The gates of the world

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The gates of the world (original title: World Without End ) is a historical novel by Ken Follett and uses the plot as a sequel and some motifs from The Pillars of the Earth . The English original title was published in October 2007, the German version was published on February 29, 2008.

The protagonists are some of the descendants of the main characters of The Pillars of the Earth , the action begins in 1327, around 200 years after the time window of the previous novel, which however does not have to be assumed for reading this "sequel".

When the third novel in the "Kingsbridge series", The Foundation of Eternity (English original title: A Column of Fire , 2017), appeared in 2017, the fictional Kingsbridge is again the starting point for the plot that takes place in the Elizabethan age of the 16th century. In this third novel, the plot extends across Western Europe and many historical characters are interwoven with the fictional characters from Kingsbridge. This is only the case to a small extent in this second part of the series.

Themes and motifs

As in The Pillars of the Earth , Ken Follett dedicates himself to several topics that were important in the late Middle Ages. The story takes place in England in the 14th century and primarily depicts the mechanisms of power and the intrigues of feudal and clerical structures. It is about the role of women in the Middle Ages and their emancipation in the male-dominated world of the late Middle Ages. It is about the advances in medicine and the art of healing in the fight against outdated treatment methods, about the rights of farm workers in the Anglo-Saxon feudal system and about their hard and hard life. Motives for the plot are arbitrary rulers, exploitation of subordinates, power and abuse in the area of ​​the church and crown and various other topics. Above all there is the issue of the struggle for existence of the disenfranchised individual against great powers. The background of the epic, which is partly built up as a family chronicle of the various characters, is the beginning of the Hundred Years War and the outbreak of the plague , which lead to a shift in the ruling order in Europe.

“ So Follett skipped two hundred years and now puts the descendants of the originals at the center of the action. He opens a big barrel for them: From architecture to war, the development of modern medicine, church criticism and oppression of the peasants to the imbalance between clerical and secular masters, everything that moved the Middle Ages is there. "

- Julia Bähr in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung from March 7, 2008

“ England in 1327. Four young people are trying to make their fortune: the rebellious Merthin, a descendant of the great master builder Jack. His brother Ralph, who is about to become a knight. The girl Caris who longs for freedom. And Gwenda, the daughter of a day laborer who just wants to follow love. And there is Godwyn, an aspiring monk with only one goal in mind: to become prior of Kingsbridge Abbey. At all costs. "

- Blurb on Ken Follett: Die Tore der Welt, Bastei Lübbe, 2010

content

action

The novel is set in the fictional British city of Kingsbridge, which has 7,000 inhabitants and is ruled by the local double monastery. In England at the end of the Middle Ages, new buildings and complex relationship and love stories are once again the focus of the novel, which is divided into seven parts. In Kingsbridge, the important main bridge that gives access to the city collapses. It also shows that the cathedral tower, which has been enlarged beyond the original design, has to be renewed because its foundations are too weak and it is sloping. For both buildings it is important to use new techniques, which, however, meet with great distrust and resistance due to the existing arrogance of the class. The introduction of new or rediscovered methods in the art of healing also experiences similar resistance. In general, it is also about dealing with the arbitrariness that feudal structures make possible, which secular and clerical rulers do not want to give up. The bourgeois Kingsbridge is striving for the town charter in order to break away from the rule of the monastery that has dominated the town until this time.

The actors can be schematically assigned to two parties:

  • On the one hand there are the “progressives”: At their head are the master builder Merthin, a distant descendant of Jackson, and the enterprising Caris, daughter of a wealthy wool merchant who, as the future prioress of the nunnery, aims to build a hospital, and Gwenda who fights for justice as a farm worker for herself and her beloved Wulfric.
  • The opposing party, which insists on “old law and order”, are all relatives: Prior Godwyn, a cousin of Caris, and his adlatus and later successor Philemon, a brother of Gwenda. It also includes Ralph, Merthin's brother and later Count von Shiring.

The overarching storyline, however, is the love affair between the talented architect and builder Merthin and the clever Caris, who cares about her independence. They got to know and love each other in childhood and adolescence, and only after many turmoil in life and strokes of fate do they come together.

Table of contents

Part One (November 1327)

(Pages 1–75, length: 75 pages), illustration: The injured Sir Thomas Langley in the monastery

The first episode of the novel takes place in the cathedral , which was already the main location of the action in The Pillars of the Earth . The day laborer Joby instigates his little daughter Gwenda to steal the purse of the noble Sir Gerald during the All Saints' Day service in 1327. As a thief, he lost a hand to the executioner and can no longer carry out thefts himself. The little girl succeeds in the deed and with it she can ensure the survival of her family for some time.

The children Gwenda, Caris Wooler and the two brothers Ralph and Merthin, the sons of the robbed Sir Gerald, want to watch the men archery on a meadow in front of the city, but Merthin is not allowed to try out his little self-made bow. That's why they want to do this in the nearby forest. There they experience a sword fight between three knights, where one of them is killed. The second dies from an arrow that Ralph shoots in his eye. You save the life of the knight Thomas Langley, who is badly wounded on the sword arm. He reveals to Merthin, who remained behind, that an important secret is in the letter to the Count of Shiring, which he is carrying with him and is now burying it on the spot. Merthin does not learn the contents, but he has to swear that he will not open the hidden letter until after Langley's death, because it puts both of them in danger of being killed.

