Readers who have surfed around Sunshine for Women are well aware of Christine de Pizan, the general outline of her life, and her feminist legacy. (I'll wait while you read the 3 earlier web pages I created on Christine de Pizan. What follows will make much more sense it you read them before continuing. . . . . dumdedumdumdede . . . .Ok. Now that you are back, let's continue.) Nonetheless, much can still be said about this accomplished and influential woman. For example, she was engaged in serious political questions of her time.

      In 1337, 22 years before Christine was born, Edward III of England claimed the French throne on the grounds that he was a grandson of Philip IV through his mother while the present king, Philip IV, was only a nephew. In turn, Philip confiscated Edward's French estate, Aquitaine, on the grounds of Edward's rebellion against his overlord. War ensued, the French nobility was soundly defeated at the battles of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), and King John of France (r. 1350-1364) was captured by the English. The peasants revolted against high taxes and the losses of the war, soldiers pillaged the countryside, greedy nobles tried to take power from the king, and the Estates General tried to control the abuses and reform taxes under John's regent, his son, Charles. Negotiations for John's release seemed to be succeeding when he died in English captivity and Charles came to the throne in his own right (r. 1364-1380).

      Although Charles V was an intelligent and responsible ruler, he died while his son and heir, Charles VI, was only eleven years old. The chaos due to the internal struggles of the regents was compounded in 1392 when the young (24 year old) King suffered his first bout of insanity. During the rest of Charles's reign, France would be torn between the feuding regents who ruled her during Charles's periodic bouts of insanity. Between 1400 and 1420, France was on the verge of civil war.

      Things in England were almost as bad, and the papal schism from 1378 to 1417 left Europe without an acceptable mediator. The Burgundians and the Armagnacs each made overtures to the English, each hoping to destroy the other with English help. So, in 1415, the English invaded France, not to help either side but so that Henry V (r. 1412-1422) could seize the crown for himself. Finally, in 1429 Joan of Arc rallied the French troops to win the battle of Orleans. The victory there inspired the French troops to retake additional French cities.

      It is in this volatile environment in which Christine lived and wrote her works, several of which deal with politics.

      The Mutability of Fortune (1404) noted the uncertainty of any plans.

      Around 1407, Christine wrote Book of the Body Politic for the young (early teenage) heir to the throne, Louis of Guyenne, to entertain and instruct him. In the tradition of other "mirrors for princes" Christine wanted to transform the young prince into a model king. Such works consisted of advice on healthy living ( hygiene, diet, exercise), the proper morals for a king, political philosophy, and included Greek and Roman stories with a moral conclusion.

      The Book of Peace (1414) again addressed to Dauphin, Louis de Guyenne, urged him to prudence.

      The Book of Deeds of Arms and Chivalry (1410) was a handbook on warfare and military ethics.

      Her Lamentations on the Troubles of France (1410), an open letter to John, Duke of Berry (the king's uncle), described the horrors of civil war and the devastation which would follow any such war.

      The Book of Peace (1414) once again addressed to Dauphin concerned his duties to his county.

      The Letter Concerning the Prison of Human Life (1415) was written to console widows and other relatives of victims of the battle of Agincourt.

      The Song of Joan of Arc (1429) celebrated Joan's help in France's victory over the English.

      Just by noting her entries into the political discussions of her time, we see that Christine was engaged in the political issues of the day and had the courage to speak her truth to power.

      So, for using her intelligence and education, not only for her self-sufficiency (indeed, to support 5 other people as a writer), but also to engage in the political culture of her time, for creating the profession of paid writer, and most importantly, for inaugurating the most momentous and far reaching movement for dignity, equality and freedom in the history of the world, the woman's movement, Sunny's pick for Woman of the Millennium is without a doubt Christine de Pizan (c. 1365-1430?) - I'm sure Lady Reason, Lady Rectitude, and Lady Justice will agree.

Reference:

      Christine de Pizan, Kate Langdon Forham (ed. and Trans.), The Book of the Body Politic, Cambridge University Press, 1999.

For More Information:

          Excerpts from The Book of the City of Ladies Translated by E.J. Richards (New York: Persea Press, 1982).

Includes
          "Christine Speaks of the Great Benefit Accrued and Accruing Every Day to the World Because of Women"
          "Against Those Men Who Claim it Is Not Good for Women to Be Educated"
          "The Role of Women and Magdalene"
          "Concerning the Sisters of Our Lady and Mary Magdalene"
          "Concerning Several Women Prophets"

Return to Women's History Month 2001 Table of Contents

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