international livinghistory research project headed by world

Plans underwayto build a homefor Sutton HooShip Replica

Artist's impression of the proposed boatshed. Photo by Phil Lee / Flickr

Anglo-Saxon expert Professor Martin Carver.The construction programme will becommunity driven. The Long Shed will also be home to an on­going maritime heritage boat buildingtraining programme, and recreationalprogrammes such as the construction ofrowing skiffs to be used by local rowingteams. Woodbridge Riverside Trust will be taking onthe new boat shed, leased from WoodbridgeTown Council, in spring 2017. The handoverwill be marked by a specially composedmusical gala involving local schools andmusicians. Before then, the Trust needs to raise around£70,000 through donations, sponsorship andgrants for fitting out the building.

Andrew Fitzgerald, leader of the Trust,commented: “Having negotiated for fouryears for our own community Long Shed andthe use of the existing public space andwaterfront, we now look forward todeveloping our projects. It’s been our dreamto rebuild the Sutton Hoo ship in Woodbridgeand I’m delighted that it’s finally going tohappen in such an exciting new space.” Further details can be seen on theWoodbridge Riverside Trust website athttp://www.woodbridgeriversidetrust.org -you can make donations through the site orfind out about events that will help fundraisefor the project.

The Sutton Hoo ship burial: excavation Archive footage of the excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk, in the east ofEngland in 1939.

A team of eminent specialists from a varietyof academic disciplines has coalesced arounda goal of creating new insight into the life andgenius of Leonardo da Vinci by means ofauthoritative new research and moderndetective technologies, including DNAscience. The Leonardo Project is in pursuit of severalpossible physical connections to Leonardo,beaming radar, for example, at an ancientItalian church floor to help corroborateextensive research to pinpoint the likelylocation of the tomb of his father and otherrelatives. A collaborating scholar alsorecently announced the successful tracing ofseveral likely DNA relatives of Leonardoliving today in Italy (see endnotes). If granted the necessary approvals, theProject will compare DNA from Leonardo'srelatives past and present with physicalremnants -- hair, bones, fingerprints and skin

cells -- associated with the Renaissance figurewhose life marked the rebirth of Westerncivilization. The Project's objectives, motives, methods,and work to date are detailed in a special issueof the journal Human Evolution, publishedcoincident with a meeting of the group hostedin Florence this week under the patronage ofEugenio Giani, President of the TuscanRegional Council (Consiglio Regionale dellaToscana). Born in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo died in 1519,age 67, and was buried in Amboise, southwestof Paris. His creative imagination foresaw anddescribed innovations hundreds of yearsbefore their invention, such as the helicopterand armored tank. His artistic legacy includesthe iconic Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

The Leonardo Project: Illuminating the art, life,characteristics, talents, and brilliance of one ofhumanity's most extraordinary figures.

Leonardo da Vinci'sDNA: Experts unite toshine modern lighton a Renaissance

genius

The idea behind the Project, founded in 2014,has inspired and united anthropologists, arthistorians, genealogists, microbiologists,and other experts from leading universitiesand institutes in France, Italy, Spain, Canadaand the USA, including specialists from theJ. Craig Venter Institute of California, whichpioneered the sequencing of the humangenome. The work underway resembles in complexityrecent projects such as the successful searchfor the tomb of historic author Miguel deCervantes and, in March 2015, theidentification of England's King Richard IIIfrom remains exhumed from beneath a UKparking lot, fittingly re-interred 500 yearsafter his death. Like Richard, Leonardo was born in 1452, andwas buried in a setting that underwentchanges in subsequent years such that theexact location of the grave was lost. If DNA and other analyses yield a definitiveidentification, conventional andcomputerized techniques might reconstructthe face of Leonardo from models of theskull."In addition to Leonardo's physical

appearance, information potentiallyrevealed from the work includes his ancestryand additional insight into his diet, state ofhealth, personal habits, and places ofresidence. Beyond those questions, and the verificationof Leonardo's "presumed remains" in thechapel of Saint-Hubert at the Châteaud'Amboise, the Project aims to develop agenetic profile extensive enough tounderstand better his abilities and visualacuity, which could provide insights intoother individuals with remarkable qualities. It may also make a lasting contribution to theart world, within which forgery is a multi-billion dollar industry, by advancing atechnique for extracting and sequencing DNAfrom other centuries-old works of art, andassociated methods of attribution. Says Jesse Ausubel, Vice Chairman of theRichard Lounsbery Foundation, sponsor ofthe Project's meetings in 2015 and 2016: "Ithink everyone in the group believes thatLeonardo, who devoted himself to advancingart and science, who delighted in

puzzles, and whose diverse talents andinsights continue to enrich society fivecenturies after his passing, would welcomethe initiative of this team -- indeed wouldlikely wish to lead it were he alive today." Leonardo's fingerprints In the journal, group members underline thehighly conservative, precautionary approachrequired at every phase of the Project, whichthey aim to conclude in 2019 to mark the500th anniversary of Leonardo's death. For example, one objective is to verifywhether fingerprints on Leonardo'spaintings, drawings, and notebooks can yieldDNA consistent with that extracted fromidentified remains. Early last year, Project collaborators from theInternational Institute for HumankindStudies in Florence opened discussions withthe laboratory in that city where Leonardo'sAdoration of the Magi has been undergoingrestoration for nearly two years, to explorethe possibility of analyzing dust from thepainting for possible DNA traces. A crucialquestion is whether traces of DNA remain orwhether restoration measures and thepassage of time have obliterated all evidenceof Leonardo's touch. In preparation for such analysis, a team fromthe J. Craig Venter Institute and the Universityof Florence is examining privately ownedpaintings believed to be of comparable ageto develop and calibrate techniques for DNAextraction and analysis. At this year's meetingin Florence, the researchers also described apioneering effort to analyze the microbiomeof a painting thought to be about fivecenturies old. If human DNA can one day be obtained fromLeonardo's work and sequenced, the geneticmaterial could then be compared withgenetic information from skeletal or otherremains that may be exhumed in the future.

