In another life, I might have worked in a Scriptorium. In my dreams, monks sometimes whisper in my ear, then disappear behind the candlelight. They are telling me about their lives and I am trying to tell the world about them in the form of a novel. This is my inspiration …
The cover of Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley is arresting for someone like me — a romantic who is entranced by the mystery and ideals of early monastic life. It shows a clochan, a beehive-shaped rock hut set beside a small stream and barren, rocky hills in the distance. Built of dry …
January 5, 2010 – 9:49 pm
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By David Morton
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Posted in Books, History, The monks, Writing
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Tagged clochans, Confessions of a Pagan Nun, early Christianity, Ireland, Irish History, Kate Horsley, monasticism, Shambhala Publications, Skellig Michael, St. Augustine, St. Patrick, tuaths
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It’s satisfying, isn’t it, when a book you read leads the way to others — where one opens your eyes to another topic, another author or another passion and off you go. I’m happy to report that the joy of discovery is still alive and well in the mind of this 50-plus reader.
A few months …
October 8, 2009 – 7:30 am
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By David Morton
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Posted in Books, Films, History, Inspiration, Medievalism, Poetry, The Novel, Writing
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Tagged Andrew Davidson, Dante, Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Inferno, Italian Literature, The Gargoyle, Virgil
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I like this cheeky interpretation of the first few lines of Chaucer’s General Prologue. In all its geeky futuristic imagery and mispronunciation of the Middle English, it’s completely charming in its simplicity and brings an easy smile. And it is ultimately a tribute to Chaucer’s lines and remarkable that they still speak to people 600 …
August 22, 2009 – 10:28 am
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By David Morton
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Posted in Chaucer, Films, In the Modern Age, Middle English, Uncategorized
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Tagged animation, Canterbury Tales, Chaucer, General Prologue, In the Middle, Medievalism, middle ages, movies
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It was a real honour to be asked by Anna Richenda, recently, if I would review her new self-published novel, The Saint and the Fasting Girl. As a fan of HistoryFish.net her expansive website devoted to medieval religious topics, I had been reading progress reports in her blog about the book’s publication for some time. …
August 7, 2009 – 2:04 pm
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By David Morton
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Posted in Books, History, Medievalism, The Novel, The Writer's Struggle, Writing
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Tagged Anna Richenda, book review, fiction, Henry VIII, historyfish.net, medieval, novels, Saint and the Fasting Girl
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There was an eye-catching headline on the front page of a recent Saturday edition of The Vancouver Sun.
“Saint or Science?” it read. Underneath, was the following sub-head: “A Surrey man, ravaged by flesh-eating disease, lay close to death. Given just hours to live, he suddenly recovered after a visit from his priest. Now …
July 15, 2009 – 6:35 am
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By David Morton
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Posted in In the Modern Age, Medievalism, The monks
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Tagged beatification, Blessed, canonical investigation, canonization, Christopher Hitchens, Columba Marmion, flesh-eating disease, miracles, monks, Mother Teresa, Peter Andersen, relics, Rev. John Horgan, Richard Dawkins, Roman Catholic Church, saints, The God Delusion, Vancouver Sun
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As is so often the case, a recent New Yorker cartoon took a medieval story to heart and added a 21st century twist to great comic effect. In this case, Rapunzel* has let down her hair, as the fairy tale goes, but she has inadvertently foiled the prince’s attempt to climb her prison tower using …
July 5, 2009 – 5:50 pm
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By David Morton
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Posted in Chaucer, History, Inspiration, Medievalism
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Tagged All In The Family, Archie Bunker, Brothers Grimm, Canterbury Tales, Chaucer's Triumph, Edith Bunker, Garry O'Connor, Geoffrey Chaucer, Medievalism, middle ages, Middle English, New Yorker, Phillipa Roet, Rapunzel, Wife of Bath
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History, as they say, repeats itself. The recent protests in Iran are the latest incarnation of an old story: the uprising of citizens against the perceived injustices of a political regime. Sometimes they succeed in bringing significant change, often they fail. But no matter the consequences, these rebellions are never really forgotten. They may be …
June 28, 2009 – 2:37 pm
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By David Morton
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Posted in England, History, Uncategorized
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Tagged Archbishop of Canterbury, Blackheath, Chumbawamba, Cutty Wren, France, Froissart, Iran protests, Jack Straw, John Ball, John of Gaunt, King Richard II, Margaret Thatcher, Myanmar, Peasants Revolt, poll tax, Tiananmen Square, Walsingham, war, Wat Tyler, When Adam delved, Youtube
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