February | 2013 | Lions and Lilies

What does a 12thC leper King and a great 13thC Italian poet have in common in the 21st century?

I’d like to dedicate this post to one of the most beautiful and stirring pieces of movie music I’ve ever heard. But first, in answer to the question above, historically Christian King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Durante degli Alighieri, more commonly known as Dante, probably had little in common, given that King Baldwin was born in Jerusalem in 1161 and Dante, just over 100 years later in 1265 in Florence but my search for an answer to this music brought them together for me.

The music in question is called Vide Cor Meum (See my heart) and without doubt it goes past the heart and touches the soul. Even if you are completely unfamiliar to Italian opera, (and I am no expert at all) you’d have to be made of stone for this not to seize or embrace you in some way. During my search, I did read where one lady wanted it for her wedding. I could think of nothing less appropriate. For sure it is about love, but it is sung so passionately and in such tortured fashion, it could only be about unrequited love or love lost. Turns out I was not so far from the truth.

Enter my 13thC Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, a major influence from the Middle Ages. The composition was inspired by Dante’s La Vita Nuova (The New Life) – in which Dante describes a vision but in real life it was unfulfilled love. When Dante was nine years old he met and fell in love with Beatrice. In La Vita Nuova he is smitten but he does not see her again until he is eighteen and she says ‘hello.’ He returns to his room and ‘thinking of her, sweet sleep overcame him.’ He has a vision of Love holding Beatrice who is wrapped in a veil. In one of Love’s hands is a heart on fire. Love says to Dante ‘ I am your master – see your heart,’ then offers the burning heart to Beatrice which she consumes. Love then becomes sad and takes Beatrice up to Heaven. Beatrice died at the age of 24 and Dante wrote La Vita Nuova two years later.

Vide Cor Meum was composed by Patrick Cassidy, an Irishman now living in LA and his aria is the only piece by a living composer on Warner Classics 2006 compilation 40 Most Beautiful Arias. It was produced by Hans Zimmer. For those familiar with wonderful pieces of movie music, it will come as no surprise Zimmer was involved somewhere.

It was written for a background scene in the most unlikely of movies – Hannibal! In Hannibal there is a scene with an Italian opera in the background and that is where you will hear this beautiful piece.

But it also appeared again in 2005 in the movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ and here it belonged to a scene far more poignant. Enter King Baldwin IV.

In 1174 Baldwin IV of Jerusalem became king when he was just thirteen years old and, despite suffering from lepromatous leprosy, the most deadly form of the disease, ruled until 1185. Although the movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ has Hollywood’s usual flaws when it comes to putting history on the big screen, the portrayal of King Baldwin is that of a wise and kind king. It is known that he was an excellent battle leader and strove to frustrate Saladin’s imperial ambitions. His death scene is a memorable and touching one and to the sweet sad notes of Vide Cor Meum his sister, Sybilla, says her final goodbye, privately unmasking his face to witness the horror her brother had suffered for so long. The music is perfectly at home in this heart-wrenching scene.

I have included two links here to experience this wonderful composition. One was made as a tribute to King Baldwin IV from the movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ –

and the other allows you to enjoy the lyrics –

Dante Alighieri

Oh, and I can complete the circle. Though his face is never seen in ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ the character of Baldwin is played by Edward Norton who also played the first FBI agent to arrest Hannibal!

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Cathy T

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Since this week celebrates ‘St Valentine’s Day’ I thought that might be a good place for Lions and Lilies to start a blog.

Saint Valentine

As with many events in the medieval world, there is no one clear answer as to its origin but rather several events, melted together like Valentine’s Day chocolate in Australia, which seem to provide us with some background to our modern-day concept.

valentinus-1 (1)

First, I shall address the man, himself – ‘Valentinus’ and there are (at least) two possible contenders behind this name, a Roman priest and a Bishop from Terni. The most favoured candidate is the Roman priest. He is said to have assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. Valentinus was apprehended but when he tried to convert the Emperor, he was condemned to death. Since he would not renounce his faith, he was beaten with clubs, stoned and then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate, close to the Milvian bridge in Rome (c 269). It was February 14. One legend suggests that while he was awaiting execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter. On the eve before his death, he penned a farewell note to her, signing it ‘from your Valentine.’

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer

Combine that with a belief that birds chose their life-long mates on February 14th (or with equal superstition, if herons did not return to nest in a certain area by February 14 it would be bad luck), coupled with a Roman festival ‘Lupercalia,’ celebrated mid-February, where during the feast a game was played in which couples were chosen by lot, and you have the beginnings of the custom. St Valentine’s Day as a ‘Festival for Lovers’ dates back to at least the fourteenth century, for Geoffrey Chaucer knew of it.

Vegetable Candle Displays

We also know that in the medieval age, they lived hard and they feasted even harder! Celebrants expected to be in the mood for love. The tables in the halls were decorated with small bowls of rosewater containing crushed herbs such as rosemary, basil, marjoram, yarrow and bay leaves. You could smell the freshness in the air! Love lanterns – hollowed out turnips (or similar firm vegetable) carved with a smiling face, each with a burning candle set within, glowed from between the ivy. The high table also boasted an incense burner smelling of sweet laurel and pine. Each guest wore at least one love-knot jewellery piece over their heart or at the neckline, in the shape of a number 8 resting on its side – the symbol for eternity. But my favourite is the love sleeves!

Lamentation of Christ, c. 1495

Medieval garments developed detachable sleeves. It allowed more frequent laundering of the part most likely to be soiled by spills or sweat. On Valentine’s Day, lovers took to swapping sleeves, announcing their choice to the world and giving way to the expression ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve.’ But there was also a literal meaning. A red heart cut from fabric was sewn or pinned onto their garments, usually the sleeve, the wearer declaring their devotion to love, either for a particular person, the Saint of Love or even just the ideals of love.

At any other feast, guests would expect their own trencher – a piece of thick, baked bread acting as a plate, but at the ‘Lovers Feast’ there was only one golden trencher (tinted and spiced with saffron) between every two seats for couples to share. For the duration of the feast ‘lots’ would be drawn to see who was your nonce lover. Married or not, you sat next to your drawn lot, your lover for the night!

plum-shuttles-1

Plum Shuttles were a delicate feast fare. These finger-length long, oval, red and purple cakes were made with plums, currants and caraway seeds. They resembled the shuttles that weavers used to guide the threads through the warp and weft of cloth. It was to signify the ‘weaving of love’ into the ‘fabric of life.’ Then there were the heart-shaped cakes made with a red fruit, such as cherries and pomegranates. These celebrated a ‘heartfelt’ feeling and the abundantly seedy fruits were considered important foods of love.

Rose

In times of uncertainty and since love was not a part of the marriage bargain, many a young maiden, falling under the spell of a handsome man, would seek answers. In dark corners, away from prying eyes, possessors of such powers would provide an answer for a coin across the palm. One such method was the art of ‘Divination’ and because lives in the medieval age were lived around the seasons of nature, it was thought that nature itself, held most of the answers. When it came to questions of love, a Midsummer rose was picked and examined, petal by petal. But, true to the balance of nature, each petal revealed an opposite answer. Only the last petal plucked could reveal the truth. And there you have it – ‘he loves me, he loves me not!’

Cathy T

valentine2

Catherine A Wilson co-writes with Catherine T Wilson (no relation). Their first book, The Lily and the Lion, was based upon their true-life accidental meeting and resulting friendship. All four books in their ‘Lions and Lilies’ series have won first place prizes in the Chatelaine/Chaucer Awards in the US and in 2019, The Traitor’s Noose won the Grand Prize Chaucer Award.