Reilly presents a question about "Romantic Love" -- how does this concept compare across cultures (p.302).   Accepting that Reilly's question is important, this historian wonders about the more important (?)  question of the status of medieval women across cultures. Is Eileen Power correct in her general assessment (women's status is bad or worse) summed up in her "Pit & Pedestal" notion? How does Reilly's article (303ff)on the strange rituals of western Courtly Love present the relationship between romance and women's status -- help or hindrance? Similarly, how does Andreas Capellanus' piece fit the ideas outlined by Reilly and by this focus on the status of medieval women?

        Interesting links between culture and love (or not) may present themselves to you as you read the handout from Li Ch'ing-Chou's medieval autobiography. Strange links between culture and love certainly appear in Ulrich's mind and/or account. Is Ulrich really weird and twisted, or is Ulrich's basic notion alive and well in men (or women) today? In terms of time changing culture, are Andreas 'rules' (more like guidelines) still with us or have we changed (for better or for worse) from those positions? Similarly, Reilly presented such a question for the Kalidasa piece to consider (p. 323).

       Locate any and all such similarities and differences. Further afield from our usual notions (or not) is Lady Murasaki's Genji -- how do the female characters in her novel seem to you in terms of status of women? Love? Romance? What elements help or hinder, e.g., do the frequent sexual encounters promote the status of women, or not? Or the eastern Rubaiyat (scroll down to quatrains 7-12 for example) or or western Eleanor, any  other  source before us that might contribute to our questions:     Which source/culture presents the highest, and the lowest, status of women?   What evidence leads you to your views?

             Essential history-issues lay at the heart of this inquiry.    To touch on a few:  Are there differences in one issue among various cultures? Or similarities? Are there changes over time in single issues? Or not? Does an earlier concept influence, and/or resemble, a later one? How do we, today, see these issues being clarified by our current study and reflection -- Similar? Different? Progress over time? Deterioration over time? Just Plain Alteration? Or Reaction? Or, Similar internal cause but Different outer manifestation? Vice-versa? Can learning about such a past issue really help us with our present 'love' problems? Can learning about an issue teach us a methodology that will help us learn other issues and areas?         

For our coming discussion, take notes on each and all of these short readings, remembering that we may generate ideas, hypotheses, questions -- but probably not conclusions.  Questions mean inquiry (very positive) and conclusions can either squash inquiry or spur it on (semi-positive), until finally -- for some -- the journey of thinking and learning arrives at real and convincing truths in some areas.  Meanwhile, tie yourself to texts in exploration, comparison, thinking, Sic & Non, and any answers you may find. Be sure, always, that you address the ultimate question: "How-do-you-know?"