Sir Gerald, Merthin's father, has lost his fortune in the theft and is transferring his property to the priory of Kingsbridge, but the lord Roland, the Earl of Shiring, decides that the church will pay for his upkeep. He is now a muntling of the monastery, has become unfree and no longer owns any land. Count Roland determines the future of his two sons. Merthin becomes an apprentice to the builder Elfric and Ralph is supposed to learn from him first and later to become a knight as a Junker .

Caris, the daughter of the wealthy wool merchant Edmund Wooler, takes Gwenda into her house and introduces her to her family: her seriously ill mother and her aunt Petronilla, her father's sister. After her mother's near death, Petronilla wants to take her place. Widowed Petronilla has her own adult son, Godwyn, who has become a monk at the priory.

An important narrative thread begins with this 21-year-old monk Godwyn, who tries in vain to get a study in Oxford from his uncle Anthony, the prior of the men's convent, and the prioress Cecilia of the women's convent. Langley, who has been brought to the monastery hospital, receives makeshift care and surprisingly wants to become a monk, because as a monk he expects security. The mother of Caris and Alice dies that night and their aunt Petronella, the mother of Godwyn and sister of Prior Anthony, takes on the mother's role for the girls.

Part Two (June 8-14, 1337)

(Pages 76–219, length: 144 pages), illustration: Gwenda with the outlaws

The second part of the novel takes place almost ten years later, the children have become young adults who now want to determine their own lives and develop strong feelings that continue to determine the plot of the novel. Caris also feels called to study medicine , but has to understand that the profession of doctor is reserved for men only and is predominantly carried out by monks in their time, who, however, still practice outdated and harmful treatment methods such as bloodletting .

Rumors of King Edward II's death are now circulating. There is talk of a rebellion led by Roger Mortimer . Injured Thomas Langley is rescued by the nuns after his forearm has been amputated. Against the resistance of the prioress, Mother Cecilia, who refuses to accept warriors, the nobleman becomes the monk Brother Thomas.

A passionate love affair develops between Merthin and Caris. As an apprentice at Elfric, Merthin suffered numerous harassments, which he accepted, however, in order to later be accepted as a journeyman by the conservative guild. Elfric's daughter Griselda seduces the young man in revenge after someone has abandoned her and reveals to him a little later that she is pregnant by him. There is a scandal . As a father, Elfric feels his honor has been hurt and beats Merthin up. In the scramble, Merthin's “sketch floor”, ie a wooden model of his architectural planning, is destroyed. Merthin tells Caris about his unwanted fatherhood, which deeply hurts the young woman in love. But she promises to continue to stand by him.

Ralph is made a junker in the allegiance of Count Roland. In view of the impending war with France and the related contribution, Count Roland travels to Kingsbridge and wants to collect war taxes with all his might. Business on the wool market is not going well, due to the better infrastructure , the market in the neighboring town of Shiring has great locational advantages . In the village of Wigleigh, a fight breaks out between Junker Ralph and the farmer's son Wulfric after Ralph immorally touched the egg seller Annet in the market. In the process, Wulfric Ralph breaks his nose . He experiences a disgrace that he will never forget for the rest of his life. Lady Philippa witnesses the brawl and blames Ralph alone. Wulfric is for twenty four hours to the pillory asked.

While attending church at night, Godwyn discovers that Bishop Richard is having sexual intercourse with his own niece, Margery, and keeps this secret for later extortion on his way to power. The young Lady Margery, a ward of Count Roland, has been promised to the Count of Monmouth in order to consolidate Roland's position of power in south-west England.

Gwenda is sold by her father in exchange for a cow to Sim Chapman, a peddler and head of a gang of outlaws, and experiences martyrdom in the process. Godwyn has previously legitimized the sale of his own daughter with reference to the book Exodus, Chapter 21.7 EU . Gwenda manages to escape from the outlaws' forest camp by asking one of their guards to be allowed to leave. On the pretext of having sex with him voluntarily, she stabs him and then flees towards Kingsbridge.

In Kingsbridge, the mentally retarded Nell is sentenced to death by hanging for heresy at the Gallows Cross execution site across the river. Various people have accused her of witchcraft and discovered the Satan mark under her armpits. The verdict is pronounced by Bishop Richard. Nell is tied to a cart and taken to execution with the sensational crowd. As a result of the large crowds, the dilapidated Kingsbridge bridge collapses and a major catastrophe occurs with hundreds of people drowning in the river. In the midst of the turbulent event, Ralph manages to save Count Roland's life and thereby assure himself of his gratitude. Gwenda fights in the water with her pursuer Sim Chapman, whom she drowns in the end. Kingsbridge Cathedral is filled with dead and injured, and Caris, together with the nuns, takes care of the people.

