Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Despite my Anglo-Saxon pseudonym and research interests, I am an American of partly Irish descent. (Sie müssen alle schätzen, wo mein anderes Erbe liegt.) I'm pretty committed to that heritage, too. I have even dangled upside down to kiss the battlements of this very tall castle, while being "secured" from falling to certain death by a local pensioner with his hand on my waist. So, today this blog will take a break from its Anglo-Saxon yet anti-patriarchal leanings to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
I leave you with two bits of literature to contemplate.


The Irish Dancer (14th century English)



ICH am of Irlaunde,
Ant of the holy londe
Of Irlande.
Gode sire, pray ich the,
For of saynte charité,
Come ant daunce wyth me
In Irlaunde.

My Favorite Irish Blessing ( I have no idea about times for this one)

May those who love us love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we can know them by their limping.

Medieval Women I Adore - Installment 2: Chrodield and Basina

We move back in time to the late sixth century, and over to Gaul, to find these two rebel nuns of royal lineage. (I'm not an elitist, almost everybody we know about from the early Middle Ages was well-connected. Blame the history books.) They may not be pious, nor are they exceptionally bright, but their story sure is funny.

Background Information (If you need it):
- The land and money to build monasteries (male, female, and double-houses) on the continent in the early medieval period was donated by noble familes. Very often these gifts had contingencies: the inmates would pray for the donating family a certain number of times per week, the abbot or abbess would always be drawn from that family, occasionally there would even be duties of fealty from the monastery to the donating family (providing food, trained and armed knights, etc). Monastic houses added substantially to the wealth and power of a family, and were considered family property. Monasteries throughout the Middle Ages also proved an excellent place to "store" excess children, siblings, or dowagers. (A little later, the Pippinids proved brilliant at this. It's amazing how many of Charlemagne's troublesome relatives discovered religious vocations at politically opportune times.)

- The Convent of the Holy Cross at Poitiers was established by St. Radegund, a captured and enslaved Thuringian princess who became the wife of Clotaire I, King of Neustria and Austrasia (Belgium, Northern parts of France and Germany). She left her husband and entered religious life, with full ecclesiatic approval. More on her later. For now, know that she was childless, her house was a known seat of learning, her nuns followed the Rule of Cæsarius of Arles (first Rule for women's houses), and there were many noble women among the nuns of her house.

The Nuns:
Chrodield was the daughter of King Charibert I of Austrasia, and so was Clothaire's granddaughter and Radegund's step-granddaughter. She seems to have entered the convent willingly, and was the leader of the rebellion.
Basina was the daughter of King Chilperic I of Neustria, and was Chrodield's cousin, with the exact same relationship to the convent's founders. She was placed in the convent as a very young child (younger than 7), to escape the machinations of her father's third wife, Fredegunda. People in the royal family had a nasty habit of dying around Fredegunda; all three of her step-sons, her husband's second wife, her brother-in-law, and eventually Chilperic himself. Actually, the murder of near relatives was a "traditional family value" among the Merovingians. Fredegunda was nothing special in that regard, but Basina was still in real danger.

The Revolt:
Radegund died in 587 CE, but named a woman called Agnes abbess of Holy Cross prior to her death. Agnes died in 589 CE, and the nuns elected "a certain Leubover" as abbess. And then all hell broke loose. Leubover was strict, Chrodield and Basina would say cruel, and the "a certain" bit probably indicates that she wasn't related to anybody very powerful. So, here are two royal princesses feeling that their power has been usurped by a base-born woman, and now they are meant to obey the usurper. Sure.

Chrodield persuaded 40 of the nuns to vow to help her unseat Leudover, and elect her as abbess. The whole group of 42 women left the convent (this was forbidden), and marched over to Tours to get help from Bishop Gregory. (The guy who wrote the history of this revolt, was very interested in expanding his own family's religious empire, and was uncle to the new Prioress under Leubover.) Chrodield felt that, as progeny of queens, they were being treated exceptionally poorly, and would not promise to abide by the bishops decisions. She left Basina in charge of the rebel nuns and travelled on to meet with the King of Orleans. When she returned some of the women had disbanded -- or married -- in her absence. She brought the remaining nuns back to Poitiers, and took over the basilica at St. Hilary, where she picked up some (male) followers. A whole passel of bishops arrived at St. Hilary's to demand that the women return to their convent, the women refused. The bisops then pushed themselves into the basilica and urged obedience. When that was not forthcoming, they excommunicated all the nuns. The women and their followers then physically assaulted the bishops, who ran in all directions in fear of the assault. One bishop even dove into the river.

