Most Americans have no clue whatsoever about what it is to be gay. Mostly, they opposed gay marriages out of darkness and ignorance. The argument is always centered on the belief that the family as understood in the western context consisted of a man and woman. The woman brings the feminine qualities responsible for nurturing, care, and motherhood. The father on the other hand, is in charge security of the family. This role extended to the provision of necessities for the well-being of children and the wife. In conventional understanding, sex is an act that united females and males in love. Occasionally, when there is need for procreation, sex would lead to creation of offspring. Most opponents argue that gay marriage in its entire context, challenge this divine view. They reason that no man to man relationship and vice versa would guarantee happiness to the children that they bring together. The child would lack some vital qualities in life.
Through this paper, I hope that I will make a change to the society in understanding gay people. The purpose of this paper is creating a bond between heterosexual communities with the gay community. Gay married people should unite with heterosexual married people. Fundamentally, there should be a societal education on the lack of threat from gay rights. I would like to make an argument that anti-gay laws are primarily new and approximately not more than 2000 years. The evolvement of the Christian faith as well as the solidification of Christian morals is one of the greatest influences towards the negative view of homosexuality.
Beginning in the 12th century, in Medieval Europe, homosexuality which was once normality became considered sodomy by the general public, mostly influenced by the Catholic Church. Before the Catholic Church’s influence upon society, having sexual relations with the same gender was accepted and not thought of as being queer in any way. A great example of this culture would be found in ancient Rome, where there were even gay marriages as early as the year 2 B.C. By the 11th century is when homosexuality was perceived as sodomy and as time progressed any homosexual act was enforced by law and was punishable by death. Although homosexuality was rather harshly punished, clues in the text from Medieval Romance literature hint towards homoerotic euphemisms, whether these euphemisms were created for the author to express his feelings towards homoerotic behavior or to build controversy and buzz, to engage the reader’s attention, the intent is unclear. Many analysts will either ignore or [overlook] the evidence of the possible theme of homosexual romance and some will even argue they don’t exist, but the signs and proof these euphemisms are debatably there. There are multiple classic Medieval Romance literary works with homosexual romance as an underlying theme with famous works such as Roman de la Rose and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to be examples. This paper brings to the surface the proof of homosexual euphemisms in the old western society.
At various times, homosexuality has been considered the noblest of loves, a horrible sin, a psychological condition or grounds for torture or execution. De Lorris &De Meun make the case that homosexuality is only deviant because society has constructed or defined it as so. By studying De Lorris and De Meun we get the understanding that they offer a reading of the famous medieval poem “Roman De La Rose” as a male to male love relationship. De Lorris and De Meun offers a reexamination of Guillame’s text with digressions that focus on matters such as natural and unnatural love lead to an ending that reinforces the triumph of hetero-sexual relations although ambivalent in regards to female sex. The argument that comes out clearly is that homosexuality was unnatural after the 12th century mainly because of the Christian conquest of the early Europe.
Roman De La Rose was written in France during the time when chivalry courtly love was in fashion. The first author was Guillaume de Lorris. The central premise of the book was expounding the “whole art of love”. Records indicate that the book was written from 1230s and was uncompleted by 1278. Although the book was written in early medieval style of poetry, it still had significant impact on the understanding of what was increasingly becoming a taboo subject- gay marriage. Unfortunately, Guillaume de Lorris did not complete the work of art, and it was left for Jean de Meun who was also known as “Cloponel” to sire the remaining verses of the poem.
Roman de La Rose borrows heavily from the philosophical writings of the French society during medieval periods. The Medieval comes right after the famous age and time usually called the age of reason (The Renaissance). The medieval society was grappling with finding a substantive definition of morality. The desirability of good thus becomes the representation of ethical standard Aristotle’s virtue theory constituting four basic attributes. The attributes included: Strong reliance on some conventionally accepted virtues of character. Aristotle believed that an individual can only be morally upright after mastering basic values of life. Another aspect of virtue ethics relied on the presence of an active community that has certain moral guidelines. The community becomes a laboratory where ethics are nourished and practiced. The third aspect of virtue ethics posits that morality is not restricted to societal rules or guidelines. Morality of is at discretion of an individual to exercise judgment based on rationality and conscience. Successful recognition and imitation of role models is essential for propagation of morality within the community. While writing the poem Roman de La Rose, it is almost unsaid that the pursuit of moral excellence in the general outcome of the idea. In fact, the key message is that “the whole art of love” is not realistic on the grounds of moral law.
