Description
Book SynopsisA revisionist approach to Eleanor of Aquitaine and the political, social, cultural and religious world in which she lived. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204) is one of the most important and well-known figures of the Middle Ages; she exercised a huge influence on both the course of history, and on the cultural life, of the time. The essays in this collection use her as a point of entry into wider-ranging discussions of the literary, social, political and religious milieux into which she was born, and to which she contributed; they address many of the misconceptions that have grown around both Eleanor herself and the medieval Midi in general, and open up new areas of debate. Topics explored include the work of the troubadours and the importance to them of patronage; perceptions of southern France and itsinhabitants by outsiders; the early history of the Templars in southern France; cultural contacts between the Midi and other parts of the Latin world; the uses of ritual and historical myth in the expression of political power; and attitudes towards women. Contributors: Catherine Léglu, Marcus Bull, Richard W. Barber, Daniel F. Callahan, Malcolm Barber, John B. Gillingham, Linda Paterson, Ruth Harvey, Daniel Power, Laurent Macé, William Paden.
Table of ContentsIntroduction [with Marcus Bull] - Catherine Léglu Introduction [with Catherine Léglu] - Marcus Bull Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Media - Richard Barber Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Coronation Rite of the Dukes of Aquitaine and and the cult of St Martial of Limoges - Daniel F. Callahan The Templar Preceptory of Douzans [Aude] in the Twelfth Century - Malcolm Barber Events and Opinions: Norman and English Views of Aquitaine, c.1152-c.1204 - John B Gillingham Occitan Literature and the Holy Land - Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Troubadours - Ruth Harvey The Stripping of a Queen: Eleanor of Aquitaine in Thirteenth- Century Norman Tradition - Daniel Power Raymond VII of Toulouse: The Son of Queen Joan, `Young Count' and Light of the World - Laurent Macé Troubadours and History - William Paden Jr
