1163 Heloise, brilliant student and later wife of French theologian and philosopher Peter Abelard, whose tragic love affair with the tutor resulted in his castration, died in Paraclete Abbey.
(Some sources say 1164)
The death of Heloise
The medieval story of Heloise and Abelard, written down by two of the protagonists of the tale, tells us that Heloise was an orphan, 18 years old, living with a canon of Nôtre Dame Cathedral at Paris, Fulbert, who was her uncle and guardian. Abelard was her tutor, at first by mail, and she grew greatly in learning. Abelard, twice her age, was the most famed man of his time, a rising teacher, philosopher and theologian, and pupils came to him by the thousands. He was also very attractive to women, had a good voice and sang beautifully. Heloise wrote "Female hearts were unable to resist (his singing)".
Fulbert took Abelard into his house to advance Heloise's studies. Abelard neglected his other students and wrote love songs to Heloise, who had become his lover, and finally even the unsuspecting Fulbert knew what all Paris knew. Heloise’s guardian demanded that they marry, and Abelard consented, even though marrying Heloise would ruin his prospects of advancement. For this same reason, Heloise refused to marry him. But they were indeed married, and Fulbert took a cruel revenge on Abelard, by hiring a gang of thugs to castrate him. Both Heloise and Abelard devoted themselves to the religious life to atone for “their sins”.
Heloise only found out what had happened to Abelard many years later. She still loved him, even while in the convent, but he directed her to stay a nun, and said he now loved her as a father would love a daughter; she survived him by 21 years.
When Heloise was buried in Abelard's tomb, his hand rose up to greet her after the tomb was opened. Or, so it is said. Their bodies were moved several times, and were interred in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, Paris, in 1800, where many years later the bodies of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison also were laid to rest.
1936 Wavy Gravy (“the illegitimate son of Harpo Marx and Mother Teresa” – Paul Krassner), philanthropist; cult hero of the Californian counter culture, circa 1960s; founder of famed hippie commune The Hog Farm; Master of Ceremonies at both Woodstocks (1969 and 1994)
(Some sources say 1164)
The death of Heloise
The medieval story of Heloise and Abelard, written down by two of the protagonists of the tale, tells us that Heloise was an orphan, 18 years old, living with a canon of Nôtre Dame Cathedral at Paris, Fulbert, who was her uncle and guardian. Abelard was her tutor, at first by mail, and she grew greatly in learning. Abelard, twice her age, was the most famed man of his time, a rising teacher, philosopher and theologian, and pupils came to him by the thousands. He was also very attractive to women, had a good voice and sang beautifully. Heloise wrote "Female hearts were unable to resist (his singing)".
Fulbert took Abelard into his house to advance Heloise's studies. Abelard neglected his other students and wrote love songs to Heloise, who had become his lover, and finally even the unsuspecting Fulbert knew what all Paris knew. Heloise’s guardian demanded that they marry, and Abelard consented, even though marrying Heloise would ruin his prospects of advancement. For this same reason, Heloise refused to marry him. But they were indeed married, and Fulbert took a cruel revenge on Abelard, by hiring a gang of thugs to castrate him. Both Heloise and Abelard devoted themselves to the religious life to atone for “their sins”.
Heloise only found out what had happened to Abelard many years later. She still loved him, even while in the convent, but he directed her to stay a nun, and said he now loved her as a father would love a daughter; she survived him by 21 years.
When Heloise was buried in Abelard's tomb, his hand rose up to greet her after the tomb was opened. Or, so it is said. Their bodies were moved several times, and were interred in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, Paris, in 1800, where many years later the bodies of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison also were laid to rest.
1936 Wavy Gravy (“the illegitimate son of Harpo Marx and Mother Teresa” – Paul Krassner), philanthropist; cult hero of the Californian counter culture, circa 1960s; founder of famed hippie commune The Hog Farm; Master of Ceremonies at both Woodstocks (1969 and 1994)
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