7 Timeless Myths about Eleanor of Aquitaine
- historyhit
VIVA – Eleanor of Aquitaine was Queen consort to Henry II of England and Louis VII of France. She was also the mother of Richard the Lionheart and John of England. She was popular for her beauty and powerful woman.
It seems that a large number of myths and misconceptions surround the discussion of Eleanor's life, from her physical appearance to the role she played in medieval Europe.
Here are 7 timeless myths about Eleanor of Aquitaine:
1. Eleanor Produced Amazing Powers in Her Life
It wasn’t right. Evidence suggests that Eleanor had virtually no power in her first marriage to Louis VII of France.
In the early years of her second marriage to Henry II of England, things got a little better; he holds power subject to scrutiny. The same thing happened when he ruled his own country in 1168-1174.
But on the other hand, before she was taken captive, Eleanor held just as little power in her second marriage as in her first.
2. Pretty Eleanor
One source described her as "very beautiful" and a German ballad (who almost certainly never saw her) spoke of her wish; but nothing really contemporary says anything.
The best evidence that Eleanor is beautiful, because of the second-hand: a singer did write drooling about the beauty of her daughter Matilda (whom she actually met).
The best evidence reflects Eleanor as a very handsome woman, but not an extraordinary beauty. Interestingly, she seems to be more interested in his personal qualities than her appearance.
3. Eleanor Presided Over the Court of Love
There is no 'Court of Love', where women were said to rule over romance cases based on medieval knightly codes. This is actually just a joke.
One such joke is the Court of Love itself; all women have fallen victim to the matchmaking system in one way or another and thus the lack of women's autonomy. This whole story comes from some scholars in the 20th century who considered the hoax to be the real thing.