Chrodield ordered her men to abduct the abbess from the convent, but they abducted the Prioress first (Gregory's niece), and had to let her go on the road and return to get the abbess. On the second try, the guys got it right, and Leubover was abducted. The next night, the guys and some of the nuns returned to the convent, and removed everything they could carry, including furnishings and relics. The Bishop appealed for Leudover's release, threatening not to say Easter Mass that year if the abbess was still imprisoned, and to get the locals to attack the basilica. Chrodield set up guards to defend the basilica, with orders to kill anyone who tried to free Leubover. The bishops refused to intercede, afraid of being run off again, until the military came in and handled the rebellion.

After two years a large enough force was gathered together to fight the rebel nuns, and Chrodield was defeated. But she still didn't go down without a fight. As the men were charging her basilica, Chrodield gathered up the relic of the true cross, held it out in front of her, and declared "Do no violence to me, I beg of you, for I am a queen, daughter of one king and cousin of another; don't do it, lest a time may come for me to take vengeance on you." That threat didn't work, and the women were overcome. The captured rebels were beaten, some were burned at the stake, and some had body parts cut off as punishment.

Basina caved, apologized to the abbess, said her cousin had grown too prideful, and was eventually released from excommunication and allowed back to the convent. Chrodield accused Leubover of having a man living in the convent dressed as a woman, and a number of other charges which were refuted to the bishops' satisfaction. (There was, however, a cross-dressing eunuch in the crowd at the trial. He was explained away.) Chrodield would never repent, and never concede to go back to the convent while Leubover was abbess. She was given a villa in the country, and no more is written about her.

I love a rebel, it's true. However, the keystone cops aspects of this story -- on all sides -- just have me enthralled.

Medieval Women I Adore - Installment 1: Aethelflaed

Full Disclosure: This new series is out-and-out idea thievery. Natalie Bennett at Philobiblion has been blogging about women's history for quite some time. Every time I read one of her wonderfully informative entries about a woman in history, I think to myself, "Self," I think, "somebody really oughta blog about the medieval women who don't get much recognition in the modern world." Then I generally "tsk" and go back to reading, because I don't want to be a big cheater. Well, I've decided these women deserve whatever attention anybody can give them, cries of "cheater!" be damned. And so here begins the Heo Cwaethian series of medieval women whose history should be known.

We'll start with the As, or ascs if you want to be technical about it.

Æðelflæd (Aethelflaed) - "The Lady of the Mercians" - The eldest child of the famous King Alfred of Wessex and Ealhswyth, his noble Mercian wife, Aethelflaed was born about 869 CE, two years before her father ascended to the throne of Wessex - then the most powerful of the English kingdoms. Like her younger siblings, Aethelflaed learned to read and write in English and Latin, memorized the Psalms, and learned the seven liberal arts. She was considered intellectually gifted in her schooling, and beyond.

She married King Aethelred II of Mercia (not Unraed, he was later) in 884, as part of a political deal. Aethelred accepted the overlordship of Alfred and demoted himself from cyning (king) to ealdorman ( earl), but in return had the security of connection to the Wessex royal family. In this marriage, at least, it seems as if Aethelflaed was acting in the stereotypically feminine capacity of peace-weaver. Aethelflaed was not a subservient wife, however, nor was she demonstrably peaceful. She immediately began working with Aethelred in developing military strategies, and joined with him in the fights against Viking invaders.

From 888 CE -- the year Aethelred was struck with a debilitating illness-- until his death in 911 CE , Aethelflaed wielded the royal power in her marriage. Unlike her mother, Ealhswyth, Aethelflaed did not retire to a monastery at the death of her husband, but continued the control she had wielded over her kingdom until her own death in 918 CE. It was she who invaded and conquered part of Wales, built defensive burhs in Mercia, refortified several fortresses, and fended off the Vikings. In her refortification efforts, Aethelflaed rebuilt the Roman walls at Gloucester, and developed a city plan. Gloucester still bears the mark of Aethelflaed's plan today; the roads that are in the city are where they are because Aethelflaed put them there. When Aethelred died in 911 CE, Aethelflaed continued to rule, joining with her younger brother Edward to put down rebellions to the north, create political alliances with other kings, and (surprise!) fight off Viking invaders. She defeated the Danes of York, who then submitted to her overlordship in 918 CE in return for defense from the Norse in Ireland.

