Stories
and Characters, inset to a Diary of Rodrie Gyttens de Wac
Ramblings by him, translated from Old English, that suggests to us some peaceful impressions of the village at an otherwise tumultuous time in England’s history. Words in parenthesis are added to clarify the sense. Rodrie was about fifteen years old (born 1308) and surprisingly well schooled. Tony Marsh ©, Feb 2015 Lorde
Wac is oft away he is presenting in Scotland on behalf of King
Edward.
His name is Thomas and his father was Hugh.
Hugh died (a while) ago and has many sons with first born (being)
Thomas who (has gained) great respect in Norhamtun as a councillor.
Lorde Wac has the stockade by the new church for which a
wonderful torr is being built.
Wac has the church, it was his father's before him, along with
all in the vill and fields.
Sometimes he would return with some of his soldiers hurt (and) if
they died they always received a fine burial.
Few people are allowed within the stockade.
You would go if there was a job to be done but aside this just
(reason) you could often hear the music and frolics from within.
Hugh has also ridden with the King dubt Edward the
Needing some say.
Some say that the young King plays sodomy and one day will loose
his right to reign over us.
Hugh when he was very old (handed to) Thomas who seemed in
charge, it is Thomas that makes any proclamations to the people of the
vill. It
is still remembered that Hugh crusaded for the Church and King, won land
in Palestine and created a grand fort there. I
am the son of one of Lorde Hugh Wac's sons, Eldrec who is much the
junior of Thomas.
I was born in the second year of reign of King Edward son of Edward. My
mother Amy Gyttens once displeased the Wac family, I don't know what was done it
meant she was in disgrace, free to marry if she could while it is clear
to me that I am the bastard of Eldrec.
I live with my mother my name Rodrie and I schooled at the house
of brother Adam.
Other boys in the vill like to laugh (with) me but will not work
with me.
I have to learn a trade soon. I choose to be a wood smith
(carpenter) with old
Jethro.
He has busy building new houses on the street. Jethro has
promised to take me Atten Ock (to the oak woods) soon.
It is beyond the woods and beyond the boundary of Rode.
He wants to cut 16 oaks with wide notches and cart them back to
the street for the Lorde Wac has the permission of the King. My
father tells me I dream too much. He says get strong my boy and learn to
fight else one day someone will slay you just for the fun.
He says it is evil to slay but not so if you are defending yourself.
He used to say that the Lorde wants to keep the vill against all
comers and that he is with duties to the King which take us off in army
(at times). Well, I dream and I like to learn what lies over the nearby
hills.
I walk and find. I want to show that lines on parchment may
present a diary of my little (life) travels.
The priest at the church tells me this is a proven method and has
given me pages and styles.
He will tell me soon how to use the style. Liste
my travels, from the great stone pits to the high Snake Moor and thence to the
Cotes, from the Lorde's fish pool to beyond Attenock near the beginning of the
Great Forest named Salcett, from the ford to the High Lowne where there
was once an old temple and from there to the stone pits by Gaiton, from our street to the
ford and thence through the gate to the vill of Tiffel and thence to
Tovcastra.
Some say the name for the path in the south is Salstraet and on each
Ladys Day a merchant passes by to the manor at Salcett. From our street to
the Myddle town
thence via the Bridge of our Lady to the fort and beyond, one day to
Norhamtun, from the street down the hill to our watermill and thence
into our nether field where our families have the best strips to work for our
food. The
stockade is placed on the hard stone and the edge of it is nearby. The stone pits (are nearby)
both old and there is a new pit with slates by the wood spring.
If I take the steep path to the High Lowne with the church behind me I see to aside a hole in the ground where we have taken much
stone.
The stone is dark brown and sometimes red, very heavy and blunts
the chisels. The French masons have taken many blocks to serve as a
level base for the torr. They say the ground there is all red stone.
Soon we meet the crafts people from the south with a head man from
Sarum. They are brought in by
Lorde Wac to build the torr for two great bells. I
am learning to be a good smith with Jethro and learning to style
with brother Adam the priest.
I will start a diary soon on the pages given to me.
I am learning how to make a house for the Wood family.
I talk to the blacksmith who shows me how to make a chisel and
allows me to go to a corner in his forge to make a set and I make my own
mallet. I watch the jointing smiths making timbers and carving decore and
tokens. I talk to brother Adam who says I make a high pulpit but he
hopes.
He also (wants) wooden bases for some statues and I will make
them and he will be pleased. Vill
life honours the stream and the watermill.
The miller works for the Lorde and has his trust.
There is a trap for fish near the mill wheel, near the flow gate.
The Lorde has to settle (rights) for the fish and one overseer. The
dam for the mill has been raised to give a greater pond.
The Lorde thinks we must pay an anglian (foreigner) to build a
mill that will (use the) wind on the cliff as the vill has more people. There have been some dry years recently and it has been
difficult to do any milling until nearly November (as we must) wait the
pond be full.
The job of making that mill needs a carpenter.
I can fashion the beams, arms and panels of good light woods but
will need help making the clothes to catch the wind for I know not how.
Symon needs to breed more oxen and horses but for this he must have more grain
from the vill.
Alain, the bloom smith, is always busy in wrought repairs to the carts that break
under load of the stones for the torr.
We will soon have a French design of cart says the head of masons
and there are some wagers on which will serve better for stone carrying
for yet we know of nothing good (from the) French. What
of ladies and girls of the vill much jesting.
I may marry some day but I have no means of keeping children that
I shall have if I do marry.
Some girls know of my inclination to go walking and exploring.
They might follow as far as they dare and be the fools and tease
me. They
know I do not like to fight and I think they wish to prove I am not a
man. They
ask if I can raise my head to prove it.
Of course I can and do so every time for the prettiness of one Mary. But
they, none of them, shall know this.
Mary does collect I think. A little older than me, Thomas, son of
Thomas the First Lorde has just married Alice of Patteshall.
I have seen them visiting frequently and believe I saw them
courting once. The
Priory has been thriving with as many as 20 nuns with some needy there.
They are Cistercian faith. They come to the main cross in the
town two or
three times a week with produce that they sell.
For the benefit at the church we have moved the dance pole out of
the cross and have more space for tables. Some have said that nuns may
call to send ill favour but I think this no worse than our head priest
John warning us of retribution from God that awaits us. Thomas has sworn
he has no tolerance. I
explore the green lane that runs beside the wood belonging to the
nuns, I can see that the path goes onward south for some distance but
(enters) the private parish of Stocc from which we have some license to
harvest bolts for our archers.
I can see old ruined buildings to my right and preparations on my
left for growing our own bolt willows. There is a path that runs
on the boundary between Stocc and Blythesworde. I dare not proceed
beyond this boundary even
though a group of nuns come up to me and entreat me to simply walk with
them, they say I look hungry (and must) come and have a simple meal.
I look back to the north and can just make out the alarm heorth at the High Lowne. I have followed
the gutter all the way up
the hill from the village.
The source of the becc must lie there. It is well watered at present. The miller will be busy.
Some have told me the name of the run was Blythe Becc, and that
the village name comes (from that) there. But what of the name
Blythesworde, or should we say Blyswarth? Who
was Blythe?
His name says he has no care so like the becc. Perhaps Thomas
will name the vill as Wacwarth for that is just. I bade fare day to the nuns and make good politesse for I fear (to not) anger them. The Lorde Wac has told me the other parishes of Easton and Tiffel border near here and I must always bow to honour our neighbours. I return to the vill where it is warmer and sit awhile by the fish pool though my mother will anger at the waste.
The
character of Rodrie Gyttens de Wac is totally fictional, as is the
setting |
