Le Temps Viendra: A Novel of Anne Boleyn (49 page)
Read Le Temps Viendra: A Novel of Anne Boleyn Online
Authors: Sarah A. Morris
Dais
: a part of the floor at the end of a medieval hall that was slightly raised above the rest of the room. This is where the lord of the manor dined with his intimates at the high table, separate from the followers and servants. In medieval halls there was also generally a deep recessed bay window at one or at each end of the dais; these recesses provided greater privacy for intimate conversation than the open hall could afford.
Damask:
an Arabic word (derived from the city of Damascus) used to describe a reversible pattern formed by a warp-faced satin weave and a ground weft-faced sateen weave in fabrics of silk, wool, linen or cotton.
Donjon:
the French word for a ‘keep’ and used by architectural historians to describe the main tower associated with the Royal apartments at some of Henry’s great houses.
Doublet:
a man’s buttoned jacket that is tailored to fit snugly on the body; it was worn in Western Europe from the Middle Ages through to the mid-17th century. The doublet was hip length or waist length and worn over the shirt or drawers. Until the end of the 15th century, the doublet was worn under another layer of clothing such as a gown, mantle, or over-tunic.
Firkin:
a quarter of a gallon.
Heraldic Device:
features or designs on a personal badge or a family’s coat of arms.
Hood:
head dress worn by ladies of the period.
Kirtle:
a type of sleeveless petticoat which supported the bust, but did not cinch in the waist, and with a full length skirt. The kirtle could be back laced (by the 1530s this is more likely) or side laced beneath the arms (hidden lacing); this allowed for the neckline of the kirtle to be bejewelled, as seen in the portraits of the time. Very fine fabrics, such as a silk taffeta or satin were used where it will not be seen e.g. the bodice itself and back of the skirt. The front part of the kirtle (or forepiece), if it were visible, would be of a richer fabric to complement the rest of the outer gown. Please see links below for visuals of this description.
http://www.ninyamikhaila.com/pix/c16thtowerelizred/
c16thtowerelizred3.jpg
http://www.ninyamikhaila.com/pix/c16thtowerelizpurple/
c16thtowerelizpurple3.jpg
(back view)
http://www.ninyamikhaila.com/pix/c16thtowerelizpurple/
c16thtowerelizpurple3.jpg
(front view)
Lord Chamberlain:
the office dates from the Middle Ages, when the King’s Chamberlain often acted as the King’s spokesman in Council and Parliament. In Henry’s day, the Lord Chamberlain was one of the chief functionaries of the court, generally responsible for organizing and overseeing the King’s Privy apartments. Like many of the key offices of the King’s household, the Lord Chamberlain would bear a white staff as the emblem and warrant of his authority.
Lord Steward
or
Lord Steward of the Household
: was an important official of the Royal Household, responsible for organising the Royal household, apart from the King’s Privy Chambers (which was the responsibility of the Lord Chamberlain – see above). In Tudor England, the office was one of considerable political importance, and was an appointment made by the Sovereign. Like many of the key offices of the King’s household, the Lord Steward would bear a white staff as the emblem and warrant of his authority.
Lute:
a musical instrument; can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either fretted or unfretted) and a deep round back.
Palfrey:
a type of horse highly valued as a riding horse in the Middle Ages. It is not a breed. The significant characteristic of the palfrey was that, rather than trotting, it usually possessed a smooth, ambling gait.
Partlet:
a woman’s garment covering the neck and shoulders, often tied in place underneath the armpits and at the base of the neck. It provided extra warmth in the winter and protection from the sun in the summer.
Passamayne:
Bands of embroidery used both as an edging and as applied trim.
Portcullis:
a latticed grille made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during an attack or siege. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch.
Possett:
a warm drink of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced and sweetened with ginger, candied anise, sugar and sweet wine, although recipes vary. The drink was popular in England from medieval times to the 19th century.
Prie-dieu
: (from French and literally meaning, ‘pray [to] God’) is a type of prayer desk, primarily intended for private devotional use, but may also be found in churches.
Rebec:
a bowed string musical instrument which derived from the Arabic bowed instrument, the
rebab
. In its most common form, the rebec has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 strings. It is played on the arm, or under the chin like a violin, and is a possible precursor of that instrument.
Rouncey
(also spelt
rouncy
or
rounsey
) was used during the Middle Ages to refer to an ordinary, all-purpose horse. They were used for riding, but could also be trained for war.
Sarcenet:
a fine, soft fabric, often of silk, made in plain or twill weave and used especially for linings.
Solar
: a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles; generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family’s private living and sleeping quarters.
Starling:
a defensive bulwark, usually built with pilings or bricks, surrounding the supports of a bridge or similar construction. Starlings are shaped to ease the flow of water around the bridge, reducing the damage caused by erosion or collisions with flood-borne debris; it also forms an important part of the structure of the bridge, spreading the weight of the piers.
The Astors
: The Astor family is an Anglo-American business family of German origin, notable for their prominence in business, society, and politics. During the 19th century, the Astors became one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Toward the end of that century, some of the family moved to Britain, achieving great prominence, subsequently marrying into English aristocracy.
The Reformation:
the Protestant Reformation was the 16
th
century schism within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants.
The Sword of Calais
: believed to be the ‘nickname’ given to the French executioner sent to from St Omer, France in order to carry out the execution of Anne Boleyn.
Tiltyard:
was an enclosed courtyard for jousting, and a common feature of Tudor era castles and palaces.