When Aethelflaed died in the same year (918 CE), her kingdom of Mercia was nominally left in control of her 20 year-old daughter Aelfwynn. However, Aelfwynn was almost immediately brought to the court of Edward, her maternal uncle, by reason of her "minority" and Wessex annexed Mercia.

Not quite a damsel in distress, was she? Whenever some dipstick decides to inform me of the "natural incapacity of women to rule," I remind myself of women like Aethelflaed. A fierce fighter, skilled politician, gifted intellectual, and capable ruler, she was able to defend not only her own kingdom of Mercia, but also her brother's kingdom of Wessex from invasion, all while expanding and fortifying her own power. For me, the willingness of the Danes of York to submit to her rule in return for defense when they had the choice to seek Edward's protection suggests that she was recognized as a better general than her brother. That Edward waited until after her death to annex Mercia, and did so with the public purpose of protecting Aethelflaed's daughter confirms it for me.

Attending to Emotion

I fully intended to blog against sexism this past Tuesday, on International Women's Day. However, the situation in South Dakota and the ability of a jury of twelve to acquit video-taped rapists resonated in me more deeply than could be addressed in a blog post. Frankly, I have been the very embodiment of rage for the past couple of weeks, and I've been using most of my energy trying to prevent myself from releasing that rage indiscriminately. So far, so good. This is not to say that I "reasoned" myself out of this rage entirely. I did not -- nor do I wish to -- pretend I'm not enraged that my country is declaring war on its women citizens every day. I don't want to ignore the fact that the rampant misogyny in my government has spread out to other nations and is negatively affecting women all over the world. I won't pretend that the political party that promises to legislate for civil rights hasn't named an anti-choice Senator as its leader, and attempted to "soften its language" regarding women's rights. I can't not see the malevolent glee in the eyes of women-haters in my government and on the streets of our cities at the imminent prospect of enslaving women's bodies through the coercive power of the state. And let's be clear about this, folks, this is what's happening.

There are those who will tell you that such language is hyperbolic, *hysterical* perhaps. Some of you reading this may even believe that "war on women" and "slavery of women" are terms I have chosen in a high state of emotion, and are therefore unfair representations of the facts. So, let's look at just a random sampling of the facts, shall we?

- When the United States has a higher rate of rape than any other country that publishes such statistics, yet only 2% of rapists are convicted of their crime, women's bodies are no longer their own.

- When a videotaped gang-rape of an underaged girl who was both too young and too drunk to legally consent to sex is not a punishable crime, women's bodies are no longer their own.

- When the state can demand that women attempt to carry pregnancies to term when they don't want to do so and/or their doctors have advised against it, women's bodies are no longer their own.

- When a 100% effective vaccine against a cancer that affects about 10,000 women per year in America alone is kept from the public because government officials fear that women will have more sex if there's one less way that we may die from being sexually active, women's bodies are not their own.

- When pharmacists choose to override the moral choices of a woman and her doctor because they themselves do not "believe in" birth control, women's bodies are not their own.

This government has bet that, if forced to choose between self-custody and "patriotism," women will choose patriotism every time. Even when a woman's right to say no to sex is demonstrably NOT SUPPORTED by this government; when she is held responsible for her own rape, when she is then demonized for wanting to end the rape at her rapist's ejaculation, rather than allowing it to go on for almost a year or even 20 years. Even when saying yes to sex means saying yes to a motherhood she can't afford, and won't be financially enabled to afford, because she's a dirty slut who had sex. Even when her government values its pharisee ideology over her very life. They have placed a losing bet in my case. My government has declared war on me, my sisters, my nieces, and my friends, and goddammit, it will not stand. I'll still sign petitions, and write representatives, but I trust them about as much as I'd trust the local child-molester to babysit. I am goddamned tired of asking politely for elected representatives to recognize that women are people. They appear to hear that about as well as the average frat boy hears "no."

I am now dedicated to learning how to fight in myriad ways, and you can bet your bottom dollar that any attempted rapist will be short at least one dangling participle at the end of the exchange. I encourage you to do the same. I have volunteered my home in a blue state as a safe haven for my already enslaved sisters in South Dakota, and soon to be enslaved sisters in other red states. I encourage those of you who can to do the same. We have been told for millenia that emotion is bad, only reason is accepted. We have then been presented with "reason" that is merely the systematized emotion of others. Let the pharisees call their hate "reason," it's time for us to act. I ask you, what's more reasonable than responding to the very real threat of physical violence than learning how to inflict injuries of your own? What's more reasonable than opening up your home and your life to runaway slaves?

