The papers of early Europe were made differently than those of Asia. Rather than using vegetable matter, Europeans preferred old rag scraps that had no other use and made hardy pulp. The cloths were macerated into fibers, dried into sheets, and then dipped in gelatin to change the porosity. The result was a material more adaptable to quill and ink than the delicate vegetable-based papers suited for slow calligraphy. This strong rag-based paper was also well suited to the rigors of Gutenberg’s printing press and its use of movable type. As printed books became commonplace and literacy spread throughout Europe, so did paper, a much cheaper and more plentiful commodity than either parchment or vellum. After just a few decades of books printed with movable type, paper not only became an acceptable form of communication, it became the preferred one.
The spread of paper throughout the world also had a profound impact on how people communicated, not just in correspondence and literature, but also in the way that they spoke. People no longer had to devise long oral narratives that relied on rhyming and rhythm to stay fresh in their listeners’ minds. Now they could be short and precise, or clever and sly; they could even ramble without end because one no longer needed to rely on memory alone to keep track of words. One could now go back and read them.
Society today is experiencing an information upheaval not unlike the one that happened with papermaking and printed books of hundreds of years ago. These days we have an explosion of media that is conveyed digitally; and these audio, visual, and even written communications have given a new twist to how we are able to communicate and share those communications with the world around us. Much like in our medieval past, there is a frenzy of excitement about the leveling of the playing field. Anyone who has access to a computer can now reach out to a worldwide audience. And as the reader, we now have a world full of voices clamoring for our attention. As in times past, we now have to look at the criteria we use to judge the worth of a communication, whether we accept it as truth or distrust the message and the messenger.
It’s not so different from the days of medieval paper after all.
Papermaking: A Simple Recipe
Making paper at home is a fun way to get a feel for how old-time papermakers would have worked in their studios. Paper is such an integral part of our lives today and has such a long history. As a scientist accustomed to research, I wanted to get a feel for the kind of work Martin and Auda would have done in their own studio. How much work was it to make paper pulp? What did the rotting linens feel like? Smell like? Would the finished product bear any resemblance to the paper we use today?
Methods and materials have come a long way since the Middle Ages; however, although there are a number of subtleties that can affect the look and feel of paper, the process is essentially a simple one. In this recipe, we are going to use recycled paper as our starting material so that we don’t have to worry about boiling or macerating our fibers, and about sizing the finished product. As you get more experienced at papermaking, these are some alternatives you might want to experiment with.
Materials Needed
Fiber source (one cup loosely packed scrap or recycled paper)
Kitchen blender
Wood frame (any size will do)
Metal-wire mesh (such as window screening)
Vat or tub large enough to accommodate a horizontally submerged frame
Two pieces of wool felt slightly larger than frame
Laundry line and clothespins
Step 1
We’ll begin by assembling all of the necessary materials.
First, tear the scrap paper into one-inch squares and gather into a pile. You might want to try different types of scrap paper to experiment with color, consistency, and smoothness. Keep in mind that long fibers intermingle better than shorter fibers and thus create a stronger sheet of paper. You can check fiber length by tearing a piece of your scrap paper. Does it tear smoothly (short fibers) or leave a raggedy edge (long fibers)?
Next, cut a section of the window screening and stretch it over the wooden frame. Staple the screening into place. Make sure this screen is flat and clean—the quality of your paper depends on it.
Fill the vat or tub halfway full with water and set aside. Next to it, spread out one of the wool felt pieces.
Step 2
Mix the paper squares you’ve torn with water and pour into a blender, adding four parts of water to one part paper. For smoother pulp, you may want to boil the paper–water mixture for a couple hours ahead of time, or soak the paper overnight. Blend the mixture until the pulp becomes creamy and smooth.
Step 3
Holding the frame over the vat, pour the pulp onto the screen and shake laterally until the screen is covered. Slowly lower the frame into the vat of water and continue shaking laterally until the pulp is dispersed evenly over the screen. Raise the horizontal frame up and out of the tub and let the water drip out.
Step 4
Turn the frame over on top of the wool felt piece next to the vat. The sheet of pulp should fall out of the frame easily; if it doesn’t, tap the frame gently until the pulp falls onto the felt. Cover the pulp sheet with the other piece of felt and push gently on the pile to squeeze out the excess water. Be careful to push evenly. You may want to use a rolling pin or handpress to get out as much water as you can.
Step 5
Press out as much water as you can, then carefully remove the top piece of wool felt. Take two corners of the paper and slowly roll the paper off the other piece of felt. Clip the sheet to a laundry line with two clothespins and let dry in a warm area shielded from any wind.
Drying time can take anywhere from three hours to a day, depending on the thickness of the sheet and the amount of sunlight.
Other Ideas
As you can see, the basic steps to making paper are quite simple. From here, you can experiment with different types of fibers and other additives, such as flowers, glitter, and dyes, which can be mixed with the pulp—just add white glue or startch as you blend the pulp with the additives. If you want to use vegetable matter as your fiber source, be sure not to skip step 2, where you boil the pulp. You may also want to add some white glue or other starch to the pulp to help bind the fibers together. And if you are feeling adventurous, you may even want to give your screen some texture—shape it into a person’s face, for example, and make a paper mask. The possibilities are endless!
Questions About Watermark
Elena, Auda’s mother, is often talked about in terms of her sacrifice. How did this sacrifice affect Auda? How is this sacrifice similar and different from the story of the pelican told by the archbishop?
Auda suffered two traumas at birth—her albinism and the loss of her tongue. Which experience shaped her more?