Third part (June to November 1337)

(Pages 220–467, volume: 248 pages), illustration: Gwenda in front of Wulfrics plow

The Kingsbridge bridge collapse claimed many lives. Prior Anthony is also there. The city is facing serious decisions. It's about the succession of Prior Anthony and the upcoming election. Discussions about the rebuilding of the bridge also flare up, although it is disputed whether it should be built inexpensively from wood or stable from stone. The last suggestion comes from Merthin and is not accepted due to the high costs. Without a bridge, however, Kingsbridge will lose its market town status and the wool merchants' source of income will be at risk.

Godwyn begins his election campaign for the office of prior and will stop at nothing. His opponent is the now well-respected brother Thomas, against whom Godwyn is looking for material from his enigmatic past. The scheming monk finds a deed stating that in return for Thomas's admission to Kingsbridge Abbey, Queen Isabella transferred a piece of land in Norfolk . In the end, the insidious Godwyn manages to outdo all the candidates and to be elected as Prior of Kingsbridge. The only consent he lacks is the consent of the bishop.

In Wigleigh, Gwenda tries to win Wulfric's favor, but he is still in love with Annet. At a meeting on the feudal farm, Gwenda helps Wulfric, who is only sixteen years old, to obtain permission to cultivate 90 acres of arable land, which once legally belonged to his family. After tough negotiations with the Vogt, Wulfric was given permission to cultivate the land and, if the harvest was successful, he could get it back into his possession. However, this agreement only applies until Wigleigh gets a new liege lord.

In a conversation with the healer Matti Wise, Caris learns that Merthin cannot possibly be the biological father of Griselda's child and that they are trying to put a cuckoo child on him . A dispute ensues in Elfric's house, which ends with the termination of the apprenticeship. As a result, he does not receive a journeyman's certificate, no tools of his own and henceforth has to do without board and lodging from his teacher. Admission to the craft guild is also categorically excluded and any form of independent work is impossible. After various refusals, Merthin was commissioned to restore a small church in the north of Kingsbridge. Confirmed by his first self-earned money, Merthin Caris proposes marriage. Caris loves Merthin, but her will for her own freedom and the desire not to submit to a man are stronger and she refuses his offer.

Godwyn remains the only candidate after successful intrigues and is unanimously elected prior by the monks. With this election he falls out of favor with Count Roland, who had wanted another candidate in this position. However, there will be no new elections because Godwyn can blackmail the bishop by means of his unchastity and thus prevail.

Merthin has made a name for himself as a talented builder and is competing with Elfric for the construction of the new bridge. While Merthin favors a durable stone bridge, Elfric insists on the old-fashioned and cheaper wood variant. Godwyn prefers Merthin's stone bridge and demands the money from the town's merchants. He also insists on the legal right of the bridge toll on behalf of the priory. Caris interferes in the business and obtains a lease of the bridge, the surrounding area and the river island Leper Island. Every citizen of the city has to pay a certain sum to the priory annually. Caris became pregnant by Merthin, but still refuses to marry him. With the help of Matti Wise, she has an abortion .

To the horror of the villagers, Ralph becomes the new liege lord of Wigleigh and takes revenge on Wulfric by forbidding the inheritance of the land. Out of desperation, Gwenda tries to prevent this and offers Ralph her body.

Fourth part (June 1338 to May 1339)

(Pages 468–641, volume: 174 pages), illustration: Ralph, Alan and the naked Annet

Griselda becomes the mother of a child who outwardly does not look like the supposed father Merthin. With the bridge not being built, the wool market of 1338 turns into a commercial disaster for Kingsbridge. Caris encourages her father to look for solutions to this misery and expects a higher profit from dyeing cloth than from selling raw wool . She sells her dyed goods in Shiring's wool market. Their expansion plans to use the fulling mill at Kingsbridge fail because of the stubbornness of Godwyn, who does not allow the use of his property or the construction of a new mill. He also strictly forbids the city's woolen weavers to build their own fulling mills. A legal discussion of this issue reveals that the entire city of Kingsbridge is owned by the priory. For Caris this is an unbearable idea, which is a lasting hindrance to the development of the place. She plans to ask the King of England for Kingsbridge city rights. The main argument she uses is the increased tax revenue for the king's wars, which a prosperous city would promise.

On a hunting trip, Ralph Fitzgerald and his partner Alan Fernhill discover women washing clothes by a river. One of them is Annett from Wigleigh, who is brutally raped by the two of them. Despite his social status, through Lady Philippa's efforts, Ralph is accused of desecrating a peasant girl. Before the death penalty can be carried out on him, Ralph flees the courtroom and seeks connection with outlaws who make the area around Kingsbridge unsafe. Thomas tracks down Ralph and wants to bring him his just punishment. At that moment the Sheriff of Shiring appears with a royal decree stating that all prisoners of the county will receive an amnesty if they join the king's army in the campaign against France .

