CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE
July 20, 2004
Anderson and Zinsser, p. 304-350
Aimee Barborka, 001070458
Eleanor of
Aquitaine
OUTLINE
1.
Primary Sources
o
Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitations
2.
Secondary Source
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o
o
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Courtly Love and Codes of Chivalry
Women Poets and “Courtoisie”
Chivalry
Wives and Daughters in the World of Centralized
Monarchies: The Thirteenth to the Seventeenth
Centuries
Widows and Mothers: The Ninth to Seventeenth
Centuries
o
- Rights of Widows Abused
o
- Rights of Widows Asserted
The New Flowering of Ancient Traditions
- In Literature
- The Positive Legacy
- In Law and Practice
- The Ideal Woman
3.
Fun Facts!
o
o
Code of Chivalry
Rules in Love
PRIMARY SOURCE
Origin: Excerpt from A Treatise on Courtly Love by Andreas
Capellanus in the late 12th Century. Translation by P.G.
Walsh, Edited by L.D. Benson
Purpose: To differentiate between classes. Demonstrates that
as people are unequal, as is love – like with everything
else, nobles get the better/peasants the worst. Classes are
strictly differentiated between – not much for class-mixing
for love, although lower classes still used by higher ones.
Value: Points out that, like throughout all of history, classes
play a huge role in peoples lives. In the first dialogue, the
man and woman are of the same class. In this, he is trying
to tell her that its not her physical attributes that make her
beautiful but that he appreciates her ‘inner’ beauty. The
third dialogue is between a common man and a noble
women. In this, he is trying to get her to understand that
physical attributes and class are not important factors of
love, but ones moral and virtues are what should matter.
Limitations: It’s a man writing about how a women would
respond to these conversations – and being as they are
sample dialogues – they are not real conversations that
have occurred, they are made up and assumed. The most
important limitation in this source is that it contains three
books and the third book is a formal retraction of the first
two books, thus eliminating anything of importance that is
taken from them.
SECONDARY SOURCE
Anderson and Zimmer, pages 304-350
Courtly Love and Code of Chivalry:
o Eleanor of Aquitaine was known for her reading and
enjoyment of a leisurely life.
o “kings praised the traditional learning and intellectual
accomplishments of royal daughters and wives. In the ninth
century Charlemagne’s daughters had been educated with
his sons.” (304)
o During the 12th Century, noblewomen became more
interested in a varied of subjects as more was becoming
available to them in their own languages.
o Women writers were expressing more opinions, such as
Mahaut “reflecting her interests in politics and trades … [and]
for her own amusement and entertainment, she had romances”
… Continued …
o These new interests were being influenced by the East and the West throughout the tenth
through fourteenth centuries.
o Both men and women were enjoying more luxuries and more education.
o Courts became the “place for the judgment of lovers’ claims” (305), relationships were now
being recognized in terms of love, not just something that was expected to procreate.
o Music, poetry, and romances were becoming widely popular.
o Marie, the daughter of Eleanor played a tremendous role in the transformation.
o Chrétien de Troyes “dedicat[ed] Lancelot to … Marie” (305)
o Along with the growth of entertainment and leisurely activity
came to change of clothing. Wardrobes became brighter, smoother,
and more revealing – in the right places.
o Everyone began spending their time differently, more leisure
time to do as they pleased.
Io received by Isis at Conpus
Women Poets and “Courtoisie”:
o “The women and men of the courts imagined new roles and
functions for themselves, not just wives and husbands
fulfilling their obligations, but also lovers with each
succumbing to the strength of their passion.” (306)
o Women poets were becoming more predominant, their
poems were beginning to focus not on feelings, but more on
the “direct, practical, sensual, and spontaneous. They avoided
studied reactions …”(307)
o Some the most momentous poets – men and women
include: Tibors (b.c. 1130), Clara d’Anduza of Languedoc
(13th century), Alamanda (12th C.), Beatriz, Countess of Dia
(b.c. 1140), Isabella (b.c. 1180), and Marie de France (12thC.)
o The most important of these poets was Marie de France, who depicted “illicit loving with
imaginative and original turns of plot and characterization … the passion of young lovers is the
means for them to escape the injustice and unpleasantness of their world” (310)
Chivalry:
o Marie de France poked fun and the lifestyles and attitudes of men and women, but during her
time, what she “referred to reflected this new ideals of conduct …” (313), thus creating the idea
of chivalry. “The romances both influenced and reflected this new definition of knightly behavior
and the ways in which it affected women.” (313)
o There were still idealized men, but all men were learning how to behave in a lady’s presence,
and they learned how women would respond to their characters. Women gladly sat back and
played to role of “innocent bystanders in need of protection”. (314)
o “Honor and love all women” (314).
