Medieval Thanes and Scribes

June 2nd marked the release of Forevers in Fenwick: the Legend Begins, Book 1 in a brand new Bluestocking Belles multi-author series.

Although The Legend Begins is a Regency novella, the legend itself supposedly originated in 924AD with a scribe called Alwin (see below).

Medieval scribes are commonly imagined as monks, copying religious texts and adding exquisite, colorful illustrations to the pages. The reason why we associate scribes with the monastic clergy and not noblemen is due to the fact that a large number of knights and nobles were not educated. They would likely have some subordinate doing their reading and writing for them. Unlike modern times, where education adds to status, nobles gained social standing by the number of men they could gather for an army, thus able to hold more influence with the king.

Alwin is a second son of a lesser thegn (modern spelling: thane). These were ranked above ordinary freemen (peasants) and below earls. Over centuries, thegns would become the knights associated with the Middle Ages. In the Regency era, they would be the equivalent of barons. Their wealth lay in land rather than money, the peasants who lived on that land being their main resource.

In The Legend Begins, Alwin had been sent to a Monastery at Bury St. Edmunds (then called Beodricesworth) to become a priest. It was a religious community of secular priests which had existed there from 663 AD. The body of the martyred King St. Edmund was buried there in 903 AD, making it a significant site.

Alwin, however, never joined the priesthood. After leaning the skills of a scribe, he chose not to take his vows. Instead, he became an itinerant scribe, earning his keep as he went. He would have written letters and copied out legal documents at villages he traveled to while perhaps seeking a more permanent position.

His travels brought him eventually to Fenwick on Sea, about 40 miles from the monastery. He would have had ink (in tightly corked inkwells), quills, and vellum (pages made from animal hide) with him, all of which would have been prepared by hand and carried in some sort of satchel for easy and safe transportation.

None of this appears in our story, other than to say he is a traveling scribe. When we write authentic historical romance, simply choosing to have a scribe in the story is not good enough. Was he religious? Was he educated at home or a monastery? His status would influence his speech, the clothes he wears, the choices he makes. Was he the sort of man who would believe in the fae? If I cannot shape a realistic character from his background, my readers won’t find him believable other. Backstory, even when not shared, is critical.

I offer my sincere thanks to fellow Bluestocking Belle, Rue Allyn—who has done far more research into the Middle Ages than I have—for all her valuable input when I was figuring Alwin out. She set on me on a much more reliable path to his background than I would have come up with on my own. It’s amazing being part of such a knowledgeable group.