#eleanorofaquitaine

[whencyclopedia]

Marie de France

Marie de France (wrote c. 1160-1215 CE) was a multilingual poet and translator, the first female poet of France, and a highly influential literary voice of 12th-century CE Europe. She is credited with establishing the literary genre of chivalric literature (though this is contested), contributing to the development of the Arthurian Legend, and developing the Breton lais (a short poem) as an art form. Marie's published works include:

Lais (including the Arthurian works Chevrefueil and Lanval)

Aesop's Fables (a translation from Middle English to French) and other fables

St. Patrick's Purgatory (also known as The Legend of the Purgatory of St. Patrick)

She was trilingual, writing in the Francien (Parisian) dialect with a command of Latin and Middle English. Her lais were developed from the earlier Breton lais poetic form and so she must have also known Celtic Breton and been acquainted with Brittany. Her works influenced later poets, notably Geoffrey Chaucer, and her imagery in St. Patrick's Purgatory would be used by later writers in depictions of the Christian afterlife.

Marie's works were popular in aristocratic circles but frequently featured lower-class characters as more worthy and noble than their supposed social superiors and always cast women as strong central characters. Her vision of female equality has led to her designation as a proto-feminist in the modern day, and her works remain as popular as they were in her lifetime.

Identity

Her actual name is unknown – `Marie de France' is a pen name given her only in the 16th century CE. All that is known of her comes from her work in which she identifies herself as Marie from France. Based on details in her work including knowledge of place names and geography, and the sources she drew from, scholars have determined that Marie spent a significant amount of time in England at the court of Henry II (r. 1154-1189 CE) and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (l. c. 1122-1204 CE).

Scholars suggest Marie may have been Henry's half-sister who perhaps followed him from Normandy to England when he was crowned king in 1154 CE. The Lais of Marie de France are dedicated to “a noble king” who is most likely Henry II but precisely how Marie meant this dedication is unclear. Marie's poetry often features women imprisoned or otherwise poorly treated by men and this theme mirrors Henry's relationship with Eleanor.

Throughout their marriage, Henry was unfaithful to his wife numerous times and carried on an open affair with the noblewoman Rosamund Clifford. When Henry's sons rebelled in 1173-1174 CE with Eleanor's support, the king had her imprisoned for the next 16 years. This same sort of relationship, often with similar details, appears in a number of Marie's works. Further, Henry does not seem to have been as fond of poetry and poets as his wife was and so an interpretation of Marie's dedication as sarcastic is probable.

In modern-day scholarship, Marie is almost always credited with establishing the genre of chivalric literature, but this seems unlikely as her works clearly draw on a pre-existing tradition of courtly love literature whose central motifs she inverts. In courtly love poetry, the knight is seen rescuing the damsel in distress; in Marie's works, the knight is often the one who has imprisoned her in the first place or, sometimes, the one in need of rescue.

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[saramackenzie1982]

It's #FindOutFriday and the answers to your questions are here: https://www.saraelliemackenzie.com/post/findoutfriday-answers-8 #TriviaAnswers #TriviaPursuit #GamerMode #HistoryBuff #FromThePagesOfHistory #IndieAuthor #AmazonAuthor #SelfPublishedAuthor #WorkingMom #EleanorOfAquitaine #QueenOfFrance #QueenOfEngland #ArchbishopOfCanterbury #EnglishChurch #SecularAndReligious #FrankishEmpire #FrankishKings #NormanConquest #GreekMythology #TrojanWar #HelenOfSparta https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5NXrpsJje/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[geatmos]

[theburntnickel]

🎃👻🕸🦇Happy Halloween and Merry Samhain from Dr. Grant, Eleanor, and Toothless! 🕸🦇👻🎃 . . #halloween #allhallowseve #trickortreat #quaratineoween #halloweeninthetimeofcorona #samhain #blessedbe #toothless #howtotrainyourdragon #drgrant #jurassicpark #eleanorofaquitaine #holyclothing @holy___clothing https://www.instagram.com/p/CHB3ojRJuCM/?igshid=n3aevjh8vhpa

[jmn4444]

Another Civ 6 Harvey Beaks crossover with Piri Piri as Eleanor of Aquitaine of England/France. Eleanor's special ability causes great works of art to reduce the loyalty of nearby cities and flip to her side immediately, making for a bloodless conquest under her rule. She also has a fondness for flowers, especially noticeable when you meet her agenda. Quite fitting for Piri as she also has a fondness for flowers and is very artisic in the show.