Organizations participating in the LeonardoProject include: - The Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Paris- The International Institute for HumankindStudies, Florence- The Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology-and Paleogenetics, Biology Department,University of Florence- Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci, in Vinci,Italy- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California- Laboratory of Genetic Identification,University of Granada, Spain- The Rockefeller University, New York City Initial support comes from the RichardLounsbery Foundation, Washington D.C. Says Eugenio Giani, President of the RegionalCouncil of Tuscany: "The fact that a team ofeminent scholars from different academicdisciplines and parts of the world has unitedwith the common objective of furtheringinvestigation into one of the greatestgeniuses is positive and very important." "As President of the Tuscan Regional Council,I am pleased to host in our headquarters ameeting that shows key aspects our currentstate of knowledge of Leonardo da Vinci. Myhope, as a Florentine and Tuscan, is that allthis will help outline a portrait of Leonardoas faithful as possible to reality, bringing outthe true bond that he had with Florence,starting from the properties of his family inthe city. Scientifically, the chance to create,through new research and technology, a newvision of the life of Leonardo starting from astudy of DNA is very important." Compiled by Project collaborator ClaireStypulkowski, the collection of five journalarticles trace the path Leonardo took from hisItalian birthplace to his final days serving theKing of France. They outline the efforts to

to date, detailing the history and evidenceregarding Leonardo's life and his remains inAmboise, the research and high-techinvestigation of his father's tomb in Florence,and the tracing of family descendants. Says Brunetto Chiarelli of the InternationalInstitute for Humankind Studies and editorof Human Evolution: "We are proud to sharewith the public the details of this excitingendeavor." And he underlined this message from theProject's introductory paper: "The search forLeonardo's remains at Amboise Castle, forthe remains or traces of his family membersin Florence, Vinci, and Milan, and for tracesof his DNA in his works is fraught withdifficulty." "Matching Leonardo's DNA to that of hisfamily presents puzzles that are minutely

specific to their history and circumstances,but the tools the investigators use are genericand broadly applicable. We stand to gain notonly greater historical knowledge ofLeonardo but possibly a reconstruction of hisgenetic profile, which could provide insightsinto other individuals with remarkablequalities." "The last Plantagenet King of England and theauthor who gave us Don Quixote are twowhose places in history are somewhat betterdocumented now through recentanthropological study. Is Leonardo the next?" The Leonardo Project," a special edition ofthe journal Human Evolution, is available at:http://www.pontecorboli.com/digital1/vol-31-3-2016/

Cover of the special issue of thejournal Human Evolution announcing the Leonardo

Project.

In some of the last years of his life, Leonardosat down, perhaps at his desk, perhaps on thestreet, took out his pencil and absent-mindedly sketched a cat. The resultingdrawing is of not just one, but over a dozenof them, grooming, playing and fighting eachother, with a couple of stalking lions throwninto the mix and to top it all, a slinky littledragon sinuously twisting backwards andbaring its teeth. Evidently he appreciatedthem for their personalities andcharacteristics: not such a jump from catdoodles to the ubiquity of cats on socialmedia today. In the year that the latest blockbusterexhibition on Leonardo da Vinci, TheMechanics of Genius, opens to great fanfareat the Science Museum, a second, muchsmaller show is opening in Newcastle. TheLaing Gallery’s exhibition showcases just tenof Leonardo’s best drawings from theextensive collections at Windsor, catsincluded. Whereas the Science Museumshowcases the extraordinary mechanicalgenius of this remarkable artist, thesedrawings offers a more playful insight intoLeonardo’s mind. Cats were a commonplace sight in medieval

and early modern houses, kept as pets to curbthe mouse population. They sometimes leftquite unexpected traces, such as themedieval moggy who marched over the stillwet pages of a manuscript, much to theconsternation of its scribe. And clearly theyfeatured in more of an esoteric manner too:there are countless depictions of cats withinmedieval manuscripts, as featured in NicoleEddy’s fabulous post on the “Lolcats of theMiddle Ages”. So it’s not so surprising to find Leonardocaught in the act of doodling. It seems asthough Leonardo’s cats are drawn from life,attesting to his often commented on interestin first-hand observation. He lets hisimagination run riot in the process of turninghis playful cats into a writhing dragon. What makes his drawing so charming is thatultimately, what he is interested in here isnothing more significant than the playingcats. He draws cats on other occasions, suchas in some studies for the Virgin and child(with cat), but there the cat is drawn as anattribute, becoming a subsidiary accessory tothe telling of the story. In the cat doodle, thepurpose of the drawing is nothing other thanto record Leonardo’s delight in the carefully

Why Leonardo da Vinciwould have aced the

internet cat craze

Leonardo da Vinci may have been ahead of the curve inaerodynamics, anatomy and mechanics, but he alsopossessed an incredible foresight for another modernstaple: cat obsessions.

By Gabriele Neher

Leonardo da Vinci, Cats, lions, and a dragon c.1513-18. Pen and ink with wash over black chalk.Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016

observed play and movement of his felinecompanions. There’s a rich history of associating cats withimagination and creativity, as well as morenegative connotations with heresy andwilfulness. This is especially true of medievalimagery. Cats, with their noted reputation forautonomy and independence, provide a

bridge between the unruly anduncontrollable chaos of untamed nature, andthe quiet, submissive, orderly domesticity ofa well-ruled household. A cat can functionboth as a symbol for obedience (and is oftendepicted as such, for example as a companionto devout women) as well as a sign of heresy,in the shape of a witch’s familiar.

So cats are not inherently good or evil.Instead they appear to reflect the moralcharacter of the household they interact with:in accordance with their mercurial, quirkynature. In this light, they seem the perfectcompanion for a creative and scholarlyowner. Fast forward 500 years and perhaps it doesn’tseem so surprising that social media hasbecome the perfect vehicle for displayingthis connection. While Salvador Dali neededto take long walks with his pet ocelot Babouto generate interest in his unusual status pet,Twitter and Facebook offer platforms foroften quite witty plays on the link betweencats and creativity. My favourite example of this is the#AcademicsWithCats Twitter feed, whichled to the annual “Academics with Catsawards”. I like to think that Leonardo would

have entered with gusto. He definitely wouldhave won. With a cat dressed as a dragon.

Gabriele Neher is an AssistantProfessor of History of Art,University of Nottingham

This article was first published inThe Conversation

The true face of Leonardo Da Vinci?

Leonardo Da Vinci's life and work is well known -- but his own face is not. Illustrator andactivist Siegfried Woldhek used some thoughtful image-analysis techniques to find whathe believes is the true face of Leonardo. Here, he walks viewers through exactly how hedid it.

