The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses
Encyclopedia
The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses was an early Jacobean era masque
, written by Samuel Daniel
and performed in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace
on the evening of Sunday, January 8, 1604
. One of the earliest of the Stuart
Court masques, staged when the new dynasty had been in power less than a year and was closely engaged in peace negotiations with Spain, The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses stood as a precedent and a pattern for the many masques that followed during the next four decades.
, who had recently returned to England from the royal court of Anne's father Christian IV of Denmark
, and so had a connection with her courtly establishment. The stage set had clear similarities with Jones's later masque work; the set for The Vision consisted of a large mountain, plus a Temple of Peace and a Cave of Sleep at the opposite end of the hall.
. The presenters are Iris
, the Graces
, a Sybil, and personifications of Night and Sleep. (These speaking roles were taken by boys and men who were not aristocrats but lower Court functionaries. Aristocratic participants in Court masques generally did not take speaking roles.) The musicians who played cornets
were dressed as satyrs
.
In the masque, Night appears and awakens her son, Sleep, who calls forth a vision for the spectators with his wand (and promptly goes back to sleep). Iris appears at the top of the artificial mountain, and descends to the Temple of Peace, where she tells the Sybil about the coming of the goddesses. The Graces appear on the mountaintop and descend to the floor below, followed by twelve goddesses, descending three by three, to the music of the satyrs. Each goddess is followed by a torchbearer, dressed in white with gold stars. The dozen aristocrats parade to the Temple of Peace as the Graces sing; the main dances ensue.
, the queen consort of King James I
, and eleven of the queen's ladies in waiting. They were attired as classical goddesses and danced in the masque; the Queen, curiously, did not take the obvious role of Juno
, queen of the gods, but rather Pallas Athena
. The dozen noble participants and their roles were:
, who had left some 500 gowns behind her when she died, many of them luxurious, some worn only once. These supplied cloth of silver and cloth of gold for the goddesses' garb.
Even with this frugality, the masque cost between two and three thousand pounds to stage. Lady Penelope Rich reportedly wore £20,000 worth of jewels while appearing the masque — though she was outdone by the Queen, who sported fully £100,000 in gems. (This kind of extreme display became characteristic of the courtly masques during the Stuart era, and was a focus of controversy and deep disapproval by wide segments of the public.) Anne carried a spear and wore a helmet and a tunic, embroidered with cannon and weapons of war, which ended just below the knee, quite an innovation for the time. As courtly humorist Dudley Carleton
put it, "her clothes were not so much below the knee but that we might see a woman had both feet and legs which I never knew before."
by the bookseller Edward Allde
. This was an unauthorized and defective printing; Daniel countered it with an authorized and accurate octavo
edition in the same year, issued by the stationer Simon Waterson. That edition bears Daniel's dedication of the work to his patroness Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
, who had recommended him to Queen Anne for the commission; the dedication, at 210 lines, is the longest in English Renaissance drama. The text was reprinted in quarto in 1623.
and later a chamberlain; and the Queen gave him the job of licensing plays for the Children of the Chapel
, the troupe of child actors that Anne had just taken into her patronage as the Children of the Queen's Revels. His ascendancy was brief, however: later in 1604 Daniel got into trouble with the Privy Council
over a performance of his play Philotas, which was seen as a too-friendly commentary on the Essex
rebellion of 1601. Daniel bowed out of further masque-writing for the Court — though commentators wonder how voluntary his action was. Ben Jonson quickly took over as the principal (though not the sole) masque writer for the Stuarts. Daniel did make one more venture in masquing prior to his 1619 death; he composed Tethys' Festival for its summer 1610
performance.
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
, written by Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian.-Early life:Daniel was born near Taunton in Somerset, the son of a music-master. He was the brother of lutenist and composer John Danyel. Their sister Rosa was Edmund Spenser's model for Rosalind in his The Shepherd's Calendar; she eventually married...
and performed in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
on the evening of Sunday, January 8, 1604
1604 in literature
The year 1604 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Isaac Casaubon becomes sub-librarian of the royal library in Paris.*Construction of the Red Bull Theatre in London....