Napoli, v.

1. To brutalize and rape, sodomize as bad as you can possibly make it, a young, religious virgin woman who was saving herself for marriage.
2. To hella rape somebody.

Etymology: From State Senator Bill Napoli's (R-SD) description of an acceptable rape that would merit an exemption from South Dakota's abortion ban.

*Attention to detail: Please keep in mind that once a young, religious, virgin woman has been raped, she is no longer a virgin, so only one napoliing per gang-bang. Once a woman has been raped, even if the rape happened years ago, even if the rapist did not complete a full-scale napoliing(say he left out the sodomize as bad as you can possibly make it bit), she is no longer a virgin, and therefore doesn't count. Similarly, one cannot napoli a married, religious, young woman. Napoliing requires that the woman be young, therefore aspiring napolists will have to card their victims to be sure they've picked women under thirty.

Join the google-bomb, if you can. This fucker needs to be known for what he is.

The More Things Change II

In researching Drama in the British Renaissance, I came across some interesting complaints about theater being put forth by Puritans. I invite you to read some excerpts from a book written by one Stephen Gosson entitled "The Schoole of Abuse," and published in 1579 by Thomas Woodcocke (behave!)of London. If you consider Mr. Gosson's complaints and the complaints of certain modern groups such as "Focus on the Pharisees" you will find, as I have, that Puritans haven't changed much over the years. I considered abandoning this post idea when I saw that Chris over at Mixing Memory did a very similar post, in which he prints an article written in the nineteenth century by one R.L. Dabney against women's rights, and invites comparison between those ideas and the ones currently expressed by ignoramuses world-wide. (You should read it, it's good.) But I decided that Chris and this Dabney fellow don't get to have all the fun, and I will still let Mr. Gosson speak.


Against Poets and Pipers: from The Schoole of Abuse

The politike Lawes in well gouerned common wealthes, that treade downe the prowde, and vpholde the meeke, the loue of the King and his subiectes, the Father and his childe, the Lord and his Slaue, the Maister and his Man, The Trophees and Triumphes of our auncestours, which pursued vertue at the harde heeles, and shunned vyce as a rocke for feare of shipwracke, are excellent maisters to shewe you that this is right Musicke, this perfecte harmony. Chiron when hee appeased the wrath of Achilles, tolde him the duetie of a good souldier, repeated the vertues of his father Peleus, and sung the famous enterprises of noble men. Terpandrus when he ended the brabbles of Lacedaemon, neyther pyped Rogero nor Turkelony, but reckoning vp the commodities of friendeship, and fruites of debate, putting them in mind of Lycurgus lawes, taught them too treade a better measure.

.....OK, so that's what poetry and music are supposed to do in Early Modern and Ancient Wingnuttia. Support and defend the patriarchy at all costs, ye poets. Alas, what they were actually doing was much, much worse.

There set they abroche straunge confortes of melody, to tickle the eare; costly apparel, to flatter the sight; effeminate gesture, to rauish the sence; and wanton speache, to whet desire too inordinate lust. Therefore of both barrelles, I iudge Cookes and Painters the better hearing, for the one extendeth his arte no farther then to the tongue, palate, and nose, the other to the eye; and both are ended in outwarde sense, which is common too vs with bruite beasts. But these by priuie entries of the eare, slip downe into the hart, and with gunshotte of affection gaule the minde, where reason and vertue should rule the roste.

.... Effeminate ravishing....hmmm. But, wait, that's not all. Compare the good old days with the perfidy of today's players:

