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Title
A name given to the resource
Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
The heroic figure defending the downtrodden is available in most cultures. With the omnipresent threat of violence and invasion by outside forces and religions, the Middle Ages were a time fraught with peril. Because of this, society became fixated on the heroic feats of those believed to be ordained by God to deliver salvation. During the Middle Ages, the hero is a commonly seen figure in religious, literary, and historical contexts. <br /><br />The Old English tale of <em>Judith</em> is an epic story of a fearless Hebrew leader putting herself in harm's way in order to save her people. The titular character Judith is the de-facto leader of the Hebrew city of Bethulia. The lone city is besieged by an Assyrian army led by the evil general Holofernes. Going alone to the enemy encampment, Judith prays to the Almighty for the strength to decapitate the sinful Holofernes. Judith's accomplishments inspire her people to fight back and eventually eliminate the Assyrian army. Judith is noteworthy not only for being an example of a female hero in Old English literature, but also for being a symbol of religious protection. <br /><br />However, tales of a divine heroine fighting for the justice of her people are not exclusive to literature, as the historical figure Joan of Arc shares an uncanny number of similarities to fictional heroes. Joan of Arc believed that she received a premonition from God compelling her to take up arms against the English armies. Inspiring her fellow soldiers, Joan of Arc became a hero to the French and eventually succeeded in liberating Orleans. Joan of Arc, despite waging a war, remained faithful to her belief in God. In some instances, for example, she allowed English soldiers to retreat on a Sunday instead of killing them. Despite eventually being executed by the English, Joan of Arc became a martyr for the French cause and lived on as an icon. <br /><br />Similarly, community leaders in religious circles are often seen as heroes for their ability to help those around them. In Worcester, Massachusetts, early Italian immigrants faced ostracism by the Irish community due to having to share mass with the Irish Catholics at Saint Stephens Church. The Italians would need their own church in order to continue worshipping in their native tongue. Though an attempt to create an Italian parish started in 1890, it was eventually abandoned due to financial complications. In 1904, the project was revived by Monseigneur Gioachino Maffei, who would later become a spiritual leader for the Italian community in Worcester. By 1906, the “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church” was officially opene and stood as a welcoming place for Italian Catholics. <br /><br />Unfortunately, this historic parish and spiritual pillar of the Worcester community faces possible demolition in the near future. Since 2016, the church has been officially closed due to structural damages it received while being right next to Interstate 290. Repair costs range in the millions, and the property is on sale and currently still looking for a buyer.<br /><br />On a surface level, <em>Judith</em>, the story of Joan of Arc, and the church “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel” are clearly different, as Monseigneur Maffei building a church and Judith decapitating Holofernes should be quite obviously unrelated. While heroic figures can take many different forms, they all encompass a desire for protection and justice. The Italian parish of Worcester serves just as much as an icon as the monuments of Joan of Arc or the literary exploits of Judith.
Bibliography
"Archive of Most Endangered Historic Resources." <em>Preservation Massaachusetts, </em>2016, http://www.preservationmass.org/archive.<br /><br />“Joan of Arc.” <em>Biography.com,</em> 28 Apr. 2017, biography.com/people/joan-of-arc-9354756.<br /><br />Lucas, Peter J. “Judith and the Woman Hero.” <em>The Yearbook of English Studies,</em> vol. 22, 1992, pp. 17-27. <em>JSTOR, </em>jstor.org/stable/3508373.
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Jon Jones, Adult Learning in the Fitchburg Area (ALFA)
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Jacob Meck, Student, Fitchburg State University
Research Assistant(s)
Chaz Deveney, Student, Fitchburg State University
Accessible Description of Image(s)
First image: Joan of Arc is standing tall and staring off in the distance with a serious expression. She is wearing metal armor that is blue and gold. There is gold detailing on the armor including a sword located in the center of her chest on a blue hexagon. The background is dark and looks like it may be a building. Joan is the focus of the image.
