The Raven In The Foregate: 12 (Cadfael Chronicles)

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Eluned: Single mother of baby Winifred, daughter of Nest and a beautiful, kind, if not bright, young woman. She was refused absolution and communion by Father Ailnoth. Being cut off from the church, she drowned herself in the pond. Cadfael recalls two items that were not found with Ailnoth's body: a small cap over his tonsure, and his staff. Cadfael retrieved the cap from the boys who found it at the pond early Christmas morning. He finds the staff near where the body was found. The ebony staff, with its band of silver, holds long, greying hairs in it, suggesting its victim was Diota. Cadfael presses Diota for the full story of Christmas Eve. The priest found sin in both his housekeeper and the boy, after he spoke with Giffard. She followed Ailnoth on his way to meet Ninian, begging him not to harm the boy. She clung to him, begging for mercy; Ailnoth beat her on the head with his staff, leaving the wounds Cadfael had tended. Terrified and dazed, she let go of him, and made her way home.

This is the 12th book in the Cadfael series and the 12th Cadfael I have read. While the plot in this book is relatively simple, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. It made for a rewarding escape read in the Christmas holidays.The second is even worse, involving a young woman who it seems is mildly mentally impaired. She is habitually, um, generous with her favours, but afterwards feels shame and goes to confession. Father Adam was mindful of her condition and always granted absolution and gave her penance, but Father Ailnoth denied her the comfort of the Church and cast her out. She throws herself into the Severn and drowns, leaving her infant daughter in her aged mother’s care. Donna Surge, James H. Barrett (15 September 2012). "Marine climatic seasonality during medieval times (10th to 12th centuries) based on isotopic records in Viking Age shells from Orkney, Scotland". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 350–352: 236–246. Bibcode: 2012PPP...350..236S. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.07.003. Brother Jerome: He is a monk who admires Prior Robert, and a man who likes the sound of his own voice, especially when chiding others or carrying tales. He is a man of slight build. A thaw lets Cynric dig the grave for Ailnoth. The baker Jordan Achard was seen out early Christmas morning, and two will attest he was not at home. Hugh will announce this after the funeral as a way to get the guilty person talking, a scheme Cadfael terms devious. The funeral is well attended. Word that Hugh will charge the murderer draws many to the end of the funeral, including Ninian out of hiding. As the baker loudly protests his innocence of murder and guilt of adultery, Ralph Giffard mistakes Ninian as one to hold his horse. Ninian hides in his country-boy role again. A man with every virtue, except humility and human kindness. That is what I have brought upon the Foregate, Robert. And now what are we to do about him?”

Brother Cadfael: He is the herbalist monk at the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury. He is a sometime detective, and about age 61 in this story.

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On Christmas Eve, Brother Cadfael sees Ralph Giffard walking away from town, then he sees Father Ailnoth walking out, staff in hand, sleeves billowing, too distracted to offer a greeting. Both Benet and Sanan Bernière appear for the Christmas Eve services ( matins) at the Abbey, while her stepfather Giffard attends at Saint Chad. Benet and Sanan slip out separately to Cadfael's workshop for an uninterrupted chat, the start of their romance. The late frost let Benet/Ninian learn how to use a spade to turn over the soil in all of Cadfael's gardens, and begin to learn how to make a few herbal medicines in his few December weeks at the Abbey. But this is also a story of new life. “ Green phoenixes every one, visible proof, if any were needed, of perpetual life.” The tragic young woman who is cast out from the Church has given birth to an illegitimate child, with the promise of every bet of her beauty. And protected her with the name of the virgin Saint Winifred. “ Perhaps the choice of her venerated name had been a brave gesture to protect the creature otherwise orphaned and unprotected.” As promised, here is the adorable and hope-bringing passage where the tiny Christmas baby gets burped: I like how sexual attraction and love affairs are drawn. What is drawn is down to earth. Theorizing is kept to the minimum. I like how the characters vary in temperament. We smile at those who overdo things. What is drawn feels true to life, honest and real. Drama and exaggeration are minimized. In this and other novels of the series, Cadfael makes wine for his guests. In the 12th century, this was possible, there were vineyards in southern England. [13] This may be due to the warmer climate in northern Europe. Whether it is solely due to the warmer climate, or solely due to the preference for wine over beer brought by the Norman nobility and French monks, or a combination of both is debated. [14] [15] The number of vineyards declined in following centuries. [14] [16]

She was later found drowned believed to be suicide, hence she would be buried in unconsecrated ground. However Cadfael found bruises in her body which might indicate that she was forcibly held down. It is December, 1141. Abbot Randulfus has a problem on his hands. The parish of Holy Cross and the Abbey of St Peter and St Paul share the same church building; the Abbey is responsible for appointing the parish priest. Father Adam has died and the Abbot needs to find a replacement for the long-time and much beloved parish priest. Medieval clergy at their worst, and Cadfael at his best. Will he fail to unravel this skein and innocents will suffer? Who is innocent? As always, Cadfael is drawn into investigate with Hugh, and there are a pair of young lovers - both loyal to Maud’s cause, which puts the young man at risk of arrest as a traitor to King Stephen. Benet is an active Maud supporter and is a natural suspect. Due to his skills, Benet is assigned to Cadfael to help him in his gardening and herbal medicinal work, Cadfael soon becomes quite fond of the spunky yet hardworking and truthful Benet. When Benet becomes one of the chief suspects in the Allnoth ‘murder,’ Cadfael has an additional motive, besides his natural penchant, to investigate who is the culprit.

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Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-12-09 21:52:16 Bookplateleaf 0004 Boxid IA40002401 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier So know one is surprised, or terribly sorry, when Father Ailnoth’s body is found in the river. At first it’s assumed he slipped and fell, for the December weather has been icy. But Cadfael points out head injuries on the corpse that would be inconsistent with a slip and fall. The ruling theme is the importance of humility and human kindness, as the letter of the law is not sufficient for goodness or justice. Cynric: He is the verger of the parish of Holy Cross. He arrived a couple years after Cadfael came to the Abbey. He is a taciturn, single man who is a favourite with the children. He served about 17 years under the late Father Adam, was very close to him.

The main thread of the story was a workable and potentially interesting skeleton but instead of live flesh and sinews, what was pasted onto the bones was a pallid and uninteresting filler. I got the idea that the author had run out of ideas and was trying to give the story enough words to make it into a full length novel. Prior Robert Pennant: He is an aristocratic priest at the Abbey, based on a historical person, who followed as Abbot after Radulfus. [1] He is also a man taller than average, a good speaker, but more concerned with the elite, than the full range of humankind or of human experience.Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2014-01-22 17:47:11.905098 Bookplateleaf 0010 Boxid IA1147503 City New York Donor