Consider with thy selfe (gentle Reader) the olde discipline of Englande, mark what we were before, and what we are now: Leaue Rome a while, and cast thine eye backe to thy Predecessors, and tell mee howe wonderfully wee haue beene chaunged, since wee were schooled with these abuses. Dion sayth, that english men could suffer watching and labor, hunger and thirst, and beare of al stormes with hed and shoulders, they vsed slender weapons, went naked, and were good soldiours, they fed vppon rootes and barkes of trees, they would stand vp to the chin many dayes in marishes without victualles: and they had a kind of sustenance in time of neede, of which if they had taken but the quantitie of a beane, or the weight of a pease, they did neyther gape after meate, nor long for the cuppe, a great while after. The men in valure not yeelding to the Scitha, the women in courage, passing the Amazons. The exercise of both was shootyng and darting, running and wrestling, and trying such maisteries, as eyther consisted in swiftnesse of feete, agilitie of body, strength of armes, or Martiall discipline. But the exercise that is nowe among vs, is banqueting, playing, pipyng, and dauncing, and all suche delightes as may win vs to pleasure, or rocke us a sleepe.
Oh what a woonderful chaunge is this? Our wreastling at armes, is turned to wallowyng in Ladies laps, our courage, to cowardice, our running to ryot, our Bowes into Bolles, and our Dartes to Dishes. We have robbed Greece of Gluttonie, Italy of wantonnesse, Spaine of Pride, Fraunce of deceite, and Dutchland of quaffing. Compare London to Rome, and England to Italy, you shall finde the Theaters of the one, the abuses of the other, to be rife among vs. Experto crede, I haue seene somewhat, and therefore I thinke may say the more. In Rome when Plaies or Pageants are showne: Ouid chargeth his Pilgrims, to crepe close to the Saintes, whom they serue, and shew their double diligence to lifte the Gentlewomens roabes from the grounde, for soyling in the duste; to sweepe Moates from the Kittles, to keepe their fingers in vre; to lay their hands at their backes for an easie stay; to look vppon those, whome they beholde; to prayse that, which they commende; to lyke euerye thing, that pleaseth them; to presente them Pomegranates, to picke as they syt; and when all is done, to waite on them mannerly too their houses. In our assemblies at playes in London, you shall see suche heauing, and shooving, suche ytching and shouldring, too sitte by women; Such care for their garments, that they bee not trode on: Such eyes to their lappes, that no chippes light in them: Such pillowes to ther backes, that they take no hurte: Such masking in their eares, I knowe not what: Such giuing them Pippins to passe the time: Suche playing at foote Saunt without Cardes: Such ticking, such toying, such smiling, such winking, and such manning them home, when the sportes are ended, that it is a right Comedie, to marke their behauiour, to watche their conceites, as the Catte for the Mouse, and as good as a course at the game it selfe, to dogge them a little, or followe aloofe by the print of their feete, and so discover by slotte where the Deare taketh soyle. If this were as well noted, as ill seene: or as openly punished, as secretly practised: I haue no doubte but the cause would be feared to dry vp the effect, and these prettie Rabbets very cunningly ferretted from their borrowes.

WOMEN will be seen as sex objects if in public, people!!! And that's STILL not all:

Not that any filthynesse in deede, is committed within the compasse of that grounde, as was doone in Rome but that euery wanton and his Paramour, euery man and his Mistresse, euery John and his Joan, euery knaue and his queane, are there first acquainted and cheapen the Merchandise in that place, which they pay for elsewhere as they can agree. These wormes when they dare not nestle in the Pescod at home, finde refuge abrode and are hidde in the eares of other mens Corne. Euery Vawter in one blinde Tauerne or other, is Tenant at will, to which shee tolleth resorte, and playes the stale to vtter their victuals, and helpe them to emptie their mustie caskes. There is she so intreated with wordes, and receiued with curtesie, that euery back roome in the house is at her commaundement. Some that haue neither land to maintaine them, nor good occupation to get their breade, desires to strowt it with the beste, yet disdayning too liue by the sweate of their browes, haue found out this cast of Ledgerdemayne, to play fast and loose among their neighbours. If any parte of Musick haue suffred shipwrack, and ariued by fortune at their fingers endes, with shewe of gentilitie they take vp faire houses, receive lusty laffes at a price for boorders, and pipe from morning to euening for wood and coale. By the brothers, cosens, vncles, great grand sires and such like acquaintaunce of their ghestes, they drink of the best, they sit rente free, they haue their owne Table spreade to their handes, without wearing the strings of theor pursse, or any thing else, but householde and honestie. When resorte so increaseth that they grow in suspition, and the pottes which are sent so often too the Tauerne, gette such a knock before they come home, that they returne their Mayster a crack to his credite: Though hee bee called in question of his life, hee hath shiftes inoughe to auoyde the blanke.

Lazy dudes will be able to frolick with whores while treating them as ladies! Oh, heaven forfend.

Must Reads on the Internets

The Second Radical Women of Color Carnival is up at Woman of Color Blog, there are many wonderful posts there.

Also, remember that today is the final day to submit posts to the tenth Carnival of Feminists, to be published at indianwriting on March 8th.

h/t Mind the Gap

And, via Evil Librul Overlord, via San Antone Rose on a comment thread at Digby's : The full text of Leslie J. Reagan's monograph, When Abortion Was a Crime, is available on the internet, for free.