Comments on: Harpy Hall of Fame: Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204)

By: Monie

Monie — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:09:23 +0000

I think the person who best captured Eleanor is Sharon Kay Penman. I suggest reading her mystery series, “The Queen’s Man”, which features an older Eleanor as regent Queen.

By: peenerbambina

peenerbambina — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:49:58 +0000

I am very proud to be named after her. I never knew who she was until the dippy hippy landlady of my favorite pub would float over to me, ask my name, then say with delight “Oh! Like Eleanor of Aquitaine!” and promptly bring me a huge dusty book on her life and doings. Due to the fact that said dippy hippy landlady did this ritual at least once a month, I eventually read a bit of the book (not all of it, it weighs roughly the same as a five year old child) and was muchly impressed. Hoorah for E of A!!

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:35:09 +0000

@RocktheDebit: SUCH A GOOD BOOK!

By: Melisende

Melisende — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:58:07 +0000

Excellent post on one of history’s most fascinating women.

By: RocktheDebit

RocktheDebit — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:27:59 +0000

Oh. My. God. I love E of A. Did any of you read A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver when you were kids?

By: vegkitty

vegkitty — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:07:47 +0000

This sounds totally strange, but I think that I was Eleanor of Aquitaine in a past life or something. Her name shows up in my life fairly often, and I feel this weird comradery (sp?) with her.

By: Falyne

Falyne — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:06:08 +0000

Whoa, I actually just read her wikipedia article this morning, along with a bunch of the rest of the cast of characters. She was pretty awesome, and while a bunch of dudes kinda screwed her over, she outlived them all, dammit!

By: bluenose sailor

bluenose sailor — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:51:52 +0000

I tried in vain to make a valuable addition to this post, but all I can say is, hooray! Keep the profiles comin’.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:30:50 +0000

@sukie: Alison Weir (one of my favorites!) has an excellent book about Eleanor. I love all of her biographies of medieval women.

By: sukie (in the graveyard)

sukie (in the graveyard) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:26:19 +0000

My dad gave me the book to read a few years ago! (I can’t remember who wrote it) He MADE me read it. I’m glad he did.

This woman was the Original ‘Tough Cookie.’