|
picture of many of the great figures of the time - people who were shaped by the strong, single minded, and indeed obsessive women of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and were obsessed and single minded in their turn.
There are, however, some important qualifications of this view.14
For one thing, an adequate sample is not really available to support such an assertion: how many great men and women were characterised by dysfunctional behaviour? How many were not? Jean de Joinville, chronicler of St Louis' Crusade, for example, was deprived of his father at infancy and was raised by his strong minded mother, and yet he does not appear to have been particularly troubled by obsessions or dysfunctions relating to women, sexuality or himself.
The Freudian view has it that "maladaptive" behaviour in adults results from unresolved conflicts during early childhood, resulting in the twig of personality being bent at an early age.
Freud's views, however, are not grounded in scientific analysis, nor have modern psychologists who have attempted such an analysis found any necessary connection between domineering mothers and dysfunctional sons.
Instead, it may be preferable to interpret this patchy evidence as tending to indicate that given women's inferior status generally in medieval society, it is hardly remarkable that some of them became obsessive, particularly if they had otherwise strong, motivated personalities. And despite their apparent irrelevance, noble women actually often intervened in the lives of their children, particularly those of their sons.
Further, it is tempting to assume that where two strong willed people enter into a very close relationship - as in Richard Lionheart and Eleanor; St Bernard and Aleth; Guibert and his mother, and in a number of other examples - then there will be influences in shaping character and determining world views.
As well, however, it should be considered that there were many other factors at play in the development of the characters of those involved in the Crusades. Thus, Richard Lionheart certainly had some character defects - impetuosity, ferocity, luxuriousness and selfishness - but at the same time, he was courageous, a brilliant general, a superb athlete, a musician, philosopher, ruler, and finally, a son who loved his father beyond the grave.
Not a bad achievement, if it was his mother's doing.
But as well as some domination by his mother, it should be remembered that Richard had one of the most remarkable figures of that or any age as his father, and he certainly learned much from Henry about being a man. Further, Richard was also surrounded from childhood by nurses, playmates, henchmen, a considerable mesnie, pages, princes, paupers and a host of people of all ages and ranks, to whom he would not have been blind.
The construction of character was as complex an event in the Middle Ages as at any other time.
1. Coulton, Life in the Middle Ages, pp.29-30.
2. H. Adams, Mont - Saint - Michel and Chartres Hamlyn, Sydney, 1980, p.125.
3. J.T.McNeill, Makers of Christians Tradition Harper, New York, 1964, pp.33 ff.
4 Peter Munz, Frederick Barbarossa: A Study in Medieval Politics Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1969, p. 376.
5. Bowie, F. and O. Davies, Hildegard of Bingen: An Anthology SPCK, London, 1990, p. 140.
6. Ibid, p.385.
7.Storrs, R., Bernard of Clairvaux: The Times, The Man and His Work Scribner, New York, 1912, p.146.
8. Ibid., p.144.
9. Guibert de Nogent, Memoirs J.F. Benton (trans.), Harper, New York, 1970. p.93. Benton argues that there is some doubt about this identification.
10. Ibid., p.64.
11. Ibid., p.71.
12. Ibid., p.94.
13. Ibid., p. 105.
14. I am grateful to Meg McKone, Head of Psychology at Hawker College, for her valuable insights which inform this section of the study.
Chapter 16:
The Virgin's Home
|
|