The Beguines
Introduction:
The Medieval Era – roughly the thousand or so years from 500 AD to 1500 AD – was truly a more event-filled time than most historians have led you to believe. People who lived in Medieval times led very full, productive, and creative lives. Advances in all areas of culture were taking place. On this blog that is dedicated to the stories of women in history, we have touched on only a few of the many hundreds of women who made great contributions to society. There were many changes taking place in the Church as well. Women took part in all areas of ministry during the Medieval Ages.
So far, we have looked at the stories of women from the earliest Middle Ages such as Genovefa, Brigid of Ireland and Radegund[1] (5th and 6th centuries). Then we moved on to the 7th and 8th centuries with stories of abbesses and queens such as Gertrude, Frideswide, and Lioba. We continued with the stories of 9th and 10thcentury women such as Dhuoda (writer and Theologian), and Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora who were Byzantine empresses. Then we presented the story of the amazingly gifted Hrotsvitha, a poet and a playwright whose works are still influential today. We then moved into the 11th and 12th centuries with the stories of strong, passionate, and gifted women like Anna Komnene and empresses, queens and princesses including Empress Adelheid, Queen Margaret of Scotland and Queen Eleanor of England and Duchess of Aquitaine.
In the 12th and 13th centuries many women sought to grow in their faith by joining a convent or some other type of spiritual community. In our last post we took some time to study the background of the religious lives of God’s female servants in the Medieval Era. This week let’s begin to look at the various ways that women served in the kingdom of God, starting with the Beguines.
The Beguines
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 4:8-11)
The Beguines were groups of women who exemplified the Christian characteristics that were spoken of by the apostle Peter. These groups of devout women began forming over 800 years ago (12th Century) in the Low Countries and spread across Europe. They were not typical nuns, but groups of women committed to living and worshipping and working together to follow Christ by deepening their own faith and serving the poor.
The Beguines did not take vows but made their own rules which fit better with the kind of service they were giving. Their rules were holy and intended to aid them in their service to Christ. The Beguines respected education and they were all encouraged to read and study. They sought to support themselves. Some came with rich inheritances that they shared with everyone. Others learned trades, especially in the cloth industry.
Beguines came from every social class – nobility and aristocrats, middle class and merchants, widows, daughters of knights, urban poor and rural poor. They spanned all ages, from fourteen to their eighties or beyond. They remained self-supporting and independent.
The Beguines were known for their deep spirituality. Their communities, known as “beguinages” could be single homes or compounds set up as small communities complete with hospitals, churches, businesses, farms, and homes. These were safe places for women to live, earn an income, and minister without interference.
Beguines were passionate about their ministry. They were good businesswomen, active in their communities and sought to use their income to help the poor. They grew their own food and raised sheep and made their own garments. A few were involved in banking and trade. Many were called as “preachers” to reform the corrupt Church.[2]
Some Beguines lived among the lepers, but most Beguines concentrated on having an infirmary in the beguinage. This was their most important building. Poor women and children and the sick and homeless could be brought to the infirmary for their care. In the infirmaries the people brought in could receive shelter, food, medicine, religious fellowship, and some were even taught a trade or other business so that they could move on after receiving care and live self-sufficiently. Young girls were rescued from prostitution and taught a trade so that they could live a new life free from exploitation.
The independent lifestyle of the Beguines helped them to work with the poor and marginalized without having to be under
the control of local bishops or noblemen. They did not want to live in the same way as the nuns who were often not allowed to leave the cloisters. The Beguines wanted the freedom to choose to work among the poor in their own way. They were wise enough however to travel outside of the beguinage in groups of two or more for reasons of safety and protection of their reputations.
Besides caring for the poor, many Beguines also served as preachers, actors, and writers. Beguines were not preachers in the formal sense, but like preachers they brought the Word of God to the spiritually hungry and destitute. Beguines believed that there is a Heaven and a hell, and they were passionate about rescuing sinners from eternal damnation. They knew that their acts of mercy to the poor to aid them physically was pleasing to God, but they also knew that this life is finite. Along with physical comfort must come the preaching of the Gospel. This the women did wherever they went.
Another type of preaching the Beguines engaged in was in the form of criticizing the corrupt Church. During the Middle Ages the hierarchy of the Church became very selfish and opulent. High offices were bought not earned. The funds from the sale of the offices enriched the pope and allowed him to live in luxury that did not seem right for the “shepherd” of God’s sheep. Illiteracy and debauchery were rampart among the clergy. Many Beguines called the church leaders back to a holier life.
Because the Beguines did not preach formally, they turned to other ways to share the Gospel. One of these ways was through drama. Going to plays was a favorite pastime during the Middle Ages. The Beguines took advantage of this. They reenacted the life of Christ before large audiences. In this way they could “preach” to the people encouraging them to repent of their sins and turn to God and then to live better lives.
We are fortunate to have an outstanding collection of the writings of the Beguines. They wrote autobiographies, mystical treatises, tracts, and many letters to friends and followers. They wrote poetry. Some also wrote music to set their poetry to.
A few Beguines did write books, but many just put their various writings into collections. Some had friends who would record their words and deeds. Copies were made and passed around. Most of the Beguines treasured their Psalters, a book used for private prayer that included the Psalms and other portions of Scripture.
The Beguines were sometimes accused of being heretics. There were many reasons for this. Often their mystical writings were misunderstood. As long as the writings were not completely against the Church’s teachings the Beguines were left alone. But the Church leaders were angry when the Beguines taught the people that they did not need an intermediary but could have a personal relationship with God on their own. This went against the Church’s teaching that a priest was always needed for people to approach God. The Beguines often met and prayed together without priests and this angered the Church officials. The Church at that time considered the Beguine belief heresy, but today most Christians would agree with the Beguines that we may always approach God in prayer.
Unfortunately, some Church and civil leaders were envious of the Beguines for other reasons. They lusted after their
property, their successful businesses, or their large following of people. It was not unusual to declare a group of Beguines heretics and seize their property and turn the women out in the cold or force them into cloisters. Several Beguines were burned at the stake, later to be exonerated.
Another attack came from the town guilds. The Beguines produced excellent cloth, for example, and sold it at a reasonable price. This was too much unwanted competition for the guilds who would try to get rid of the Beguines on trumped up charges of heresy. But often the guilds found themselves unsuccessful in their attacks on the Beguines. That was because the Beguines were good citizens and paid the taxes on their income. The town officials came to depend on the taxes paid by the Beguines and would let them continue their businesses in peace.
During the French Revolution the Beguines were nearly annihilated when the government seized all of their property. Many Beguines were tortured and killed along with thousands of other priests and nuns during the attack on the Church.
No matter how many attacks came against the Beguines, they managed to survive into the twenty-first century; the last “traditional” Beguine, Marcella Pattyn, died in 2013. It is unfortunate that this simple, happy, and useful way of life has come to an end.
The Beguines left us a great legacy. We have preserved for us beautiful artwork, songs, poetry, and writing. Most of all the Beguines gave us an example of serving Christ by helping the poor and marginalized. They showed wisdom, courage, and strength as they worshiped God as they felt called. They would have been great in any century!
[1] Radegund’s influence was felt for centuries. This amazing queen was an inspiration for Eleanor of Aquitaine.
[2] Many other religious persons such as Francis of Assisi were also concerned that the Church return to her original mandate from Jesus to serve the poor.
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