Wives and Daughters in the World of Centralized Monarchies: The Thirteenth to the Seventeenth
Centuries:
o During this period, “the political and economic circumstances of
the noblewoman of Europe’s castles and manors changed again …
these changes determined the powers allowed privileged women and
the ways in which they remained vulnerable in what was still a
culture intermittently at war.
o War was a job – knights were paid for their services.
o A new mercantile economy was developing and women were adjusting and learning how
to evolve with this new economy. They were learning how manage their properties and how
to bring in more money – they “supervised the land more closely to generate more revenue”
(318)
o 15th Century: women were becoming more interested in interior design, the interiors of
their homes showed leather, colors, stripes, and carved wood paneling. Mahaut (countess of
Burgundy), for example, had a different motif for the rooms in her castle.
o Women were gaining more and more for themselves, they now had more possessions for
themselves when they married – Agrafena Mixailov (daughter of Russian prince) had a
dowry over two-pages long.
o When a family had no sons, the daughters were eligible to inherit, but rather than gaining
that inheritance when her parents passed on, it was combined with her dowry when she was
married.
o Queen Isabella of Spain became ruler of the throne when her brother passed away. She
“intended to be both a queen in her own right and the founder of a new dynasty. Even in the
marriage settlement … she retained full royal authority over her own kingdom of Castile,
and never shared her power with her husband.” (323)
o “Changes … reduced [women’s] vulnerability … and eased their lives.” (323)
Widows and Mothers: The Ninth to the Seventeenth Centuries:
Rights of Widows Abused
o For a woman to be widowed was to become “sole and unmarried” and the woman became
“vulnerable” (324)
o Widowed meant losing most of what these women had gained – they lost their property,
their dowry, they lost their children, and they were forced to remarry.
o During the 10th and 11th centuries, Anglo-Saxon and Vikings had laws “guaranee[ing] that a
woman “may decide as she herself pleases” about remarriage. When it suited their needs,
however, kings ignored their own laws.” (324)
o Lots of women lived their married lives as widows when their husbands were in exile or off
at war, such as Dhouda (wife of Bernard of Septimania).
Rights of Widows Asserted
o “An elite widow’s traditional right to sustenance until her remarriage or until her death had
in theory been guaranteed.” (327)
o The law now stated that she was gain a portion of her husbands land to maintain herself,
though it “was not hers to own or bequeath, only hers for use during her lifetime or until her
remarriage.” (328)
o “Women like Eleanor of Aquitaine, like Isabella of Catile,
like Margrethe of Denmark used the laws and the
opportunities given to them to wield power, but this remained
a man’s power, used for the ends valued by men.” (331)
In Literature:
o epics, lyrics, chansons de geste, and romances all divulged
in the same images and such as past times had
o “… positive portrayals of the beautiful lady and the
glorification of love. On the other [hand], there were the
negative portrayals of women as mere objects, as agents of
forces bringing pain and even death to men.” (332)
The Positive Legacy:
o “ideal of female beauty” (333)
Negative Traditions:
o Women were objects.
o “The love and desire that they cause bring not only pleasure and happiness but also pain,
misadventure, and sometimes death” (334)
o Women are seen as beautiful beings but the root of all evil.
o Many men claim that women gain power and then use “tricks”
to bring evil and harm to the men in their lives.
o Even during this time period, with women gaining more power,
the literature “presents examples of misogyny. Even the most
complimentary of male poets can echo the traditional fears and
condemnations of women.
In Law and Practice:
o “As laws were collected and codified, as royal statutes and edicts
were issued, the same kind of devolution of opportunity and authority
happened to all noblewomen, not just to royal wives” (337)
o The “unusual circumstances” that had given women rights to land
and independent authority were quickly being removed. Life was
going back to the old ways – “the vast majority of well-born and
noble women could see no other alternatives for themselves or their
daughters.” (350)
o As Coke noted in “Institutes”, husband and wife as one person, one male person.
o The women “have no rights in Parliament, they make no laws, they consent to none, they
abrogate none.” (338)
The Ideal Woman:
o When it came to love, some women were equal with the men they loved.
o “The literature of the great halls idealized women for their beauty and for love’s power
to inspire men to great deeds.” (343)
o Men had great expectations for women whom they were to marry, not only for physical
beauty, but also sacrifices they make.
o All the songs and stories sung or written by artists during this time where heard by all the
noble people and they came to believe that this was appropriate behavior.