[queeneleanorofaqua]

Basic Background on Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in the year 1120 in one of the most important regions of France, Aquitaine. Her father was the then-future duke of Aquitaine, William X (the 10th) and her mother was Aenor of Chatelleraunt (ehistory.osu.edu/biographies/eleanor-aquitaine).

Eleanor would later marry a king of France by the name of Louis VIII (the eighth). Their marriage wasn’t perfect, and there’d been much speculation on whether the two were distantly related or not. It’s speculated that Eleanor and Louis were distantly related, maybe 9 times removed. Eleanor’s marriage to Louis VIII was arranged because Louis’ dad wanted Aquitaine, an area of great power (land-wise) and he’d only be able to get the land of Aquitaine if his son (Louis 8) married Eleanor. Eleanor was the only surviving LEGITIMATE child of her father’s, since her dad had been quite the philanderer. He’d had many illegitimate children, but since he’d been married to Eleanor’s mom, she was to be his heir to the throne of Aquitaine.

Eleanor wanted a son, but was never pregnant with Louis’ sons. Instead she had two daughters with her first husband, Marie and Alix. Both daughters would later gain territory in France.

However it may have looked to outsiders, Eleanor and Louis weren’t happy. They’d gone on a crusade to win the Holy Land back from its current (at the time) occupants. This would later be known as the Second Crusade. During the crusade, Louis was told of Eleanor’s alleged affair with her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers. This wasn’t true, at least it’s not speculated to be true. However, Louis was immediately jealous of Eleanor’s love and appreciation for her uncle, so it is entirely likely Louis made up the story of Eleanor’s affair with her uncle.

Eleanor would later, after the crusade, desire to get a divorce from her now-estranged husband. She and Louis just hadn’t been happy for quite a while, and Eleanor wanted out of that marriage. She was able to get out of her marriage to Louis by claiming they were too closely related. This must’ve shocked the church, as they allowed her divorce from Louis to take place.

Once Eleanor was “free” of Louis, she got engaged and then married to yet another king. This time he was king of England’s Henry II. This marriage would prove to be much better for Eleanor, as Henry was seen as her equal, due to their similar educations. But that didn’t mean they didn’t clash. Henry would eventually go on and imprison Eleanor because of her desire to raise an army to overthrow him so that her son could be king. Uh oh. It isn’t good to raise an army against your king, especially NOT your husband!

Info: Eleanor had a favorite child/son: Richard the Lionheart/ Richard I. She loved him so much that she wrote in her will that he’d get Aquitaine when she died. Sadly, Richard died before Eleanor, leaving Eleanor no choice but to leave Aquitaine to her least favorite child, John (aka John the Bad).

[alejandromogollo]

Since it's Oscars month, let’s remember probably one of the best-known ties in Academy awards history. When presenter Ingrid Bergman opened up the envelope, she discovered a tie between newcomer Barbra Streisand and two-time Oscar winner Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter, who was not in attendance that night, so all eyes fell on Funny Girl winner Streisand, who famously said to the statuette, “Hello, gorgeous” echoing her first line in Funny Girl. IMHO this is a tie made in heaven, don’t you think? #barbrastreisand #funnygirl #hellogorgeous #katharinehepburn #eleanorofaquitaine #academyawardwinner #oscars #oscars2020 #oscarwinner #tie #fanart #alejandromogolloart https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkYdAHnmBh/?igshid=1jf791pyt76bo

[refashiongallery]

FONTEVRAUD

The royal abbey in the Loire Valley

FONTEVRAUD

FONTEVRAUD

Another gem from the Loire Valley. If you love beautiful place, good food and, great art and amazing history, you will LOVE (yes, with capital letters) Fontevraud. The largest abbey in Europe, it is very well restored and and houses a design hotel and one of the region’s most innovative cuisine. 

History

As a quick introduction, because I don’t want to bore you with my article, this place’s history is so rich that you can easily spend the whole afternoon learning and discovering without realizing that 4 or 5 hours were already behind you. This is what happened to us. Fontevraud was a very unusual abbey, it was mainly ruled by women, and it was the home for both monks and nuns during several centuries, until the French revolution. It was then used as a prison and was considered as one of the worst prisons in France. A visit with aguided tour is highly recommended.

