The topic of female knights is most certainly relevant to any discussion of Le Roman de Silence (and given what Gerry Conway made had to say about female knights for Superheroes: The Never-ending Battle – it is also a timely discourse for geekdom in general).
I should also probably take a moment to note that "Dame" is a British honorific reserved for female knights.
Of course – before we can discuss female knighthood, we must first agree on a definition. Three come to mind:
The first two questions are rather trivially answered in the affirmative (you don't even need to go beyond the Wikipedia entry for Knight). The Brittish Order of the Garter recognized women almost since its inception (in the 11th Century), while the French have have recognized the title of chevaleresse since at least the 14th Century. While typically granted to the wives of French knights a woman who inherited previously male fiefs was also called a chevaleresse.
However, since the term 'chevaleresse' does not appear anywhere in the text of Le Roman de Silence, it is reasonable to assume that the word was not yet in vogue during the 13th Century.
As an interesting side note, less than a century after Silence was written, both Joan of Penthièvre and Joanna of Flanders took up arms during the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. Joan of Penthièvre was backed by the French court, and fought in defense of her own claim, Joanna of Flanders was backed by the English court, and fought on behalf of her infant son. After twenty years of on-and-off fighting the contest was settled in 1365 with the First Treaty of Guérande. That treaty allowed Joan to keep the tile Baroness of Brittany and receive a considerable pension, but also stipulated that upon her death succession would transfer to the Joanna's bloodline, and that Barony of Breton could thereafter only be inherited by a male heir.
Of course, these two women were fighting over which of their families should rule a specific parcel of land. If someone wanted to split hairs, it could be argued that they were fighting on their own behalf and not on behalf of the Kings of France and England.
The same cannot be said of Sichelgaita of Solerno, who purportedly donned armor in the 11th Century and rode into battle alongside Robert Guiscard, her husband and the Duke of Apulia. She is said to have thus joined him in his battles against the Byzantienes (after he had already claimed Calabria from them and Sicily from the Moors at the behest of Pope Gregory VII).
Several of the accounts of these and other medieval women at war comment that they wore the men's clothes. And it's probably true that these women wore men's garments – though not necessarily out of any attempt at disguise (as is postulated in Silence). Just consider what a woman's clothes actually looked like. Would you really expect a warrior to straddle their horse in a bliaut? Or perhaps you were expecting a more bosomy breastplate?
I should also probably take a moment to note that "Dame" is a British honorific reserved for female knights.
Of course – before we can discuss female knighthood, we must first agree on a definition. Three come to mind:
- Someone recognized by a Military Order (church) or Chivalric Order (state).
- Someone who has held and administered a Knight's Fee in their own name.
- Someone who has gone to war in full battle dress as part of the Cavalry or Mounted Infantry.
The first two questions are rather trivially answered in the affirmative (you don't even need to go beyond the Wikipedia entry for Knight). The Brittish Order of the Garter recognized women almost since its inception (in the 11th Century), while the French have have recognized the title of chevaleresse since at least the 14th Century. While typically granted to the wives of French knights a woman who inherited previously male fiefs was also called a chevaleresse.
However, since the term 'chevaleresse' does not appear anywhere in the text of Le Roman de Silence, it is reasonable to assume that the word was not yet in vogue during the 13th Century.
As an interesting side note, less than a century after Silence was written, both Joan of Penthièvre and Joanna of Flanders took up arms during the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. Joan of Penthièvre was backed by the French court, and fought in defense of her own claim, Joanna of Flanders was backed by the English court, and fought on behalf of her infant son. After twenty years of on-and-off fighting the contest was settled in 1365 with the First Treaty of Guérande. That treaty allowed Joan to keep the tile Baroness of Brittany and receive a considerable pension, but also stipulated that upon her death succession would transfer to the Joanna's bloodline, and that Barony of Breton could thereafter only be inherited by a male heir.
Of course, these two women were fighting over which of their families should rule a specific parcel of land. If someone wanted to split hairs, it could be argued that they were fighting on their own behalf and not on behalf of the Kings of France and England.
The same cannot be said of Sichelgaita of Solerno, who purportedly donned armor in the 11th Century and rode into battle alongside Robert Guiscard, her husband and the Duke of Apulia. She is said to have thus joined him in his battles against the Byzantienes (after he had already claimed Calabria from them and Sicily from the Moors at the behest of Pope Gregory VII).
Several of the accounts of these and other medieval women at war comment that they wore the men's clothes. And it's probably true that these women wore men's garments – though not necessarily out of any attempt at disguise (as is postulated in Silence). Just consider what a woman's clothes actually looked like. Would you really expect a warrior to straddle their horse in a bliaut? Or perhaps you were expecting a more bosomy breastplate?