Where the Middle Ages Begin
There is a strong relationship between history and fiction. The characters created by writers, either in historical novels and literary fiction, reflect that relationship. Many of the characteristics of fictional characters can also be ascribed to characters depicted in historical fiction and biographical writing.
This article compares the twelfth-century writings of the secular mulier in the Lost Love Letters with the work of religious female ‘mystics’ to draw comparisons about the way these authors chose to express love.
I try to tell whatever story I’m telling with struck adherence to the known facts and as faithfully to the era — its culture, mores, values, etc. — as I can be without having been there. However, I also recognize that history is its own form of fiction
Abelard and Heloise’s Love Story from the Perspective of their Son Astrolabe: Luise Rinser’s Novel Abelard’s Love By Albrecht Classen Rocky Mountain Review, Vol.57:1 (2003) Introduction: The debate about the authenticity of Abelard and Heloise’s correspondence has raged for many decades, if not centuries. Traditionally, many critics have claimed that Heloise, as a woman, could not […]
A list of books by and about Abelard and Heloise, the most famous couple of the Middle Ages.
I’ll begin with Abelard’s antirealism about universals, since it is the key to his irrealism. It provides the foundation for his conviction that only individuals exist, a thesis that calls for further analysis of the nature of individuals
So where did she come from, this extraordinary woman and what was the composition of genes that went into her inheritance?
In this paper I will challenge the common definition of the theological task as faith seeking understanding, where the faith of a tradition commandeers the critical enquiry of the theologian.
I do not wish to enlist, on either side, in the battle between historians and novelists. What I would like is to suggest a foray which may at first glance seem a minor skirmish, but which may significantly affect the way in which a writer portrays people who once lived, particularly famous people.
In the philosophical part of the project we chose not to use Abelardís work Dialogue of the Philosopher with a Jew and a Christian, which explains his views on different religions. Since we decided to use the Letters of Direction in order to get an overview about Abelardís view on Christianity, there appeared to be little need for the aforementioned book.
This thesis argues, however, that the letters by Abelard and Heloise, together with their liturgical works for the Oratory of the Paraclete, constitute an ongoing negotiation for the redefinition of authenticity within the religious life.
I shall attempt to analyze the love shared by Heloise and Abelard. They desired each other, yet in their own ways they attempted to manipulate each other, during and after their time together.
The twelfth-century philosopher Peter Abelard makes the bold claim that no thing
can ever gain or lose a part. This has the remarkable consequence that should, for example, the broom that is in my closet lose a hair, that very broom would no longer exist. This remarkable consequence has prompted many commentators, both medieval and contemporary, to suggest that Abelard has made a serious mistake
The methodological questions at stake are much more important and interesting. To quote the initial words of P. von Moos’ monumental article, these documents represent a real challenge for medievalism.
The Uses of Torture and Violence in the Fabliaux: When Comedy Crosses the Line Tracy, Larissa Florilegium, vol. 23.2 (2006) Abstract Comic violence is a device used in the Old French fabliaux to mete out just punishments, to castigate transgression, and to amuse a mixed audience for whom violence was all too common. Yet despite […]
Heloise’s literary self-fashioning and the Epistolae duorum amantium By Sylvain Piron Strategies of Remembrance: From Pindar to Hölderlin, edited by Lucie Doležalová (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009) Introduction: By addressing issues connected with memory in two collections of twelfth century Latin letters – the famous correspondence exchanged between Heloise and Abelard and the anonymous set of […]
Authority, Authenticity and the Repression of Heloise By Barbara Newman From Virile Woman to Woman Christ: Studies in Medieval Religion and Literature, edited by Barbara Newman (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995) Introduction: In the annals of medieval scholarship, questions about the authencity of sources are not rare. Few texts, however, have languished in the […]
Abelard the Scholar By Helen Steele Published Online Introduction: The twelfth century was a time of great intellectual ferment: at the forefront of this movement was the scholar and philosopher Peter Abelard. Yet posterity has forgotten much of the scholarship of Abelard, preferring to remember him for his exploits with Heloise, as a lover not […]
Medieval Supposition Theory in Its Theological Context Brown, Stephen F. Medieval Philosophy and Theology, vol. 3 (1993) Abstract In his Historia calamitatum Abelard recalls a dramatic confrontation between Alberic of Rheims and himself. During the Council of Soissons (1121) Abelard’s Theologίa ‘Summi boni\ at Alberic’s insistence, was being examined for doctrinal errors. Alberic, carrying a […]
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