Review: The Formidable Women who Shaped Medieval Europe by Susan Abernethy

Synopsis: The formation of the Burgundian Empire by the four Valois Dukes of Burgundy would not have happened without the formidable royal and aristocratic women in their lives. These women, the wives, daughters, nieces, granddaughters and great-granddaughters, were vigorously engaged in the administration of the Burgundian empire, acting as governors and regents, making appointments, securing and making strategic marriages, raising taxes, negotiating treaties, engaging in cultural, religious and political patronage, giving birth to heirs and aiding in the military endeavours of their husbands. The history of these women involves numerous countries in Europe, including England, Scotland, France, Brittany, the Low Countries, Italy, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and many others.

Some of these women lived in luxurious comfort, and others were bullied and badgered into turning over some or all of their patrimony, allowing these all-powerful men to build an influential and powerful new state comprised of a numerous and varied collection of territories in Western Europe that existed from the late fourteenth century until the early sixteenth century.

We will meet women who were the daughters of kings, emperors, dukes and counts and even a queen regnant and a saint. The Valois dukes fully entrusted their wives with ruling in their stead while away fighting military and political wars. They used a deliberate policy of making marriages for their daughters and other female relatives into the many houses of Europe for political and territorial gains. In the end, the last Valois duke, Charles the Bold, put in motion a marriage for his daughter Mary, which would eventually bring about the end of the mighty Burgundian state, allowing it to be ruled by the House of Habsburg and absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire.

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Of all the recent books out of the Pen & Sword stable, this one was one of the more palatable tomes I have read in some time. Having read and currently own, a number of texts mentioned as references sources, the subject matter was not unfamiliar to me.

I like that the book was broken down into the reigns of the four main dukes - each of whose biography by Richard Vaughan is referenced. Following a history on the region / dukedom of Burgundy, including the four main incumbents, we begin to be introduced into the women of the ducal families - those born into it, those that married into it, and those on the very periphery of it. With family trees and references at the end of each stand-alone biography, it is very readable and singular in its layout, which reflects the fact that Abernethy is one of the many bloggers turned author carried by this publisher.

When there is very little to flesh out the character, the author does revert to detailing what is known but also drawing in the males within the sphere to "bulk it out" - it is unfortunately what I have found in the many tomes I have read from this publisher (don't get me started on the titles which are pure pie in the sky).

However, what the modern reader should bear in mind that for many chroniclers and authors of the period, the lives of women, especially when it came to documenting them, was not given much credence. There were some that defied the odds to have their voices heard but these a few and far between which makes it tricky for an author - in some instances - to provide much in the way of detail that does not include the goings-on of males around her, especially when they affect or contribute to events in the lives of these women.  

The experiences of the women in this tome can be reflected in the lives of their contemporaries in other corners of the globe - they are - unfortunately - not unique when money, power, land, and titles were at stake in an era dominated by powerful men who let nothing get in the way of their own personal enrichment.  Women often found themselves the victims and pawns on the political chessboard, but we must not discount those who were able to rise above and make their mark - though few and far between, both they and their sisters who had a supporting cast role are still deserving of our attention.

Kudos to Abernethy for tackling the dukedom of Burgundy. Having read her very informative and well researched blog posts one can understand that this is an area of great interest and one in which she is keen to share with a greater audience.

Review: The Adventures of Gillion de Trazegnies

The Romance of Gillion de Trazegnies tells of the adventures of a medieval nobleman. Part travelogue, part romance, and part epic, the text traces the exciting exploits of Gillion as he journeys to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, is imprisoned in Egypt and rises to the command of the Sultan’s armies, mistakenly becomes a bigamist first with a Christian and then a Muslim wife, and dies in battle as a glorious hero. The tale encompasses the most thrilling elements of the Western romance genre—love, villainy, loyalty, and war—set against the backdrop of the East.

This fascinating medieval manuscript was acquired by the Getty Museum (2012). UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak joined Getty senior curator of manuscripts Elizabeth Morrison to produce a lavish large-scale commercial publication “The Adventures of Gillion de Trazegnies: Chivalry and Romance in the Medieval East,” exploring the cultural, historical and artistic contexts through images, translations and companion essays.

This is first and foremost a medieval romance - the genre comprised of fictional works of chivalry and adventure, often composed in prose as well as in verse, with some of the earliest being poetic works closely resembling the verse epics of Ancient Greece and Rome in both form and content. These narrative fictions represent the adventures and values of the aristocracy - yet the Romance of Gillion reads like a modern day soap opera, as our hero embarks on one adventure after the next, from one mishap to the next.

The Romance of Gillion is a beautifully illustrated manuscript whose authorship is speculative, though academic consensus is that it was penned in mid 1450s Burgundy. Under the Valois Dukes of Burgundy, the duchy flourished and grew as the County of Burgundy was once more reunited with the duchy, as well as with the County of Artois.  In addition, the wealthy Counties of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel also came under Burgundian control.  With a highly mobile court and immense wealth, the ducal family extended their patronage to art, literature and other cultural activities.

Stahuljak in her commentary poses questions and theories as to the text’s unknown author, the manuscript’s patron who might have initially commissioned its creation, and traces the manuscript’s ownership through nobles of the court of Burgundy.

The most accepted pedigree of the Getty manuscript was that is was commissioned by Louis de Gruuthuse (1422-1492), trusted advisor of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and one of the great book collectors of the Middle Ages. He amassed a library of almost two hundred volumes at a time when the English royal collection was composed of less than half that number.   And quite possibly authored by the ducal court scribe, David Aubert under de Gruuthuse's direction.  Philip's bastard son, Antoine de Bourgogne (1421 - 1504), also a prominent noble and court official, was said to have commissioned a copy of the Romance, though his version differs from that of Gruunthuse's copy. The copy held by Getty is the Gruuthuse copy with the illustrations by Lieven van Lathem.

Did Gillion really exist ... not in reality but he is a composite of great men bourne out of the era - and there were plenty of real historical characters to choose from .... even Louis and Antoine themselves .....

The Adventures of Gillion Trazegnies is highly entertaining and a must for those who have an interest not only in medieval manuscripts but also in the literature of the times.