. One of the earliest of the Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
Court masques, staged when the new dynasty had been in power less than a year and was closely engaged in peace negotiations with Spain, The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses stood as a precedent and a pattern for the many masques that followed during the next four decades.
Design
The name of the masque's designer is not recorded in the historical sources; some scholars have argued that he may have been Inigo JonesInigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, who had recently returned to England from the royal court of Anne's father Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, and so had a connection with her courtly establishment. The stage set had clear similarities with Jones's later masque work; the set for The Vision consisted of a large mountain, plus a Temple of Peace and a Cave of Sleep at the opposite end of the hall.
The show
Daniel's text draws on classical mythologyMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. The presenters are Iris
Iris (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity...
, the Graces
Charites
In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...
, a Sybil, and personifications of Night and Sleep. (These speaking roles were taken by boys and men who were not aristocrats but lower Court functionaries. Aristocratic participants in Court masques generally did not take speaking roles.) The musicians who played cornets
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
were dressed as satyrs
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
.
In the masque, Night appears and awakens her son, Sleep, who calls forth a vision for the spectators with his wand (and promptly goes back to sleep). Iris appears at the top of the artificial mountain, and descends to the Temple of Peace, where she tells the Sybil about the coming of the goddesses. The Graces appear on the mountaintop and descend to the floor below, followed by twelve goddesses, descending three by three, to the music of the satyrs. Each goddess is followed by a torchbearer, dressed in white with gold stars. The dozen aristocrats parade to the Temple of Peace as the Graces sing; the main dances ensue.
Cast
The performance featured Anne of DenmarkAnne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
, the queen consort of King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and eleven of the queen's ladies in waiting. They were attired as classical goddesses and danced in the masque; the Queen, curiously, did not take the obvious role of Juno
Juno (mythology)
Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
, queen of the gods, but rather Pallas Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
. The dozen noble participants and their roles were:
- Queen Anne.................Pallas
- Countess of Suffolk........Juno
- C. of Hertford................DianaDiana (mythology)In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
- C. of Bedford................VestaVesta (mythology)Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples...
- C. of Derby............ProserpineProserpinaProserpina or Proserpine is an ancient Roman goddess whose story is the basis of a myth of Springtime. Her Greek goddess' equivalent is Persephone. The probable origin of her name comes from the Latin, "proserpere" or "to emerge," in respect to the growing of grain...
- C. of Nottingham.....ConcordiaConcordia (mythology)In Roman religion, Concord was the goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. Her Greek version is Harmonia, and the Harmonians and some Discordians equate her with Aneris. Her opposite is Discordia ....
- Lady Rich.....................VenusVenus (mythology)Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
- Lady Hatton................MacariaMacariaMacaria or Makaria is the name of two figures from ancient Greek religion and mythology. Although they are not said to be the same and are given different fathers, they are discussed together in a single entry in both the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia the Suda and by Zenobius.-Daughter of...
- Lady Walsingham........Astraea
- Susan Vere.....................FloraFlora (mythology)In Roman mythology, Flora was a goddess of flowers and the season of spring. While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime...
- Dorothy Hastings............Ceres
- Elizabeth Howard..........TethysTethys (mythology)In Greek mythology, Tethys , daughter of Uranus and Gaia was an archaic Titaness and aquatic sea goddess, invoked in classical Greek poetry but not venerated in cult. Tethys was both sister and wife of Oceanus...
Costumes
The ladies' costumes were sumptuous: "Juno" wore a "sky-colored mantle" embroidered with gold and peacock feathers, with a crown also of gold; "Diana" was dressed a "green mantle" embroidered with silver half moons, "with a croissant of pearls on her head." The costumes were created by ransacking the wardrobe of the dead Queen ElizabethElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, who had left some 500 gowns behind her when she died, many of them luxurious, some worn only once. These supplied cloth of silver and cloth of gold for the goddesses' garb.
