Backdrop to Walking Shadows

Walking Shadows is the ninth story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The story takes place in the second half of 1603, a year of great significance for Jack personally as well as for England.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth I earlier in the year, England's new ruler is James I, a man who has a much harsher attitude toward witches and occult practices. Many in his government suspect anyone who practices alchemy of being a sorcerer. Among the members of the School of Night, Walter Raleigh and Hal Percy have both engaged in alchemical experiments and must now tread carefully.

Locations for this story include London, Norwich, and Sept-Tours in Auvergne, the ancestral home of the de Clermonts. Philippe, the head of the de Clermonts, makes his first appearance in the series. Philippe's wife Ysabeau is Matthew's maker. Matthew inherited blood rage from her, although she displays no symptoms. One of Philippe's daughters also makes her debut: Freyja. In the novels, Freyja is featured in Time's Convert.

With the accession of James, England enters the Jacobean era. Shakespeare will continue writing plays for another decade. Ben Jonson is also a force in the theater. His comedies are particularly well-received. The playing company Jack belongs to produces plays by both men.

The courtly entertainment known as the masque reaches new heights of popularity with ever more elaborate costumes and set designs. Music plays a key role in masques. Many of the parts are acted by members of the court who vie for the opportunity to appear. The wife of James I, Anne of Denmark, enjoys participating in masques. Ben Jonson's masques are the best known. Shakespeare included masque-like interludes in some of his plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Henry VIII, and The Tempest.

I chose the title from a verse in Macbeth.

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.

Shakespeare based some of the scenes involving witchcraft on a dissertation written by James in 1597 when he was King of Scotland. The work is called Daemonologie and was written to educate the public about the evils of witchcraft, sorcery, and vampires. James was a patron of the King's Men, Shakespeare's playing company. With the inclusion of witches in Macbeth, Shakespeare was probably seeking to gain James's favor.

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