is this supposed to be like the word "shown" never heard of the word "shewn" before

This is a very ironic statement

This entire section is very powerful and speaks volumes to me because we often find ourselves restless in the mist of this material world not knowing that they only way we can find true peace is through our spirituality. I absolutely love this section of the story.

I wonder who this woman is. She is described very elegantly and godly described. As if she is better than anything that's living

Is this saying that everything in life comes in threes? Is this where that modern day myth comes from? I remember when I was younger and anytime something bad happened, my mom would tell me that everything comes in threes and that if that was the third bad thing that happened then nothing else bad would happen. Is that what this is referring to?

I feel like what this is trying to say is that even though it may not seem like it to use, that God purposefully created sin in the world. Without it, the world would not be able to function as it should. I think that this is referencing to the first sin committed by eve. In a Christian belief in the state of sin in which humanity has existed since the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I feel like that Satan’s sin was pride. He was so beautiful, so wise, and so powerful as an angel that he began to covet God’s position and authority. He chafed at having to serve God and grew angry and rebellious. He did not want to serve, he wanted to be served; he, as a creature, wanted to be worshipped. "How starkly contrasted to our savior Jesus Christ, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Very descriptive

What is going on? how can this sensation just disappear all of a sudden?

Why did she think that there isn't anything good to live for? It it interesting to know that she is very strong with her faith and how she trust God so much

I see that this is what someone said. Very interesting right of the bat and I'm curious to know the context behind this statement

Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law, but sin is a necessary evil. Even though we all hate it, it is inevitably. I believe what the message the is trying to be portrayed is that the world would not function and would not work without their being sin in it.

They brought her a cross with Jesus on there to comfort her. She's probably gonna be meeting him for real.

She is pretty much accepting death in a way. She obviously does not want to die as nobody does, but she is probably in a lot of pain and given this was a time before medical advances, there probably is not much that can be done except lay in bed and hope for the best. In this case she is aware of the possibility of death, but explains she is not afraid because God will be there for her in the after life.

I believe what this is saying is that even though we can not see God and he is not a physical thing on the earth, his love is unconditional and is in fact there. I like how this is another way of saying God is more than a spirit even though we can not physically see him in our everyday lives. He is not like a tree or a bush, but we all just know that he is there. I feel like this is a really cool way of expressing how power God truly is without using a ton of words or a super long description. I feel like the use of short descriptions worked in this case because at this point in the story, the reader can understand the meaning of God based on previous text and the use of context clues.

I'm slightly confused, but it sounds to me like she was in such pain that she felt like she was dying at times or thought she was dead from hallucinations

She got caught some kind of sickness such as the flu like someone suggested. I find it particularly interesting that she added the line "God sent me." It's like she is blaming God himself for her being sick.

A short way of saying the word private. sharing in the knowledge of (something secret or private).

This had to be one of the easiest readings. The language is not difficult. So I really enjoyed reading this. I loved the messages that it offered. My favorite part had to be the chapters about Jesus and God being referred to as a Mother and not just a Father. I support the feminism aspects that is seen through out Julian of Norwich selections. This was absolutely amazing!

This seems to be such a big topic. It keep continuing on

I am all for this. This is such a big and controversial idea I feel, even modern day

Why is this three italicized?

Interesting. Jesus is always seen as a father. First time I'm hearing him being referred to as a mother as well.

Old English nowiht "nothing," variant of nawiht (see naught). Meaning "zero, cipher" is from early 15c.

Is this referencing to the first sin committed by eve?

Sin are committed because it is useful at the moment. You gain profit for it at the moment.

Useful; profitable; needful; fit. Also spelled behoovable and behoveable.

What does this mean? Never heard something like this before

So many similes in this paragraph, relate to nature.

What does this mean? That the creation are all tiny?

Some feminism texts

Must have done good things in her life to be sure of going to Heaven

Is this like an unbearable crazy type of sickness or just a cold and flu type. He makes it seem like it a really bad sickness

the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia.

Wow what a way to begin. This is such a heavy and important statement

Thank you Julian!

interesting word choice

God is love and it is only if one opens oneself to this love, totally and with total trust.

