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The Life of Saint Balthild (How a Woman of Influence Exercised Power in Frankish Society)
Heloise to Abelard (a modern construct of a last letter from Heloise to Abelard)
How a Woman of Influence
Exercised Power in Frankish Society
Virtue and Women's Worth
An Exercise in Individual Accomplishment
Hans Peter Broedel
HSTAM 340
Winter 1999 (revised 02/99)
University of Washington
GregRobin Smith
sirbrand@u.washington.edu
Papers are on-line at
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sirbrand/hstam340.html
"What extent could a noble woman in Frankish society exert control over her own life (in terms of marriage, social roles, occupation, etc.)?
In what ways could she exercise power over the lives of others?"
In its presentation, the "Life of Saint Balthild" is seemingly a treatise to establish certain facts and occurrences in the life and deeds of this woman. At the time, its purpose was to help lay the groundwork towards beatification (Sainthood). As such, we should regard this mostly as a work that was done by someone trying to influence a particular end. It is not an overview of an impartial observer. It should be considered as "the endorsed biography of St. Balthild" and any conclusions drawn from it must reflect that many aspects of what really went on may not be present.
In the three major aspects of her life represented, her humble, chaste beginnings trying to eschew all notice and advantage, her assention to the Throne and eventual rule as Queen-Mother and her life in the Abbey, St. Balthild seems to alter her ways of influence. At first, she influences by a seeming use of "reverse-psychology." She strives to be an excellent slave (obedient, pious, non-intrusive or disruptive) and everyone is impressed: "And her pious and admirable manners pleased this prince and all his servants."
St. Balthild keeps the other servants happy even though she gets such special attention by not seeking any advantage by it. Apparently, St. Balthild does not try to get out of doing the lowly chores, indeed she continually recommits herself to them. In the religiously motivated era that her life takes place, to the pious she must seem properly motivated. One can almost hear her biographer saying "She serves, and loves to serve, for the sake of service. A most properly humble girl." It is also to be noted that the language describing her actions at this time uses no expressions of "command." She does not make anything happen. The "biography" provides: "Divine Providence called her from across the seas." She was attractive because of her race. Her prince decided to give her positions of honor because she so impressed him with her piety and humility (and, it is to be assumed, her pleasant appearance).
Her only act that challenges the status quo is running from the "call" to her first Master's bed. This is her first deliberate action that influences directly the course of events, for the Prince then decides (assisted by Divine Providence) to marry someone else. She is considered to be noble and holy for avoiding marriage and keeping chaste. Then, "with God's approval" she becomes espoused to King Clovis. It seems to be an acceptable departure from the sacred path if you marry a King. She then produces royal babies. Again she does service by "being there" and not by making decisions, commands or proclamation. She spends her time being a mother, a "daughter to the priests" and a nurse. However, now, as Queen, she seems to have gotten hold of disposable income. She starts making waves by giving away "generous alms to everyone." It is an axiom that where gold flows influence is found, so it goes that people would start seeking her out and paying her wishes special heed to curry her favor.
Through her continued devout prayer and encouragement to others to serve the ideals of the Church, Balthild gains a follower in Genesius. She funnels money through him to various Church needs. This would give him power and influence he did not have before. By 'coincidence,' Genesius soon becomes bishop of Lyon in Gaul. The biographer indicates this is due to "Christ's order" but one can see a more earthly influence here, one of political maneuvering. Queen Balthild begins salting the Church with her loyal supporters.
When the King, her husband, dies we see a dramatic shift in the language used to describe her actions. No longer is she humbly seeking to serve with her own hands, she now prohibits, proclaims, deeds lands, sees monasteries built and establishes others into office by her decree. St. Balthild is forming an administration for her policies to be set in place, maintained and increased. It must be wondered that with so much money and resource going into these projects, what other projects were going underfunded? What were the King, her son and his advisors, doing? We are not told, but as certain as any other action, the re-action must have been as great to all her giving. It could be believed that she was developing powerful enemies. This could explain why St. Balthild has to warn bishops, and encourages their compliance with granted immunities, as to how their order shall behave. Again, the language is full of action: St. Balthild prohibits, orders, installs, releases and directs. She directs "many and large gifts" to Rome. This can easily be interpreted in a modern light as influence peddling and not just in piety, but just as any large electoral campaign donation today goes to influence decisions.