How does Auda use her other senses and abilities to make up for her lack of voice?
Paper is discussed as a way to share knowledge among all people, thus equalizing everyone. Do you agree with this premise? Why or why not?
How is writing different from speech, both in terms of what and how something is communicated? Is there an inherent danger in the act or products of writing, and in making the ability accessible to people of all backgrounds? Would the inquisitors’ manual be more or less fearsome if it were transmitted by the spoken rather than the written word?
What about the Good Men’s philosophy scares the Church? How do piety and fear work against each other?
Why does Martin give the scribing job to Auda? What are his hopes for her?
Medieval beauty and love were spoken in terms of both body and spirit. How do these concepts apply to Auda and Poncia? How do they apply to women today?
Watermarks were thought to be a way for heretics and infidels to communicate with each other. How do you think people might have used watermarks, and their designs, to communicate? Why is this different than a baker’s mark or a guild’s symbol?
Medieval women often married for security rather than for love. Did Auda make the right choice in rejecting Edo
uard? How might her life have been different had she married him?
How does the vicomtesse become a mother figure to Auda? Is she the type of mother Auda wished for? How does she displace or augment Poncia as a caretaker?
As Auda finds new freedom in her job as a scribe, Poncia retreats into her marriage and her faith. What events in Poncia’s life cause this retreat? How is Poncia’s shuttered life similar and different than Auda’s childhood?
What does the vicomte see in Auda? What does Jaime? How do the attentions of these men compare? Do they fall into the category of courtly love?
How is life at the palace different from Auda’s previous life? Was it a wise decision to send her to a place of such prominence?
Both Auda and Jaime seem to view the world differently than most others. How do they view each other?
The transition between the spoken and written word also brought with it ideas of single authorship, accountability, and plagiarism. How does storytelling written by one author compare with the traditions of oral storytelling by multiple performers?
Courtly love seems to have different definitions according to men versus women. What are these differences? How do they compare to modern-day attitudes from both genders?
It is easy to see why cheap paper may have had appeal for heretics wishing to share their ideas with many. Who else might have been attracted by paper? How could the Church have used paper to its benefit?
In the story, sacrifice is touted as a method of asking for something one wants. What sacrifices have each of the characters made and for what?
Auda’s verses portray men of different stations, including those of the Church, as villains and predators. How are these views supported by her own experiences? How much of an influence does Jaime’s past have on her?
What significance does Auda’s gift of a watermark to her father have?
When Auda decides to trade her body for the vicomte’s help, whom does she betray the most—the vicomte, the vicomtesse, her imprisoned father, Jaime, or herself?
René appears to have a deep effect on Auda. How do his actions impact her choices later?
The death of Martin and Auda’s torture can be blamed on many people. How did each character’s actions get them to this point? Are any of them truly guilty or truly innocent?
How does Auda learn that men and women can be equal? How does she use this philosophy?
Both the archbishop and the vicomte find themselves doing the unthinkable in favor of a larger good. Does the inquisitor fit into this category as well? Why or why not?
The relationship between Auda and Poncia is close throughout the book. What did each sister expect of the other? How were these expectations met or disregarded?
Given Jaime’s hatred for the Church and Auda’s traumatic experience with the inquisitor, was it a surprise the couple ended up at a monastery? Does this mark a new life and change in attitudes for them?
Watermarks, and being marked by water, are discussed throughout the book. How do these concepts apply to each character?
What is the nature of true love? Do any of these characters find it?
About the Author
VANITHA SANKARAN holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University. Her stories have been published in various print and online journals. In addition, she is a founding editor for the literary journal flashquake. She is at work on her second novel, which is about printmaking in Renaissance Venice.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Praise for
Watermark
“Authoritative and evocative in its use of historical detail, this stunning debut novel will transport readers to medieval France where evil lurks in unlikely places and love endures. Like the river Auda, for which the novel’s unforgettable heroine is named, this story flows deep and dark and swift from its beginning to its powerful end.”
—Brenda Vantrease
“Watermark is a powerful novel about the destructive forces unleashed by ignorance and superstition. Readers will care deeply for the courageous Auda who finds love where she least expects it, in the shadow of the Inquisition.”
—New York Times bestselling author Sharon Kay Penman
“Watermark is a stunning debut—moving, compelling, and illuminating. Vanitha Sankaran has magically captured the lost world of medieval France in all its social, religious, and philosophical complexity, and done so with an admirable verve. Peopled with a wide array of compelling characters, Watermark is historical fiction at its best.”
—David Liss, author of
The Devil’s Company and The Whiskey Rebels
“An addictively engaging novel set at a time when reading and writing bloomed—the dawn of papermaking. What book lover could resist?”
—Nicole Mones, author of
The Last Chinese Chef and Lost in Translation
“A beautiful look at the dangers of an intolerant yesterday…whose battles are still fought today.”
—Erika Mailman, author of The Witch’s Trinity
“This engaging, clearly written novel pulls readers into a corner of the Middle Ages not often seen…. In recounting one woman’s journey to discover her literary voice, Vanitha Sankaran evokes a distant era with startling parallels to our time.”
—Sarah Johnson, book review editor,
The Historical Novels Review and
author of Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre
Credits
Map of Narbonne courtesy of the author.
Cover design by Laura Klynstra
Cover image © The National Trust Photolibrary / Alamy
Cover image © Shutterstock Images
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
WATERMARK. Copyright © 2010 by Vanitha Sankaran. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
EPub Edition © March 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-198997-1
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