Over 3000 scholars from around the worldwill be gathering this week at WesternMichigan University in Kalamazoo, Michganfor the 51st International Congress onMedieval Studies. It is the largest academicconference related to the Middle Ages, itdraws in professors, graduate students,independent scholars, writers and othermedievalists. This year's congress will host 550 sessionsthat will range from the philosophy ofThomas Aquinas to Game of Thrones. Amongthe highlights will be two plenary lectures:"How We Read J.R.R. Tolkien ReadingGrendel's Mother," by Jane Chance, professorof English at Rice University, and "Religionand the End of the Roman West," presentedby Ian Wood, professor of early medievalhistory at the University of Leeds. Dr. Jana Schulman, director of the MedievalInstitute at Western Michigan University,explains, "The intersection of popular cultureand in-depth academic exploration always

plays a role in the congress. There are sessionsthat focus on how the Middle Ages areportrayed in today's popular literature andmovies. But for every session focused onfamiliar names like Tolkien, Harry Potter andKing Arthur, there are dozens that delvedeeply into how architecture, gender politics,astronomy, environmentalism and a range ofother topics played out around the worldduring the Middle Ages." The congress is an important event forpresenting research and making connectionswithin the medieval studies community. Thefour-day event will include a demonstrationof an Islamic astrolabe, and a performance byCorina Marti of 14th-century music usinghistorical instruments. For more information about the congress,visit wmich.edu/medievalcongress. If youcannot attend, follow it on Twitter using thehashtag #Kzoo2016.

Kzoo2016

The 51stInternationalCongress on

MedievalStudies set to

begin

Fifteen Tips forYour First Trip

to The ZooEvery May for over fifty years, Western Michigan Universityhas opened its campus to a horde of medievalists. TheInternational Congress on Medieval Studies is the largestand longest running medieval history conference in NorthAmerica, and draws a conglomerate of academics, artists,performers, clerics, students, authors, and craftsmen. Ifyou’ve dreamed of an experience at Kzoo, or plan to attendfor the first time, here are some practical tips to get the mostout of this conference.

By Danielle Trynoski

DO stay in the Dorms if you don’t need a pool. If you’re driving or flying with agenerous baggage allowance, bring an extra blanket for a back-up but know that bedlinens, towels, and a bar of soap are included. The most attractive feature of thedorms is the on-campus location. Imagine walking down to grab a coffee at theGatehouse Café in the Valley III Exhibit Hall, then strolling down the hall to your firstsession. Who wants to wait for that hotel shuttle bus? DON’T miss the Exhibits Hall in Valley III. This teeming riot of publishers, authors,jewelers, societies, universities, and vendors runs Thursday through 10:00 a.m.Sunday. Book sales are the King in this court. Stoke your special interest fires bybrowsing shiny new titles or pick up a few classics. Publishers offer discounts toconference attendees both at the event and online. Display copies are heavilydiscounted and are typically purchased early and reserved for pick-up on Sunday.Many vendors offer journal display copies for free; just ask first, then write your nameinside the cover. Last tip: don’t be afraid to haggle, bundle, and negotiate. This is amedieval market, of a sort.

Photo by Jacob Enos / Flickr

DO wear comfortable walking shoes. Ladies, if you want to wear heels then carrythem and walk in flats. Even though the shuttles can get you to all the conferencelocations it’s faster and more direct to walk between the different buildings; it’s agreat excuse to tag along and talk with the author of the fabulous paper you just heard. DON’T buy the meal tickets offered with conference registration. Not only can youbuy them on-site if needed, but you can find more variety at a better price by goingto one of the campus cafes or the Bernhard Center Bronco Mall. Get a list of the on-campus options here. Like in most university towns, there is an abundance of localoptions in all price ranges. Be advised that some restaurants close early on Wednesdayand Thursday night. When meals aren’t confined by the tickets-only accepted in asingle cafeteria-then it’s easier to connect with friends or colleagues over meal times. DO get to know your suite mate in the dorms. Even private rooms share a bathroomwith one other room. The lay-out of the shower, toilet and sink isn’t ideal, but it’sfunctional. There are two sinks, but no door on the single toilet stall. Work out asystem like putting a towel in the common walkway, or if you’re driving, bring anextendable shower rod and curtain. The same gender typically shares a suite and allthe suite mates I’ve experienced have been friendly and courteous. You can requestsuite mates, but both parties must make the request on their applications and theorganizers will not complete the dorm reservation until both applications are filed. DON’T fret about mapping out your entire schedule in advance. With 550 sessionsplus receptions, performances, and demonstrations, there are a lot of options overthe four days. Unless you’ve brought clones of yourself it’s just not possible to catchit all, and that’s part of its glory. Note the highlights and make some commitmentsby browsing the program before you arrive, however sometimes the pressure of last-minute decisions will reveal your true colors.

DO explore Kalamazoo outside of the Congress. Even if that only includes a few mealsoff-campus, it’s a compact and friendly city with plenty to offer. The downtownrestaurants offer a nice variety of eateries (such as the Food Dance Café), Michigan’sWine County is a short drive down the highway, and there are a good selection ofmuseums and art galleries to browse. DON’T miss the Annus Horribilis session at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night in the FetzerBuilding, organized by The Societas Fontibus Historiae Medii Aevi Inveniendis, vulgadicta, “The Pseudo Society.” This Saturday evening classic is in one of the largestvenues of the conference, and every seat will be full. Plan to get a take-away dinnerand grab a seat in the auditorium by 6:30 or 7:00. DO seek out the Experimental Archaeology sessions or demonstrations. These featureresearchers and living historians who dissect medieval processes and lifestyles. Youmight see how Viking beads were made, hear tales recited in Old French, taste medievalbarley bread, or smell pigments used in dyes or cosmetics. These opportunities engageyour senses and provide unique perspectives on medieval studies. DON’T sleep through the plenaries. This is your chance to see top academics speakingabout their passions, and maybe provide an opening to introduce yourself and ask afew questions after their presentation. The plenaries will either be highly specializedor a strong overview of a topic, but either way you’ll be glad you woke up and went!

