Posted by Tony Beers

This tale and those we’ve read thus far hold within them some of the best descriptions of human nobility, honor, and strength, not to mention chivalry and at times great empathy, but they also preserve a frailty exhibited by both sexes, if in very different ways. This “vulnerability” in medieval society is easiest to see, for example, in Marie De France’s women -- their fragility is promoted as synonymous with great beauty like a delicate orchid might be, or, as Marie writes in ‘Lanval’: “the lily and the young rose…are surpassed by her beauty” and I myself was drooling very early in the story imagining the Lady’s porcelain skin as Marie continues with “her face, her neck, and her bosom; she was whiter than the hawthorn flower.”

In my opinion, the vulnerability in men, though, is both society’s weakness and its false, but accepted strength as well. This is “patriarchic” in nature; a flaw that still permeates our culture today. I believe that this is a fundamental problem between men and women, but specifically in those days of knightly valor and damsels in distress -- a problem that at its core hides a male-centered vulnerability, an insecurity, a chink in a knight’s armor, if you will. This weakness, thriving in times of war, ironically resides within the not-so-mighty male ego and amounts to a base fear that women will find out that they are just as capable of many valuable vocations, services, or positions “traditionally” held by men.

What’s important also to note in this male dominated “scheme” is that physical prowess over women is only have the trick for these knightly dudes – the real deal is pulling the wool over the minds of these beautiful “fragile flowers” as well! They need to be second-class thinkers too for men to keep the upper hand. Chattel is probably the best one word description for the actual level of power woman enjoyed at this time and what these stories all reflect.

The end result is a patriarchy that values men (not only in physical strength and valor) over their would be “partners” of equal value, who are put on a pedestal – figuratively or metaphorically -- without a choice to decide or think about it, or disobey for that matter. They are at a disadvantage, because they either don’t know what they are capable of (ostensibly from not trying, except a brave few) more than needlepoint and screwing – sexually and mentally too, mostly because they know they can.

Admittedly, this issue has been well documented and isn’t necessarily news to readers of this blog, but it is the presumed “courtly document” herein to which I write as well, soon to be published.