Terra cotta monkey angel in the style of the Della Robbia Workshop, by the author.

Chateau des Singes, Or What's With All the Monkeys?

I suppose it actually goes back to the winter of 2000, when I presented Gaius with a Wild Republic stuffed monkey. Maliki (if I recall correctly, it's Swahili for "king") was modeled on the DeBrazza monkey and he has a sound box that produces simian screams if you squeeze his tummy. When I moved out to California to join Gaius in January of 2002, Maliki could be found hanging from the vertical blinds in the apartment we shared at the time.

Some months later, Gaius came home and prompted me to ask him "Did you bring me a monkey?" (It's a catch phrase from the film "Multiplicity," and I'm leaving it at that.) I obliged and he presented me with a small plush Curious George he'd found at the book store. His reasoning was that I, as a hurdy gurdy player, should have a monkey. I answered that if George was going to be attending SCA events, he needed to make a reasonable attempt at pre-17th century attire. These two fellows with the symphonies are from the 13th century Cantigas de Santa Maria manuscript. It was a no brainer as to what Little George's SCA look would be.

Little George became quite popular in a very short time, whether clinging to the liripipe of my hood ("Say, Jehanne, isn't that a monkey on your back?"), sitting on my symphonie or entertaining feast goers. Here's George and Gaius clowning at Boar Hunt in a moment captured by Lady Catherine de Gray.

Not wanting to be left out of all the fun, Maliki soon started attending events. Owing to his resemblance to His Grace, Frederick of Holland, the obstreperous De Brazza monkey adopted his hero's trademark black slouch hat and blue tunic and adopted a device which means: Bananas Forever. Countess Berengaria de Montfort insisted on being the one to introduce Maliki and Frederick. Frederick has since recovered the ability to speak.

Big George was presented to me by Gaius on my birthday and attended the Queen's Tea with me at Estrella War. (See photo at right.) He has since become an unofficial goodwill embassador for the West Kingdom at Estrella and makes regular rounds at Merchant's Row.  

Olga "the Dominatrix", the Viking age orangutan was given to me by Baroness Eilis O' Boirne to keep the boy monkeys in line. (Fat chance!) Eilis made the mistake of saying that her home was a monkey free zone, thus I fostered Eleanor de Monketaine to her household in due course. Little Odo was a Twelfth Night gift from Duke Frederick to the monkeys. Odo now wears a blue hood with liripipe. 

 
Above: Some members of Chateau des Singes - The Georges, Maliki, Olga and Odo.
Below: Silk bound circlet with monkey beads, by the author, the monkey kirtle.
   

Monkeys continue to appear in my life, from Scharffen Berger's Year of the Monkey chocolates to Curious George Altoids, T-shirts, netsuke, pens, monkey shaped erasers, black and gold brocade that had to be my Twelfth Night gown, monkey shaped beads that made their way into a circlet. 

George continues to make people smile. Inspired by the works of Robert Johnson and the evil works of Maliki, he has written a blues song and has participated in a newcomer's guide to the SCA. 

Despite his hero worship of His Grace, Frederick of Holland, Maliki is currently grounded for poo flinging. 

So, did hurdy gurdy players have monkeys in the Middle Ages?

Gaius' assertion that a hurdy gurdy player should have a monkey is based on two facts. The first is that the term "hurdy gurdy" can be applied to ANY instrument that produces sound by virtue of being operated by a hand crank. The second is that in the 18th and 19th century, the barrel organ became popular, particularly with street musicians, being portable and easy to play, and yes, monkeys became a valued accessory as part of the act.

The instrument I play is also known as a symphonie or zamfona, and produces sound when the crank turns a flywheel that rubs the strings, rather like a violin bow. (The French name "vielle a roue" or "wheel  violin" is particularly apt.) An earlier, larger instrument that required two players, the organistrum, dates from at least the 12th century.

Monkeys appear in bestiaries and other medieval art. (Please check out the links below for some images on the web.) Whether or not they were used in the manner attributed to the organ grinders of the 19th century is anyone's guess. However, when I go out with a monkey or two, it always makes people smile and that is no bad thing. Fiat simii!

Some Medieval Monkeys
Ape from the Aberdeen Bestiary
Monkey Beaker
Ape from the Harley Bestiary
York Minster monkey with flask
Monkey driving a cart, from the Luttrell Psalter

Prince Edward with monkey
Pew carving, St. Martin, Tuddenham (scroll to bottom of article)
Pew carving, St. Edmund, Southwold
Lady and the Unicorn series "Smell" (look for the monkey sniffing a flower behind the lady)
Lady and the Unicorn series "Taste" (monkey sits at the lady's feet).
Elizabethan monkeys aping fashion
Japanese monkeys aping fashion

Copyright 2004 Lisa A. Joseph

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