PIERRE ABELARD
The prominent 12th century French poet and philosopher Pierre Abelard was
20 when he moved from his native  Nantes
to Paris all set to take the capital by storm on the strength of his brilliant
mind. Many other young men of his age prepared for a crusade to liberate
the Holy Land from infidels, but Abelard, consumed by burning ambition,
decided to seek a different way to fame and appreciation. He thus
chose an academic life instead of a military career usual for one of his
birth. By the time he arrived in Paris, in 1100, it was just a small town
perched on Cite island right in the middle of the river Seine.
Despite its modest size, Paris was already home to thousands of students
from all across Europe and a spiritual center of the civilized world.
There in the great cathedral school of Notre-Dame de Paris, Pierre Abelard
was taught for a while by Guillaume de Champeaux. Already a famed professor
at 30, de Champeaux was quick to appreciate his new student’s scientific
talent and, above all, his ability to explain in simple and clear words
the most elaborate things. Moreover, distinguished in figure and manners,
Abelard was a brilliant polemist who was soon able to defeat his master
in religious argument. Professor de Champeaux was eventually forced
to leave his post handing the school over to Abelard. The success
of Abelard’s teaching was notable as was the financial remuneration he
was getting from his students whose number was growing all the time. Soon
after Abelard stepped into the chair at Notre-Dame, being also nominated
Canon, about the year 1115. Over the years, the cathedral school of Notre-Dame
spawned one Pope, 19 Cardinals and more than 50 Bishops. Enriched by the
offerings of his many pupils and entertained with universal admiration
Abelard came to think himself the only undefeated philosopher. The lack
of humility was his biggest sin however. In his devotion to science, Abelard
lived a very regular life enlivened only by philosophical debate. And now,
38 years of age and the height of his fame, he finally encountered romance…
Riding high as a universally applauded thinker and theologian, Pierre Abelard
was now ready to enjoy life’s many pleasures. His choice ultimately fell
on a girl named Heloise who then lived within the precincts of Notre-Dame
under the care of her uncle Fulbert. She is said to have been beautiful
but still more remarkable for her knowledge which extended beyond Latin,
it is said, to Greek and Hebrew. Abelard fell in love with Heloise who
readily returned his devotion. Putting his teaching and scientific work
aside, Abelard now spent most of his time writing poetic dedications to
his loved one.
Shortly after Pierre and Heloise had a secret wedding. Even though uncle
Fulbert had nothing against it, he was jealous of his niece and believing
that her husband wanted to be rid of her, plotted revenge. At nighttime
he and two thugs he had hired broke into Abelard’s chamber and castrated
him. The crime did not go unpunished but there was no way left for Abelard
to get back his lost manhood… Now aged forty, Abelard sought to bury himself
as a monk. Heloise, not yet 20, consummated her work of self-sacrifice
at Abelard’s jealous bidding that she never again share romantic love with
a man, and became a nun. The two became separated for a whole decade….
Even though he was a monk now, Abelard woes never let him alone. Charging
him with heresy in a provincial synod held as Soisson in 1121 his adversaries
forced him to burn a collection of his theological lectures. Brokenhearted,
Abelard sought refuge in his native Brittany accepting an invitation to
preside over a local abbey. After all those years Heloise was as much in
love with Abelard as she was a decade earlier. The misery of those years
were lightened because Abelard had been able, on the breaking up of Heloise’s
convent at Argenteuil, to establish her as head of a new religious house
where the two then met after a decade-long separation. By then all worldly
passions and desires had long died in Abelard’s maimed body and hardened
soul. No longer dreaming about fame, he was now concerned more about Heloise’s
salvation, but not as his wife but as his sister in God. He implored Heloise
to leave him alone and not torment him with memories of a long gone happiness.
By that time Abelard had published his famous Historia Calamitatum which
was hugely popular in with handwritten copies spreading all across the
country. Getting hold of one such copy, Heloise wrote him her first letter
which remains an unsurpassed utterance of human passion and womanly love.
More letters followed…
Meanwhile, Abelard resumed his work lecturing on Mount St. Genevieve in
1136, but it was for a brief time: a last great trial awaited him. Once
again accused of heresy, an aging and ailing Abelard appealed to Rome only
to be told he had been formally sentenced to eternal silence by the Pope
and that his writings had been burned at stake on St. Peter’s square. On
April 12 of 1142 Pierre Abelard passed away. His remains were given to
the loving care of his Heloise who buried him at her Abbey, just as he
wanted. A remarkable woman hailed as one of the greatest Abbesses the Church
ever had, Heloise outlived Abelard by 21 years. In time she came herself
to rest beside her loved one. The bones of the pair were moved more than
once afterwards and they now lie in the well-known tomb in the Pere Lachaise
cemetery in Paris…
06/06/2005
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