Description by: Laura Hildick, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Poitiers, France - Statue of Saint Joan of Arc (Église Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand); Worcester, MA - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
british literature I fall 2017
church
FAMExhibition
france
hammondexhibition
judith
massachusetts
middle ages fall 2017
religion
statue
women
worcester
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Title
A name given to the resource
Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>Whydah Pirate Museum is in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The wreck of the Whydah Gally is approximately fifteen-hundred feet off Marconi Beach in Cap Cod, with most of its wreckage submerged in sand. Originally built in 1715 as a transport ship for slaves, the Whydah Gally sat at one-hundred feet in length and weighed over three-hundred tons. During its first and only voyage as a slave transport ship, it was taken by pirate captain Sam “Black” Bellamy after a three-day chase. By the time Bellamy’s fleet reached New England after taking over the Whydah, he and his crew had plundered over fifty separate vessels. On the night of April 26, 1717, a nor’easter struck the Whydah, running the ship aground on a sandbar. Many of the pieces recovered from the wreck are on display in the Whydah Pirate Museum, which currently houses a full-size replica of the ship. Since the wreck’s discovery by an underwater explorer named Barry Clifford, over two-hundred-thousand pieces have been recovered by Clifford’s team according to Ian Aldrich of <em>New England Today.</em> The wreck of the Whydah is one of the only golden-age pirate wrecks with undoubted conformation thanks to the discovery of a plaque and bell with the ship’s name on both, which makes it a cultural symbol of the late golden-age of pirating. Not only is it one of the only identified golden-age pirate wrecks with two pieces of proof confirming the ship’s identity, but it also remains in the New England area, making it a valuable symbol of pirating and pirate culture during the early 18th century. Pirating and pirates have a long-standing history in the seafaring world. Traversing oceans and battling the elements can be just as deadly as the pirating and raiding, and the 18th-century pirate lifestyle owes a great deal to that of their Viking metaphorical ancestors. <br /><br />Vikings are synonymous with pirating, looting, raiding, and seafaring travel. Some would consider Vikings to be some of the best sea navigators of their day, and with good reason. Being a Viking was a job, and that job involved pirating. If a Viking wasn’t an excellent navigator, fighter, or plunderer of goods, the Viking wasn’t good at their job. <br /><br /><em>Egil’s Saga</em> follows the story and lives of the clan Egil Skallagrimsson, who holds the titles of farmer, skald, and Viking. The saga spans multiple generations and goes through the family’s history from Egil’s grandfather to Egil’s offspring. Like the pirates aboard the Whydah, Vikings plundered for loot across the seas. While pirates primarily overtook ships, and preferred not to fight and risk losing the enemy’s ship and the cargo it held, Vikings primarily raided along coastal waters and, as a result, didn’t have the heavy economical restrictions as golden-age pirates. As <em>The Sagas of the Icelanders</em> edited by Jane Smiley notes, the Viking’s “[f]irst notable attack on England came, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in 793, when the church on the island of Lindisfarne was plundered and some people were slain.” While being a Viking was a job and title, piracy in the golden-age of pirates was more akin to a way of life. Vikings could go back home to their family in Iceland or Norway, but pirates didn’t typically have national allies, which made going to any kind of home much more difficult. <br /><br />The image chosen to go with <em>Egil’s Saga</em> and subsequently the Whydah Pirate Museum and Whydah shipwreck is the image of a Viking longboat at the Roskilde Ship Museum in Denmark. Both Vikings and the more modern, golden-age pirate used ships as their primary method of travel, which makes this image serve as a reminder not only of the seafaring ways of pirates and Vikings, but the possible dangers of sea travel during the period. This is an excellent image of a piece of Viking cultural history and, in part, the pseudo ancestors to the golden-age pirates of the 17th and 18th century.</p>
Bibliography
Aldrich, Ian. “The Whydah Gally | History of a Cape Cod Pirate Ship.” <em>New England Today</em>, 28 Nov. 2017, newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/whydah-gally-history-cape-cod-pirate-ship/. <br /><br /><span class="TF">"Egils Saga." <i>The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection. </i>Edited by Jane Smiley, and Robert Leland Kellogg. Translated by Bernard Scudder. </span>Kindle ed., Penguin. 2005.<br /><br />“Real Pirates.” <em>Field Museum</em>, 2009, archive.fieldmuseum.org/pirates/index.html. <br /><br />Webster, Donovan. “Pirates of the Whydah.” <em>National Geographic</em>, 1999, www.nationalgeographic.com/whydah/story.html.