What is fascinating about Fontevraud is that it is also the necropolis of King Henry II of England, King Richard I of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Aliénor d’Aquitaine), who was the queen of France then queen of England. A fascinating story that I was totally unaware of. Eleanor was married at the age of 15 years old and her husband, Louis VII, following the death of  his father became the King of France a few days after the wedding. Their marriage was then cancelled 15 years later, officially because they were still linked by blood on the 4th degree. In reality the main reasons are because she couldn’t give him a son (they had 2 daughters together) and mostly because King Louis VII believed that she was committing adultery. Eleanor was complaining and telling everyone that her husband was more like a monk (!!). In the same year she then met the handsome Henri Plantagenêt, 10 years younger than her. They married, and two years later Henri became the King Henry II of England so Eleanor became the Queen of England at the age 32 years old, after being the Queen of France during 15 years. Eleanor had 8 children with Henry II of England, 3 daughters and 5 sons. Among the sons are Richard the Lionheart (King Richard I of England) and “Jean SansTerre” (King John of England). It could have been a wonderful love story but Eleanor’s second husband had mistresses and he didn’t treat her well. Eleanor was a very ambitious woman and she was always involved actively in the politics so she was giving her King husband a hard time. Years later he put her in exile and she joined her sons’ movements against her King husband. The rebellion movement won, her husband died, her son became the King Richard I of England and she was freed from her exile. Eleanor died in 1204 at the age of 82, which is exceptional for her period. This is a RESUME of what I understood, I hope that I got all the details correct ! Anyway, for history lovers, especially for French and English history, this place is a paradise.

Hotel

A fairly priced design hotel (it is totally affordable outside the peak seasons), the rooms are relatively small but very beautifully decorated. Each room has a lovely window, beautiful bathroom and very comfortable and clean bedding.

Art

If you stay in the hotel, the abbey is accessible for you 24 hours. You can have a walk in this astonishing place at 2 am in the morning and discover the temporary art exhibitions from very inspiring artists. These art works were dispersed and installed in hidden places. The ones we saw were very unique. My favorite artist was Julien Salaud. His works (the blue photos above, for example) were installed in the crypt, they were very grand and delicate at the same time.

Food

If you have decided to come all the way to this place, then I suggest that you book a table in advance. It is an ORDER. I don’t usually “force” people :) but this time it is necessary to insist. Food at the restaurant was excellent from the beginning to the end. It was very innovative and definitely an example of French cuisine at its finest. The chef Thibaut Ruggeri is a genius. He created an edible sheet (second photo below) that we received in the beginning of the meal. He calls it “Gustographie 2018″. It’s the essence of his 2018 collection. Just like in Fashion, where Fashion Designer has to select the season’s colours, fabric and prints, chef Thibaut Ruggieri is also doing the same with his cuisine. What’s more, price wise, it is also very reasonable (you would have to pay at least the double in Paris). You can’t ask for a better value, you’ll get more than what you pay for. 

[whencyclopedia]

King John of England

King John of England (aka John Lackland) ruled from 1199 to 1216 CE and he has gone down in history as one of the very worst of English kings, both for his character and his failures. He lost the Angevin-Plantagenet lands in France and so crippled England financially that the barons rebelled and forced him to sign the Magna Carta charter of liberties in 1215 CE.

The son of Henry II of England (r. 1154-1189 CE) and Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122-1204 CE), John succeeded his elder brother Richard I of England (r. 1189-1199 CE) as king. The celebrated Magna Carta that he was obliged to sign limited royal power and emphasised the primacy of the law over all, including the monarchy. Another name frequently associated with the king is Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, but there is little historical evidence of such a figure and, if he did exist, that he ever troubled John. Following his death while fleeing a French invasion force, King John was succeeded by his young son Henry III of England (r. 1216-1272 CE)

Early Life

John was born on 24 December 1167 CE at Oxford, the youngest of four sons born to King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Given no particular inheritance of note, he was nicknamed 'LackLand' meaning he had no lands, although his father did pack him off to Ireland in 1185 CE with the title Lord of Ireland. John, acting as viceroy, managed to upset both the English and Irish during his brief stay, and he was back in England after only four months in the job.