I loved all her comparisons of God to a mother. These words touched me and surprised me, and I believe they are going to stay long in my heart. Imagine she wrote this in a small cell next to a church where she devoted her life to? When I read it, I strongly felt the beautiful connection she expresses between God and humans. At first I thought it's gonna be a story about life and death, but now I think it's so much more than that! It is endearing, strong, and deep. Thank you, Julian, for writing this beautiful piece of work!

problem, trouble

mark; scar

Probably it's only me, but I find this word sexy.

From what I understand, this is the visions of Julian of Norwich while she was deathly ill. Throughout the description of the vision(s), it seems to me that the main focus was on defining God and His many characteristics (with a strong focus on the maternal characteristics) and the sides of the Trinity. Based on both my understanding and the chapter numbers, this skipped quite a bit of material and, with that, left me a bit confused as to what the whole picture is. However, the descriptions were incredibly vivid and thorough; they honestly didn't leave a lot of room for annotations! This vivacity would also be questionable if she were not able to recall with incredibly accurate detail the extent of her illness, proving that she was still mentally capable, not hallucinating. Lastly, I think this last line really shows the purpose of this writing: showing who God is and what He is like.

concerning or about

He is our superior and equal.

Given the traditional view of parental role, this means that God is both the discipliner and the teacher as well as the nurturer and caretaker.

This reminds me of a little kid keeping rocks or marbles in his/her pockets. To the child, that's his/her most important thing in the world.

All of creation, the entire universe sits in His hand as the size of a hazelnut. Incredible to think about.

Very medically accurate here. Good observation on her part.

This is so sad to me. I have a very strong connection with many blind kids, and I know what it's like to lose your sight. It's very scary and isolating. I find it so beautiful that she was able to see the Cross again (as the last thing).

I believe this is saying that the illness paralyzed her from the waist down.

necessary

She loves the rule of three.

I like how she explains her similes. These are all vivid descriptions of the precious blood of Christ.

I think her central ideas in this chapter are: 1) Love God more than anything else. 2) Don't let anything else be more important to you than God. 3) Love all God's creations, both the whole and every grain of sand.

This happens to be the title of another hymn.

This reminds me of this hymn. I decide to let the hymn play while reading :)

truly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel

before

evil spirit; demon; devil

highly-respected

stunned; dazed

It's hard to imagine joy is associated with death, but this is the feeling when you're in heaven.

secret; hidden

It is a scary thing if one can feel this.

She is physically and mentally ready to die. I think this is no easy thing to get ready for dying...

Another story about life and death. I love it.

This is such a powerful, attention-grabbing opening.

This is strange yet sad

Does anyone know what this word means?

Why does it say unroasted? Whats the purpose for this? Would this be any different and would everything not have gone as it had if the apples were roasted?

in a quiet, gentle, and submissive manner.

a Christian sacrament in which a member of the Church confesses sins to a priest and is given absolution.

What does this mean when it says fathers instead of father. Why are there several? Also, why aren't the mothers mentioned to honor?

This is very powerful

Is this man claiming that he really knows how to reach God?

I think they may be using lamb because back in Jesus's day people would sacrifice lamb as a ritual and have it. They had sacrificed a lamb and had it for dinner (Last Supper) the day before Jesus sacrificed himself.

plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought

third-person singular simple present indicative form of bid.

Is he trying to say 50? If so, has he been alive that long or is that how long hes been a follower of God?

Im confused? Are they talking about the Bible?

Claiming that he is wise in a sense and has been around and is experienced

This remind me of the Babylonian Exile which was one of the major crisis during the age of Jesus.

Its interesting how they say "clean" mother. We all how that she was a virgin but just interesting how it says clean

flock or be present in great numbers

Is Hope a name in the context of this story?

They are truly grateful and satisfied with what they got and really don't desire anything better than that.

"Dieu Save Dame Emme" translates to "God Save Dame Emma" which as I just read must have been a popular song during this time period. Therefore they would "Dawdle away the long day" or simply "kill time during the day" probably by singing this song.

Was not done out of love of their lord or god, but were actually more interested in something else.

Sounds like he has no respect for these kind of people. Also, would the "Bread well crammed" in their bags refer to them stealing?

Sounds like they just make up stories and tell them to people on their travels. I'm wondering what the reasons are. Could simply be just to make things a lot more interesting. I can understand sometimes Lies are more interesting than the truth.

Interesting diction.

