what's up in the 12th century?
So, my husband bought a book to read on the plane the other day, and since he pretty much only reads non-fiction he bought The Book of Firsts by Peter D'Epiro which is mostly a list of cultural happenings throughout history. I (naturally) read the twelfth century section last night
Abelard and Heloise were alive and wrote their letters in the early to mid twelfth century! How cool is that? I read these when I got my English degree but forgot all about when they were written. I'll have to give Marian (or Guy&Robin lol) some reading material in one of my fics....for those of you who aren't English lit geeks, in short, Abelard is a philosopher/monk who seduces, fathers a child with, then secretly marries Heloise who is a very smart young lady who later becomes a nun. Her father is so pissed he causes Abelard's manparts! to be cut off. Years later after Abelard has written what this book refers to as "the first Western erotic memoir" ever! and they are both ensconced in their respective cloisters/abbeys/whatever they write a series of letters back and forth about love. These were widely read by contemporaries...like maybe Marian...or Guy...or Robin....or Vaizey ha ha ha I love the idea.
Also there was an entry about Henry II, Richard and John's father, as he was the first Plantagenet king of England. Most of it seemed to be concerned with his relationship with Thomas Becket, but it did include this really great closing line:
"the first and most powerful of the Plantagenet monarchs was succeeded by his two surviving sons, Richard I and John, who seemed to vie with each other for the appellation of their country's worst king"
so Richard and John sucked equally. Robin, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Abelard and Heloise were alive and wrote their letters in the early to mid twelfth century! How cool is that? I read these when I got my English degree but forgot all about when they were written. I'll have to give Marian (or Guy&Robin lol) some reading material in one of my fics....for those of you who aren't English lit geeks, in short, Abelard is a philosopher/monk who seduces, fathers a child with, then secretly marries Heloise who is a very smart young lady who later becomes a nun. Her father is so pissed he causes Abelard's manparts! to be cut off. Years later after Abelard has written what this book refers to as "the first Western erotic memoir" ever! and they are both ensconced in their respective cloisters/abbeys/whatever they write a series of letters back and forth about love. These were widely read by contemporaries...like maybe Marian...or Guy...or Robin....or Vaizey ha ha ha I love the idea.
Also there was an entry about Henry II, Richard and John's father, as he was the first Plantagenet king of England. Most of it seemed to be concerned with his relationship with Thomas Becket, but it did include this really great closing line:
"the first and most powerful of the Plantagenet monarchs was succeeded by his two surviving sons, Richard I and John, who seemed to vie with each other for the appellation of their country's worst king"
so Richard and John sucked equally. Robin, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.