At this point in her life, Balthild then "retires" to the Abbey and becomes the "hand-maiden" again, cleaning out the latrines and working in the kitchens. Why does this happen? How does it make her stop influencing the actions of others? Was she overthrown? Did her son, the King, take the reigns back from his Mother? There is no further mention of her "proclaiming, directing, commanding or ordering" anyone anymore.
Saint Balthild, in life, was able to influence the direction of her country and her church. I feel she used her time as handmaiden and perfect wife and Queen to observe the way of things, how influence was obtained and increased. When made Queen-Mother, she used that understanding to put those who were loyal to her in power, giving them influence so their positions would continue to increase. She sponsored people both in high and low places that were on her side. She stood as an example of charity and selflessness to influence those not caring of the impetus of gold. She may have done this with a pure and Christian heart. However, I see too many deliberate actions in her decisive stage (as Queen-Mother) to believe that she was just following the humble and simple directives of a maid-servant of Christ. She practiced, among many other effective techniques, the most ancient tenet of the "Golden Rule," which is
"Whoever has the gold, rules."
In dying, her proof of beatification continues with her enduring great suffering from illness (a martyring experience) and with miracles (attributed to her holy earthly body) being documented after her death.
Throughout, Balthild commands influence and exhibits power by her personal actions and by developing a reputation as someone to emulate. She is able to weave herself into the fabric of Church and State and see to it her "pattern" becomes one of the variants used in the continuing cloth of history. She uses her powers of influence and direction to secure loyalty and follow-through of her plans. She also became an instrument, a tool, that others would use to help construct their own lives. This may be her greatest legacy and longest living influence of all.
copyright 1999 by GregRobin Smith, Seattle Washington.
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being a personal letter, in persona poetic, unto Abelard
from his wife, his charge, his pupil, his sister, his daughter,
his proof of human passion, his sin and his most ardent admiration
Heloise
Instructor: Hans Peter Broedel
Class: HSTAM 340
Winter 1999, University of Washington
02/01/99
GregRobin Smith
sirbrand@u.washington.edu
Papers are on-line at
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sirbrand/hstam340.html
In truth, my heart knows no direction for nothing of my mind has reference to guide it. In a state of miracle and grace, I find myself awakened to finish what I had left undone. It is now The Feast of St. Agnes II, in the Year of Our Lord MCMXCIX, the Eve of the celebration and day St. Gilde and St. Valerii. I am awakened and you have been asleep, and in that elusive sleep for many, many years. I am amazed not so much by many of the claims and proofs of new civilizations and of the challenges met and overcome by the children of our time, but rather that the Lord our God has kept away so long. No time has seen the coming of the Lord since that first time now near two thousand years ago. Who amongst our challengers could conceive the world gone unsaved this long? It is from me withheld, as much the world has always been. I am but on a river once again, and I still float. Guilty of all I have ever been or done. Mayhaps, this day, I can close the gate that has let so full many of this barnyard out.
I am called to give rest, it seems, to our communication, a final powder of sand to the signatures we have made. In this I am glad, for torture has been our love in ways and in God's home, mayhaps we can find what I have hoped for these many days: peace in our hearts, love 'tween our souls, time for argument and release from persecution.
The letter from your hand that is within my mind the newest, and briefest, goes past my heart which I feel you know but have never truly addressed and to your case again. It is your plea in a court I am not among.
You say you are hated by the world and I must argue. First it must be proffered that there are many students who have held to you against winds of discomfort and hardship like the lashings on a mast against the angriest of seas. Then there are your brothers, your sisters and charges who daily pray and weep for your soul. Lastly I present what I have always offered you, a heart and head and every part of corporal being and a spirit that God would grant me under mine own power. I, you must believe, do not have a hate for you and only know an anger for your ignoring of my pain which I have born for you, like our son, out of service to your worth. My need of you and want of you, of which I have never been ashamed, have always been proven to you. My faith of you, respect of you, has undaunted followed you like a shadow from a tree... even as the sun and time do move, the root of that silhouette is locked and never will become apart. You are not hated here, but that is never part of the world you have wished to love you, this I fear.
