I spotted a lot of language references when I wrote this, but have since discovered that I missed the devastating impact of Cromwell’s curiosity about the Polish language. On the day that his wife Liz died:
"He would have been home early, if he had not arranged to meet up in the German enclave, the Steelyard, with a man from Rostock, who brought along a man from Stettin, who offered to teach him some Polish. It's worse than Welsh, he says at the end of the evening. I'll need a lot of practice."
When his mother-in-law asks where he was, this even adds a flash of dark humour amidst the tragedy:
"And later? Later I was learning Polish. Of course. You would be, she says."
This is fascinating and I love the way fellow readers are drawing out so many threads for me to follow.
I was fortunate to sit in on a writing Masterclass with Hilary in 2018 and one of the questions she was asked was about the use of accents and archaic language.
Checking my notes I jotted down her response. I’m not sure it it will make sense but I hope it’s OK to add it here. I’ve paid particular attention to her reference to word order and syntax and can see that she definitely achieves that.
‘Find a balance, don’t write phonetically, suggest through syntax, the bones will show through.
A suggestion of authenticity is better than pastiche.
Throw in the occasional word and give a flavour with word order.
Not what they say, it’s what they think...
Achieve congruence - metaphor system from the natural world...classical and religious but not scientific.’
Beautiful. Thank you for highlighting all of this so thoughtfully. Amazing to think of knowing and utilizing so many languages, so many ways of putting thought to words.
so glad I found this substack today. I am enjoying the Wolf Hall slow read and welcome more insights. These posts are perfect for me, I will read and reread, it helps me notice so much more in reading the Wolf Hall trilogy. My British history is only learned from historical novels and detective stories.
Henry’s approach to an English Bible was (like all his religious beliefs) complicated, of course. He was late to the party but by 1536 churches were supposed to have English and Latin versions (but no authorised English translation yet existed). Coverdale’s Great Bible of 1539 (which drew heavily on Tyndale) was approved by Henry in 1541 and placed in churches.
In terms of languages, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 was started in part by the imposition of an English order of service in the south west where many people still spoke only Cornish and no English. (As the traveller Andrew Boorde had written in 1542, “In Cornwall is two speches, the one is naughty Englysshe, and the other is Cornysshe speche. And there be many men and women the which cannot speake one worde of Englysshe, but all Cornyshe.”)
Yes indeed, Henry did like to have things both ways! Thank you for that great quote about naughty Englysshe and the Cornysshe speche. Thinking about your comment has made me realise that Mantel uses Cromwell’s attitude to the Welsh language to emphasise the contradictions between Cromwell the ruthless politician and Cromwell the man of faith: in Bring Up the Bodies she has him encourage the publication of prayers in Welsh while also pursuing legislation to insist on English in the law courts.
I don’t think it’s over the top to suggest that in some way (English) linguistic conformity fitted into Cromwell’s wider political project of regularising government and reinforcing that “English empire” that is expressed in the preamble of the Act in Restraint of Appeals 1532: England is a discrete sovereign political unit with no feudal superior, *and always has been*, and has one king, one church of which he is the supreme head, one parliament, one legal system and one language. Hence also the Laws in Wales Act 1535 which says that Wales “shall be, stand and continue for ever from henceforth incorporated, united and annexed to and with this his Realm of England”. It’s Cromwell’s orderly bureaucratic brain.
Oops, maybe I shouldn't have included all those Tudor profanities, I've just noticed that Henry himself was not a fan… Here are Cromwell & Jane Seymour talking about the fact that the former Queen Katherine still sews shirts for Henry:
“‘Anne says they should be torn up and used for, well, you know what for, in a jakes. He was angry. Possibly because he doesn't like the word “jakes”.’
‘No more does he.’ The king deprecates coarse language, and not a few courtiers have been frozen out for telling some dirty story.”
I'm still finding more perspectives on this - here's Anne Boleyn using language to create an effect: "Now she speaks her native tongue with a slight, unplaceable accent, strewing her sentences with French words when she pretends she can't think of the English".
I spotted a lot of language references when I wrote this, but have since discovered that I missed the devastating impact of Cromwell’s curiosity about the Polish language. On the day that his wife Liz died:
"He would have been home early, if he had not arranged to meet up in the German enclave, the Steelyard, with a man from Rostock, who brought along a man from Stettin, who offered to teach him some Polish. It's worse than Welsh, he says at the end of the evening. I'll need a lot of practice."