Godwyn removes the bridge contract from Merthin when he discovers that he has built a new fulling mill outside of town. Merthin is disappointed that Caris does not want to marry him despite her love and tells her about his plan to work as an architect and builder in Italy . She then changes her mind and agrees to get married.

Godwyn wants to prevent an unfavorable power constellation between Merthin and Caris at all costs and, on their wedding day, obtains charges of heresy . In the subsequent show trial, the charges against Caris are upheld and she is sentenced to death as a witch . Mother Cecilia is able to prevent a last-minute execution by accepting Caris as a novice against her will in the monastery . Merthin is shocked by the events and by the dismissive behavior of his beloved Caris in the monastery and, out of disappointed love, fled to Florence .

Part Five (March 1346 to December 1348)

(Pages 642–893, length: 252 pages), illustration: The Hundred Years War

Caris becomes a nun and devotes her daily routine mainly to nursing and studying medicinal herbs. She distrusts Prior Godwyn and considers it inadvisable for monks and nuns to share a common treasury. Gilbert of Hereford is in the act , caught as he is about to steal the church treasury. He is then sentenced to death by a church court. Godwyn imposes the penalty of skinning him alive. His peeled skin is then nailed to the door of the treasury to deter further potential thieves in the future.

The Italian cloth merchant Buonaventura Caroli is in town and tells his former business partner Caris that Merthin has a daughter and is married in Florence. Caris tries to forget Merthin and concentrates on building a hospital with separate areas between the healthy and the infected, with hygienic latrines and a pharmacy . The ostentatious Godwyn has had a luxurious palace built and is preventing the construction of a hospital. It turns out that he has embezzled the nuns' valuables from their common treasury.

Caris tries everything to claim the rights of her nuns and wants to see the bishop. Together with Sister Mair, who has lesbian feelings for her, she travels to war-ravaged France in July 1346 . In the devastated regions, the two women have traumatic experiences of a war initiated by their king. It turns out that the bishop has fallen so only King Edward III can accede to her request. You follow the blood trail of the English army amid mountains of corpses of killed civilians and cremated places and fields.

The British army, pursued by the French, tries to cross the Somme at the ford of Saigneville to return to England . On the other side of this transition, the Battle of Blanchetaque takes place on August 24, 1346. Caris and Mair encounter the French army and involuntarily witness the Battle of Crécy . After the British victory, Caris speaks to King Edward III. before, who refrains from condemning Godwyn, since this would be a purely ecclesiastical matter. Due to his services in the Battle of Crécy, Ralph Fitzgerald was knighted and given the Tench estate as his fiefdom. Upon his return to England, Sir Ralph married twelve-year-old Tilly and thus acquired the right to the inheritance of her wealthy father. As a large landowner, he refuses to pay Wulfric and Gwenda, who only receive a minimum of natural produce and feel cheated after their long struggle for their rights.

Merthin leaves Italy because he has lost his whole family to the plague except for his daughter Lolla and returns to Kingsbridge. He asks for Cari's hand again and is again gently rejected by her, as she sees her priorities in carrying out her responsible duties as Prioress.

A dispute has broken out in town over Elfric's sloppy bridge construction work. Elfric claims he built according to Merthin's plans, but Merthin can prove that the bridge foundations do not meet his plans. It turns out that the masonry of the cathedral is also cracked and the tower urgently needs to be renovated.

The first people fall ill with the plague in Kingsbridge and the number increases every day until a major epidemic breaks out, which wiped out hundreds of residents within a very short time. This also includes the prioress Mother Cecilia. Before she dies, she reveals the secret that King Edward II fell victim to a plot to murder Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer and died an unnatural, violent death. Thereupon the young and completely inexperienced Edward III. crowned king.

After Cecilia's death, Caris is elected the new prioress and therefore has to refuse Merthin's insistence that she and his daughter Lolla flee the plague and start a new life elsewhere. As long as Cari's election as prioress is not officially confirmed by the bishop, Godwyn has the hope of preventing this with all his might. So Caris is accused of heresy for the second time. But then he becomes afraid of contracting the plague himself. He steals the documents and the relics of the monastery and flees with his entourage to the small monastery of Saint-John-in-the-Forest, where he believes the plague will not reach him. Bishop Henri himself pays Kingsbridge a visit, but finds the priory deserted.

Part Six (January 1349 to January 1351)

(Pages 894–1151, length: 258 pages), illustration: Caris surprises Merthin and Philippa

Master builder Elfric also dies of the plague and Cari's sister Alice becomes a widow. Merthin takes on Elfric's position as councilor and searches for clues from Tam Hiding, the “King of the Outlaws”, together with Caris to find the fleeting Godwyn and the stolen monastery treasures. They track down the fugitive monks around Godwyn in the remote monastery of Saint-John-in-the-Forest and confront him. Godwyn defends his theft, saying that with his devotees he only kept the church treasures in a safe place. It was only by chance and with the help of Brother Thomas that they found the documents and valuables in a wooden coffin. Godwyn is in the terminal stages of the plague infection and dies, insane, on a rainy night.