Twelfth Night:
a festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Virginal:
a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
Wainscot Chair:
named for the fine grade of oak usually used for wainscot panelling.
Wattle and daub:
a composite building material used for making walls in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called
wattle
is
daubed
(brushed) with a sticky material, usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used in building for at least 6,000 years.
Wherry:
a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, and is particularly associated with the River Thames.
Notes
In the notes that follow, I will attempt to separate fact from fiction for the purpose of authenticity and clarity. However, to begin with there are some general notes which apply throughout the book;
firstly
, wherever possible I have attempted to recreate the palaces in which Anne lived as accurately as possible. In those scenes in which rooms are described, or in which Anne moves from one part of the palace to another, the descriptions are largely based on floor plans taken from Simon Thurley’s book,
The Royal Palaces of Tudor England
.
secondly
, in some instances, contemporary accounts tell us about the garments worn by Henry and Anne and their contemporaries. This is particularly true for those grand state occasions such as Anne’s coronation. Although many of the garments described are fictional, they are based on contemporary descriptions of garments worn by Tudor royalty and nobility, or drawn from dresses seen in contemporary portraits. The appearance of some of Anne’s everyday garments have been recorded in contemporary documents and in those instances, I have used these descriptions to inspire a particular costume.
Part One
Chapter One:
Sadly, no contemporary painting is known to exist of Anne Boleyn. However, there is a Holbein sketch of a lady, thought to be Anne, and upon which the later painting which can be seen at Hever, appears to be based.
Part Two
Chapter One:
For the purposes of storytelling, the layout of some of the rooms that I have described in this, and later chapters, is not consistent with what is known of the original Tudor arrangement.
For example, it is unlikely that Anne had a separate bedroom of her own, rather the family probably slept together in the large ‘solar’ on the first floor, perhaps with partitions to divide up between living and sleeping areas. There was also no library at Tudor Hever as far as I am aware. Books were extremely expensive items, and although Sir Thomas may have possessed some, it is unlikely that the library was as extensive as I describe in later chapters. This is also possibly true of the gardens, as I have described them. The environs of the original Tudor Castle were much more wild and rugged, and it is entirely possible that no formal gardens existed at all. If you wish to read a full and more accurate account of the castle as Anne would have known it in her lifetime, please follow the link below to an account which I wrote on the back of the original research that I did about medieval and Tudor Hever.
The jewellery casket described is based on an early 14
th
century French Gothic ivory casket which was sold by Hever Castle (through Sotheby’s) on Friday, 6 May, 1983. However, there is no known connection to Anne.
A note on diamonds: diamonds in the 16th century were not the light, sparkling, multifaceted stones that we know today. Because later cutting techniques were not in use at this time, diamonds often are seen as the black stones we see in portraits of 16th century noble men and women.
It seems that around Easter, 1527 Henry offered Anne the position of
Maitresse en titre
, his sole mistress above all others. Through Henry’s love letters we know that Anne appears to have rejected his offer.
The letter which Mary recounts in this chapter is taken from the text of an original letter sent by the King to Anne in 1527.
Chapter Two:
At some point during the summer of 1527, Henry appears to have proposed to Anne and the first tentative enquiries towards seeking an annulment of the King’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon were made. However, the scene in which Henry proposes to Anne in the Rose Garden at Hever is entirely fictional.
Chapter Three:
The scene in which Anne rides out with Henry on the hunt is again fictional; although of course, the two of them spent many happy hours together in such pastime.
The buck killed in the forest by Henry at Greenwich is one of, if not the earliest, presents recorded as being sent from Henry to Anne as a token of the king’s ‘love’ for her.
The scene in which Anne first meets Thomas Wyatt in the Great Hall at Hever is also fictional. There is much controversy around the relationship between the two in their younger years. Clearly, Thomas must have known Anne in childhood, as the Wyatts were neighbours, with the family seat based at nearby Allington Castle. But the question has always remained; were they ever lovers? Thomas’s poetry suggests that he at least had some feeling for her. However, as to the extent of the relationship, we simply do not know. We do know, though, that Thomas had been away on a diplomatic mission that year, as described in the novel.
The scene in which Henry and Anne find themselves on the rooftop at Hever castle is entirely fictional.
Chapter Four:
At some early point in their relationship, Anne sent the King a gift of a piece of jewellery, a solitary damsel tossed in a ship, and from beneath which hung a diamond. The hidden message in this item of jewellery is as described in this chapter. It represented a significant moment in the relationship between Henry and Anne, as she indicated to the King her willingness to give herself into his hands. However, the scene in which Anne chooses this item of jewellery is entirely fictitious.
As with all the letters included in this novel, many are based, at least in part, on real letters which are still extant.
Chapter Five:
Allington Castle was the family seat of the Wyatt family located some ten miles from Hever Castle in Kent. As neighbouring landed gentry, the Boleyns and the Wyatts would have had a close relationship. It is likely that Thomas Wyatt knew Anne as a young girl. The poem included in this chapter, ‘
Who List to Hunt
?’ was written by Thomas Wyatt and believed to be about his feelings for Anne Boleyn; however, the scene in which Anne reads the poem aloud in the gardens at Allington Castle is entirely fictitious. We do know that at some point Thomas Wyatt is supposed to have stolen a locket from Anne, which was later the cause of an argument with the King; the scene in this chapter where the item is stolen from Anne’s pocket is entirely fictitious. The original account has Thomas stealing the locket from Anne as she did her embroidery.
