The Revolutionary Women of 13th-Century Europe
Before we delve into the captivating realm of the Beguines, let’s first establish a foundation for this intriguing term and its connection to the remarkable figure of John Starr Cooke.
To set the scene, we turn to a classic Cole Porter melody that lies at the heart of our narrative. The title “Begin the Beguine” is shrouded in mystery; no one quite knows what it signifies or why Porter gave the tune that name. What we do know is that this enchanting tune became a monumental hit in the last century—a testament to Porter’s unparalleled talent. Legend has it that during a 1935 voyage across the Pacific on Cunard’s elegant ocean liner, the Franconia, Porter composed the song while traversing the lush landscapes of Kalabahi, Indonesia, and the picturesque shores of Fiji.
Fate had a curious hand to play as well. Young John Starr Cooke, accompanied by his father, embarked on that very same cruise. “John later recalled that on this trip he met Cole Porter,” writes Mark Walker, “and that Porter wrote the song ‘Begin the Beguine’ for him. This is part of the reason John produced the photograph of himself, with the inscription ‘BEGIN’.”
The phrase struck a deep chord within John, resonating throughout his life like a haunting melody. It’s hard to say why that was so, but one can’t help but wonder if it beckoned him to explore the intricate tapestry of history—a journey that now takes us back to the transformative 13th century.
A Medieval Women’s Movement
The Beguines are often hailed as the first women’s movement in the annals of Christian and European history. Flourishing across Europe during the 13th to 16th centuries, the Beguines emerged as part of a broader spiritual revival of the Piscean Age that stressed imitating Jesus’ life through voluntary poverty, care of the poor and sick, and religious devotion.
These pioneering women resided in semi-monastic communities, embracing a communal lifestyle, yet they refrained from taking formal religious vows. Instead, they made a commitment not to marry “as long as they lived as Beguines,” according to one of their early governing rules, maintaining the freedom to leave whenever they chose.
The obscurity of the Beguines in mainstream historical narratives is a poignant reminder of the relentless censorship and societal control exerted by secular authorities. It reminds us that we are not alone, and that many brave souls in our history risked everything to push boundaries and challenge power. But you’ll hardly ever read their names in the history books.
In her illuminating article, “Beguines and literature in the Middle Ages,” featured on the Europeana website, Hannah Johnson offers a rich perspective on this captivating medieval women’s movement.
She notes, “Women in the Middle Ages greatly contributed to the creation and transmission of literature, both Latin and vernacular. The Beguines were one of the most influential groups of women in this respect. They were an order of female semi-religious active largely in the 13th century in and around (present-day) northern France, southern Germany, and the Low Countries.
“Beguines were women who chose to live religiously but did so without vowing perpetual poverty or chastity or enclosing themselves in convents, thus keeping themselves firmly independent from institutional ecclesiastical authority. As a result, they were called semi-religious because they stood on the border between secular and religious life: officially, they were secular (outside of Church control) but performed a religious role within society.”
Johnson elaborates on their unique living arrangements: “They lived in ‘beguinages’, which could either be houses or entire towns where beguine women formed a community that lived and worked together. Primarily, beguines performed charitable works for their lay communities and would sometimes provide religious guidance. Some beguines even preached to the people.”
The Beguines played a vital role in their local communities, engaging in numerous acts of service.
In Patricia A. Geary’s article, “The Beguines of Medieval Europe: Mystics and Visionaries,” she writes: “The women did ‘apostolic work’ appropriate to the needs of the surrounding area. They worked in their own infirmaries, in nearby hospitals, or in the homes of the seriously ill where they also sought to bring the words of Scripture to the ailing. They cared for lepers, who were outcasts and considered untouchable by the general population. Further, beguines prepared the bodies of the dead for burial, while many served as midwives receiving their training from doctors or other midwives. They created facilities for abandoned babies and foundlings while many beguine communities included children, be they orphans or child prostitutes. These children were taken in, supported, protected, and educated by the group. Along with ministry to the poor and ill, a number of beguines dedicated themselves to the education of youth through the establishment of coeducational schools. The beguines believed that an educated citizenry would be a boon to the local economy as well as of benefit to their own financial endeavors.