The plague, which, after a short pause, afflicts whole regions and cities in a second, even more devastating wave, has reversed the social classes by sparing neither nobles nor beggars. Due to the high losses, valuable arable land remains untilled. Caris issues an emergency ordinance and offers everyone to work interest-free on their property and receive a fixed wage. The destitute people follow this call in droves and for the first time cultivate land for remuneration. Knight Ralph, who always treated his serfs badly and enslaved them, suddenly sees himself “robbed” of his peasants and complains to the high nobility. Shortly thereafter, the king issued the edict that all farmers and land tenants must return to their villages immediately, as they were "property" of the lord there. Apostates may be hunted like outlaws . At least it is ensured that they receive a penny maximum wage for their work .

The short days of freedom are over for Wulfric and Gwenda and they have to grind their teeth back to the land of their hated liege lord Sir Ralph. The plague does not stop at the Count of Shiring either and kills him and his sons. Ralph has the long-awaited opportunity of marrying the widow, Lady Philippa, into the possession of the once prosperous county of Shiring. For this his current wife Tilly has to die and he needs the appointment of the king, whom he wants to induce by stealing the mysterious letter from Thomas Langley. In fear of her abusive husband, Tilly flees to the priory, where she is given shelter. The masked Ralph penetrates the monastery with hired murder servants, searches for the letter and murders his wife Tilly and a nun. He manages to escape unnoticed.

At the funeral ceremony for Tilly, Ralph plays the grieving husband. He has achieved his goal, he still lacks Lady Philippa's consent for her marriage.

Caris continues to try to realize her lifelong dream, which includes the town charter for Kingsbridge, the construction of the new cathedral tower and the construction of the hospital . Although Caris takes action against the unchastity, drunkenness and debauchery of the residents of Kingsbridge, she and Merthin live in a kind of wild marriage, hidden from the public eye. The suspicious Philemon, who has been appointed prior by the bishop, discovers her secret and denounces her. The bishop admonishes Caris to give up her unchastity with immediate effect, with the result that Caris separates from Merthin again.

The proud Lady Philippa, who has long been desired by Ralph, is forced to marry Ralph after an initial refusal, as Ralph threatens to otherwise free her underage daughter. This makes Sir Ralph the Count of Shiring and unscrupulously exploits his new power.

Philemon is not up to his task as prior and sells Cari's notes on medicinal plants to a pharmacy in London . Bishop Henri appoints the monk Simon as the new head of the hospital, although he does not have the same talent as his predecessor Caris. Income is falling and the new cathedral tower can no longer be financed. Merthin wants to build a new hospital on the river island of Leper Island, where Caris can go back to her old job. To this end, the bishop should release her from her vow as a nun and thereby enable her to finally marry Merthin.

Seventh part (March to November 1361)

(Pages 1152–1294, scope: 143 pages), illustration: Ralph in Sam's dungeon

Sam, the son of Gwenda and Ralph, illegally does farm work outside of Wigleigh and is captured. When captured, he kills Jonno, the bailiff's son. He is sentenced to death for his offense. Gwenda begs the feudal lord and judge about his bondage Ralph, whom she visits in a bedchamber, to spare him, since he is his biological son. Sam was created the night she asked him for Wulfric's right of inheritance and gave him her body in return. Ralph likes the aggressive and irascible manner of his son, he pardons him and accepts him against his mother's will as a squire in the ranks of his soldiers.

Ralph forces Gwenda, who is in his addiction, to meet in his hunting lodge. He tries to rape her. Sam, who followed his mother on her way, witnesses this scene. In the scuffle that ensues, the mother, tormented and dishonored for years, stabs her tormentor to death. With a prick in Ralph's larynx, Gwenda prevents the latter from being able to tell Sam at the last moment that he is his biological father. The two flee unrecognized after the fact.

In Kingsbridge, the positions of church leaders are to be filled. Bishop Henri is designated as archbishop and Philemon, who has the conservative circles of the city on his side, as bishop. Merthin wants to prevent this with all her might. Philemon takes revenge by suspending the construction of the tower and having a new Lady Chapel built for it. A compromise is reached, Henri's confidante Lloyd takes the place of bishop and Philemon a position outside Kingsbridge. Merthin unearths the mysterious document to dissuade the king from appointing Philemon.

In the last scene, Caris and Merthin stand on the tower of the cathedral, which has now become the tallest building in England, and watch with relief as Philemon leaves.

people

main characters

Merthin : The eldest son of impoverished noblemen named Sir Gerald and Lady Maud is given an apprenticeship as a carpenter. With skill and ingenuity, he soon surpassed his teacher Elfric. After the old Kingsbridge bridge collapsed, he plans and begins building an entirely new bridge. But shortly before his work is finished, this assignment is withdrawn from him. When his lover Caris becomes a nun to avert a witch trial on false charges, he turns his back on England. He settled in Florence as a builder, where he later married another woman and had a child with her. His wife dies of the plague while he recovers from the infection. He then returns to Kingsbridge with his daughter Lolla. Now financially independent, he is appointed councilor and sets about building a new, much higher tower in place of the old and collapsing tower of the cathedral. His goal is to build the tallest tower in England. After Caris' departure from the monastery, he married her.

