The Lion in Winter Group

Topic: Eleanor of Aquitaine

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1

Does anybody agree that Eleanor has not been given enough attention by historians? Just think about it: She was queen of the two most powerful countries of her time, mother of two kings, patron of the arts and near inventor of the courtly love tradition; she debated Bernard of Clairvaux, went on crusade and rode bare-breasted into Jerusalem. Was there anything she couldn't have done?

2

I've given your post a lot of thought because my first instinct was to say, "She really has been written about a great deal."  But then I realized that she's been written about a lot by historical fiction authors, many of them women, and not necessarily by male historians.

She was an amazing woman, by all accounts.  I think the play, "The Lion in Winter," did a great deal for getting her name and story out to more people.  I always make sure my Brit Lit students learn about her because of her patronage of the arts and the courtly love tradition that grew from her court - without her many works of literature never would have reached England, thus becoming part of what we consider to be "British Literature."

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