“Life as a beguine had a number of advantages for women as they could move about freely, and those who did not marry avoided the potential risk of dying in childbirth, a common occurrence at the time (Gwendoline, 2017). Within a century, there were tens of thousands of beguines across the recently revitalized European continent.”
As Beguine communities evolved, they became centers of education and enlightenment for women, leading several to attain recognition as mystics and writers. Notable among them was Marguerite Porete, whose work, ‘The Mirror of Simple Souls’, was deemed heretical, resulting in her execution by burning on June 1, 1310.
Mystic Impulse
A dictionary definition of mysticism is “belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender.”
The mystic impulse powered the Beguines from the dawn of their movement. They warmed to the mysticism of Joachim of Fiore, with many adopting his radical doctrine that the “Age of the Holy Spirit” was imminent.
But the Beguines were playing with fire—the fire and brimstone of worldly forces.
Joachim’s theology of history articulated a chronological journey through divine ages, transitioning “from the Age of the Father (Old Testament), characterized by fear and servile obedience (this was the age of the married and the old), to the Age of the Son (New Testament),” marked by “faith and filial obedience (this was the age of the clergy and the young),” and finally “the Age of the Holy Spirit, due to begin about 1260, which Joachim believed would be characterized by love and liberty (this was the age of monks and infants).”
Following the Franciscan Spirituals, strict observers of the rule and testament of St. Francis of Assisi, the Beguines anticipated that this new age would be heralded by the arrival of the Antichrist. Such beliefs inevitably set them on a collision course with the Catholic Church—chief defender of the “Age of the Son”—which wasn’t about to permit any serious consideration of an imminent “Age of the Holy Spirit.”
Like other heterodox groups of that period who have been erased from history, the Beguines shared a fascinating and revolutionary lifestyle when viewed from the perspective of the individuals who existed in these communities. The most obvious advantage was the total freedom this offered some women (and, of course, for all who exercised the challenge of holding views at odds with the Church and lived in marginal or remote communities).
Even now, it’s extremely intriguing to consider that ultracool “heretics” like the Amalricians, “a pantheist, free love movement named after Amalric of Bena,” had existed. According to Wikipedia, “The[ir] beliefs are thought to have influenced the Brethren of the Free Spirit.”
Remember, we’re still in 13th-century Europe. Fourteen followers of Amalric began to preach that “all things are One, because whatever is, is God.” Once more, it was a mystic outpouring that would set them on a path—similar to other heretical groups like the Cathars—toward physical elimination by the Church.
From this rich tapestry of history, we glean numerous insights.
There is an undeniable resonance between the spiritual revival movement of the 13th century and our contemporary experience NOW—a connection that often eludes the understanding of modern observers.
Indeed, we find ourselves on the brink of a new awakening. The Age of the Holy Spirit is near. Today, we stand at the threshold or transition point of great world ages or aeons—between Pisces and Aquarius.
Every world-changing event or process holds an esoteric or occult dimension, revealing intricate connections and synchronicities that signal the emergence of something new. The deeper you study these phenomena, the more pronounced these connections become, particularly when the subject resonates profoundly within your own framework of understanding.
However, these insights may remain obscured unless you actively engage with the whole. In this context, the archetypal transformation of the forthcoming Aquarian Aeon, heralded by the manifestation of the New Tarot in the 1960s. Engage with it, and you will make some very interesting connections—if your ‘eyes’ are open.
The phrase ‘Begin the Beguine’ serves as a pointer, echoing across the fabric of time, guiding us in understanding the shape of things to come.
Whether John Starr Cooke knew it consciously or not, ‘Begin the Beguine’ points us to this revolutionary medieval women’s movement that resonates with us today. The Age of the Holy Spirit—the Aeon of Aquarius—looms large on the horizon.
Top image from Christine de Pisan’s Book of the City of Ladies, c. 1405, Bibliothèque nationale de France. Read about it here.