<h3>Excerpt from: Eleanor of Aquitaine, by Sarah Biehl</h3>
<p>Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in a time of on the edge of change. The Troubadours were gaining general acceptance, and shortly after Eleanor died, courtly love was beginning to be taken seriously. Eleanor helped these two aspects of her childhood in Aquitaine , as well as other advanced ideas, such as educating women, to become prominent at least in Aquitaine and England .</p>
<p>Eleanor’s grandfather, William IX, was one of the first Troubadours. His romantic verses and songs were popular with the people in Aquitaine, although not with the church. Growing up in the center of western European culture Eleanor was impacted by the ideas and songs that had been created by William and his troubadours. The songs dealt with courtly love, the new idea that a woman’s word was the unquestioned wish of her intentions, chivalry, courtesy, and gentlemanly conduct.</p>
<p>Her mother, Aneor, was the daughter of William IX’s third wife, Dangereuse, and Eleanor’s father, William X, was the son of William IX and his second wife, Philippa. When they were married around 1121, William X and Aneor were only in their mid-teens. The next year, Aneor gave birth to a daughter and christened her Aliénore, or Eleanor. Aneor also had another daughter, Petronilla around 1125, and a son, William, around 1126. As the eldest child of William X, she was raised slightly differently then an ordinary girl would have been raised.</p>
<p>Customarily, girls were trained in domestic duties such as needlework, household management, and child rearing. The girls were taught either in a convent, or at home, and were very rarely taught to read or write. Eleanor was taught to read her native language and was familiar with Latin. She also developed an appreciation for the arts and became a patron to many troubadours. Eleanor was also interested in sports such as hawking, and could ride a horse as a small child.</p>
<p>Through her contact with the troubadour’s ideas and stories of her strong women ancestors, Eleanor grew to be an independent woman. Normally, women were expected to be subordinate to their husbands or fathers. Women were also to be mothers to heirs, be the mistress of the castle, and over look their husbands’ adulterous activities while remaining faithful to their own marriage vows. However, Eleanor tended to make her own rules about life. In addition to being independent, she was also very intelligent and energetic, although sometimes foolish, and sought activities that would fuel her mind and energy.</p>
<p>Sources:</p>
<ol>
<li>1. Allison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine (New York: Ballantine Books, 1999), 8.</li>
<li>2. Marion Meade, Eleanor of Aquitaine (New York: Hawthorn/Dutton, 1977), 16-17.</li>
</ol>