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[saramackenzie1982]

So, what does Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charlemagne and Menelaus have to do with my stories? Find out on Friday! #TriviaGame #TuesdayTrivia #HistoryLessons #EleanorOfAquitaine #TwelveCentury #Plantagenet #ArchbishopOfCanterbury #ChurchOfEngland #SecularAndReligious #ChristianKings #FrankishEmpire #SeniorKing #GreekMythology #HelenOfTroy #TrojanWar #IndieAuthor #LocalAuthor #NewBritain https://www.instagram.com/p/CpxIXFWsH0F/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[travelwithflere]

Palais des Ducs d’Aquitaine: Salle des Pas Perdus. Built by Aliénor (Eleanor of Aquitaine) between 1191 and 1204, the hall may have been the largest in contemporary Europe. Three monumental fireplaces were installed in the grand hall in the late 14th century. The palace was later used to administer justice and until 2019, the building was used as Poitiers’ courthouse. The vastness and lightness of this great hall and other such aulas inspired the architecture of train stations. Watercolor, August 2020. #palaisdesducsdaquitaine #salledespasperdus #palaisdejustice #courthouse #poitiers #aquitaine #aulamaxima #greathall #alienordaquitaine #eleanorofaquitaine #watercolor #aquarelle #fredericlere (at Palais de justice de Poitiers) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGAmu1pHIvV/?igshid=1tqncvs6vqxm6

[melissaholden94]

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 - 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐎'𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 This is my first read of any of Anne O’Brien’s work (I’ve only ever read Philippa Gregory’s historical fiction books), and I must say I really enjoyed. It goes much further back than any of Gregory’s books and I learned about a whole new European royal family. Synopsis: Devil’s Consort starts out in July 1137 and follows the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a duchess at 15, then married off to the second prince of France, later King Louis VII for an alliance. Eleanor finds herself in a loveless marriage with a boy king who would rather be a monk. Quick Review: I really enjoyed listening to this on @borrowbox, it was well-read and I was quick to get into the story (of which I am completely unfamiliar). I have mixed opinions about the leading characters - but I think that is sort of the point; a monk forced to be king, a duchess forced into a marriage because the law won't let her remain duchess whilst unmarried, but equally - they are both quite selfish in their own way. Star Rating: 8/10 ⭐️ Book 31 of 2020 (image is edited as I only had the audiobook version and I'm rubbish at taking photos of my tablet!) #audiobook #bookstagram #borrowbox #devilsconsort #anneobrien #historicalfiction #eleanorofaquitaine #kinglouisvii #henryiiofengland #kingsandqueens #royalfiction #bookworm #bookish #bookishfeed https://www.instagram.com/p/CCiUebKAErm/?igshid=skj9ttxsz2fk

[alchemyandashes]

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: AQUITAINE 12th CENTURY COLD PROCESS SOAP! Named for Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine - Queen to Henry II, Mother to Richard the Lionheart, and one of the wealthiest, most intelligent, and most powerful women of the middle ages! Scented with Lavender, Bergamot, and Patchouli essential oils. From the original lineup of Antiquities soaps, and a fan favorite for the last 7 years! Purchase AQUITAINE soap and the matching roll on perfume via LINK IN BIO #Witchcraft #Witch #Witchery #Witches #Witchy #WitchesofInstagram #Wicca #WitchyWoman #WitchyWays #PagansofInstagram #Pagan #Occult #Metaphysical #Magick #Mystical #Witchmade #WitchOwned #coldprocesssoap #EleanorofAquitaine #Aquitaine #12thcentury #lavender #bergamot #patchouli #handmadesoap #antiquities (at Alchemy & Ashes) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_z_B_qnKye/?igshid=mx92tqq834m0

[stephaniegwen]

Afternoon plans. #reading #foxglovehouse #eleanorofaquitaine #researchwithcats #laurelgirl #meridianlaurels #meridianrose https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QrnhqnTxQ/?igshid=1r55guao0plyh

[queeneleanorofaqua]

Imprisoned by Husband

BREAKING NEWS:

Eleanor, Queen of Aquitaine, husband of Henry II of England, has been imprisoned by her own husband! Henry sent his wife to jail, simply because she was about to make her beloved and favored child, Richard, king! How completely outrageous! No wonder Henry sent her away! We must not rebel against our king!

[riththewarluid]

Inktober 5 - "Long" #inktober2017 #inktober #inkdrawing #drawing #eleanorofaquitaine