Blog #11: Eric and Enide Questions

Explain what a “boon” is: Who asks for it , why, what are the conditions and are there any drawbacks?
A boon is a particular promise that the maiden in the garden asked her lover to give. The man’s name is Maboagrain and he is King Evrain’s nephew. He quickly made her a promise and swore it on oath. He did not know what the promise was until he became a knight and the maiden invoked his oath. He was to never leave her side until some knight would come along and defeat him in combat. This was to be known as the Joy of the Court. Many knights came and fought and lost. The knight could never show this displeased him though because as soon as he did, the maiden would have withdrawn her love. The knight was trapped in the love he had for her. He was imprisoned in her power over him. He was never able to fight in any wars for his king and so he never was able to make a reputation for himself. Unlike Eric, he was not well known in any place except for his home. Maboagrain grew bitter and the love he had for his maiden weakened for he desperately wanted to be free. He admits to Eric that he wished he had never sworn the oath.

Does Eric fight in the Joy of the Court just for the fun of it? To enhance his reputation? What is the larger purpose that is served?
Ever since Eric married Enide his reputation suffered. He spent all his time with his wife and no longer fought in any battles or participated in any games as a knight should. People started talking bad about him behind his back. Enide felt this was all her fault and knew that if Eric’s reputation was slandered she would be poor all her life. To gain his reputation back and to continue to have the love of Enide, Eric fought in the Joy of the Court. No young knight had ever won so if he did, it would be something that would be remembered and told to others. He fights in the Joy and succeeds in winning and he receives the true joy he desired. Enide truly loves him and his reputation is maintained and he is honored as a great knight.

Blog #4: The Importance of Beauty

Beauty, youth, and nobility are important for a woman to possess in the Middle Ages in order for them to obtain a respectable man as their husband. As we learned in “The Women Troubadours,” women did not have very many rights. To many men, women were viewed as objects or as a possession of theirs that they could show off to the world. A respectable young bachelor is not going to want a wife who is unattractive or old. Enide was neither of those. In “Eric and Enide,” a whole paragraph is dedicated to describing the beauty of Enide. She was so beautiful that “Nature in making her had turned all her attention to the task” (pg 42). Enide has blonde hair, fair skin that seemed to glow, and sparkling eyes. She is so beautiful that no other woman can even come close in comparison. She was dressed in a white dress which symbolizes her purity as well as her nobility. Though her dress was made of poor clothing and was worn through in some parts, her body was beautiful. This symbolizes that she is beautiful on the inside as well. Though she is noble, she is humble. She is educated and smart. Eric falls in love with her beauty and brains rather than her wealth (or rather lack thereof). She is poor, but that does not make her any less noble.
Beautiful women in the Middle Ages were often painted with blonde hair and fair skin. They are mostly of noble birth as well. We learned that many poems of courtly love were written for the wife of a nobleman. In “The Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, the woman is wearing a lavish gown. For her to own such a dress, she would have to be noble. She also has blonde, wavy hair and fair skin. These women were not stick thin. They had curves and many sculptures depicted them as being more voluptuous than the standard beauty model today. In some ways the medieval concept of what is beautiful in a woman compares to the modern concept. Today, blonde hair and blue eyes are still the classic look seen in magazines, on television, and in movies. It does not represent the entire industry, but it is the most prominent. In contrast, tan skin is favored over fair skin today and stick thin is preferred by men as opposed to a curvy frame.

Blog #3: Religion and War

Religion and war were directly intertwined in the Middle Ages. Crusaders fought over holy land with each side believing they were fighting for God. In “The Song of Roland,” Charlemagne and his men were fighting for Christianity. Their quest is to convert any pagan into a Christian. When a man such as Roland is fighting in a war where he very well may die, religion offers consolation. These men, especially Roland, are willing to die for their king and for God. One reason these men are willing to die in battle is the guarantee of salvation. Archbishop Turpin tells the fighting men that he will grant absolution and the men who die will become martyrs. They will be remembered for their sacrifice and their courage. I agree with the critics who view Roland as a Christian martyr who is willing to sacrifice himself and his men. It reinforces his loyalty to his king and to his God.
Religion plays an important in role Roland’s life. Roland’s sword “Durendal” contains relics such as Saint Peter’s tooth, the blood of Saint Basile, and some of the robe worn by Saint Mary. Having these relics within the hilt of the sword gives Roland a reminder of the religion he is so willing to fight for. During tough times, it probably provides courage and motivation for him to continue fighting. He values his sword’s relics so much that he tries to destroy it so it cannot be used by the pagans. This gives the audience some idea of Roland’s dedication to Christianity. The appearance of the archangels at the end of the poem reinforces the link between religion and war. These men are fighting and dying for God. Then the archangels appear and prolong daytime so Charlemagne has more time to avenge the death of Roland and his men. This proves that God is on their side and that they are indeed fighting for the right side and with God’s help they will win.
“The Song of Roland” provided entertainment for the Crusaders. The lengthy death scene shows how valiant it is to die for what one is fighting for. This is something the Crusaders would want to remember as they are about to die on the battlefields themselves. This epic poem may console them in their last minutes of life just as religion did for Roland.

The Women Troubadours

Meg Bogin states in her book, The Women Troubadours, that “throughout the Middle Ages women were the pawns of men.” She supports this claim by going on to explain the role women had (or lack thereof) during this period. They did not have any say in their lives. Love did not play any part in marriage. Women were generally married young for political reasons ranging from alliances to land possession. They were also regarded as breeders. It was important for a wife to give birth to sons rather than daughters. If a wife failed in this task, she was useless and would be “repudiated and sent home to her parents or placed in a convent.” Thus, women were not viewed as people, but rather as objects to be utilized in the most advantageous way. This regard for women has changed drastically over the years. Arranged marriages are still prevalent in some countries, but for the most part women are allowed to choose who they will marry and for what reasons. These reasons are usually love. In addition to this, there are still some cases where a woman will marry into money to help support her family or to gain a title and all that goes with it. In the United States, we have been blessed. Women are allowed certain rights and viewed more equally with men than they were in the past. They are allowed to purchase and own any expanse of land they wish.

The Song of Roland

The poem The Song of Roland would have been popular with the Crusaders on their way to Jerusalem because the war story told in the poem has many similarities to the war the Crusaders were about to fight in. First, both Roland and the Crusaders fight for Christianity and second, they both fight for their king. The poem illustrates how a man fights with courage and loyalty to his death for his king and his beliefs. This is something each Crusader must also be willing to do if they wish to be successful in their battles. This poem made Roland a legend. His willingness to stop at nothing to fight for his king has made him a hero of sorts. This should inspire the Crusaders to follow Roland’s footsteps to be a valiant fighter, and in return hopefully they will always be remembered for their courage. The poem also would have provided entertainment for the Crusaders. Roland’s fighting as well as other aspects has been embellished. Roland seems to have super human strength when he slices a man in half during the ambush. This would be impossible for any man to accomplish such a feat, but it does provide great entertainment and motivation for the Crusaders as they march to the battlefields knowing they may very well not survive.