Caris : She is the child of the wool merchant Edmund Wooler and thus the cousin of the future Prior Godwyn. Her sister is married to the teacher von Merthin. Although circumstances keep them apart, she and Merthin are lifelong lovers. However, she is unwilling to accept the role of the submissive wife. The early death of her mother made her want to devote her life to caring for and healing the sick. Caris strives for autonomy. After her forced entry into the monastery, she takes on responsibility for the hospital and eventually even becomes prioress. She only leaves the monastery when she can take over the management of the municipal hospital built by Merthin and finally marry him herself.

“ Caris looked into almost every part of the body of a living person: the brain under a broken skull, the tubing of a slit throat, the muscles and tendons of a severed arm, the heart and lungs in a shattered chest, the slimy tangle of intestines, the joints of the limbs at the hip, knee and ankle. She learned more in an hour on the battlefield than in a year in the priory hospital. Now she knew why Matthew Barber knew so well. No wonder he was so confident. "

- Nun Caris taking care of wounds on the French side after the battle of Crécy in August 1346, Ken Follett: Die Tore der Welt, Bastei Lübbe, 2010; Chapter 50, pp. 739-740

" Everything. Drunk people who cripple each other. Parents who leave their sick children behind on the threshold of the hospital. Men queuing to fuck a drunk on a table in front of the White Horse. Cattle that die in the pastures. Half-naked penitents who first scourge themselves and then beg pennies from the bystanders in order to drink the money. And above all, that a young mother is brutally murdered in my monastery. I don't care if we all die of the plague. But while we're still alive, I won't let our world fall into pieces. "

- Prioress Caris on the consequences of the plague and the increasing neglect of customs in Kingsbridge, Ken Follett: Die Tore der Welt, Bastei Lübbe, 2010; Chapter 73, p. 1041

Gwenda : Gwenda is the down-to-earth and combative daughter of the day laborer Joby Wigleigh, who also has to commit rip-offs in order to support his family. Despite the lawlessness of her class, she never loses her courage to live and pursues her goals in a fighting manner. She passionately loves the farmer's son Wulfric and wants to marry him. However, he is in love with Annet and promised her. When the old bridge collapses, Wulfric loses his whole family. Because this prevents him from paying inheritance tax, he loses his parents' fiefdom. Annet therefore turns away from him, marries someone else, and Gwenda now manages to win Wulfric over. Only when the number of people able to work in the county continued to decline in the course of the plague did Gwenda and Wulfric get their land back from Count Ralph's distress.

Ralph : Ralph is Merthin's younger brother and already as a child showed a tendency towards cruelty. As a squire, he got into an argument with Wulfric and used his later position as Herr von Wigleigh to take revenge on him by abusing Gwenda, among other things. Finally sentenced to death for raping Annet, he can save himself because Count Roland wants to use him as a Junker in the war against France. Count Roland dies in the war, his son William follows him. Ralph returns successfully from the Battle of Crécy and is first named Lord of Tench and after the death of Count William during the plague himself becomes Count. In order to be able to claim the county of Shiring for himself, he murders his first wife Tilly and shortly thereafter marries the widow Philippa, whom he has long sought after. In the end, he is killed by Gwenda and their son Samuel, who was conceived during the first rape, when he tries to rape Gwenda again.

“ Merthin was horrified. 'You want to punish him for life?' 'The day I see fear in his eyes when he looks at me, let him get whatever he wants.' 'Is that so important to you?' Asked Merthin incredulously. 'That people fear you?' 'It's the most important thing in the world,' said Ralph. "

- Merthin in dialogue with his brother Ralph, Ken Follett: Die Tore der Welt, Bastei Lübbe, 2010; Chapter 56, p. 824

Godwyn : Caris' cousin is a monk and sacristan in the priory. With the help of his wise and unscrupulous mother Petronilla, he achieved the vacated position of prior through both skillful and ruthless tactics. If he started as a reformer, he quickly and more and more developed into a selfish and ultra-conservative stubborn head, whose ambition and obsession with recognition repeatedly had repercussions to the detriment of the priory and the city. He obstructed the construction of the bridge, drove Merthin out of town for many years and embezzled funds from the nunnery in order to build a prior palace himself. He later dies of the plague after having fled the monastery with the other monks to St. John in the Forest Abbey for fear of the disease.

Philemon : The hypocritical brother of Gwenda is at the beginning servant of the priory. With the help of his unscrupulousness he gains access to the priory by being accepted as a monk. Constant flattery towards Godwyn makes him a subprior. When Godwyn dies of the plague, Philemon appears and usurps the prior title. In the end, he nearly shatters Merthin's dream of the tallest tower in England by making allies of the elderly clergy while the time for a change of bishops is not far.

Supporting characters

There are few historical characters in this novel:

Follett lets his fictional supporting characters in the novel act like chess pieces in a great intrigue on the sides of their kings and queens, he shifts them tactically and the combinations are often surprising.