Even with this frugality, the masque cost between two and three thousand pounds to stage. Lady Penelope Rich reportedly wore £20,000 worth of jewels while appearing the masque — though she was outdone by the Queen, who sported fully £100,000 in gems. (This kind of extreme display became characteristic of the courtly masques during the Stuart era, and was a focus of controversy and deep disapproval by wide segments of the public.) Anne carried a spear and wore a helmet and a tunic, embroidered with cannon and weapons of war, which ended just below the knee, quite an innovation for the time. As courtly humorist Dudley Carleton
Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester
Dudley Carleton, 1st Viscount Dorchester was an English art collector, diplomat and Secretary of State.-Early life:He was the second son of Antony Carleton of Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, and of Jocosa, daughter of John Goodwin of Winchendon, Buckinghamshire...
put it, "her clothes were not so much below the knee but that we might see a woman had both feet and legs which I never knew before."
Diplomacy
Attendance at the masque was highly coveted, and grew to be a bone of contention among the Court's foreign ambassadors — another element that would become typical of future masques. The competition was so intense that the French ambassador, the Comte de Beaumont, actually threatened to kill his Spanish counterpart De Tassis in the King's presence if he couldn't attend.Publication
Daniel's text for the masque was published in a 1604 quartoBook size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
by the bookseller Edward Allde
Edward Allde
Edward Allde was an English printer in London during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He was responsible for a number of significant texts in English Renaissance drama, including some of the early editions of plays by William Shakespeare.-Life:Edward Allde was part of a family of professional...
. This was an unauthorized and defective printing; Daniel countered it with an authorized and accurate octavo
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
edition in the same year, issued by the stationer Simon Waterson. That edition bears Daniel's dedication of the work to his patroness Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras...
, who had recommended him to Queen Anne for the commission; the dedication, at 210 lines, is the longest in English Renaissance drama. The text was reprinted in quarto in 1623.
Aftermath
Daniel did well from the masque; he was made, firstly, a Groom of the Queen's ChamberGroom of the Chamber
Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles...
and later a chamberlain; and the Queen gave him the job of licensing plays for the Children of the Chapel
Children of the Chapel
The Children of the Chapel were the boys with unbroken voices, choristers, who formed part of the Chapel Royal, the body of singers and priests serving the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they were called upon to do so....
, the troupe of child actors that Anne had just taken into her patronage as the Children of the Queen's Revels. His ascendancy was brief, however: later in 1604 Daniel got into trouble with the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
over a performance of his play Philotas, which was seen as a too-friendly commentary on the Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
rebellion of 1601. Daniel bowed out of further masque-writing for the Court — though commentators wonder how voluntary his action was. Ben Jonson quickly took over as the principal (though not the sole) masque writer for the Stuarts. Daniel did make one more venture in masquing prior to his 1619 death; he composed Tethys' Festival for its summer 1610
1610 in literature
The year 1610 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Thomas Bodley makes an agreement with the Stationers' Company of London to put a copy of every book registered with them into his new Bodleian.-New books:...
performance.
Sources
- Ungerer, Gustav. "Juan Pantoja de la Cruz and the Circulation of Gifts Between the English and Spanish Courts in 1604/5", in Shakespeare Studies, John Leeds Barroll, ed.; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1998. ISBN 0838637825.
- Bergeron, David Moore. Textual Patronage in English Drama, 1570–1640. London, Ashgate, 2006.
- Chambers, E. K.Edmund Kerchever ChambersSir Edmund Kerchever Chambers was an English literary critic and Shakespearean scholar. His four-volume history of Elizabethan theater, published in 1923, remains a standard resource for scholars of the period's drama....
The Elizabethan Stage. 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923. - Daniel, Samuel. The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses. Edited and with an Introduction by Ernest Law. London, Bernard Quaritch, 1880.