Pavane by Keith Roberts
"Pavane" is a thought-provoking work of alternative history that envisions a world shaped by the successful invasion of England by the Spanish Armada, leading to the suppression of social and technological advancements by the Catholic Church. The narrative unfolds across six distinct sections, referred to as "measures," plus a coda, each exploring the lives of characters whose experiences reflect the broader societal implications of this historical divergence. Central to the story are themes of love, rebellion, and the consequences of communication methods in a world where traditional progress is stifled.
The characters, such as Jesse Strange, Rafe Bigland, and Brother John, navigate personal and collective challenges, illustrating the tension between individual desires and institutional power. The book also incorporates elements of myth and history, notably in Rafe’s vision of a mysterious girl who embodies England’s mythic past. As the narrative evolves, the characters confront the political authority of Rome, culminating in a rebellion led by Lady Eleanor, which, despite its suppression, signifies a shift towards a more liberated future.
In its reflective coda, "Pavane" suggests that while historical progress can be delayed, it is ultimately inexorable and vital for humanity's growth. The story invites readers to contemplate the intricate relationship between history, technology, and the human experience, making it a resonant exploration of the past and its implications for modernity.
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Pavane
First published: 1968
Type of work: Stories
Type of plot: Science fiction—alternate history
Time of work: 1968 and later in the twentieth century
Locale: Southern England
The Plot
Rearranging four centuries of history, Pavane postulates a successful invasion of England by the Spanish Armada and the subsequent suppression of social and technological change by the Catholic church. It is a beautifully haunting evocation of a quasi-medieval England preserved as well as transformed by this historical detour.
Pavane takes its title from a stately court dance of the sixteenth century; appropriately, the book is divided into six distinctive “measures” and a brief “coda.” In the opening section, “The Lady Margaret,” Jesse Strange, one of the “hauliers” who pilot the steam-powered freight engines that travel the desolate roads of southern England, finally confesses his long-buried love for a woman, only to be rejected by her. Apart from references to the city of “Londinium” and the papal edict of 1910 restricting the use of petroleum, this sensitive story of love and heartbreak could easily take place in the present. The image of steam engines running without rails, however, is a clear and effective illustration of the theme of alternative history.
The book’s second section, “The Signaller,” follows Rafe Bigland from a childhood dominated by his fascination with the towers that transmit semaphore signals across the country, through his entry into the guild that runs the towers, to his untimely death at a lonely outpost deep in the forests of England. The story focuses primarily on the social consequences of a communications system based neither on the delivery of written documents nor on the transmission of electronic signals. A fantastic element enters the text when a mysterious girl appears to comfort the dying Rafe with songs from England’s mythic past. These songs present a cyclical view of history that foreshadows the final coda by conflating Christianity and Norse mythology.
In the third section, “Brother John,” an artistically gifted monk is assigned to record the inquisitorial procedures of the “Court of Spiritual Welfare.” What he witnesses robs him of his talent, unhinges his mind, and propels him into an ill-fated rebellion against the church, recapitulating the struggles of the Reformation and presaging the final overthrow of Rome. Urged by his followers to confront the pope directly, Brother John departs for Rome. A tragic end to his voyage is signified by the broken keel washed ashore the next morning.
“Lords and Ladies” continues the saga of the Strange family with the story of Jesse’s niece, Margaret, who relives incidents from her youth while at her uncle’s deathbed. As a girl, Margaret watches her uncle assuage his broken heart by transforming the small fleet of steam engines he inherited from his father into a vast business empire. As a young woman, Margaret herself captures the attention and then the heart of the coarse Lord of Purbeck, thereby uniting the English nobility with the rising middle class and setting the stage for her own daughter’s climactic rebellion.
In “The White Boat,” a troubled adolescent named Becky is saved from drowning by the crew of a mysterious ship, upon which she discovers an illegal cargo of electronic equipment. After its departure she is plagued by feelings of guilt arising not only from her silent complicity with the smugglers but also from her awakening sexual desires. Becky finally confesses to her priest, who informs the authorities, but she sabotages an attempt to ambush the returning boat.
These stories are all brought together in the book’s final section, “Corfe Gate,” in which Lady Eleanor, the daughter of Margaret Strange and Robert of Purbeck, aided by the forbidden technology employed by her loyal and enigmatic seneschal, Sir John Falconer, leads a rebellion against the political authority of Rome. This uprising, though eventually suppressed, is the spark that finally frees England from the restraints of the church, giving birth to the utopian world that is glimpsed in the coda.
In the coda, a young man (the son of Lady Eleanor and Sir John Falconer) visits the ruins of Corfe Castle in a world that has been transformed by modern science and technology. There he reads a letter from Falconer revealing the true motive behind the church’s repressive policies. The letter relates that “The Church knew there was no halting Progress; but slowing it, slowing it even by half a century, giving man time to reach a little higher toward true Reason; that was the gift she gave this world. And it was priceless. Did she oppress? Did she hang and burn? A little, yes. But there was no Belsen. No Buchenwald. No Passchendaele.”
History, according to Pavane, cannot be diverted from its predetermined goal (represented by the modern world), but it can be postponed long enough for the human race to acquire the wisdom to endure the perils that progress will inevitably bring.