At the time when Jean de Meun starts his continuation, the atmosphere is already violent and inconsiderate in regards to homosexuality. While thinking about how jealousy will find its own share of welcoming in the prison walls while alone with the lover, he writes “I will, if you remember her cruelty, be completely disremembered alive” (vv.14629-31). In the most realistic senses, Jean de Meaun’s text is pervasive with a considerable amount of references to the idea of castration and bodily mutation and dismemberment that were characteristic of how homosexuals were treated in Europe at the time. Another symbol of this strong symbolism is the castration of Saturn by Jupiter; Jupiter is also indicated as being the bisexual lover and a rapist who did harm to Ganeymade. Here, the reference between Love and Justice is used to refer to the actions. Jean de Meung thus concludes what is actually a very strong element of criticism to the authorities particularly the leadership of Jupiter. Other elements of punitive authoritarianism by leaders that Jean de Meun evokes include the actions of Abelard in Ami’s speech as well as in the other in Origen. Other elements of beheadings includes actions of a father (Virginus of Virginia) where the French la teste. In addition, Nero cuts down his mother in (vv. 6164-69). While referring to the punitive laws of homosexuality, Fair Welcoming is almost burned in a conflagration that eventually destroys the prison castle.
While examining Roman de La Rose, it is important that the document must be placed in context. One particular individual famous for the desire for more secular authority for the Church was Gregory VII. He is perhaps one of the greatest reformers in the Church. Gregory was Benedictine who really believed in Monasticism. One of Gregory’s primary achievements was the reformation of how popes get elected, when the cardinal method was introduced. However, Gregory felt that external influence of the Church was a major hindrance of the Church’s primary role of moral perfection. Gregory had heard rumors that the Islam church had permissive laws on sodomy, and the remnants of the Hellenistic evil practices such as sodomy and homosexual could still find its way in the church. Gregory was against the opinion that nobilities would have the power to appoint church leaders. In his decree, he struck hard at the Holy Roman emperor. The use of churchmen in the positions of secular administration was abhorred. Gregory felt that the Church should be the supreme authority and not the other way around. He also imposed the need for celibacy, banned homosexuality and eliminated bishops as hereditary, and questioned the Church’s role in the feudal system. While the Church under Gregory would be powerful, it was important for the Church to keep distance from the ruling class and to act as an authority of moral code. One example of such incidence occurred in the letter that Gregory wrote to Henry IV on 8th of December 1075. He wrote, “Whatever the King should write or should have delivered to the Pope, Peter himself would receive” (Waldron, 1979, p, 78). In the end, the excessive entrance of nobles in the Church had diminished the ability of the Pope to control running the Church.
The story of the medieval church particularly of the early century is that of the church and the nobility. While Churchmen and women were of diverse background, the ultimate control of the Church between the 11th century and the 12th century lay in the hands of nobles of European society. When the European society begun getting rich in the 11th century as urbanization and development of states progressed, it was apparent that some reforms had to be undertaken. Literature from unknown sources such as Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight present some of the cultural reformations that happening in the early church society particularly in regards to the issues of morality. Like Roman de La Rose, the question here is the moralization of sex and how the people have to respond to concerns of homosexuality.
It is possible to see the three poems Pearl, Cleanliness, and Patience as the work of one person. However, while Pearl and Patience are united in both themes and style, Cleanliness is a bit disjointed and incoherent in the themes. Many scholars agree that Pearl and Patience are the work of Sir.Gawains and are attempt to reinforce the Christian values. The poem Cleanliness is very didactic and provides such a simple analysis of morality and art. The poems provide a direct persuasive art of the sermon with elements of moral exhortation and the warnings of the consequences of sin. The poem then transforms into something quite different, a story of human emotions. The meaning of “cleanliness” is often interpreted with sexual connotations. The writer says that the sin that provoked God’s wrath in the flood was “unnatural sex”. This implies a distraction of order in nature, devils couple with human beings and produce giants and violence.