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Allison St. Peter, Student, Fitchburg State University
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Nicholas Powell, Student, Fitchburg State University
Research Assistant(s)
Heather Ferguson, Student, Fitchburg State University
Accessible Description of Image(s)
First image: This black and white scene reveals a large canoe-like silhouette inside of a building on the coast overlooking a large harbor. The glass wall reveals a person in the harbor rowing a kayak with a foggy outline of buildings in the background on the opposite coast.
Description by: Michael Brito, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Ship Museum; West Yarmouth, MA - Whydah Pirate Museum and Whydah Gally
british literature I fall 2017
denmark
FAMExhibition
hammondexhibition
massachusetts
middle ages fall 2017
museum
photography ii fall 2017
pirate
sagas
ships
travel
viking
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Title
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Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>The Seville Cathedral, located in Seville, Spain, is one of the largest religious buildings in the world. Now a Christian cathedral, this structure has a diverse religious history. The building was founded in 1403 on the site of a former mosque. The structure has five naves which make it the largest Gothic building in Europe. The style of architecture of the entire building, <em>mud</em><em>é</em><em>jar</em>, is unique to and originates in Spain. This art style embodies the meeting of Islam and Christianity and the stages of history in the city, which is visible in the structure of the cathedral. <em>Mud</em><em>é</em><em>jar</em> is the term given to Muslims who continued to practice their religion in areas which had come under Christian possession during the Reconquest of 1248. The promotion of peaceful coexistence between Christians, Muslims, and Jews allowed for the construction and prosperity of the cathedral and also contributed to the complexity of the structure. The site of the Seville Cathedral was declared a “World Heritage” in 1987 by UNESCO because of its unique architectural style and because the structure is the largest Gothic edifice in Europe.</p>
<p>The African Meeting House in Boston, Massachusetts was consecrated in 1806, housing the first African Baptist Church of Boston. It is the oldest black church building in America. This building served as a cultural, educational, and political connection for Boston’s black community. The building committee for this building consisted of two branches: financial and labor. The labor branch mainly consisted of African-American craftsmen. The African Meeting House offered education opportunities for both children and adults. The African-Americans which made up the first congregation of this church established a sanctuary for peaceful worship and school that would support African-American education. The first abolition organization, Massachusetts General Colored Association, met here. In 1832, the New England Anti-Slavery Society was founded here by William Lloyd Garrison. The African Meeting House also served as a recruitment center for the Massachusetts 54<sup>th</sup> Volunteer Regiment, which was the first official African-American military regiment for the Union in the Civil War. In 1898, the African Meeting House was sold to a Jewish Congregation and was a synagogue until it was later acquired by the Museum of African American History in 1972.</p>
<p>Both structures are places which promote peaceful religious coexistence and provide a gathering place for this coexistence. As demographics and cultures changed in Spain and Boston, these buildings changed as well. The Seville Cathedral’s architecture changed as different groups possessed power in the region, demonstrating a unique architectural style: <em>mudéjar</em>. The African Meeting House served as a church, school, and meeting house and was later utilized as a synagogue. The <em>mudéjar</em> style reflects the integration of Islamic and Christian influence on the construction of the building. The African Meeting House was occupied by diverse religious groups as the Seville Cathedral was, first as a Baptist Church then later a synagogue. The Seville Cathedral first existed as a mosque and then later as the Seville Cathedral. Both the Seville Cathedral and the African Meeting House are multifunctional religious buildings which promote acceptance of diverse cultures and histories.</p>
Bibliography