Elan Justice Pavlinich presenting for the Pseudo Society at the 49th InternationalCongress on Medieval Studies - photo by ElanJust / Wikimedia Commons

Danielle Trynoski earned herMA in Medieval Archaeologyat the University of York inEngland. When she's notvisiting museums andhistorical sites, she's ridinghorses or reading aboutVikings. She currently lives insouthern California andmanages the website

CuratoryStory.com

DO get on the dance floor. The traditional Saturday night dance is notorious for someof the best people-watching, and you won’t be disappointed. The dress code is anythingbut formal; some attendees come straight from their last session in suits, otherschange into polo shirts or cocktail dresses. No matter what the outfit, everyone hasa good time. DON’T limit yourself to your niche specialty. Try something new and surprise yourself.As an early medievalist with a focus on Viking metal artifacts, I attended one of theDISTAFF sessions on textile-related research (I can barely sew) and loved theinnovative research methods, experimental archaeological approaches, and diversebackgrounds of the presenters. DO pick up the lingo. The official title is the International Congress on Medieval Studies.Calling it the International Congress will instantly mark you as a first-timer. Try onthe more comfortable K’zoo instead. Your knowledge of the Pseudo Society’s existencewill also build your “street cred.” DON’T skip out on the Sunday morning sessions, even if you danced the night awayon Saturday. By staying through till noon, you’ll get to keep reveling in your medieval-nerd comfort zone and catch two more sessions. DO enjoy yourself. If you’re attending alone then don’t be anxious about being lonely.Mingle with the conference crowd. Attend the receptions, Wine Hours, and tastings.Most of the conference guests are friendly and welcoming, and you’ll meet peoplefrom all over the world with diverse reasons for attending. After all, if you like medievalhistory then everyone at this conference is “your people.” Welcome to The Zoo.

ICMS: TheBailey of theIvory Tower

This week, medievalists are headed to Kalamazoo,Michigan to attend the International Congress onMedieval Studies, as they have been doing for more thanhalf a century. It’s a pilgrimage, of sorts, bringing togethergreat minds from all over the world who share the samelove in their hearts for people and things from long, longago. But what’s amazing and wonderful about the ICMSisn’t just the papers. It’s the community of people whoare invested in working together so that we all know moreabout the Middle Ages. If there’s an Ivory Tower, the ICMSis the cosmopolitan, bustling bailey outside of it.Like so many other medievalists, my first tripto Kalamazoo was when I was very green. Ihadn’t yet laid hands on my brand new BA,and had just moved to Toronto the weekendbefore to start my Master’s degree thefollowing September. I was offered a ride bymy friend and mentor Sarah Larratt Keefer(who kindly brought at least oneundergraduate with her to Kalamazoowhenever she could), so shared a car withher, a fellow student, and another eminent

Anglo-Saxonist, Joyce Hill. (Everyone in thecar was an Anglo-Saxonist but me; they didtheir best to recruit me as we drove!) I knewthat I would be completely out of my leaguein terms of scholarship at the ICMS, so Iintended to stay unobtrusive and to quietlylearn as much as I possibly could. Little did Iknow that the community of medievalscholars is one of the most welcoming groupsof people I could ever have hoped to meet.

By Danièle Cybulskie

Look for these signs at the International Congress on Medieval Studies

The International Congress on MedievalStudies is not just for the professors in tweedwith elbow patches, although you will findthem there. It’s also a place for graduatestudents and even undergraduate studentsto test their wings. The year I first went, Iwatched wide-eyed as people mid-Master’sgave their first papers, expecting them tohave their logic and budding scholarshipripped to shreds by people who had put inthirty-plus years on the very same texts. Whathappened was exactly the opposite: world-renowned scholars raised their hands tocongratulate the speakers, to suggest newavenues to investigate, and to offer theirhelp. I was flabbergasted. For some reason, Ihad expected the all-stars to put the rookiesin their place, but what I saw was initiatesbeing welcomed into a community. I listenedto, watched, and met superstar scholars whogenuinely wanted to help give a newbie a legup. I was renewed and inspired, andremember leaving Kalamazoo thinking, “I cando this.”

Unexpectedly, I didn’t return to Kalamazooagain until just last year – the fiftiethanniversary of the ICMS, as it turned out. Thistime, I was attending as someone who wasfirmly outside the Ivory Tower: I had finishedmy Master’s, but hadn’t followed theexpected path to PhD and universityprofessorship. Feeling like a bit of an outsiderin this regard, I wondered if I would find thesame warm reception, but once again, themedieval community surprised me with theirwarm acceptance. This time, I met lots ofpeople who worked outside of academia,independent scholars whose love of themedieval had spurred them on to studying itin-depth, though they had no official ties toan institution. Academic scholars whose workI had admired recognized my writing, too, andgreeted me with smiles and hands extended.Even the keynote speech by the renownedRichard Utz was focused on working andreading outside of academia so thatmedievalists could reach out to the millionsof non-academic people

Danièle Cybulskie is a weeklycolumnist for Medievalists.net.You can follow her on Twitter

@5minmedievalist

who share a great love of the Middle Ages. Ionly met a few people whose welcome wasnot as warm for indies as for those who hadtaken the traditional scholarly path (but afterall, why have a keynote that preaches ourworth if everyone in the room is alreadyconvinced?). The overwhelming vibe,though, was of friendly curiosity andcamaraderie. Here’s the thing about the ICMS: it is acollective of the world’s biggest medievalnerds. By that I mean nerds not only in thesense that we love traditional geekery (likeLord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, mead, andboard games), but also in the sense that welove, love, love to study. If there’s somethingnew to learn about our favourite period, wewant to learn it, and because of that, themedieval community doesn’t just replacesomeone who’s sitting in the circle, we makethe circle bigger to include them. If you’re reading this, you’re part of themedieval community. (Welcome! Try themead!) That means that you might beinterested in listening to some of theamazing scholars – both academic and indie –that will be speaking at Kalamazoo this yearand every year. If you are, and the only thingholding you back is the worry that peoplewon’t accept you as you are (a writer, ascholar, a teacher, a fan), let me reassure you,you’ll be in safe company. While it’s not aconvention – the only people not dressed instreet clothes will be actual monks and nuns –it is a place to find out more about what we’re

all learning together, and to find ways to keeplearning together as a worldwide community. Peter Konieczny and I will be tweeting andposting articles about the ICMS this week, sofollow along to find out more about what it’sall about. If you love learning about themedieval world as much as we do, we hopeto see you at Bilbo’s Pizza, Kalamazoo onelovely spring day in May.

A BadMedievalRoad Trip

As medieval scholars prepare for the journey to Kalamazoofor the International Congress on Medieval Studies, wewanted to tell you the story of a medieval scholar whoundertook his own trip for learning – a trip that did not goas planned.

