The Pilgrim's Tale facts for kids
The Pilgrim's Tale is an old English poem that spoke out against monasteries. It was likely written around 1536 to 1538. This is because it mentions events from that time, like the Lincolnshire Rebellion. The poem also borrowed ideas from other works, such as The Plowman's Tale and a 1532 version of Chaucer's Romaunt of the Rose.
This poem is one of the most mysterious texts thought to be written by or inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1602, a writer named Thomas Speght hoped to find this hard-to-locate poem. Later, in 1687, a book of Chaucer's works mentioned that a long search for The Pilgrim's Tale had not found it.
Why Was The Pilgrim's Tale Written?
Some people think The Pilgrim's Tale was created to support King Henry VIII's government. Others believe it was a rebellious text that the king tried to stop. Henry VIII had a law against prophecies, which were seen as serious crimes. This law changed over time, being removed and then brought back by different rulers like Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
The Pilgrim's Tale both uses and criticizes prophecies. The author uses the prophet Isaiah to speak against church leaders. But then, the author warns about false prophecies from the devil and rebels. These rebels included Nicholas Melton, a leader in the Lincolnshire rebellion of 1536. Other mentioned rebels were Perkin Warbeck, who pretended to be king, and Jack Straw, a leader in the Great Rising of 1381. However, the author did say that prophecies from Merlin and Bede were acceptable. This is because their prophecies could be used against the Roman Catholic Church.
How The Pilgrim's Tale Survived
Only a small part of The Pilgrim's Tale still exists today. It is found inside another old book called The Courte of Venus. This book is important because it was one of the first printed collections of poems shared among a small group of friends.
The Courte of Venus itself is very rare. Only three printed pieces of it are known, and their exact history is a bit unclear. It was first printed sometime between 1535 and 1539, likely by Thomas Gybson/Gibson. Parts of it were printed again between 1547 and 1549, probably by William Copland, under the name A Boke of Ballettes. It was printed one more time in the early 1560s, likely by Thomas Marshe. Marshe's version is special because it used a different original text than the other two known printed editions.
No existing version of The Pilgrim's Tale names its author. However, the poem says its author went to Oxford University. This was something Chaucer also wrongly claimed in a later edition of his works. The poem also has many references to Chaucer's writings. A "comely priest" in the story joins the narrator in criticizing the church. He suggests reading some lines from Chaucer's Romance of the Rose that speak against church leaders and predict the future. These lines are quoted in The Pilgrim's Tale.
The poem also hints at Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale and stories about King Arthur. It describes a monk whose "mumbling of his holy thinges" (muttering his prayers) made fairies disappear. Instead, it brought in "seven worse spirits." Some people also see a connection to Piers Plowman in how The Pilgrim's Tale describes Christ: "and first he dyd yt, and after he taght" (first he did it, and after he taught).
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