Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe was an unusual woman in her time period. A lot of what she did would not have been allowed for woman to do, especially by herself. Some elements of religious practice in her day she does not mention which makes her even more unusual. There are also qualities of her spiritual practices that Lynch does not mention. So the bigger question becomes is Margery Kempe an accurate description of what occurred spiritually in the 15^th century? Whether a book is fiction or non a lot can still be learned from it. In this case her religious practices make it very clear as to what was acceptable to her.

In her time period marriage was a very important sacrament. It was a private affair to have heirs and transfer property. It was not a romantic prospect. At 20 years old Margery was married to John Kempe and was soon after pregnant. The impression given is that this marriage was just like most other marriages unromantic and all about having children. Margery later tells her husband that she no longer has a desire for sex. She specifically tells him "I am not allowed to deny you my body, but now all the love and affection in my heart is withdrawn from every earthly creature and set only on God." There appears not to be a lot of attachment to her husband because she desires to get away from him to live her spiritual life. However, she still needs him because a woman can not do anything without her husband. She needs his consent to go pilgrimages. Her husband has to agree in order for her to receive the mantel and the ring. She does not respect her husband. When he falls, she complains at having to take care of him, and only hopes that he lives so he can clear her name. This was very unusual because most husbands would not put up with this attitude from their wives. Her husband has treated her very well.

What is also unusual, is that she was allowed to gallivant all over the world by herself. There were two groups against women and pilgrimages. Those who were outright against it and those who worried that women would get hurt. They also worried about women that were so open. Margery herself was even told to give up her way of life and go spin and card some wool. She appears that this does not bother her. That is very unusual that something that would be so out of place for a woman, and she makes no mention of it.

She herself practices many qualities. The first of which was her crying. Her tears were a gift from God. Her tears saved the souls of many. Tears would be a very unusual gift from God especially the amount of them that she received. How would crying save souls? Or was it a ploy to get attention since she gets them at all the right moments? She cried especially over receiving communion and over her many contemplations.

Contemplations/meditations was the other spiritual quality. This was spiritual communications using her innermost heart. She envisions the birth of Jesus, Mary mother of Jesus, Jesus with his disciples, Mary dying, and the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus tells her it is the best form of worship. How unusual that God would send all those visions and tell only her that it was the best form of worship. One would think that if it was the best Jesus would have told others besides Margery.

Margery had many spiritual qualities that give a very clear picture of what 15^th century religion was like. The first that they share in common is the Eucharist. It is described as being taken many times in a person's life, that it was no longer a meal, that it involves confession, fasting, penance, abstinence, and forgiving of enemies. These are all things Margery would have practiced, enabling her to take Communion every Sunday. She had to receive permission from the archbishop to have Communion every Sunday. She sees the sacraments vibrate and move. It was not unusual for her to receive Communion. However, what was unusual was the fact that she had to receive it every Sunday. It was either a miracle or a bit of fiction for her to be able to find someone every Sunday to give her Communion while she was on her pilgrimages.

Penance was also very important to Margery Kempe. Even though baptism wiped away Adam's original sin no human is perfect. Minor sins were cleansed by prayers and confessions, fasting and charity. Severe sins were dealt with in two distinct ways. If it was a public sin than a public penance was due. If it was a private sin than private penance was due. Confession because very private. For Margery Kempe her life was the penance for her sins. She gave up food, pleasure, and did bodily penance. She wore a hair shirt. This is very unusual because the picture described of her is more of a 15^th century nun than a wife with 14 children.

Pilgrimages were a form of penance. To Margery Kempe it was done more for her spirituality. She visited Jersualem, Rome, and Santiago di Compostela. These were common pilgrimage sites as evidenced by the fact that she found traveling companions so easily. What is unusual is that she as a married woman was traveling without her husband.

Fasting was also a form of penance that Margery Kempe practiced well. She would go completely without food. She was directed to eat meat and drink wine and she said no. Fasting for most people is a struggle. What is unusual is that she gave it up so easily and did not think twice about it.

Confessions were also a big part of Margery Kempe's spiritual life. To her confessor whomever he was she would tell all of her sins, and all her meditations. This person was more important than her husband which was very unusual.

Devotion to Mary was another spiritual quality that Margery Kempe had. In Margery Kempe's time period Mary was by far the most popular saint. Margery became Mary's maidservant. She was also told to think about Mary. Margery comforts her throughout the crucifixion. This is the one quality that is really not that unusual except for the visions she has of her.

The other main feature of her religious practices that was common was her mysticism. Mysticism is defined as "an immediate knowledge of God attained in this present life throughout personal religious experience. It is primarily a state of prayer, and as such admits various degrees from short and rare divine touches to a practically permanent union with God." Related to this concept is the term of "affective piety". This involves religious emotions and expression, accomplished by experience Jesus' humanity especially birth and death; nativity and passion. Its aim was conversation and salvation. This is exemplified by Jesus telling Margery to call Jesus her lover and that she will be married to God, and she was to treat him like her husband. The church is supposed to be the bride of Christ. Margery Kempe was not the church. How strange would it be to be told you must treat Jesus like your husband and be intimate like that.

What is even more unusual is that no matter where Margery Kempe travels people know about her and she has done. The even stranger thing is that people either lover her or they hate her. There is no middle ground. Those that hate her criticize her way of life. She was called a Lollard and heretic many times. Gossip was started about her. She was arrested a couple of times. She suffered abusive words, and much humiliation. She suffered this much because she was such an unusual woman. The men did not want her to stir things up. Of the people that loved her, priests and monks were the most common. They liked God's grace in her. Priests must have liked her because she practiced religion so differently than the traditional way. My favorites are the people that start on one side and move to the other. Fickle people would probably be the reason they were so easily persuaded. If these stories are even true.

My opinion of Margery is that even though she was a real woman I do not believe all of her stories to be true. Whether fiction or non we can learn from what she has written.