  • Thomas Langley : a knight who appears at the beginning of the book. Together with Ralph, he kills two of the Queen's knights after being attacked by them. He is seriously injured and loses his left arm from the elbow. Together with Merthin he buries a message dispatch in a tree. Langley becomes a monk to avoid retaliation. Langley is friends with Merthin and Caris and thwarts numerous intrigues from Godwyn. He is also a direct opponent to Ralph, whom he almost brings to a conviction. Thomas Langley died a senile monk in 1361. Merthin digs up his letter and learns that King Edward II was not murdered, but was able to flee and is hiding in exile.
  • Lady Philippa : noblewoman and consort of Lord William of Caster, later Earl William of Shiring. When William and her two sons die of the plague, Ralph woos her hand to acquire the title of Earl of Shiring. An edict from King Edward III. forces Lady Philippa to marry the hated Ralph. Since Ralph becomes Count von Shiring, Philippa flees to the nunnery and begins a love affair with Merthin.
  • Wulfric : attractive, strong fellow and hardworking day laborer who works on the Wigleigh estate. After a fight, Wulfric becomes Ralph's mortal enemy, mainly due to the fact that he is not afraid of him. Wulfric loses his birthright to cultivate his land as a free farmer and repeatedly becomes serf of knight Ralph, who has robbed him of his property. Wulfric marries Gwenda and has two sons with her.
  • Elfric : bitter and vengeful builder and master carpenter, son of the talented Joachim. Elfric makes his apprentice Merthin's life hell and, in agreement with his guild, denies him professional advancement. He has long served as the executive chairman of the Kingsbridge council.
  • Annet : pretty peasant girl in the village of Wigleigh. She uses her feminine charm to sell eggs in the market. She becomes Wulfric's fiancé and Gwenda's rival. Ralph feels drawn to her charms and rapes her.
  • Mattie Wise : Kingsbridge Herbalist. She has to flee town when she is charged with witchcraft. She instructs the young Caris in the art of healing and mixes a love potion for Gwenda so that she can win Wulfric. She also performs an abortion on Caris.
  • Joby Wigleigh : is at the bottom of the social hierarchy in Wigleigh. Joby is a landless day laborer, tramp, and thief. He lies, cheats and steals for his family's livelihood. He is punished for stealing by cutting off his hand. He trades his daughter Gwenda for a cow.
  • Madge Webber : the only surviving member of the Webber family. She is poor but honest. Caris improves her life situation by hiring her as a weaver. Her husband, Mark Webber, becomes Kingsbridge's first plague victim. Her sons also die of the disease. She later remarries and has a daughter.
  • Alice : Cari's sister, with whom she doesn't get along. She marries Elfric.
  • Griselda : Elfric's daughter from his first marriage. She seduces the apprentice Merthin after her fiancé Thurstan left her as a pregnant woman. She and her father want to force Merthin into marriage because of his alleged paternity , but this is revealed
  • Buonaventura Caroli : Italian wool merchant who regularly makes business trips to Kingsbridge. He is a friend of Edmund and later Merthin while he was living in Florence. He supports Caris in the development of her red-dyed cloth.
  • Lolla (Laura) : Merthin's daughter with his Florentine wife who dies of the plague. Lolla is still a toddler when she survived the plague. Her father takes her to England, where she later follows in the footsteps of the healer Caris.
  • Bessie Bell : barmaid in her father's Bell's tavern. Bessie takes care of Lolla and seduces Merthin after his return trip from Italy . She dies with the first outbreak of the plague and leaves the tavern Merthin.
  • Mair : a young nun with an angelic face. During the trip through northern France, she falls in love with Caris and becomes her lover for a short time. She too dies with the first outbreak of the plague.
  • Prior Anthony : Uncle of Godwyn and Caris, Prior of Kingsbridge at the beginning of the book. Prior Anthony dies when the bridge collapses.
  • Prior Saul Whitehead : nephew of the Earl of Shiring and prior of Saint-John-in-the-Forest Abbey, a small forest branch of the larger Kingsbridge priory. Prior Saul was originally designated as the new prior of Kingsbridge, but lost the election following manipulation by Godwyn.
  • Bishop Richard : Count Roland's youngest son. He thinks practically, but does not behave submissively. His affair with his niece Margery makes him vulnerable, which benefits Godwyn's career plans. He is killed in the Battle of Crecy.
  • Tilly (Matilda von Tench) : young noblewoman, was brought up by the nuns. As a minor he is forced to marry knight Ralph and gives birth to his son Gerald. She is later murdered by her husband so that he can marry Lady Philippa.
  • Henri de Mons, Bishop of Kingsbridge : a good, intelligent, and practical man. In the beginning he is on Cari's side, believing her to be a talented woman, and balancing the forces in Kingsbridge. Henri has a homosexual relationship with Canon Claude. In the end, he turns against Caris and appoints Philemon as prior.
  • Petronilla : mother of Godwyn and sister of Edmund Wooler and Prior Anthony. She is a widow and supports her son's ambitious plans. She is the antagonist of her niece Caris and dies during the plague epidemic.
  • Edmund Wooler : Alderman of the Parish Guild and father of Caris and Alice. After the death of his father, he took over the family's wool business. Wooler is often in conflict with the priory, which has different interests than the merchants.
  • Odila de Shiring, Countess of Monmouth : noblewoman and the only surviving child of Earl William de Shiring after the plague killed all her brothers. She marries David of Caerleon, the young new Earl of Monmouth.
  • Mother Cecilia : Prioress of the Abbey. Once resolute and strict, then very caring and well respected by everyone. She saves Caris from execution by taking her to the monastery. During her tenure, she is in constant conflict with Godwyn, for whom she once had a weakness, until she realizes his true wicked character. Mother Cecilia dies of the plague, Caris is her desired successor.
  • Elizabeth Clerk : Caris' archenemy because she won Merthin for herself. When Merthin opts for Caris, she becomes a nun. Elisabeth intrigues against Caris and testifies against her in the witch trial.
  • Friar Murdo : as Friar actually a monastery or friar, but here a run-down preacher and beggar monk. The psychopath Murdo is consumed by hatred and appears as a demagogue and charlatan to watch women burn as witches. In the show trial of both the crazy Nell and Caris, he whips the crowd with hate speech. When the plague breaks out, Friar Murdo reappears with a group of flagellants flagellating themselves. Together with Philemon he enriches himself and takes advantage of the ignorance of the mob.
  • Count Roland : Earl of Shiring. He and his sons act as henchmen in the murder of Edward II.
  • Sir Gerald and Lady Maude : parents of Merthin and Ralph. They used to belong to the landed gentry, became impoverished and then lived as simple people who were looked after by the monastery. Only the rise of Ralph to a noble lord gives them back a little dignity in old age.

