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.