Richer of Saint-Rémi (c.950 – c.1000) was amonk based at the abbey of Saint-Remi innorthern France. We know about himbecause he wrote a work called Histories,which recounted events in his country fromthe year 888 to almost the end of the tenthcentury. It is largely a story of politics andwar, but we get a few glimpses of Richerhimself. One of the most interesting autobiographicalbits from Histories happened in the year 991,when Richer decided to take a trip. A knightfrom Chartres had arrived in Reims, whereRicher’s monastery was, and brought a letterto the monk. It turned out to be a messagefrom a cleric and old friend named Heriband,who asked Richer to come to Chartres to reada book – a medical treatise known as theAphorisms of Hippocrates.Richer, who was intellectual and very

interested in learning, wanted to do this, andconvinced the knight to return with him backto Chartres. He would also be accompaniedby a boy, but apparently his abbot wasn’t veryhelpful and gave him only one horse for thetrip. Therefore, Richer began the trip, in his ownwords, “lacking in money, a change of clothesand other necessities.” The journey fromReims to Chartres is over 200 kilometres longand would have taken several days. At first itwent well, with the trio arriving at anothermonastery and being treated generously. Thenext day they headed out towards the townof Meaux. It is then that things started to gowrong: But when my two companions and I enteredthe winding path of the woods, we were not

spared the vicissitudes of ill fortune. For wechose the wrong path at a crossroads andwandered six leagues out of our way. Then,after we had passed Chateau-Thierry, the horsethat up to now had seemed like Bucephalusbecame slower than a reluctant little donkey.The sun had already passed midday and wasedging into dusk when the whole sky dissolvedinto a downpour, and that hardy Bucephalus,done in by his final exertions, succumbed andcollapsed beneath the legs of the boy who wasriding him, dropping dead at the sixthmilestone from the city as if he had been struckby lightning. Richer then gives this wry observation: Those who have ever suffered similarmisfortunes can judge from their ownexperiences how great my agitation andanxiety were at the moment. While the knight had his own horses, Richerand the boy now had to go on foot, carryingtheir baggage, all the while with the rainfalling in downpour. It soon proved too muchfor the child, and he “lay down, completelyexhausted.” With the sun already setting,Richer made a tough decision – the boy andthe baggage would remain behind, while heand the knight would continue on to Meauxto get help. The monk told the boy to talk to any othertravellers, and not to fall asleep, and then heset out for the town. Richer and the knightsoon reached the bridge over the River Marne,with Meaux on the other side. Richer writes: I started out across the bridge, which I couldscarcely make out in the dim light, and as Iinspected it carefully I was tormented oncemore by new misfortunes. For it was riddledwith so many and so large gaps that it wasscarcely possible that those connected withthe townsmen could have crossed over it onthe same day. The intrepid Chartrian, whoshowed considerable foresight during thecourse of the journey, looked around

everywhere for a boat, but finding none, hereturned to the perils of the bridge, and withGod’s help saw to it that the horses crossedsafely. Sometimes putting a shield down underthe horses’ feet in the gaping holes andsometimes and sometimes running back, hesuccessfully made it all the way across thebridge with the horses, while I accompaniedhim. They soon found a monastery where they gothelp, and the knight soon left to go find theboy. Our monk stayed in the monastery andwaited: Those who have ever been compelled to stayawake at night because they are worried aboutthose dear to them can imagine how sleeplesslyI passed that night, and with what greattorments I was afflicted. It took several hours, but finally good newscame in the morning: Shortly after the longed for the light of the dayhad returned, they arrived, weak from theirgreat hunger. Food was brought to them, andfodder and straw were set before the horses. Apparently, the knight had some difficultyfinding the boy, but finally did so. He did notwant to risk crossing the bridge again at night,so they found a cottage to stay in until themorning came. Once they arrived in Meaux,the boy was given to the monastery’s abbotso he could rest a few days, while Richer andthe knight continued on to Chartres. The restof the trip was uneventful, and after reachinghis destination Richer sent a horse to gocollect the boy to rejoin him. He ends thislittle story by writing: After he had returned and all my worries hadbeen put to rest, I applied myself diligently tothe Aphorisms of Hippocrates with masterHeriband, a man of great generosity andlearning. But since I only learned about theprognosis of disease in this work and basic

understanding of illnesses would not satisfymy desire, I also asked to read one of his booksentitled On the Concordance of Hippocrates,Galen, and Soranus. This I obtained, since thepowers of pharmacology, botany, and surgerywere not hidden from one so skilled inmedicine. The Histories of Richer of Saint-Rémi has beenedited and translated by Justin Lake in a two-volume book that is part of the DumbartonOaks Medieval Library. You can learn moreabout the book from Harvard UniversityPress.

Medievalverse Roundtable from Kalamazoo

In previous years we would host little roundtable talks, bringing together someof our friends, to talk about the experience at the congress. This video includesus - Peter Konieczny and Sandra Alvarez from Medievalists.net, and Kelly DeVriesand Annamaria Kovacs. It was filmed five years ago, and we talk about the firstday of the congress and some of the issues involved with going to such a largeconference.

See more videos from the congress at our Youtube page:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Medievalists/

The history ofstudent loans

goes back to theMiddle Ages

In 1473, Alexander Hardynge, who had finished hisbachelor’s degree at Oxford nearly two years previous,borrowed money through an educational loan service. Theloan came with a one year repayment deadline.With some of that money, he rented a roomat Exeter College and offered tutoringservices to college students. He soon repaidthat loan. In 1475, Hardynge took out asecond loan – again, in part to rent teachingspace. Then, in 1478, he was appointed as asubdeacon, a post two orders lower than apriest, likely in Durham, a city in the north ofEngland. From all evidence, it seems that hepromptly packed his robes and abandonedhis teaching gig. There is also nothing tosuggest that he gave a single penny to hislenders. For students today, Hardynge’s story wouldbe too good to be true. Not only did he gethis bachelor’s degree without incurring debt,but also, he did not have to repay the moneyhe borrowed.

Prompted by my own anxiety abouteducational debt, an anxiety that intensifiedseveral years ago with the birth of my ownprospective college students, I have beenresearching the long history of educationalloans in order to get a better context for thecurrent student debt crisis. With student loan growth rates spiraling outof control, it behooves us to think throughthe ways other time periods and cultures havemonetized, funded or not funded studentlabor. Loan chests, books as collateral The history of student loans starts with theestablishment of institutions of higherlearning in medieval Europe from the late11th century.

