Skip to main content

#HistFicThursday - Gothic Horror - The Clockmaker

One of the shortest stories included in my upcoming anthology was written for an Edgar Allan Poe competition in 2021, in which my work came Runner-Up, and is titled The Clockmaker . Edgar Allan Poe is most famous for his works of Gothic Horror, but it is easy to forget that he also dabbled in Science Fiction, as did many of his Gothic contemporaries. Indeed, a quick Google search has informed me that there are anthologies which solely contain his Science Fiction. The Clockmaker was designed to marry these Horror and SciFi elements to create the sort of story which Poe himself might have written. I won’t deny it: I was pleased with the outcome.  At only 500 words, it tells the story of a man who pays a visit to an old schoolfriend (you will realise, if you read much of my Gothic Horror, that old school/university friends play vital roles!) who is an inventor, and spends some time admiring a clock which he has made. I won’t spoil by telling you the ending, but I will say that he does...

#HistFicThursdays - Amphibalus - Man or Myth?

 As I'm sure you know by now, one of the things I love the most about writing historical fiction is the thin line which exists between the fact of historiography and the truths of history. Throw into that my interest in Theology, and there is little surprise that a person like Amphibalus sneaks into one of my WIPs.

But who was he? And, perhaps more curiously, did he really exist?

Amphibalus is credited with the conversion of Saint Alban, who is broadly accepted as being the first British martyr. According to the legend, Saint Alban took Amphibalus' cloak and went to execution in his stead because - and this is the bit which makes it perfect for applying to a novel - no one had a clue who Amphibalus even was. He was known simply as "The Cloaked Man".

While the martyrdom of Saint Alban suggests that "cloaked" meant he wore a cloak, that isn't all it meant. After all, quite a few people probably wore a cloak in those days, it didn't really limit the hunt down very much. The Cloaked Man probably referred to camoflauge, Amphibalus was clearly able to blend in with the Roman forts with little trouble. This raises the question as to whether he was a Roman himself. Certainly, there were plenty of Roman Christians at this time (late 3rd century) and, in the western part of the empire, most of them were largely ignored. As long as they would continue in the duties which were expected of them, their Christianity did not present as big an issue as it did in the eastern empire.

During the Middle Ages, Amphibalus rose in appeal. There were shrines built to him and he reached the same lofty heights as Saint Alban himself. But it is a little unclear just how he gained this spot in the eyes of the church. He was referenced in early texts as nothing more than a priest and yet, with a little help from the notoriously exuberant Geoffrey of Monmouth, Amphibalus was now an icon more than a rolemodel, and became an intercessor for those who adhered to his growing cult. Seamless overlaps were made by the chronicler with the legacies of Amphibalus and King Arthur. Amphibalus' progression into legend was now complete.

Later he, like so many overtly Catholic saints, were dropped from veneration within Britain, and the uncertainty surrounding him also led to his falling from favour within the Roman Church. But, while the question surrounding his existence remains, perhaps the most fascinating thing from the point of view of this novelist is: does it really matter? People believed so much in him, and certainly someone had converted Saint Alban, so Amphibalus had to have existed, if only as an idea.

For the sake of my book, Amphibalus has received his name as an ordained title. I like to think he existed in some way or another, and so I took his life of servitude and interspersed it with all the unexplained happenings - or miracles - which surrounded the early church in Britain.


Ultimately, according to Matthew Paris, Amphibalus faced his own martyrdom some years later although this - like his entire story - is vague and unsubstantiated. He is surrounded by a lack of proof and enshrouded in mystery.

So, was Amphibalus a man or a myth? Quite honestly, he's both. And that is what makes him perfect for a historical fiction writer to explore...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Masterworks: Legacy - Samantha Wilcoxson - Interview

  Today is the last of a series on nine interviews I'm sharing on the Crowvus Book Blog. These are from the authors of the short stories included in the  Masterworks  anthology by the  Historical Writers Forum . We're running through chronologically, some are video interviews, others are written. I am delighted to welcome the fantastic Samantha Wilcoxson, who is sharing the artist inspiration for her short story Legacy , as well as the appeal of James A. Hamilton, and the delights of researching. First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself, what you write (besides Masterworks!), and what inspired you to begin writing. I was inspired to write by my love of reading. After watching me read, write reviews, and keep journals for twenty years, my husband asked me why I didn’t try writing, so I did! Without really planning on it, I ended up writing historical biographical fiction. I’m drawn to a tragic tale but also to lesser known historical figures with emotive stor...

#HistFicThursdays - Apollo's Raven - Linnea Tanner - Book Blast

 If you've been following this blog for a little while, you might remember me sharing a fabulous guest post about this book in 2022 (which you can read here ). It's always great to welcome Linnea Tanner onto the Crowvus Book Blog, and I'm delighted to be taking part in her Coffee Pot Book Club book blast blog tour. So, let's meet the book... A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people. AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break t...

#HistFicThursdays - Strait Lace by Rosemary Hayward - Guest Post

For this week's #HistFicThursdays blog, I'm delighted to be welcoming  Rosemary Hayward  to the blog with a guest post about her new release  Strait Lace ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. Read on to discover the history surrounding this fabulous book. But first, let's meet the book... Blurb It is 1905. Edwardian England. Harriet Loxley, the daughter of a vicar and niece to a prominent Nottingham lace manufacturer, spends her days playing cricket with her brother, scouring the countryside for botanical specimens, and never missing an opportunity to argue the case for political power for women. Given the chance to visit the House of Commons, Harriet witnesses the failure of a historic bill for women’s voting rights. She also meets the formidable Pankhurst women. When Harriet gets the chance to study biology at Bedford College, London, she finds her opportunity to be at the heart of the fight. From marching in the street, to speaking to hostile c...