You know, just about anyone in the courts of France or England loves a good story if it involves a woman (especially one with power). In terms of girl bosses in Medieval Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine has been the center of attentions for years, and sometimes I wonder if people talk more about her reputation rather than her actual actions. If you listen to the rumors alone, Eleanor seems to be wild, stubborn, too bold, and heavily with men. But if you look closer, you start to notice something pretty interesting… maybe all this gossip tells us more about how medieval people viewed women as a whole, rather than Eleanor herself.
Let’s start all the way at the beginning, when she married King Louis VII of France. Some argue that she hated him from the beginning, that he was too boring and even too religious, other people claim they were “fine” until things fell apart later. It’s funny how the story can take a complete 180 depending on who tells it. I’ve even heard claims that she rode off to the Second Crusade like some fearless Amazon, enjoying the adventure more than her role as queen, which seems a little outlandish. Some say she only went to give Louis a son. Everyone has a different story, but people always point out how bold she was, how she didn’t act like the quiet or “obedient” wife people expected. SO MYSOGYNISTIC, RIGHT!!! It’s almost like medieval writers wanted to make sure no one forgot she had opinions (especially the kind her husband didn’t like).
And here comes the scandal everyone lovesssss to talk about… her rumored affair with Raymond of Antioch. Did she betray Louis? Did she sleep with her own uncle? The person who started this rumor probably believed what everyone else was saying. I guess we’ll never truly know, but the rumor spread anyway. The story of Eleanor and Raymond seems to stick because it makes her ohhh sooo passionate, reckless, and completely led by desire. Typical woman, right? It doesn't even matter that we don't know if really it happened. The rumor alone was enough, just as many were at that time. I’d say it’s a pretty good example of how medieval gossip could hurt a woman’s reputation more than facts could ever help her, even when credible.
After her marriage to Louis ended, people said she got rid of him, or he got rid of her, or they agreed to separate. People can’t even seem to agree on that. But everyone remembers what came next! She married Henry II of England only two months later. Eleanor, this is NOT good for your rep–help yourself out please. Suddenly she was the wife who could not be controlled. Some historians claim she still held power, serving as Henry’s regent when he was away; most reduce her to a wife sent away to Aquitaine so Henry could do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted without her around (if you know what I mean…). Even when talking about all of her many professional accomplishments, so many people and stories bring things back to her marriage, not her politics. If that doesn’t show how often women's roles were described through men and not through their own work, I’m not sure what does!
And here we go again… the rebellion of 1173-74. Did Eleanor help her sons rise against Henry? And did she do it out of revenge for his affair with Rosamund Clifford? Some say yes, some say she was angry he controlled her lands. I’ve even heard someone say her involvement was just a rumor spread by others. It feels like people wanted the rebellion to sound like a reality TV show instead of politics. A queen who calls out and disagrees with her husband is one thing, but a queen acting like a scheming mother that her sons as weapons, is a story medieval audiences could totally latch on to.
The stories go on and on, but what do they really tell us? Writers, new and old, tend to discuss Eleanor’s legacy with a variety of emotions. Some are excited, and some rely heavily on their judgments. They talk so much about her relationships with men, rather than giving credit to her leadership. They repeat so many rumors even when they admit they can’t prove if they’re true. Whether it was her supposed affairs or “scheming,” people seem to remember Eleanor easiest when she is connected to some sort of a scandal. It feels like women during that time were easier to talk about as lovers and problems than as rulers or actual thinkers. Maybe she knew that, because she worked through all this just protect her family and land. Even when people tried to lock her away, she returned right back to her political roles. Eleanor had to move through a world where stories about her mattered as much as her actions.
In the end, the rumor may be more famous than the truth, but I guess it’s all up to your interpretation. What do you think? Was she really as scandalous as some say, or was she just painted that way?
No comments:
Post a Comment