His surroundings probably influenced this "Marvellous Dream" as it's sounding like he was in a relaxed state.

This tale offers a bunch of allegory to get across the subliminal message about the social structures, corruption and so on. You see peace, evil, love, dream and so many important aspects of life and a society. It was a good read, a little difficult to understand at times but not bad.

Do not do something evil in order to get back at evil -- Becomes the same thing. Love this quote

Social structures are really important part of medieval Europe culture.

Cherubim: a winged angelic being described in biblical tradition as attending on God. It is represented in ancient Middle Eastern art as a lion or bull with eagles' wings and a human face, and regarded in traditional Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy. Seraphim: an angelic being, regarded in traditional Christian angelology as belonging to the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, associated with light, ardor, and purity.

Describes the social structure in Medieval England -- Critical already in the beginning of the tale

ask for or obtain (something to which one is not strictly entitled).

I wonder why the latin phrase was used and not translated. s it a common known phrase?

amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.

So much alliteration. This the most I have ever seen in just one paragraph. Impressive, not an easy thing to do.

Spring time seems to have a significance in most of these medieval era tales. Interesting. Wonder if there is a significant reason behind it?

A lot of alliteration going on already, I love it. Keeps me engaged

I really enjoyed the content of this story, though it seemed eerily familiar to me at parts through some of my own readings. However, the language was probably one of the most difficult to understand; much of it sounded and read like Master Yoda wrote it. I did really enjoy the characters, especially Conscience and Reason. It mirrored the duality yet twin-likeness of the devil and angel on your shoulders. They weren't polar opposites, but they contested one another. I think this story was very creative, so for that I enjoyed it.

Roughly translates to "you/none are alone."

Be better than your enemy. "An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind."

"God helps those who help themselves."

to approach and speak to (someone) in an often challenging or aggressive way

Mount. Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments, carved into two stone tablets, from God.

What I like a lot about these readings is that they can be centuries, even millennia old, yet they are still so true and relatable in their dilemmas. This one struck me especially. Often, Christians are criticized by not "acting Christian," but this is no new problem. It is easy to hold grudges or to wish ill of another person, but Christians are asked to do the opposite. Just seeing this here really added value to this reading for me.

Just another way of saying "Bible."

All these examples are of people who were tempted and gave into the temptations of worldly riches: knowledge, power, and money.

James and John, two brothers, were fisherman before becoming two of Jesus's 12 disciples. James was also the first disciple to be martyred for his faith and affiliation with Jesus.

a tricky deceitful fellow

This is reminding me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. I wonder if there was any inspiration from this for Alice's story.

These stories all seem to happen in the month of May. It makes me think that there might be some cultural significance to the month: either it was a time of vacation, traveling, or holiday.

This genre, dream allegory, is something new to me! I haven't read anything like this before--the narrative is presented through dreams--this type of poetic narrative helps all the symbolism and personifications make more sense. This poem is essentially a religious work, with tons of religious doctrines, views, and sentiments of medieval Catholicism. It is hard to understand without knowing the historical and religious background. This audio documentary provided by Ms. Allegra on Blackboard does help me understand the poem more. Highly recommend!

punishment

Nor is it in the bread and in the paddock

man lives

May God's will be done

an official order or decision, especially one made by the ruler of a country

to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner

the Book of Psalms

refers to the Vespers and Matins for the Dead https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/Christian-Burial

the Lord's Prayer

He is grateful for being educated.

Reason asks the narrator if he is able to do any honest work. He replies that he is too weak and too long (tall) to work.

He is saying beggars should be given coarse food as an incentive to labor.

Piers instructs the women to sew clothing for the workers and sacks to hold grain while the men plow the land.

The crowd says that Piers's directions to Truth are too complicated to follow on their own—they need a guide to help them every step of the way. Piers offers to be their guide if they first help him plow his half-acre of land.

Piers gives the crowd an overview of the directions to Truth. The crowd must first go through Meekness until they know to love God and love others—this means they’ve arrived at Conscience.

Holy Church is the narrator's first allegorical teacher.

The narrator is criticizing pilgrims and palmers for wasting their time in searching for salvation, and he believes that working is more important than that.

The narrator doesn't sympathize these people.