You state the case of standard teachings, the Son of God is co-equal unto the Father, our God and like. This and these your words are always good to hear, for they are of your mouth, but are like breath in sleep, they are what you do to live but have no song in them. What my sins do pain my heart again is that I am so cruel to not accept my place and need to love but Christ. I will not let this love of you recede into the past. I will hold tender every thorn and barb it brings. I will not take repentance and find a balm and I will not seek removal from my flesh and seek a healing. I am the worst of thieves, for I took from you and do not have a need of what I stole, for wanted I but nothing that was yours, but just to love you. In that, I still do love. In that, I still abominate the will of our Faith. Our Book says in Proverbs 11:22 "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion". I have been your temptress and all your pains are mine alone in blame. My eyelashes have drawn you and our love of reason has taken you from the path of reason. My agony is complete and my misery deserved. Isaiah 3:1 knew me, for "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not." So my bed has remained, returning to it singly for all time but for the thought of you then paired.
The rock of your foundation will stay firm as ever in our God, and this I know but nothing if not gladness. But I have wish that you retain another anchor, another fix into the world. Regard as firm, as hard and as solid this case that holds the proof of all your reason and your mind. You have sent from out your port of teaching full too many sailors to have count, and each of them builds boats and sends out more navigators. You have Mothering in your breast and the milks of logic flow across the world in living vine.
And now I go, I hear the thunder of this age give call and I must with it fade. Sophocles gives us "The sleep that masters all" and it will take me and give ride, me the adulteress, myself the sinner, the unrepentant whore of you, my lone and only heartfelt love. In this time to come, as I return to slumber, I hope against what teaching I have had, that there is a kind and just place where the ills of humanity can go from us and we can gift ourselves with great and true discourse and, if you will at last allow, companionship in truth and regard, fellowship appreciative, respect and affection of each other's spirit. I fear this may not be, unless in Heaven, it is Just as I see Justness to be.
In this world there are such a many strange and glittering marvels, but I am tired and will not seek them out. I am an instrument of brass that plays during chants and choir, I do not belong. I wonder only if a thread of our lives, twisted together and entwined so long ago, I wonder if there is a bit of us that still shows and gives a strength to the greater tapestry and cloth of this age that looks on us as ancient.
In peace I ask your blessing.
copyright 1999 GregRobin Smith, all rights reserved.
Christine de Pizan's
The Book of the City of Ladies
"If worthiness is obtainable by Women,
It is only achieved by the Mimicking of Men."
An assertion refuted.
Instructor: Hans Peter Broedel
Class: HSTAM 340 Winter 1999, Submitted 2/17/99
GregRobin Smith, Seattle, WA
gregrobin@knightstour.org
Papers are on-line at http://weber.u.washington.edu/~sirbrand/hstam340.html
Note about my use of "G_d": Except for quotes, I refrain from spelling out the word for reasons of religious preference.
Query: "Does Christine de Pizan assert that women may be worthy of virtue and respect, but only by achieving masculine levels of virtue.? Or, does she regard women as intrinsically worthy through their natural tendencies and abilities?."
This author's position: Christine de Pizan clearly writes in support of the rights of women to be considered virtuous on their own merits. She consistently argues that women should be regarded with respect for the abilities given to them by Nature. From her many examples of commonly known mythology and histories and her on-going dialogues with the "three crowned ladies" who pay her visitation, she lays out argument upon argument of women's worth and contribution to human kind.
Throughout her treatise, Christine examines the reasons "why" so many men have written so vociferously against women . One of her 'crowned' visitors, "Reason" states a number of psychological reasons that men attack the worth of women. These include: vice; jealousy; the pleasure of slander; and the desire for acceptance by aping often quoted (but erroneous) authors who hate women. Add also the issues of impotence; age; and men who have been corrupted by the defects of their own deformities and ailments. and you have a recipe for the violently irrational hatred of women known as misogyny. Christine also lays out compelling argument as to the weakness of conclusions against women as a lesser or tainted sex. "How can any mouth dare to slander the vessel which bears such a noble imprint?" Women, being "created in the image of God" before G_d took a material form, were created in the image of G_d's intellectual spirit which He gave to man and to woman equally.
Christine refutes ancient scholars, Cicero, Cato, Ovid, Cecco, and others who maintain women's evil or simply inferior nature with the reality of her Faith: Why would G_d choose such an inferior vessel to bring into being His perfect Son? Indeed, without Eve's misdeed, the race of Man would never have occurred and salvation would never be possible. She states "thus man and women should be glad for this sin" referring to Eve, a very bold, and one would think near heretical, statement for the age in which it was written.
