Tea at Trianon: Writing Religion into Historical Fiction

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Writing Religion into Historical Fiction

From author Judith Arnopp at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots:

It is difficult for us in our modern, largely secular world to appreciate the importance of the church in the medieval and Tudor period. The day itself was governed by prayer, the bells marking the religious hours, each month punctuated with Christian festivals and feasts. Every aspect of life, from diet to sex, was governed by the church. The people, ruled by superstition and fear of offending God, did not question that authority. Heresy was not tolerated. To the medieval mind, life was a penance to secure entry into Heaven. An after-life for the godly was a certainty … the sinner was destined for hell. Satan was a constant torment, tempting the unwary – both a terror and a deterrent.

The characters in my books, most of them historical figures, were bound by the strictures of the church. Margaret Beaufort was renowned for her piety, her goodness and charity and my objective is to make that relevant to my readers, and help them relate to Margaret. Today’s audience may not find the depth of her conviction attractive or believable. I had to be very careful not to bore them to death. Margaret has been portrayed in fiction a lot, sometimes as a flawless saint, while others paint her as bordering on evil. I admire Margaret and in my books I wanted to present a rounded character. I kept her piety but also showed her humanity, her imperfection. She wavers between certainty and fear, success and failure, so although she is devout, she fights an internal battle each time her earthly ambition conflicts with her religious conviction. (Read more.)