By Jenny Adams

The University of Bologna, considered thefirst official university, was quickly followed by the University of Paris, Oxford Universityand Cambridge University. All of these placesoffered degrees to young men, training themfor positions in the Catholic Church and, later,in government. At first, scholars who needed money did notdiffer from other borrowers: everyone tookloans from the same lenders. But in 1240,Robert Grosseteste, the bishop of Lincoln ,used Oxford University money to launch thefirst documented student loan system. Henamed it St. Frideswide’s Chest. St. Frideswide’s Chest was literally a chest.Bound by two different locks, with each keyheld by a different college magister, or facultymember, it resided at St. Frideswide’s Priory,

a religious house in central Oxford, amid thecity’s colleges, academic halls and studentapartments. To get a loan from St. Frideswide’s, a borrowerhad to be a scholar of modest means – andlikely took an oath for proving so. He also hadto have something of value to deposit in thechest as collateral. From the pledge notes I’veseen in roughly 100 manuscripts anddescriptions of manuscripts, it’s clear thatscholars hocked everything from silverspoons to gold plates. But the most commonly collateralized itemswere books. Not fancy, illuminated books.Just textbooks. In the late Middle Ages, thisincluded works by Aristotle, the Bible, lawcodes and medical tracts. Here’s a link to amanuscript at Balliol College that was used

Later 14th cetnruy depiction of a university class by Laurentius de Voltolina

as collateral. The lines on the final pagerecord two loans taken out by a scholar,Thomas Chace, in 1423 and 1424. The MertonCollege manuscript contains eight pledgenotes from the same century. These were not textbooks as we know themtoday. They were manuscripts made fromanimal skin and completed through hours ofscribal labor. They fetched large sums. As inmodern times, medieval textbooks tooderived part of their value through theeducational market. Today, for example, the Encyclopedia ofInternational Media and Communications (US$305 secondhand) commands a highprice because faculty use it to teach andstudents use it to research in one of thefastest-growing majors. Back then, it wasPeter Lombard’s Sentences, a staple of theOxford curriculum and also the bookHardynge used for collateral. Sadly, the pledge note in Hardynge’s text, asrecorded in the British Library’s on-linedescription of its manuscripts, does notinclude the loan amount. But on another leafof the manuscript one can see a scrawled“precii xl.s.” or “price 40 shillings.” Hardynge almost surely did not get a loan ofthis amount. As noted by other scholars whohave written extensively on medieval loansand debt collection, the value of thecollateral far outweighed the actual amount of the loan. But given that a student in theearly 15th century could pay for an entireseries of lectures for six shillings, even a loanof 20 shillings, or half the book’s value, wouldhave represented a hefty sum. Loans for scholars This system might sound like a pawn shopcrossed with a secondhand book store. Butthe use of collateral meant scholars did notalways feel the need to repay their loans.Once employed, they could walk away from

their debts, just as Hardynge did. If thathappened, the chest manager would then putthe collateral back into the market. For manyborrowers like Hardynge, who had finishedhis education, buying back his book wassimply not worth it. Now employed, he hadlittle need for his copy of Peter Lombard’sSentences. By the end of the 14th century, roughly 20more loan chests had appeared in Oxford.The chests had also moved in 1320 from St.Frideswide’s Priory to the university’scongregation house, and they held theequivalent of millions of today’s dollars. Mostoften the money came from wealthy patronswho either wanted to support scholars orliked the thought of having their nameassociated with a chest. This later impulse seems to have been thecase with some of the later chests, which werefunded by professionals rather than thenobility. Thus, while King Edward I’s consort,Queen Eleanor of Castile, founded a chest in1293, the Guildford Chest (1314) and theRobury Chest (1321) were founded,respectively, by a judge and an attorney-turned-judge. These later chests opened borrowing to allscholars, not just poor students. In short, thechests now targeted the AlexanderHardynges of Oxford. Hardynge was not poor.He probably funded his education throughparental handouts and part-time work, orreceived on support from a wealthy patron.But clearly by several years after hisgraduation, he needed money to stay afloat. Printing press changes the system For 300 years, the loan chest system thrived.Then, one evening in early March of 1544,two men – Robert Raunce and John Stanshaw –armed with an “iron bar and hammer,” brokeinto the congregation house and smashed allof the loan chests. Although Raunce andStanshaw were eventually tried

and sentenced, their burglary still managedto wipe out much of the chests' wealth. Yet even before this, the loan system hadstarted to decline. Although the arrival of theprinting press in the late 15th century didn’thave an immediate effect on manuscriptproduction, it would eventually make bookscheap and thus no longer worthcollateralizing. Even in the chests' finalcentury of use, the use of gold plate andjewelry was increasing and by 1500 hadsurpassed the use of books. Around the same time, bankers began tomake loans on the premise of future returnsrather than in exchange for real property. Theshift toward anticipated future earnings sooncame with the England’s 1624 legalizationof interest-bearing loans, which pushedeven more people into this model oflending. With their loan chests gone, students againbecame just like other borrowers. And justlike other borrowers, they, too, could end upin the notorious debtors’ prisons that beganto swell with inmates as early as the 17thcentury. Modern-day loans Student loans arrived in the United States inthe mid-19th century. Like the medieval loanchests at Oxford, these loans started througha singular university, in this case Harvard,which administered them. This localized system changed in themid-20th century with the creation by theDepartment of Education in 1965 offederally guaranteed student loans made byprivate lenders and available to studentsacross the country. Students were once again put into a specialcategory. But in this case, this meant theycould now collateralize their estimatedfuture incomes (without even knowing what

those incomes might be) in order to obtain adegree. For a long time and for many students (thiswriter included), this model of credit worked.Loans opened up college to many people,allowing them to pursue a career pathotherwise unavailable. But now that we’veentered the age of six-figure student loans,this freedom seems more like a virtualdebtors' prison than a chance to economicmobility. I would never advocate a return to the MiddleAges. Yet as we consider the current morassof educational debt, we need to think harderabout historical precedent. True, medieval universities excluded manygroups – religious minorities, feudal villeins(a commoner legally tied to a feudal lord inthe Middle Ages) and women were barredfrom entry. Yet poor young men with talenthad a chance. Fees were not high. Patronshelped out. And if one needed money, onemight be able to pledge a book – not a future. .