<p>The Ministry of Culture and Sport. “Mudéjar Art.” <em>Spain is Culture</em>, SEGITTUR, http://www.spainisculture.com/en/estilos/mudejar/.</p>
<p>Museum of African American History. “A Gathering Place for Freedom.” <em>Museum of African </em><em>American History</em>, https://www.maah.org/exhibits_detail/A-Gathering-Place-for-Freedom.</p>
<p>National Historic Landmarks Program. “African Meeting House.” <em>National Historical </em><em>Landmarks Program</em>, National Park Service, https://web.archive.org/web/20090606132718/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1069&ResourceType=Building. <br /><br />National Park Service. “African Meeting House.” <em>National Park Service</em>, 23 Dec. 2015, https://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/amh.htm.</p>
<p>Seville Cathedral. “World Heritage.” <em>Catedral De Sevilla</em>, artiSplendore, https://www.catedraldesevilla.es/la-catedral/patrimonio-de-la-humanidad/.</p>
<p>UNESCO. “Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville.” <em>UNESCO</em>, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/383/.</p>
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Courtesy of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Ashley Grant, Student, Fitchburg State University
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Title
A name given to the resource
Seville, Spain – Seville Cathedral; Boston, MA – African Meeting House
african american
african festival
boston
hammondexhibition
massachusetts
spain
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum of colonial times that seeks to educate people on our not-so-distant past. Demonstrations, such as Redcoats and Rebels, include the firing of period rifles. Massachusetts is well-known for its rich colonial history, so it’s no wonder people flock to this quaint village. We tend to romanticize the past, and perhaps the reason we participate in reenactments is the same as why we patronize them – to feel closer to those events. Whether it’s the fashion or the weapons, history has a way of enchanting us, especially if you live in New England. It’s hard to ignore the events that brought us to today. It’s a point of pride that we live so close to so many prominent historical sites. <br /><br />In the one and only Sherwood Forest you can find battle demonstrations at the Robin Hood Festival. This show of swordsmanship can bring you right back to the time of the tales. It’s hard not to be obsessed with the character’s archetype – the do-good rebel with a bow is still around in today’s media in the forms of DC Comics Oliver Queen, <em>The Hunger Games'</em> Katniss Everdeen, Marvel’s Hawkeye, etc. It’s a character almost everyone can connect to – it calls to the hero we all wanted to be growing up. And that’s one of the reasons we celebrate his story through reenactments as adults. <br /><br />King Richard’s Faire in Carver, Massachusetts draws thousands of people each year to its many shows. One such show is the joust. This past 2017 season saw Sir Wolfric, Lord of Middleton, clashing with Sirs Joseph, Gregory, and Don Mitri for the hand of Princess Elizabeth. As one of the most popular attractions at King Richard’s Faire, these knights are cheered on by hordes of patrons and some of the Faire’s Village Cast. The cast is made up of a diverse group of actors of all ages. Jouster and Villager Fight Director Dan Reed talks about his love of WWE as one of his inspirations for getting into stage combat. When asked what brought them to work for the faire, most of the cast will cite fond childhood memories there as a patron. As for the draw to medieval and Renaissance themed events, it’s easy to see the "White Knight complex" in most of the people on site, and it’s no surprise that you’ll find many regular D&D players there. Whether it’s an obsession with their own Norse heritage, or that they just want to wear chain mail and carry a sword, the pull is strong. There is a certain romance involved in dressing up in garb, playing a character from another time, and hitting each other with fight-grade steel. People want to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel connected to the past or the heroes of their childhood, and participating in these events is definitely one way to do it.
Bibliography
<p>“Old Sturbridge Village.” <em>Home | Old Sturbridge Village</em>, 7 Apr. 1970, www.osv.org/.</p>
<p>Nottinghamshire County Council. “Robin Hood Festival 2018.” <em>Nottinghamshire County Council</em>, 2018, www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/country-parks/sherwood-forest/robin-hood-festival.</p>
Reed, Dan. Personal interview. 2017.