When his mother-in-law asks where he was, this even adds a flash of dark humour amidst the tragedy:
"And later? Later I was learning Polish. Of course. You would be, she says."
Thank you so much for the Tudor profanity. There are a few I plan to work into a conversation ASAP. Great post. Very well done!
Thanks - those oaths are great, aren't they?
I do love Norfolk and the audio version I’ve listened to with Simon Vance (I think...not Ben Miles) captures Norfolk perfectly. I can visualise him.
He's such an entertaining character!
This is fascinating and I love the way fellow readers are drawing out so many threads for me to follow.
I was fortunate to sit in on a writing Masterclass with Hilary in 2018 and one of the questions she was asked was about the use of accents and archaic language.
Checking my notes I jotted down her response. I’m not sure it it will make sense but I hope it’s OK to add it here. I’ve paid particular attention to her reference to word order and syntax and can see that she definitely achieves that.
‘Find a balance, don’t write phonetically, suggest through syntax, the bones will show through.
A suggestion of authenticity is better than pastiche.
Throw in the occasional word and give a flavour with word order.
Not what they say, it’s what they think...
Achieve congruence - metaphor system from the natural world...classical and religious but not scientific.’
Get inside their system of thought.
Wow, that sounds like a great experience, and your notes are fascinating - thank you so much for sharing!
You can hear her say those words, can’t you?
Beautiful. Thank you for highlighting all of this so thoughtfully. Amazing to think of knowing and utilizing so many languages, so many ways of putting thought to words.
Thank you!
so glad I found this substack today. I am enjoying the Wolf Hall slow read and welcome more insights. These posts are perfect for me, I will read and reread, it helps me notice so much more in reading the Wolf Hall trilogy. My British history is only learned from historical novels and detective stories.
Thank you for this lovely comment Judy, it made my day!
Henry’s approach to an English Bible was (like all his religious beliefs) complicated, of course. He was late to the party but by 1536 churches were supposed to have English and Latin versions (but no authorised English translation yet existed). Coverdale’s Great Bible of 1539 (which drew heavily on Tyndale) was approved by Henry in 1541 and placed in churches.
In terms of languages, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 was started in part by the imposition of an English order of service in the south west where many people still spoke only Cornish and no English. (As the traveller Andrew Boorde had written in 1542, “In Cornwall is two speches, the one is naughty Englysshe, and the other is Cornysshe speche. And there be many men and women the which cannot speake one worde of Englysshe, but all Cornyshe.”)
Yes indeed, Henry did like to have things both ways! Thank you for that great quote about naughty Englysshe and the Cornysshe speche. Thinking about your comment has made me realise that Mantel uses Cromwell’s attitude to the Welsh language to emphasise the contradictions between Cromwell the ruthless politician and Cromwell the man of faith: in Bring Up the Bodies she has him encourage the publication of prayers in Welsh while also pursuing legislation to insist on English in the law courts.
I don’t think it’s over the top to suggest that in some way (English) linguistic conformity fitted into Cromwell’s wider political project of regularising government and reinforcing that “English empire” that is expressed in the preamble of the Act in Restraint of Appeals 1532: England is a discrete sovereign political unit with no feudal superior, *and always has been*, and has one king, one church of which he is the supreme head, one parliament, one legal system and one language. Hence also the Laws in Wales Act 1535 which says that Wales “shall be, stand and continue for ever from henceforth incorporated, united and annexed to and with this his Realm of England”. It’s Cromwell’s orderly bureaucratic brain.
Thank you for this wonderful post, so interesting, a joy to read!
Oops, maybe I shouldn't have included all those Tudor profanities, I've just noticed that Henry himself was not a fan… Here are Cromwell & Jane Seymour talking about the fact that the former Queen Katherine still sews shirts for Henry:
“‘Anne says they should be torn up and used for, well, you know what for, in a jakes. He was angry. Possibly because he doesn't like the word “jakes”.’
‘No more does he.’ The king deprecates coarse language, and not a few courtiers have been frozen out for telling some dirty story.”
I'm still finding more perspectives on this - here's Anne Boleyn using language to create an effect: "Now she speaks her native tongue with a slight, unplaceable accent, strewing her sentences with French words when she pretends she can't think of the English".