Jenny Adams is an AssociateProfessor of English, University

of Massachusetts Amherst

This article was first published inThe Conversation

Anne of Brittany,Queen of France

When Anne was nine, her mother died. Hereducation was stopped and Anne’s quiet lifewas replaced by traveling with her father tovarious castles and fortresses. That sameyear, her father’s court received several visitsfrom Louis, Duc d’Orléans, supposedly to giveadvice and help to her father. Louis was thenext in line to inherit the throne of France ifthe current king, Charles VIII had no sons.There were rumors about his visits to Brittanyand Louis found himself denying he waslooking to marry Anne or her sister. Besides,he was already married to King Charles’ sisterJeanne. Duke Francis spent many years fighting the

French who were looking to annex Brittanyinto the domains of France. He suffered a hugedefeat at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in 1488 and the subsequent Treatyof Verger forced Francis to cede several townsto King Charles, forced him to recognizeCharles’ rights to the Duchy of Brittany andhe had to agree not to marry his daughterswithout Charles’ consent. When Anne was twelve, she wrote a narrativeof events in Brittany, including a descriptionof the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier andsent it to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Kingof the Romans. Duke Francis died threemonths after the Battle leaving Anne to

Anne of Brittany was born in the Castle of Nantes on January25, 1477. A sister named Isabeau was born a few years later.Her father was Duke Francis II of Brittany and her motherwas Marguerite, sister of the Comte de Foix. Anne’s tutoringwas administered by the prominent Breton noblewomanFrançoise de Dinan. She was taught the usual gracious artsof embroidery, singing, dancing, and proper deportment.Anne was intelligent and quick, learning Latin and Greek inaddition to French literature. She was very petite and thinwith a visibly hunched back. She suffered from a congenitalhip defect and used an extra high heel in one shoe tocompensate for a limp. Anne was fond of wearing traditionalBreton dress with luxurious fabrics.

By Susan Abernethy

succeed him. In his will Francis named severalimportant Breton men as guardians for Anneand her sister but he left no instructionsregarding marriages for the girls. Anne wascrowned Duchess of Brittany on February 10,1489. King Charles sent an embassy to Brittany withcondolences to Anne and Isabeau. He alsoproposed: 1) he should be named theirguardian; 2) a committee should be formedto arbitrate the disputes arising over titlesand rights to the Duchy and 3) that allstrangers leave the country. This was in

complete opposition to the Treaty of Verger.Anne refused all points and notified Charlesshe had convoked the Estates of Brittany toratify the original peace treaty. Anne’s position was weak. The treasury ofBrittany had been drained by the war, theplague was running rampant throughout theDuchy, her ministers were all divided inopinion and looking out for their owninterests and a French army was waiting toattack at any moment. A marriage for Annewas crucial. Since 1480, Francis had tried tobroker an English marriage. This never

Medal of Queen Anne made in celebration to her stay at Lyon in 1499. Photo bysailko / Wikimedia Commons

materialized and negotiations were thenopened for an alliance with ArchdukeMaximilian. King Charles was married toMaximilian’s daughter Margaret of Austria.Some of Anne’s councilors were promotinga marriage with a Breton. Finally, in 1490, Anne decided to marryMaximilian with the negotiations carried outin secret. The match was in direct violationof her father’s treaty and Charles could havevetoed it. There was a procuration ceremonywith a proxy standing in for Maximilian onDecember 19 in Rennes Cathedral. Annebegan signing documents as Queen of theRomans and her secret was out. In early 1491, Charles brought troops toBrittany and Anne’s small army fought withall their might. Her troops consisted of about14,000 men, mostly English, German andSpanish archers supplied by Maximilian.Charles began the siege of Rennes. Annesuffered along with her troops and eventuallyhad to decide whether to accept Charles’offer of one hundred and twenty thousandcrowns in exchange for relinquishing theDuchy of Brittany and joining her husband.She finally surrendered. Charles asked for aprivate audience with her and they remainedtogether a long time. Three days later theywere betrothed in a public ceremony and onDecember 6th they were married at theCastle of Langeais. This marriage was a shock to the whole ofEurope. Charles had been married toMargaret of Austria since 1482. Charles musthave been very charming to convince Anneto marry him or maybe Anne harbored adesire to be Queen of France. Charles’marriage had not been consummated andMargaret was sent back to Maximilian inhumiliation. Anne’s act of marriage with theproxy was declared defective and notbinding. Maximilian made a formal protest tothe Pope. When Charles asked the Pope togrant a dispensation for his marriage to Anne,he would only do so if Anne swore she had

not been violently seized and forced into themarriage. Anne stated before anecclesiastical court she had suffered noviolence. After the wedding, the couple returned toParis, stopping at various towns on the way.Anne was joyfully received by all. She wascrowned at St. Denis on February 8, 1492. OnOctober 11, Anne gave birth to a son, Charles-Orland. Charles did not allow Anne to haveany role in public affairs and from the years1492 to 1498, all political acts regardingBrittany were issued in Charles’ name. In thesummer of 1495, Charles was in Italy in searchof conquests. Anne accompanied him part ofthe way, leaving her son in France at Amboise.There was an outbreak of smallpox near thecastle and despite all their precautions, to hisparent’s dismay, the boy died on December 6. In the next three years, Anne gave birth to twosons and a daughter but they all died ininfancy. She was forced to put up with theinfidelities of Charles which he carried outright before her eyes at court. Anne spent asmuch time away from court festivities as shecould. But in 1498, Charles had a change ofheart and returned to her, giving up jousts,tournaments and bad company andconcentrating more on the administration ofhis realm. He was even seen giving audiencesto the poor, listening to their grievances. At the same time Charles’ health wasbecoming more fragile and he was lookingemaciated. Plans were in the works foranother expedition to Italy. On the morningof April 7, Charles was preoccupied withmatters pertaining to war. Some of hisgentlemen had arranged for a tennis matchto be played that afternoon. The King couldn’t play but he promised Annehe would join her to watch the match. To getto the court, he had to pass through a gallerywith a low entrance. With his mind on otherthings, he hit his head forcefully on the top

of the archway, stunned by the violence ofthe blow. He stood for a moment while thosearound him kept him from falling. Herecovered himself and went on to watch thetennis, speaking to those around him. He

abruptly fell backwards. He never spokeagain and with Anne by his side, he diedaround eleven that evening. Anne wasdevastated and her servants forced her to goto her room.

