Getting Medival

The Crusades were religious wars that the catholic church in Rome organized in order, truthfully, to convert the heretic population of the mid-east, especially around Turkey, Israel, Serbia, etc.

The Murder of Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury who had a dispute with King Henry II of England of the rights of the church and in 1170 was assassinated by three knights of the king. For his death he became both a martyr and a saint.

The Magna Carta was the great English document that established a peace for all of England and also the Habeus Corpus privilege of due process that we use in today's US legal system.

The Black Death, also known as the Plague, was a disease that ravaged Europe during the middle ages, killing off a great number of Europe's population. There was no aid, and it was said to be spread by rats, which, in the dirty medieval times, were a common household collection.


Chaucer's story circulates around 26 characters all gathered together in Southwerk to go on a pilgrimage to old Thomas Becket's tomb in Canterbury. There is:

a Knight who had won many battles and fought for many kings, and was known for his bravery;
his son, a Squire of only 20 years, a poet, drinker, romancer, and dreamer;
a Yeoman, who wore many tools upon him, and carries weapons;
a Prioresse whose modesty, lady-ness, beauty impress all;
followed by another nun and three priests;
a progressive, future-minded, open-minded Monk;
his Friar, another jovial man, frank and familiar, dignified in speech and liked by all men for dressed "as is a poor scholar, he was like a master or a pope";
a Merchant, worthy and solemn with his goods abound;
a Clerk, all humble, courteous, and studious with his collection of books;
a Sergeant of Law who was wise, just, and creative with his mind and hand;
a Franklin, witty, with bounty, and Epicurean;
a fraternal group of artisans: a Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, and Tapestry-Maker;
a cook, loaded down with rich foods;
a shipman, a good fellow who built boats and knew his trade;
a very knowledgeable, skillful, and learned physical Doctor;
a Wife of Bath, a bit deaf but very travelled;
a Poor man of town -- though despite his poverty full of god, truth, and knowledge;
his brother, a charitable plowman;
a sickly Reve; a stout Miller; a dirty, red-faced Summoner who scares the children; a Pardoner, selfish with his money, trussed up in his appearance but innocent in spirit; a gentle and fair Municiple money collector; and the narrator himself.

In the Nun's Priest's tale, one finds the tone festive and jolly, although not without moral or honor of one's self and one's superiors (be it a Knight, a Prioresse, or God). The Priest recounts the story of a widow's cock and his seven wives, focusing on his favorite, Pertelote, and his disturbing dreams. The conflict arises over whether dreams can be trusted or not; with proofs from many a source, and the result of the story itself, everyone sees that the rooster is smarter after all, and even smart enough to get himself out of his trouble. Like in Beowulf, Chaucer includes many a tale into his tale. His chickens are very learned, explaining all the examples of certain theories from books that they have read. I was impressed, though Chaucer's "wit is short, ye may wel understonde," he still is very travelled, and utilizes morals in his stories that are to be copied later in history by other story tellers like Jean le Fontaine, and The Brothers Grimm (though must, in truth, be ageless). He is modest, like his chivalrous knight, worthy like all his characters and extremely witty, though he may deny it.

In both the Prologue and the Priest's tale, one sees evidence of this humorous spirit that is the Canterbury Tales. Though Chaucer is very funny, perhaps, in his introductions, in the transitions between stories, in the drunken storytellers that his characters be, there is always a moral, a seriousness attached to their actual stories. The morals are about trusting intuitions, honesty, the will of God, women (unfortunately, of their inherent submissiveness, as well) --noble Medieval beliefs.

Chaucer says of the knight in the prologue, "a worthy man -- he loved chivalrie, truth and honour, freedom and curteisie/ ful worthy was he in his lordes were, and thereto had he ridden, no man ferre" -- a fine description of the ideal man of the middle ages. One of the most important aspects of life for honorable men was chivalry, and a basic idolization of women had to be withheld. The brave (or not-so-brave, according to his fine lady) rooster, Chauntecleeer, says to his favorite lady, like any good man would say to his lady, "God has shown me great favor; For when I see the beauty of your face....it destroys all my dread." Like his wife's beautiful face destroys the fears of Chauntecleer, Chaucer's Tales would dissipate any troubles I would have if I read them during the middle ages. It is easy to understand their high-standing status in literary history.