Begin with the Beguines
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
This is different from my normal travel articles. During a recent trip to Belgium, I became fascinated by keep stumbling across “Beguinages”, or neat little clusters of houses in many towns that used to be the homes of women living in community – not nuns, not cloistered, but simply living pious and chaste lives together – right up to 2003! This is their story.
Towards the end of the 12th century across Europe towns were developing and growing commercially. At this time, for reasons that are unclear, single women of any age and social class started to come together to live together in a religious community, but not ordered. There was no specific theology, just the desire to live in a pious manner. Usually living close to a waterway or source, outside city walls, they lived independent lives dedicated to God through charity, prayer and work. They live apart from social life, but were not cloistered. They go out into the world for work and trade, and can leave the community if they want. They can keep personal property, and promise obedience and chastity, but do not take vows.
There was no specific date or founder of the Beguines movement, although Marie d’Oignes from Nivelles (1177 – 1213) is revered as being instrumental in the early movement. In 1207 she joined a small group of men and women at Oignes, and became their leader. Here she met Jacques de Vitry (1170 – 1240) who wrote her biography and in 1216 as Bishop of St. John of Acre he persuaded Pope Innocent lll of the benefits of Beguines. Society and the religious hierarchy of the time were suspicious of groups of women who did not conform to the accepted roles for women, and who even read the Bible and discussed it – quite against the thinking at the time. Having a Papal nod of approval was vital. St. Begge is also venerated as a founder of the Beguines although this only appeared in the 17th century, whilst St. Begge founded the convent of Ardenne where she died in 695, several centuries before the start of the Beguine movement.
Beguinages became established in the Low Countries, the South of France, the Lower Rhine and the North of Italy. Today, the longest lasting and best preserved are in the Flemish (Dutch speaking) part of Belgium. In the Great Beguinage of St. Elizabeth in Ghent, founded in 1234, the Last Grand Mistress passed away on the 29th of January 2003. Josepha Goethals was 88, and had been in the Beguinage for 70 years, and Great Mistress for over 40 years.
Probably the earliest walled Beguinage was built in Louvain in 1232. Over the next 20 years a great many more were built, it was a sudden explosion of devoutness and dedication. Many women had wealth, and this was handed over to the Beguinage, although if they decided to leave they could have their money back. Poorer women could also join. All the women were expected to work, and industries which were traditionally women’s, like textiles, weaving, lace making, laundry, brought in a steady income, and helped to defray the cost of the charitable work of tending the sick.
At that time, it was rare for Communion to be received more than once or twice a year, even for priests, but the Beguines dedication to the Eucharist meant that they were expected to receive communion once a week. The spiritual affairs of the women, and much practical help in constructing the Beguinages, were given by the Cistercian and the Dominican monks. There was great support from Nobles and Monarchs, who donated land and building materials.
The great fervour of the women, and their liberation from the dominance of men, began to raise concerns. Some were evangelising, reading and discussing the Bible, and even translating it into the vernacular. In 1311, at the Council of Vienna, the German and Parisian Bishops promoted the condemnation of the Beguines. Pope Clement V decreed that all Beguinages be shut down, and the mendicant Beguines, and the few Beghards, the male followers of the Beguine movement but who never gathered in enclosed communities, were to be arrested. Over the next year or so, many were to die at the stake for heresy. However, in Belgium, the Beguines were better organised, and had subjected themselves to the religious authorities, and so they escaped the worst of these troubled times. In August 1318 Pope John XXll issued a bull separating Beguines “who live in a pious fashion” from “heretic Beguines, who live mostly in Germany”. Later, in another Bull of 1322, Pope John XXll reopened the Beguinages in Belgium, while elsewhere they were being disbanded.
The structure of a Beguinage was that there are neat houses, simple and uniform, a courtyard or open space, a church and cemetery, infirmary, and all surrounded by a tall wall. Access to water was necessary for laundry, and a drying green area, planted with coarse grass so that the linen could be spread out and the air could circulate under the cloth for the best finish. Some of the houses were communal, and called “convents”, where the poorer ladies lived together. Although the Beguines went out of the Beguinage, it was never alone, always at least two together. Men, including priests, were not allowed in the Beguinage after sunset, when the doors would be firmly closed and barred. Every entrance gate had a “portress” guarding it to keep out undesirables.