criticism

According to Denis Scheck in his show Hot off the presses , the novel is “entertaining and well crafted” - but otherwise just as “exciting as a night in a costume rental”.

Julia Bähr wrote in the FAZ : “You can regard this genre as trivial or not - Die Tore der Welt is always well done . Even if the story takes a while to get going, its progress will soon be interesting enough to turn a page over and over. "

Ulrich Karger sees it similarly in his book look-up: "Apart from the rich time coloring, all of this is not particularly uplifting and challenging the mind, but as neatly declined genre literature it offers many entertaining hours of browsing at a thoroughly permissible level."

And Michael Birke draws the conclusion under Buchwurm.info : “ Die Tore der Welt easily surpasses countless historical novels in terms of scope, quality and entertainment factor, because Follett really did his best. But cult status cannot be planned, and the gates of the world are unfortunately not more than a worthy successor , although the pillars of the earth are now often declared a bit too transfigured as a standard. "

Board game

In October 2009 Kosmos-Verlag published a board game of the same name for two to four players, which in 2010 received the Game of the Year plus award for challenging games. The authors of the game are Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler .

filming

After the great success of Die Säulen der Erde , the Munich production company Tandem Communications announced the filming of the successor novel The Gates of the World in an eight-part miniseries. Scott Free Films and Galafilm were involved in the production, and the production budget was $ 44 million. Shooting started on July 11, 2011. The script was written by John Pielmeier and the director was Michael Caton-Jones . The leading roles were played by Cynthia Nixon , Miranda Richardson , Ben Chaplin , Peter Firth , Charlotte Riley , Tom Weston-Jones , Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Nora von Waldstätten . On November 14, 2012, Die Tore der Welt had its German premiere at the Cinemaxx on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin . All the main actors and Ken Follett were personally present at the German premiere. From December 3, 2012, the four-part series was broadcast on Sat.1 .

expenditure

Further edits

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Ulrich Karger : Ken Follett: Die Tore der Welt , review in the book review , online at buechernachlese.de
  2. ↑ a b Julia Bähr : Von Nonnen und Rittern , review in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of March 7, 2008
  3. ↑ The fictional Kingsbridge here is not to be equated with the real Kingsbridge of the same name in the county of Devon (England)
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h Michael Birke: Ken Follett - Die Tore der Welt , review in Buchwurm.info of March 9, 2008, online at buchwurm.info
  5. ↑ According to legend, he died when his prison guards Sir Thomas Gourney, William Ogle and a third person pushed a glowing iron rod through a sawed-up cow horn (or metal funnel) through the natural opening into his intestines, as they were not allowed to leave any traces. This type of murder is also an allusion to the suspected homosexual relationship with Eduard's favorite Piers Gaveston († 1312).
  6. ↑ top ten Brief ( Memento of 7 April 2008 at the Internet Archive ) by Denis Scheck in his mission Druckfrisch of 6 April 2008 Ken Follett: World Without End , online at daserste.de
  7. ↑ dpa: Ken Follett's “Die Tore der Welt” on TV on April 13, 2010, online at Kreiszeitung.de
  8. ↑ Die Tore der Welt , reference to the four-part series on Sat.1 , online at sat1.de