Knife and sword imagery in the Reeve's Tale

Symkyn the miller's arms which include a "panade", a "swerd", a "poppere" and a "Sheffield thwitel" have been regarded as an emblem of his aggressive charcter and pride and, hence, as an element which contributes to the denouement of the fabliau 1. As will be pointed out below, they are also phallic symbols. The knives and sword of Symkyn and the clerks Aleyn and John have various thematic functions since both literally and symbolically they add anew dimention to the fabliau. They are a detail contributing to the comedy of Symkyn's fall and a stock element of the estates satire, and, thus they become a vital link/for the balance of the quitting theme established between the Miller's Tale and the Reeve's Tale. In the two French fabliaux, which W.M. Hart has proposed as the analogues to Chaucer's Reeve's Tale, the arms do not appear 2. It is a commonplace in all the medieval fabliaux that all the moral and social significance of the character is emblematically depicted through the tools, costumes and other personal properties which belong to, or are used by the character. This is necessitated by the fact that the plot pattern of the French fabliau does not allow any character analysis, and Chaucer to some extent reiterates the same tradition: If the emblems of the knife and sword are considered literally and interpreted as realistic detail it not only helps to reflect the moral traits of the character but also indirectly implies his intentions, as for example, can be demonstrated from the description of Symkyn's arms: \ Ay by his belt he baar a long panade. And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade. A joly poppere baar he is [sic] in his pouche; A She ffeld thwitelbaar hein ids hose3.' . (A $939-33) The miller is decked with a sword, a dagger, and two knives* moreover, he is a muscular and strong man. Hence, "the* was no man, for peril, dorste hym tooche"(A 3937) The portrayal of his character through such traits may be regarded as a narrative stratagem which the Reeve uses to refer to his fellow pilgrim Robin of the General Prologue; thus as is often suggested Symkyn becomes a reiteration of Robin the miller in the General Prologue. They are both physically strong, highly skilful in wrestling and quite aggressive; Robin can easily find access to places where he is not wanted by breaking the doors with his head. Similarly, Symkyn is a threat to his immediate environment, and nobody dares to oppose him: "Ther dorste no wight hand upon hym legge,/ That he ne swoor he sholde anon abegge" (A 3937-38). » The physiognomies of Symkyn and Robin are also effective elements in establishing a link between the two characters, Robin's thick and wide shoulders, short neck, wide nose with the bristly red-haired wart, and big mouth are all signs of his lustiness, quarrelsomeness and slyness according to medieval physiognomical lore4-Similarly, Symkyn's round face, "camus" nose and ape4ike skull indicate his lusty nature and define him as a bully. Chaucer resembles Symkyn to an ape; through this simile he implies many aspects of the miller and foreshadows his downfall. In medieval animal-lore the ape was considered, an "animal of grimaces and tricks", which is appropriate for. Symkyn as he prides himself in trickery and theft The ape was also equated to the worst stage of drunkenness. In addition to these, lasciviousness was another attribute of the ape 5. Hence, throught the simile Symkyn's lusty character is implied and a complete parallel to Robin is established. The musical giftedness of the two milters is another trait that they both share. Hence, Robin's bagpipe has an additional rustic and sexual significance. As it resembled physically to the human stomach and male genitals, and. produced incongruos sounds it was used in medieval iconography to signify the sins of lechery and gluttony 6. Robin is noted for both sins as "he was a jangtere and a goliardeys,/ And that was moost of synne and harlotries" {A 560-61). Later on, in keeping with his character he tells a fabliau of litter promiscuity, and during the pilgrimage he becomes so drunk that he can hardly ride on his horses Symkyn is also described as a piper (A 3927); therefore, the associations of the bagpipe may be carried on to him as well/since he becomes drunk in the story and produces sounds of the same sort (A 4163-64).