Canterbury Tales (a modern telling)

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:13 pm

"Everyman I will go with thee and be thy guide"

These are the words that start Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The canterbury tales'.

I am going to show you a pilgrims voyage myself. (5 actually!) Hope you're not sick of pictures yet!

'Bilfil that in that seson on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay

Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage

To Caunterbury with ful devout corage

At nyght was come into that hostelrye

Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye'

(the quotes are from chaucers canterbury tales. Original version)

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valerie · Post by **valerie** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:20 pm

:yh_clap :yh_clap :yh_clap :yh_clap

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:30 pm

And so our pilgrims continued their journey to the great Cathedral, telling stories, making merrye, sharing their goode compaignye! *chuckle*

'Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,

Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;

Of Atthenes he was lord and governour,

And in his tyme swich a conquerour,

That gretter was ther noon under the sonne,

Ful many a rich contree hadde he wonne'

(quotes from the knights tale)

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Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:41 pm

Heere then good fellowes is a brief taste. Will be back to poste more!

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Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:42 pm

Oh...the hurdy gurdy man...fantastic.

I haven't got a clue what you're talking about Raven

Good job we went into the Canterbury tales exhibit.

Photos are great. There's a real artistic flair there...of course.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:44 pm

More postes please...and carry on with the stories..

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:46 pm

This is great!:)

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:51 pm

Thus to the ende of our pilgrimage we go!

(but not quite yet!) There is more to tell!

The last picture is ACTUALLY where Thomas a Becket was murdered by four knights of King Henry II. The murder took place as the monks were singing vespers on the 29th of December 1170 at what is now known as the matyrdom in the NW transept. Two years later Becket was made a saint. Thus pilgrimages began to Canterbury!

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Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:55 pm

Great memories when I look at those pictures.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:01 pm

Wanna see more?:yh_bigsmi Be back in a few minutes!

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:06 pm

ArnoldLayne wrote: That Chaucer bloke was a terrible speller :rolleyes:

Lovely thread Raven

Oh no...I thought it was Raven having a 'funny five minutes'

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:21 pm

Oh, she is very witty!

*it's Feanorian*:)

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Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:57 pm

Thanks you guys!

Now to continue our tale.......

'Oure hooste saugh wel that thee brighte sonne

The ark of his artificial day hath ronne

The ferthe part, and half an houre and moore,

And though he were nat depe ystert in loore,'

quote from 'A man of laws tale'

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Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:20 pm

'Oure hooste gan to swere as he were wood;

'Harrow!' quod he, 'by nayles and by blood!

This was a fals cherl and a fals justise.

As shameful deeth as herte may devyse

Come to thise juges and hire advocatz!

Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!'

The wordes of the hoost to the phisicien and the pardoner.

Going to this place of pilgrimage is just like going into the mines of Moria. For the lord of the rings fans, it reminded me of Dwarrowdelf.

The last pic is the site of the actual shrine that the pilgrims came to visit hoping for a miracle. A candle burns there still. You can see the worn steps and the places where they knelt.

Thus ends our tale.

May your own pilgrimage be as blessed as ours was!:yh_flower

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chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:24 pm

Oh, the shrine must have been awesome to see!

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:29 pm

They have engravings of what it used to look like! It must have been! A shame henry the 8th had it destroyed along with the bones of Thomas a Becket!

Post by **spot** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:32 pm

It's years since I saw the words of the tales, Raven - I used to read them aloud to the children as bedtime stories. With the original spellings, all the metre and rhyme spring back into shape again, it becomes excitingly readable.

They rarely managed to stay awake all through the Knyghtis Tale though.

I'm so pleased you put the pictures up.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:40 pm

They are WONDERFUL stories! And we have the unabridged and untranslated book. I mean after all, it IS english! :wah:

Post by **spot** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:57 pm

If anyone would like to browse, the British Library (that's what used to be in that large round room filled with books, Raven) has an online display of Caxton's editions, with transcripts, at http://www.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/homepage.html

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Sat May 20, 2006 3:33 am

What I find amazing and delightful is that I can read and understand it! It's richer in it's original form.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Sat May 20, 2006 3:44 am

Raven wrote: What I find amazing and delightful is that I can read and understand it! It's richer in it's original form.

But you're special Raven....you have an insatiable appetite for British History....you relish all aspects, the people, the language, the buildings etc

I guess I'm too lazy to read the original language...it frustrates me ...I need to get to the nitty gritty quickly...I do however find it interesting the way language has evolved...I wouldn't have been any good with code busting....Enigma ???nah...

That said, I love the social history, the buildings, the people and all the rest.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Sat May 20, 2006 4:15 am

Bez wrote: But you're special Raven....you have an insatiable appetite for British History....you relish all aspects, the people, the language, the buildings etc

I guess I'm too lazy to read the original language...it frustrates me ...I need to get to the nitty gritty quickly...I do however find it interesting the way language has evolved...I wouldn't have been any good with code busting....Enigma ???nah...

That said, I love the social history, the buildings, the people and all the rest.I've always been that way Bez. History was a major of mine in school. I love origins. And its amazing to be able to discover mine! Not many people get to do that. But it's the underlying 'hum' of this place that grips me. I sense the old ones. The magic is still here.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Sat May 20, 2006 5:45 pm

Superb and stunning pictures, Raven. Very well done!:-6

I enjoyed the excerpts from Chaucer, too. Many, many years ago, I found his works hard to read, but now I find them easy as instinctive. Looks like I have learned something over the years.

Still, Middle English was quite a jump from Old English. To think that the Bible was translated into Modern English!!!

Perhaps today's English should be called Neo-Pidgin English.:rolleyes: