The Miller - Behind the Bokeler

Lieschen

One of the most vivid characters on the pilgrimage to Canterbury is the Miller. Chaucer describes this vivacious man’s physical appearance, and personality, richly and strongly. Everything about the Miller is loud and intense - his talk, dress, and appearance.

His facial features are dominated by a mouth as dark “...as a greet forneys”, and a large, hairy, piglike nose capped with “a werte...” sprouting tufts of hair as “rede as the bristles of a sowes erys”. His beard is also red in color, and wide as a spade. He is short in stature, and very stout and stocky; “Ful big he was of brawn...and bones”. This powerful build helps the miller win “...alwey the ram” at wrestling matches, or break down doors by “...rennyng with his heed.” He wears “a whit cote and a blew hood...”, and carries a “swerd and bokeler...by his syde”, another indicator of the Miller’s underlying aggression. He is truly a big, brawny, and volatile character.

The Miller is by far the most crooked pilgrim in Chaucer’s tale. He tells a bawdy and vulgar tale right after the Knight’s refined, romantic myth, simply to deflate his ego. The Miller is well known for his stories of “...synne and harloiries”. He is very dishonest, stealing corn and charging people “...tollen thries”. He also uses his “...thombe of gold...” to tip the scales in his favor. He plays the “...baggepipe wel...” and uses this musical ability to lead the pilgrims out of town.

There is no obvious reason for the Miller to be on the pilgrimage, but there are several clues in Chaucer’s text. The Miller is a swindler, and doesn’t seem to fit in among the religious travellers. Yet the image of this thief leading the pilgrims out of the village with his bagpipe brings to mind the story of the Pied Piper, guiding innocent children to their doom. Perhaps this man of “synne” is simply on the journey to steal from the trusting pilgrims, and lead them to an ill fate. Since Chaucer ends his tales once all the pilgrims have shared their stories, we can only guess the outcome of the pilgrimage; but the portrait of the Miller in the general prologue gives us an excellent look at the personality, dress, and physical appearance of this nefarious individual.