Christine, to strengthen her arguments of women's capabilities, lists quite a number of 'historic' examples showing women's prowess on the field of battle, extreme bravery, skill, cunning and intelligence. The fact that these 'histories' are a lively mixture of both mythology and accepted history of the day does not diminish the fact that these stories were well know to her male contemporaries. Though 'known' however, these tales are evidently ignored when they (the men) make their arguments against women's capabilities. Women such as: Nicuala, Empress of Ethiopia, lawgiver; Fredegund and Blanche, Queens of France, who both ruled in their son/sovereign's name both wisely and well. Women of great mental and physical strength are named: Queen Semiramis, who was "...feared and revered in arms..." ; and who conquered the entire Orient; the many Amazon queens and warriors whose fame of ferocity still lives on today. Queens Penthesilea, Zenobia, and Artemisia, great warriors all, have attested to them skill at battle that rival the epic feats listed in the Odyssey and other such works of martial prowess.
Christine consistently gives examples of history, biblical reasoning and biblical accounts that back her assertion that women are worthy of respect, authority, responsibility, reason and fealty. Whereas some of her examples of war scenarios show her heroines can 'fight like a man' it is clear that the women mentioned are not just mimicking men, but have their own unique and particular virtues.
Examining even a few of them directly, the characteristics that Christine lists for the 'female gender' and their intrinsic worthiness are many.
"...every good and honest woman of virtuous life ought to be, and is, one of the most pleasant things to look at..." The observation of Beauty inspires improvement in all other endeavors, therefore women's natural beauty helps improve the world.
(Unlike men) women are rarely if ever found to practice gluttony or lechery. Moderation helps preserve resources and assures continuance of the community.
Piety and Charity are possessed by women, for " who is it that visits and comforts the sick, helps the poor..." , etc. Those less fortunate are brought out of despair by the good and selfless deeds done by such women. Women, being the bringers of life of every creature including the Savior, allow salvation to occur. Women, through their piety and charity, help those brought into the world become closer to G_d.
Prudence and Attentiveness are both favored by G_d and man, and are sought by others to be emulated, along with ..."constancy, nobility and strength". Again, the husbanding of resources in this resource-scarce time is essential to survival. Women help ensure that survival. The ordering and wise management of estates (and men's lives) are also listed frequently in her statements as a particular skill of noble women.
Throughout her work, Christine 'builds' her city of philosophy with the 'stones' of sensible argument, 'mortaring' them together with logic and example along lines laid out by the 'rule' of fairness and justice. It is not that women can, by hard work, earn the worthiness of men by being like men, but rather that women and men both have been granted the ability to become worthy through devotion and labor. If a person wishes to simply gain in their own worth by reducing the worth of others around them, then they join the ranks of Math'eolus and his "Book of the Rose" to everyone's loss. This 'increasing one's self by lessening all others' would be contrary to the teaching of the Gospels, to which Christine endeavors to adhere. If a person (male or female) wishes to achieve worthiness and is diligent and noble-minded, then worthiness will be theirs. It is much better to seek out and strive to achieve what are the more noble, and more natural, goals. In Christine's estimation, judging by the examples she lists, a good and natural goal seems to be to aspire to be noble, nurturing and pious whilst still keeping an eye out for the next kingdom to conquer.
Throughout this treatise, the ongoing dialogue between Christine and the "three crowned ladies" consistently point to the natural and to-be-sought-after worthiness of women for their own virtues. Their talents lend themselves to sensible regulation of lands and responsibilities. Their charitable and generous natures help improve the lot of the unfortunate. Their wisdom and courage assist and secure the well being of the state or nation whence they reside.
The modern criticism that Christine de Pizan is really just asserting that some women have the ability to achieve "masculine" levels of virtue and that femininity itself has little intrinsic virtue is not justified. Christine is clearly asserting that women, and men, achieve worthiness and virtue by the results of their deeds as individuals and in community.
The community of a 'City of Ladies', such as Christine de Pizan describes, would be quite an effective, and formidable, entity to behold. The 'City of Ladies' as a philosophical structure and school of thought still is.
-fini-
Footnotes: Christine de Pizan "The Book of the City of Ladies" trans. Earl Jeffry Richards,
Persea Books paperback edition. P. 18
ibid. Pp 18-19.
ibid. P. 23
ibid. P. 23
ibid. P. 23
ibid p. 24
ibid. pp. 33-34
ibid. p. 39
ibid pp. 47-57
ibid. p. 25
ibid. p. 25
ibid. p. 26
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