tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post4678647855152673419..comments2023-10-15T11:23:35.339+01:00Comments on Hawkins Bizarre: Medieval Women as Master CraftsmenAlishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-51174362339689782652011-02-23T18:13:21.494+00:002011-02-23T18:13:21.494+00:00what was gwyneth's last name? where did you fi...what was gwyneth's last name? where did you find out about her? I'm writing a paper for a medieval craftman. i would appreciate it if you could answer this comment or email me at brooke.angel@yahoo.com thanks!Brookenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-2990697316867610232010-02-04T09:24:33.196+00:002010-02-04T09:24:33.196+00:00And that, of course, is where the real interest li...And that, of course, is where the real interest lies for the writer - who's interested in stereotypes?Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-16962427745706171832010-02-03T19:40:26.370+00:002010-02-03T19:40:26.370+00:00Faye Booth has a lot to say on this issue, too. Sh...Faye Booth has a lot to say on this issue, too. She spends a lot of time pointing out that not all the Victorians were, well, Victorian.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-85443204846792314442010-02-02T08:28:01.355+00:002010-02-02T08:28:01.355+00:00I think that's the issue, isnt it David - that...I think that's the issue, isnt it David - that people have a conventional or accepted view of history and anything that fails to chime in with that doesn't feel plausible. But those people who don't fit in are the interesting characters that it's great to write about.Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-38117950273400756362010-02-01T20:51:48.967+00:002010-02-01T20:51:48.967+00:00Nice post.
In a rather later era, there were some...Nice post.<br /><br />In a rather later era, there were some rather well-known female pirates, too. But their exploits seem to have been brushed under the rug becasue they don't match with the common view of history.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-72400732288025574242010-02-01T18:43:32.685+00:002010-02-01T18:43:32.685+00:00Thanks Neil - looking forward to seeing you at the...Thanks Neil - looking forward to seeing you at the 'do' on the 15th.Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-58523408787164906312010-02-01T16:06:38.921+00:002010-02-01T16:06:38.921+00:00Great post, Alis. (And comment trail too.)Great post, Alis. (And comment trail too.)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00144414770507110557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-43851462728829698342010-01-31T18:41:04.776+00:002010-01-31T18:41:04.776+00:00Hi Deborah - you raise an important point as many ...Hi Deborah - you raise an important point as many readers may feel they know about a period and judge our writing accordingly. <br />What I've found in my research is that, even if something is generally accepted, there will always be historians who say 'ah but..' and that for every rule there are always going to be at least a dozen exceptions. <br />And that's not surprising, really, when we're talking about people. I mean, what hard and fast social norms do we have now? I can't think of one that applies to all British people apart from - they all breathe in and out regularly'!!Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-47052477500736669672010-01-31T14:51:14.691+00:002010-01-31T14:51:14.691+00:00This is a fascinating post. And for a writer it ra...This is a fascinating post. And for a writer it raises that awkward question about historical accuracy and how it impacts on your writing. On various blogs I have seen readers complain that they get turned off the book if, to use an example, they read about someone using a pocket before 1750, because they did not exist. This in fact is not true, as those of us researching our books will be able to verify.They did exist - though they looked a little different from today. But - do you have someone take something from a "pocket" in your 17th century novel and risk alienating your readers, or do you avoid pockets altogether and let the less knowledgeable reader dictate your writing? I suppose it all depends on how much defending of our research we are prepared to do, and how important the contentious fact is to the plot. In Testament, I can see that it was important for Gwyneth to be a master craftsman as much of the plot turns around it,and also the unexpected is always the thing that makes the reader think and challenges their assumptions.Deborah Swifthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594174632573628818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-74831638543378696232010-01-31T09:39:34.399+00:002010-01-31T09:39:34.399+00:00Brilliant post - you made me see it in a new light...Brilliant post - you made me see it in a new light.nohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00398443646324855212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-75027414598524162942010-01-31T09:23:16.833+00:002010-01-31T09:23:16.833+00:00Hi Jodi - despite Gwyneth's obvious prowess, I...Hi Jodi - despite Gwyneth's obvious prowess, I guess it was still hard for a woman to be accepted. Since Simon had never really been accepted he would have wanted to make any of his offspring's path as easy as possible, which meant having a son, really. Also, despite the evidence of our own eyes, tradition dies hard, don't you find?Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-26329909481050208362010-01-30T19:14:32.125+00:002010-01-30T19:14:32.125+00:00My first thought on reading your reply to the ques...My first thought on reading your reply to the question was that it was interesting that Simon still thought that he needed a son to carry on his work given his wife's story. <br /><br />Thank you for answering this question. I also had never thought the the Black Death and it's ramifications.jodihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10512572406681071671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-19745416038912113292010-01-30T15:42:58.689+00:002010-01-30T15:42:58.689+00:00Hi Ally - thanks for taking the time to comment - ...Hi Ally - thanks for taking the time to comment - much appreciated. I hope the OU degree works out for you!<br /><br />Hi Adele - Yes, must get Karen Maitland's next book, Owl Killers - not read it yet.<br /><br />Hi Catherine - readable social histories of the fourteenth century - the best I've come across is Ian MOrtimer's Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England - a Handbook for Travellers in the Fourteenth Century. It's excellent and the bibliography is beyond belief - Mortimer has read all the source-books so we don't have to!Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-53895528358740829182010-01-30T14:16:31.948+00:002010-01-30T14:16:31.948+00:00I think that that is really interesting Alis. I wa...I think that that is really interesting Alis. I was aware that more lower class women did what we think of as "men's" work in the past, because of my study of the 18th century (there were a surprising number of women carpenters and women brick-layers then for exmple) but I had forgotten the socio-economic impact of the labour shortage caused by the Black Death. As you say, in labour terms, a sellers market. In terms of the back story in the novel, I guess that we should see it as a bit like WWI - the labour shortage and husband shortage then caused more and more women to work outside the home, as the Black Death and the resulting urbanisation would have done in the 14th century.<br /><br />Can you recommend any readable social histories of the 14th century?Juxtabookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102279698993288454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-14767960651668232632010-01-30T13:46:32.013+00:002010-01-30T13:46:32.013+00:00This is fascinating, Alis....I'm learning more...This is fascinating, Alis....I'm learning more about the 14th century every day, thanks to writers like you and Karen Maitland.adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15826710558292792068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-76133305242270056892010-01-30T13:22:44.368+00:002010-01-30T13:22:44.368+00:00Many thanks for that. I realised that women worked...Many thanks for that. I realised that women worked on the land to survive (Tess is a great favourite)but didn't fully appeciate their role in the Guilds. When you speak of the after affects of the Black Death it makes complete sense. You have started something smoldering in my much under used brain! I am now looking to do an OU degree concerntrating on English Lit and social and economic history.<br />So From me 'many thanks for writting Testerment and relighting my interst in social and economic History:-)<br />Take care,<br />Alison (Cornflower Book Group)AChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11160434031264794814noreply@blogger.com