Heloise

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)

Abaelardus and Heloïse in the manuscript Roman de la Rose (14^th century)

Heloïse imagined in a mid-19^th century engraving

Héloïse d’Argenteuil (1101-16 May 1164) was a French nun, writer, scholar, and abbess, best known for her love affair and correspondence with Pierre Abélard.

Background

Héloïse (variously spelled Helöise, Héloyse, Hélose, Heloisa, Helouisa, Eloise, and Aloysia, among other variations) is best known for her relationship with Pierre Abélard. She was a brilliant scholar of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and had a reputation for intelligence and insight. Abélard writes that she was nominatissima, "most renowned" for her gift in reading and writing. Not a great deal is known of her immediate family except that in her letters she implies she is of a lower social standing (probably the Garlande family who had money and several members in strong positions) than was Abélard, who was originally from the nobility, though he had rejected knighthood to be a philosopher.

What is known is that she was the ward of an uncle, a canon in Paris named Fulbert. By some point in her life, probably already as a teenager, she was renowned throughout Western Europe for her scholarship,^{[citation needed]} and she became the student of Pierre Abélard (Peter Abelard), who was one of the most popular teachers and philosophers in Paris.

Tragic events

In his writings, Abélard tells the story of his seduction of Héloïse and their subsequent illicit relationship, which they continued until Héloïse bore him a son, whom Héloïse named Astrolabius (Astrolabe). Abélard secretly married Héloïse, but both of them tried to conceal this fact in order not to damage Abélard's career. Fulbert's ensuing violence against Heloise caused Abélard to place her in the convent of Argenteuil.

The accepted view is that Fulbert believed Abélard abandoned Héloïse, and, in his anger, wreaked vengeance upon Abélard by having him attacked while asleep and castrated. An alternative view is that Fulbert divulged the secret of the marriage and her family sought vengeance, ordering the castration of Abélard. After castration, Abélard became a monk.

At the convent in Argenteuil, Héloïse took the habit and eventually became prioress. She and the other nuns were turned out when the convent was taken over by the abbey at which Abélard had first taken his monastic vows. At this point Abélard arranged for them to enter the Oratory of the Paraclete, an abbey he had established, where Héloïse became abbess.

Correspondence

About this time, correspondence began between the two former lovers. After Abélard left the Paraclete, fleeing persecution, he wrote his Historia Calamitatum, explaining his tribulations both in his youth as a philosopher only and subsequently as a monk.

Héloïse responded, both on the behalf of the Paraclete and herself. In letters which followed, Héloïse expressed dismay at problems Abélard faced, but scolded him for years of silence following the attack upon him, since Abélard was still wed to Héloïse.

Thus began a correspondence both passionate and erudite. Héloïse encouraged Abélard in his philosophical work and he dedicated his profession of faith to her. At one point, she tells him to share every detail of his life and not to shield her from unpleasantness.

Ultimately, after telling Héloïse of instances where he had abused her and forced sex, Abélard insisted he'd never truly loved her, but only lusted after her, and their relationship was a sin against God.

Some scholars consider Abélard was attempting to spare her feelings (or his feelings, altered from disrupted hormones) and others point to the damage of his hormones and psyche, but from this point on, their correspondence focused on professional subjects rather than their romantic history.

The Problemata Heloissae (Héloïse's Problems) is a collection of 42 theological questions directed from Héloïse to Abélard at the time when she was abbess at the Paraclete, and his answers to them.

Composite image of the tomb of Abélard et Héloïse and various details.

Burial

Héloïse's place of burial is uncertain. According to the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, the remains of both lovers were transferred from the Oratory in the early 19th century and were reburied in the famous crypt on their grounds (illustration, right).

The Oratory of the Paraclete claims Héloïse and Abélard are buried there and that what exists in Père-Lachaise is merely a monument. There are still others who believe that while Abélard is buried in the crypt at Père-Lachaise, Héloïse's remains are elsewhere.

Cultural references

Literary

The Mark Twain book, The Innocents Abroad tells a satirical version of the story of Abélard and Héloïse.

In the novel The Romantic by Barbara Gowdy the two central characters take their names from Héloïse and Abélard (Louise and Abélard in the novel).

Poetry

François Villon's Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis ("Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past") mentions Héloïse and Abélard in the second stanza.

Their story inspired the poem "The Convent Threshold" by the Victorian English poet Christina Rossetti, as well as the poem "Eloisa to Abelard" by the English poet Alexander Pope.

Stage and film

Howard Brenton's play In Extremis: The Story of Abelard and Heloise premiered at Shakespeare's Globe in as of 2006^[update].

The film Stealing Heaven (1988) chronicles their story and stars Derek de Lint, Kim Thomson, and Denholm Elliott.

In the film Being John Malkovich, the character Craig Schwartz, a failed puppeteer, stages a sidewalk puppet show depicting correspondence between Héloïse and Abélard.

Director and writer Norman Szabo created an animated feature called William Shakespeare's Abelard + Heloise,^[1] which he claims is based upon an uncompleted Shakespearean manuscript, Abelard and Elois, a Tragedie.^[2]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind makes several references to the story of Abelard and Heloise in both script and plot.

Music

The song Heloise by Frank Black from the Devil's Workshop album refers to this story.

The Lady Who Sailed the Soul by Cordwainer Smith refers to the lovers.

The song Nora by Richard Shindell features a verse about Heloise and Abelard.

The Cole Porter song Just One of Those Things alludes to this story.

The two protagonists in spanish singer-songwriter Joaquín Sabina's song, Pájaros de Portugal, are named Abelardo and Eloísa (Abelard and Heloise in spanish)

The song "Abelard and Heloise" features on Seventh Angel's latest album The Dust of Years. The lyrics are based on the couple's famous correspondence.

Other

The French luxury fashion brand Chloé has a bag named in her honor, the Héloïse.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Further reading

• Radice, Betty (1974). The Letters of Abelard and Heloise. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0140442979. 
• Gilson, Etienne (1960). Heloise and Abelard. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472060384. 
• Burge, James (2003). Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780060816131. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Heloise (abbess)

• Abélard and Héloïse web site
• about.com article
• The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
• Abelard and Heloise from In Our Time (BBC Radio 4)