History of English: The Wife of Bath A presentation once held with Helena Erlach in the course "History of English" by Dr Stephan Gramley. It looks at the English language at the time of Geoffrey Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales. A translation from the original Old English version included.

1. The Wife of Bath
From the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Presented by:
Helena Erlach and Karen Murphy

2. Content
1. What is the structure of CT like?
2. What is the geographic route of the pilgrimage?
3. What were further important medieval
pilgrimages?
4. Explanations:
• “wife” in the context of medieval England
• Bathe, Jerusalem, Rome, Boloigne, Galice,
seint Jame & Coloigne
• Significance of “gat-tothed”
5. Translation (ll. 445-476)
6. Bibliography

3. What is the structure of CT like?
Linear construction: one story follows another
Characters tell their own stories
Free and open exchange of stories among all
classes
Meaning emerges from all stories together
No deduction of morals possible from CT
Idea of a pilgrimage used as device for
Showing a diverse collection of people
Different genres and literary forms

4. What is the geographic route of the
pilgrimage?

5. What is the geographic route of the
pilgrimage?
20 In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
In Southwark at the Tabard Inn as I lay
826 Unto the Wateryng of Seint Thomas;
Unto the Watering of Saint Thomas;
3906 Lo Depeford, and it is half-wey pryme!
Lo Deptford, and it is almost seven thirty!
3907 Lo Grenewych, ther many a shrewe is inne!
Lo Greenwich, in which is many a rascal!

6. What is the geographic route of the
pilgrimage?
1926 Loo, Rouchestre stant heer faste by!
Lo, Rochester stands here near by!
847 Of freres er I come to Sidyngborne
Of friars before I come to Sittingbourne
556 At Boghtoun under Blee us gan atake
At Boghtoun under Blee overtook us
2 Which that ycleped is Bobbe-up-and-doun,
Which is called Bobbe-up-and-down (Harbledown),
22 To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
To Canterbury with a very devout spirit,

7. What were further important medieval
pilgrimages?
Jerusalem (Israel):
Site of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus
Nazareth (Israel):
Jesus' hometown
Rome (Italy):
Site of the deaths of Saint Peter, Saint Paul
and other early martyrs
Location of relics of various saints
Important churches
Headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church

8. What were further important medieval
pilgrimages?
Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain):
Way of St James (Galician: O Camiño de
Santiago)
Shrine of Saint James (is still popular today)
Cologne (Germany):
Relics of the Three Magi
Boulogne (France):
Virgin of the Sea
Nidaros, Trondheim (Norway):
Shrine of St. Olav

9. Explanations:
A “wife” in the context of medieval England
Legal description of “feme covert” (one whose
legal existence is “covered” by her spouse)
Unmarried women:
Could hold property
Could sue and be sued
Could borrow or lend money
Married women:
Land came under control of husband
Husband and wife had to be joined in any legal
action touching the property
Credit transactions had to be in the name of
both spouses

10. Explanations:
Bathe, Jerusalem, Rome, Boloigne, Galice,
seint Jame & Coloigne
They are all names of places/regions
Bathe (Bath): her home town
Jerusalem, Boloigne (Boulogne), Coloigne
(Cologne), Rome: destinations of medieval
pilgrimages
Seint Jame (St. James), Galice (Galicia): Galicia is
the region of Spain in which Santiago de
Compostela, the destination of the St. James
Way, is situated (referring to the medieval
pilgrimage route)

11. Explanations:
Significance of “gat-tothed”
Definition:
1. Gap-toothed; with a gap between the teeth
2. Goat-toothed; having a lickerish tooth; lustful;
wanton
Women with gaps in their teeth were seen as very
sensual and lustful

12. Translation (ll. 445-451)
445 A good Wyf was ther of bisyde Bathe,
There was a good Wife of beside Bath,
446 But she was som-del deef, and that was scathe.
But she was somewhat deaf, and that was a pity.
(447 Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt
She had such a skill in cloth-making)
(448 She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
She surpassed them of Ypres and of Ghent.)
(449 In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
In all the parish there was no wife)
(450 That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
Who should go to the Offering before her;)
(451 And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
And if there did, certainly she was so angry)

13. Translation (ll. 452-458)
(452 That she was out of alle charitee.
That she was out of all charity (love for her neighbour).)
(453 Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
Her kerchiefs were very fine in texture;)
(454 I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
I dare swear they weighed ten pound)
(455 That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
That on a Sunday were upon her head.)
(456 Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Her stockings were of fine scarlet red,)
(457 Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
Very closely laced, and shoes very supple and new.)
(458 Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.)

14. Translation (ll. 459-465)
459 She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
She was a worthy woman all her life:
460 Housbondes at chirche-dore she hadde fyve,
She had (married) five husbands at the church door,
461 Withouten other companye in youthe --
Not counting other company in youth --
462 But thereof nedeth nat to speke as nouthe.
But there is no need to speak of that right now.
463 And thryes hadde she been at Jerusalem;
And she had been three times at Jerusalem;
464 She hadde passed many a straunge streem;
She had passed many a foreign sea;
465 At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
She had been at Rome, and at Boulogne,

15. Translation (ll. 466-471)
466 In Galice at seint Jame, and at Coloigne.
In Galicia at Saint-James (of Compostella), and at
Cologne.
467 She coude muche of wandring by the weye.
She knew much about wandering by the way.
468 Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
She had teeth widely set apart, truly to say.
469 Up-on an amblere esily she sat,
She sat easily upon a pacing horse,
470 Y-wympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
Wearing a large wimple, and on her head a hat
471 As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
As broad as a buckler or a shield;

16. Translation (ll. 472-476)
472 A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
An overskirt about her large hips,
473 And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
And on her feet a pair of sharp spurs.
474 In felawschipe wel coude she laughe and carpe.
In fellowship she well knew how to laugh and chatter.
475 Of remedyes of love she know perchaunce,
She knew, as it happened, about remedies for love
476 For she coude of that art the olde daunce.
For she knew the old dance (tricks of the trade) of that
art.

17. Bibliography
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/te
achslf/gp-par.htm
Walker, Sue Sheridan. “Wife and Widow in
Medieval England”. Michigan. University of
Michigan Press. 1993
Cooper, Helen. “The structure of the Canterbury
Tales”. London. Duckworth. 1983
http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/sechard/346map.htm#
http://www.websters-online-
dictionary.org/Ga/Gat-toothed.html
http://www.internationalschooltoulouse.net/vs/pil
grims/sites.htm