Miniature depicting Anne of Brittany receiving from Antoine Dufour themanuscript praising famous women. Created circa 1506

Messengers hastily made their way to Bloisto tell Louis, Duc d’Orléans he was now Kingof France. He made his way to Amboise andvisited the body of Charles before seeingAnne. Anne made Louis promise to stage amagnificent funeral for Charles. Louispromised and even paid for the funeral. Anne remained grief-stricken. She was nolonger Queen of France but she regainedpower over Brittany and immediately tookcomplete possession of her lands and theirgovernance. She consulted with the Ducd’Orléans, now King Louis XII on having histroops removed from Brittany. He consented.

There were more meetings between the twoand eventually Anne agreed to marry Louisafter he extricated himself from his marriageto Jeanne of France. Her marriage contractwith Charles VIII had stipulated that the newKing of France marry Anne upon his death.While awaiting the annulment of Louis’marriage, Anne returned to Brittany. PopeAlexander VI gave Louis his annulment andJeanne retired to a nunnery. A marriage contract was drawn up, stipulatingAnne retain the government and revenues ofBrittany. If she died without children, Brittanywent to her direct heirs.

King Louis XII and Anne of Brittany praying before a crown of thorns. Illustationcreated by Philippe de Gueldre around 1500.

If she had children, the second male child ordaughter if there was no son, would inheritBrittany. Anne retained the dowry shereceived from King Charles and Louisdoubled this amount. Anne and Louis weremarried in the chapel of the Castle of Nanteson January 8, 1499. On October 15, 1499, Anne gave birth to adaughter named Claude. Louis did notinterfere with Anne’s administration ofBrittany and allowed her much freedom andindependence. Anne was tenacious, bold,determined and firm in her conduct. Some ofthe King’s men called her obstinate. She hadan unbridled temper and was known to bevengeful. But Louis indulged her. Anne could be kind as some of her lettersshow. She was very pious and took an interestin the poor. She was called the “GoodDuchess” and her court was known as a schoolof good conduct for the young daughters ofnoblemen. She collected manuscripts,cultivated a library and was a patron of thearts. Louis recognized her political acumenand allowed her to help him carry out someduties in administering the country andconsulted with her on foreign affairs. On November 18, 1504, Anne was crownedQueen of France a second time at Saint Denis.She had at least six pregnancies whichresulted in either miscarriages or stillbornchildren. There may have beenincompatibility with RH factors for Anne andher spouses. In 1510, she had a daughternamed Renee who would survive but Annebecame seriously ill after the birth. She lostthe power of speech and was given last ritesbut she slowly recovered. Anne had one laststillborn son in 1512, suffering a dangerousfever afterwards. Louis went on severalcampaigns in Italy and suffered numerousnear-fatal illnesses during the marriage.Anne acted as Louis’ nurse. Anne was a proponent of an Austrian alliancefor her daughter Claude in an effort to keep

Brittany independent of France. France had aSalic law, meaning a woman couldn’t inheritthe throne so Claude was not allowed to beQueen Regnant. Louis was very aware of hisfragile health and of his lack of a male heir.He therefore made arrangements for Claudeto marry Francois d’Angoulême, the next inline for the French throne. There was abetrothal ceremony in the great hall of theCastle of Plessis-les-Tours on May 20, 1506.Anne was very unhappy with this turn ofevents. The alliance was one of the few thingsAnne and Louis fought over. She continuedto hope the marriage would not materialize.

Anne of Brittany portrayed with threesaints: Saint Anne, Saint Ursula and

Saint Hélèn - image created between1503 and 1508

On August 7, 1508, Anne was traveling in alitter over the Loire River on a wooden bridgewhen the boards gave way. She wassuspended on the edge of the opening andlost her horses but she managed to berescued. Louis’ efforts to conquer Italy puthim at odds with the Pope for several years.The Pope threatened France with interdictand excommunication, a state of affairs whichworried the pious Anne. She worked veryhard to reunite Louis and the French churchwith Rome, eventually accomplishingreconciliation between all the parties. Anne had never enjoyed the best of healthand after the birth of her last child, she wasvery unwell. The chronicles mention she wasoften ailing with an illness called “stone” orkidney disease. This was mixed with anintermittent fever. She was only thirty-eightbut all the childbearing had taken its toll.Acute suffering began in late December of1513. After ten days of pain and misery, shedied on January 9, 1514 in the castle of Blois.The chroniclers claimed the doctors takingcare of her were ignorant and mismanagedher care and should have been dismissed.

Surgeons and apothecaries embalmed thebody. Her heart was extracted and encasedin a gold box. There was a magnificent funeralwhich lasted for days. She was buried in SaintDenis but her heart was taken to Nantes andburied in the tomb of her father and motherwhich she had built. On May 18, Anne’sdaughter Claude was married to Francoisd’Angoulême, just five months short of herfourteenth birthday. On October 9, 1514, KingLouis married the ravishing sister of KingHenry VIII, Mary Tudor of England, only to dieon January 1, 1515 after too muchcelebrating. Anne’s daughter Claude wasQueen of France. She would give birth to atleast seven children and die at the age oftwenty-four.

Further reading A Twice Crowned Queen: Anne of Brittany, by Constance Mary Elizabeth(London, 1906) Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France, by Kathleen Wellman (Yale,2013) Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France and England, editedby Diana Robin, Anne R. Larsen and Carole Levin (ABC CLIO, 2007)

Susan Abernethy is the writer of The Freelance HistoryWriter. Follow Susan on Facebook at The FreelanceHistory Writer, and at Medieval History Lovers, and onTwitter: @SusanAbernethy2

The Five-MinuteMedievalist

Funny, informative, and down-to-earth, this ebook features thirteen ofthe most popular articles fromMedievalist.net's Five-MinuteMedievalist, Danièle Cybulskie.Readers will learn about everythingfrom the Templars, to popular moviemyths, to love and lust advice from a12th-century priest. Exclusive contentincludes two never-before-publishedarticles on quirky medieval words westill use every day, and the surprisingsexual secrets of the Middle Ages.Unlock the mysteries of the medievalworld, five minutes at a time. “From crusading and warfare tomedieval pies and sex tips, The Five-Minute Medievalist is a witty and veryinformative guide to the very best bitsof the Middle Ages.” - Dan Jones,historian and BBC presenter

You can buy the ebook for $3.99 - for Amazon go to http://amzn.to/1YfqwBz - for Kobo go to https://store.kobobooks.

com/en-us/ebook/the-five-minute-medievalist

You can also buy it through Danièle's website at http://www.danielecybulskie.com/

By Danièle Cybulskie