He looks down businessmen who gain money from tricks, poets who earn their living by singing, and entertainers who support their lives by telling jokes.

the fool

meaning: inspiring disgust and loathing, hateful, repulsive

so i guess it's saying he's not greedy with what he has and in fact shared his treasures with the people which is rare as most people keep it to themselves up until death.

green grass rich in vegetation.

I love that.. "deserts that were parched" literary device: personification?

a traveler/ philosopher

he has been away from his family for four months

More is very fond of Giles and considers him to be a really good friend and there is no one comparable to him

Thomas More was actually the chancellor of England at the time

One of the main characters in the story and is also the author himself

I didn't check how many times this play has been adapted for the modern stage, but I'm sure audience wouldn't know it's something from the 15th century if they knew nothing about the play prior to viewing a contemporary adaptation, because the themes in Everyman is still relevant (and significant) in today’s world. The main theme is universal: someday we'll die and all the things we think matter most will be rendered irrelevant. The only thing that we can "bring to our grave" is our own good deeds. The theme is so dark but true. I always like stories that deal with life and death, so this is one of my favorites for sure!

Doctor is saying if we don't clear our reckoning, we will suffer in hell, but if our reckoning is “whole and sound,” we will be “crowned” in heaven until the resurrection.

Doctor summarizes the moral of the story: we can only rely on our good deeds for comfort and salvation, and we must clear our “reckonings” while we are still alive.

Angel is welcoming Everyman’s soul into heaven because of his “singular virtue” and “crystal-clear” reckoning.

Knowledge is saying Everyman “suffered that we all shall endure” and that Good-Deeds will ensure his salvation.

Good-Deeds is the only one who doesn't abandon Everyman.

Here Everyman is speaking directly to the audience.

Everyman realizes he is approaching death.

Everyman's true friend?

Oh so sad... Five-wits is also leaving Everyman dying alone, while Everyman sees him as his best friend.

Discretion is saying she must always follow Strength, so she's leaving too.

Everyman realizes he shouldn't put trust in his Strength.

Strength is also leaving Everyman...

Beauty breaks her promises and decides to leave.

cover it completely

symbolizes grave

Strength, Discretion, and Knowledge promise Everyman that they won't leave him.

Everyman returns.

Five-wits is saying that he has faith that they won’t encounter any of these sinful priests and that they should honor priesthood.

Knowledge is saying there are “sinful priests” who lead lives of lechery and are poor examples to sinners.

Knowledge is saying Five-wits' statements are true only if the priests are good.

He praises priests as the only “remedy” that “cureth sin deadly,” declaring that they are “above angels in degree.”

willingly; gladly

the act of anointing with oil in sacramental ceremonies, in the conferring of holy orders

symbols; pledges

Five-wits is saying priests are more powerful than angels, because they have the power to transform bread and wine into the very flesh and blood of God.

According to Five-wits, priests’ knowledge of the sacraments allows them exclusive access to “the key and…the cure / For man’s redemption.”

I wonder whether beauty refers to physical or spiritual beauty?

Beauty, Discretion, Strength, and Five-wits are all ready to assist Everyman.

Good-Deeds says that in order to move forward, he must be joined by Discretion, Strength, and Beauty. Knowledge adds that he must also seek the advice of his "five wits" (five senses).

Knowledge tells Everyman to be happy, as he will go to heaven. She gives him a “garment of sorrow” to wear before God and tells him that such contrition “pleaseth God passing well.”

Everyman tries to bribe Death with money in exchange for his life. Death refuses, as material goods mean nothing to him.

Death is asking Everyman if he has forgotten his maker and informing him that God wants a reckoning from him.

Everyman, who is preoccupied with lust and greed, does not expect Death’s arrival.

happy

over there

God asks Death to list all the good and bad deeds Everyman has done, which God will use to decide whether Everyman goes to heaven or hell.

Death enters, and God orders him to tell Everyman that he must immediately go on a pilgrimage in His name.

refrain; avoid

Humans are engaging in all seven of the deadly sins and are becoming worse every year. This is true.

The messenger is saying that Fellowship, Jollity, Strength, Pleasure, and Beauty will disappear after death, and that God will summon Everyman for “a general reckoning.”

short-lived

a name for God

Each character represents a character trait--this reminds me of Mr Men & Little Miss... lol

honor or respect felt or shown