The infirmary, and tending the sick, was an important function. In 1467 Emperor Charles V visited Mechelen, near Brussels and an important city at that time. He was so impressed by the over 900 Beguines who lined the street to welcome him, that he granted them a tax exemption on the beer that they brewed, providing that it was not sold outside the Beguinage. The water was not drinkable, so the Beguines produced a good quality beer which they gave to all the ill people to drink, which probably helped them recover too! The Beguines were certainly industrious, and with all their activities, as well as having money from wealthy ladies who joined them, they were totally self supporting financially.
The textile activity was important. Linen weaving was the main industry, and in 1252 Countess Marguerite of Constantinople granted them a franchise on the weaving trade exempting them from taxes – which of course was not appreciated by the men in the regular weaving trade who saw this as unfair competition. Eventually the weaving industry collapsed due to cheaper imports of industrially produced cloths, so the Beguines turned to lace making. When this too declined, due to mechanically produced lace flooding the market, they turned to teaching young ladies.
In the 17th century the southern Low Countries were ruled by the remarkable Archdukes Albert and Isabella, daughter of King Philip of Spain. These inspiring rulers (who gave shelter to our statue of “Our Lady of Aberdeen” which is still there in Brussels) gave great encouragement to the Beguines, and during their reign the Beguinages flourished and had more ladies than ever before or since.
This glorious century was followed by the disaster of the French Revolution in the 18th century. The French suppressed religious communities and forbade the taking of religious vows. In 1794 victorious French troops entered Belgian territory. They had already closed down all the French Beguinages, and set about despoiling and plundering the religious houses in Belgium – but didn’t quite know what to do with the Beguines. They did not fit the category of religious order, as they took no vows, and could leave the Beguinage whenever they wanted. They certainly performed works of charity, looking after the dead and dying, the sick and the beggars. They could keep their property, leave their Beguinage and marry if they wished, although they did wear a uniform or habit, which was banned by the French. This was decided at a local level – many Beguinages survived intact, some were simply closed and robbed by the local authorities. In 1803 a decree finally clarified the situation, all their property was to be transferred to the Civil Hospices, they were to abandon the habit, the doors to the enclosures were removed to end the “closed” aspect of their way of life, and their churches were closed down.
Once the French were defeated at Waterloo, William of Orange retained the French laws but allowed some freedom, and in 1825 the surviving Beguines were allowed to wear the habit again. With the help of wealthy supporters, some property was bought back, and of the 94 Beguinages, 26 were able to continue. In the latter half of the 19th century there was a revival of Catholicism, with the Immaculate Conception promulgated by Pope Pious lX in 1854, and the apparitions at Lourdes in 1858. This helped the Beguines as they had always been devotees of Mary, and some even had Lourdes type grottos built inside their walls, attracting the faithful and bringing some new recruits. Their number started to grow again.
The 20th century saw the growing secularisation of society, and dwindling interest in becoming a Beguine. In the Flemish (Dutch speaking) part of Belgium, the final Beguinages saw their numbers drop from around 1500 ladies in 1900, to 600 by 1960, to 50 in 1980. As mentioned earlier, the last Grand Mistress died in 2003. Thus ended eight centuries of a great, noble tradition and our society is the poorer for its loss.
In December 1998, UNESCO classified 13 Belgian Flemish Beguinages as “World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage”. I have visited just 2, (so far) at Ghent and Mechelen. In the noise and bustle of these cities, you find yourself in an oasis of neat houses, small gardens, niches for statues of saints on houses and walls, (now mostly empty) and a peace and tranquillity. It makes you think of the countless thousands of independent women who only wanted to live pious, Christian, Catholic, industrious and charitable lives together in community and answerable only to themselves and to God. If you are passing their way, have a look at the Beguinages at the following towns, with their dates of foundation, below – Brugge 1242, Dendermonde 1272, Diest 1245, Ghent 1262, Hoogstraten 1391, Kortrijk 1241, Leuven 1232, Lier 1258, Mechelen 1259, Turnhout 1340, Sint Amandsberg (close to Ghent) 1234, Sint – Tuiden 1258, Tongeren 1243, and pause and reflect.
