The Canterbury adventure begins

The Host's position has been assured; agreements have been reached. We need to recognize, however, that individuals of high and low estate sharing accommodations and being willing to take orders from an innkeeper would never happen in the 1300s.
      So, why present something that is an impossibility? One reason is a characteristic of old poetry called "signaling." This can occur when what we're told is preposterous or is a non-sequitur. It's a way for the poet to alert us: take notice!
     In this instance of "signaling," the situation is preposterous. Then why is the poet claiming it took place? What does he want us to understand? The Host is portrayed as domineering. This trait, for the obvious storyline, contributes humor.
     Allegory can have an entertaining comic surface which becomes difficult to set aside in order to see an inner, in this case, a spiritual meaning. Because the Host is generally accepted as a bully and a buffoon, it takes determination to see him as Christ at another level. His dominance in the  underlying message fittingly illustrates Christ's omnipotence.
     The poet's reason for creating this special challenge will be clear when we put the final touch on the portrait of this Host.

The night has passed, as we pick up the story. The pilgrims prepare to depart. But their departure is without details--no breakfast, no transport of possessions, no saddling of horses, no sounds or movements, no mention of weather, nor attitudes of the pilgrims. Particulars would have been simple enough to include, but are purposefully omitted.
     Chaucer, in his minimal style, tells us only: In the morning, when the day began to spring / Up rose our Host, and was our cock. The Host stands in for a rooster which did the job before alarm clocks were invented.
     Then the Host gathers the pilgrims "all in a flock." Did those words bring the image to your mind's eye of a shepherd with his "flock"? Non-verbalized images both inform and entertain. Taking note of what comes to our mind's eye gains a fuller experience of the poetry. We'll see this strategy again.
     The group is on the road now, moving slowly. The slow pace is the one fact confided. We get to know the personalities of the pilgrims by their tales. The Host interacts with the pilgrims to link the tales one with the other. These brief interludes fascinate me. Chaucer's skill and ingenuity with multifaceted images goes far beyond the standard opinion regarding his creativity.
     As the group travels, the links continue to give us clues to see the figure of Christ in this Host. We'll delve into these mini-dramas Chaucer creates.
     First we'll take a wide-eyed look at the Host's offensive language. That's our topic for next week.

A Canterbury postscript

A friend prompted me to find the significance of the design of that gift from Virginia'a daughter. Doing general searches about CANTERBURY were too broad. Then I tried the Latin words: Ave Mater Anglia. That did it. It is the coat of arms of the City of Canterbury. Here is the description given of the images on the shield.
THE CITY COAT OF ARMS
The full Coat of Arms of Canterbury carries a Golden Crown [of King Canute*] above the Shield. The "Golden Lion of England" is at the top of the Coat of Arms on a scarlet background. The three black birds are Cornish Choughs, who have red legs and red beaks. At the end of the 1800's, the City Council adopted the words "Ave, Mater Anglia"--"Hail, Mother of England"--and this is now on a scroll at the bottom of the official Coat of Arms.

*King Canute was an ancient Christian Danish ruler of Kent.