o “Even the strongest heroine could be forced to accept a subordinate place in relation to a
man,” (345) such as Brunhild
o Philip of Novara portrays women as weak and easily led astray.
o Eve has always been, and surely always will be, “the classic example of the
unsubordinated, willful female” (347)
o It is “because of her” that women have been portrayed as evil and sinful and
therefore must be controlled and watched all the time. That is also why men have
standards for women – someone who is not sinful.
o “The young “virgins” were to be “clean”,
“humble” in manner, “prudent”, quiet, demure,
obedient to their parents and in all ways “moderate
and chaste” (348)
o As an adult, a noblewoman was to cultivate the
equally traditional qualities of humility, patience,
steadfastness, piety, modesty, and most of all
“discretion””(348)
FUN FACTS!
The 10 Commandments of the
Code of Chivalry
1.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
Thou shalt defend the church.
Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of
them.
Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born
Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the
laws of God.
Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good
against Injustice and Evil.
…CONTINUED…
The Code of Chivalry
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Live to serve King and Country
Live to defend Crown and Country and all it holds
dear
Live one’s life so that it is worthy of respect and
honor
Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
Never attack an unarmed foe
Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to
the attack.
Never attack from behind.
Avoid lying to your fellow man.
Avoid cheating.
Avoid torture.
Obey the law of King, country, and chivalry.
Administer justice.
Protect the innocent.
Exhibit self control.
Show respect to authority.
Respect women.
Exhibit Courage in word and deed.
Defend the weak and innocent.
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Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms.
Crush the monsters that steal our land and rob our
people.
Fight with honor.
Avenge the wronged.
Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause.
Fight for the ideals of king, country, and chivalry.
Die with valor.
Always keep one’s word of honor.
Always maintain one’s principles.
Never betray a confidence or comrade.
Avoid deception.
Respect life and freedom
Die with honor.
Exhibit manners.
Be polite and attentive.
Be respectful of host, women, and honor.
Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the
code of chivalry.
Loyalty to one’s friends and those who lay their trust
in thee.
FUN FACTS!
The Twelve Chief Rules in Love
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Thou shalt avoid avarice like the deadly pestilence and shalt embrace its opposite.
Thou shalt keep thyself chaste for the sake of her whom thou lovest.
Thou shalt not knowing strive to break up a correct love affair that someone else is
engaged in.
Thou shalt not chose for thy love anyone whom natural sense of shame forbids
thee to marry.
Be mindful completely to avoid falsehood.
Thou shalt not have many who know of thy love affair.
Being obedient in all things to the commands of ladies, thou shalt ever strive to ally
thyself to the service of Love.
In giving and receiving, love’s solaces let modesty be ever present.
Thou shalt speak no evil.
Thou shalt not be a revealer of love affairs.
Thou shalt be in all things polite and courteous.
In practicing the solaces of love thou shalt not exceed the desires of thy lover.
…CONTINUED…
The Art of Courtly Love
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Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.
He who is not jealous cannot love.
No one can be bound by a double love.
It is well known that love is always increasing or
decreasing.
That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved
has no relish.
Boys do not love until they reach the age of maturity.
When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is
required of the survivor.
No one should be deprived of love without the very best
of reasons.
No one can love unless he is propelled by the
persuasion of love.
Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice.
It is not proper to love any woman whom one would be
ashamed to seek to marry.
A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone
except his beloved.
When made public love rarely endures.
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value:
difficulty of attainment makes it prized.
Every lover regularily turns pale in the presence of his
beloved.
When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his
heart palpitates.
o
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A new love puts an old one to fight.
Good character alone makes any man worthy of
love.
If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.
A man in love is always apprehensive.
Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.
Jealousy increases when one suspects his beloved.
He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps
very little.
Every act of a lover ends in the thought of his
beloved.
A true lover considers nothing good except what he
thinks will please his beloved.
Love can deny nothing to love.
A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his
beloved.
A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his
beloved.
A man who is vexed by too much passion usually
does not love.
A true lover is constantly and without intermission
possessed by the thought of his beloved.
Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men
or one man by two women.
GLOSSARY
Eleanor of Aquitaine: married at 15, during war – gathered ladies
to “tend the wounded”, married Henry at 30
Marie de France: wrote 12 “Lais” – short poems
Isabella of Castile: Queen, her husband became a king, they
ruled equally, given title “the Catholic” by the pope because of
role in purifying the faith
Vignette: a short, descriptive literary sketch
SOURCES
o mostly excepts/passages/phrases from the work of the
writers, poets, and song writers discussed through the
chapters.