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Jackilyn Teague, Alum, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Sherwood Forest, England - Robin Hood Festival; Carver, MA - King Richard’s Faire; Sturbridge, MA - Redcoats and Rebels
alum
colonial america
england
entertainment
FAMExhibition
hammondexhibition
massachusetts
reenactments
robin hood
-
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903265e06a1876ab03ffc86465643392
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Connecting the Medieval to New England
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Catalog Entry
<p>There are many ways to depict innocence in a story. Words used to describe innocence can be “small,” “little,” “young,” etc. These could also be related to a small or young child or a location such as a small town. <br /><br />Dorchester is a historic neighborhood located in Boston, MA. It was founded by Puritans in 1630 who emigrated from Dorchester, Dorset, England. It is currently Boston’s largest neighborhood. Dorchester is home to the oldest religious organization in Boston, a church that was originally created as the First Parish Church of Dorchester and still remains today. In addition to this accomplishment, Dorchester is also home to the first and oldest public elementary school in America, the Mather School. The school was created in 1639 and also stands today. Dorchester was founded only a few months before the city of Boston was founded, showing a scale of how important this neighborhood was historically for the growth of America. <br /><br />The story of <em>The Prioress’s Tale</em> takes place in a small Christian town somewhere in Asia. Children are a reoccurring topic in the story, representing innocence. The focus of the story is of a Christian boy, who is murdered on his way home from school by a group of Jewish boys who were told to do so by Satan himself. The neighborhood of Dorchester, to me, reminds me of these scenes. The schools and churches are small as well as the neighborhood itself. It was a religious town, which resembles the town in which the story took place. <br /><br />A marble font of Saint Nicholas in Winchester Cathedral is also a good reminder of the story. The Tournai Marble Font was bought from Tournai, in modern Belgium, in the 12th century and is still there today. The block this piece of art was carved from weighed around 1.5 tons and dates back to around 1150. It is the finest of ten fonts in England. In this time period, sculptures were created as iconic messages to be shared. This particular font is decorated with the extraordinary life of Saint Nicholas with symbolic animals such as birds and lions. It is thought to be a gift from Henry of Blois, William the Conqueror’s grandson. Saint Nicholas was known as a man who committed many acts of kindness, especially to children, leading to his identification with Santa Claus. The carvings on the font show multiple stories, but all of them revolve around Saint Nicholas. A few of the stories depict St. Nicholas bringing people back to life. Fonts are mainly used as a symbol of the start of Christian life. They also hold the water in which babies are baptized. It is still used for baptisms today. This relates to Chaucer’s <em>The Prioress’ Tale</em> due to the fact that Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of children by means of acts of kindness. The fact that he brought people back to life resonates with the story, specifically when the Christian boy who was murdered comes back to life singing the song of the Vigin Mary that caused the boys to murder him in the first place.</p>
<em>Photo: Western Union telegram sent from Dorchester to Fitchburg congratulating a family member on the birth of a child (from Fitchburg Historical Society collection).</em>
Bibliography
“A Brief History of Dorchester.” <em>MyDorchester</em>, mydorchester.org/history. <br /><br />Taylor, Earl. “Dorchester MA, Town History 1630-1870.” <em>Dorchester Atheneum</em>, www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=52. <br /><br />“Tournai Marble Font.” <em>Winchester Cathedral</em>, www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/our- heritage/cathedral-treasures/tournai-marble-font/.
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Mitchell LeBlanc, Student, Fitchburg State University
Accessible Description of Image(s)
First image: There are people etched in stone. The photo is in black and white. The main statues are men, and they are holding a stick-like object in their hands. The etching is on the side of a fountain.
Description by: Courtney Hastings, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Winchester, UK - Saint Nicholas Font (Winchester Cathedral); Boston, MA - Dorchester
artifact
cathedral
chaucer
england
FAMExhibition
fitchburg historical society
hammondexhibition
massachusetts
middle ages fall 2017
religion
saint