Overall, one must admit that Green Knight, written in Middle English as other poems written by Gawyn are written in well and formidable fashion. The writings are well structured and the morality tales that they expose stand for the truths of faithfulness, courtesy and courage. The poems are thus written for the sake of standing for the virtues, and good moral ethics for the society. The modern family is a product of European Middle Ages. The roots of the modern family have its origins in the Roman Empire that had a fusion of Roman civilization, Germanic and barbarian society and the influence of Christian religion. The influence of other religions and cultures was channeled through Christianity and the already existing religion. Like all other segments of the medieval society, the marriage institution in the medieval period sprang from customs and laws. Although the Roman Empire started as agrarian Republic, it spread by conquering the neighboring states in the Italian peninsular and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. By the time of Christ, the Roman Empire had spread into a big empire made possible by slave labor and embracing a sophisticated urban culture (McWebb and Richard, 2007).
During the time of Augustus, far-reaching reforms were made that had lasting effects on the nature of European family. More than two hundred years after the reign of Augustus, the Roman Empire experienced great migration that brought the Germanic people into western and Southern Europe. At the time of the Great Migration, there was the rise of Christian religion that had grown from a once powerless religion to a powerful state religion. The Germanic immigrants embraced Christianity, entirely changing the family relations and the institution of marriage in the medieval period. While the Romans were open regarding sexuality, the new Christian demanded a strict order on carnal knowledge; gay relations were thus subject to control. In the poem clean, there is the reference to the word “unnatural sex” (265f) which is alluded to the reason behind the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. The increasing rebuke of same sex relationship is concurrent with the increasing power of Christianity during the medieval times (Cowley and Pearl, 1994).
In “The Mentorship of the Lover by the Diex d’ Amors in Guillaume de Lorri’s Roman de Rosa”, Friedrich Lorraine, she argues that essentially de la Rose includes a twofold educational process to the reader by being transported through the erotic tribulations of both the lover and his beloved and from the incipient denture through accomplishment. Still, although the allegory is traditionally seen as the youth’s quest for a lady named “rose”, scholars in the late twentieth begin to question the nature of the erotic love portrayed in the romance. One instance is Guillaume’s poem that focuses on the fascistic, homo social and homo-erotic tensions. Guillaume’s is conscientiously flirting with sexual ambiguity and homo-sexuality.
It is also important to understand that homosexuality is associated with imprisonment, deprivation with, energies and powers perverted in their application, and events linked with arousal and satisfaction of desire. But Roman de La Rose, structure is perceived to be essential to the fulfillment of desire, and the freedom of the outdoors is depicted as treacherous or empty. Guillaume de Lorri makes sure that the reader grasps the curtailment of space and social and ethic boundaries that inhibit the full blossoming of love at the expense of purity of the society and the correctness of virtue. We can state about Roman de la Rose that its great success at the time and the good renown as ‘love mentors’ for Guillaume de Loris and Jean de Meung are explainable, since the whole story unfolds inside a dream. Ellen Friedrich argues that the pursuit of pleasure thus becomes a big embedment in the writings of Guillaume and eventually it is the work of the reader to make out what he or she thinks the writer is communicating. Ironically, pleasure becomes more of the representation of pleasure and is undiscovered, unless the memory is unlocked.
Roman de la Rose remains the bestseller of the middle Ages, preserved in about 250 manuscripts is one of the most read literary pieces from the medieval period still available. Perhaps the biggest reason for the success of Roman de la Rose lies on the fact that its explores the unchanging nature of human beings. The denouement is ever delayed throughout the 18,000 lines of Jean Meun’ s sequel. But the allegorical actionist triggered by inner impulses: a chain of reactions which unfold from the first encounter of beauty, through love at first sight, to the full crystallization of desire. Strongly built in the literary argument is the solid fact that no other commandment holds a supreme place beside’s love. This supremacy of love stands afloat other human suffering, harm, stringent and draconian laws as well as social contains. Uniquely, Roman de La Rose the very hidden rules of the forbidden love. Transporting us to the old medieval society where same sex marriages were increasingly becoming intolerable thanks to Christianity ( McWebb & Richard, 2007).
In the middle Ages, the church offered a moral code for an excellent married life. The intention was to attempt to free marriage of its perceived corruption such as the obsession with carnal knowledge, the pursuit of sexual gratification by having multiple partners and the use of love potion to have men stick to their women. The church ensured that the couple’s sole responsibility in marriage was procreation. Transgressing the law of marriage was the act of having sex without the intent of making babies. For example, Gregory the great once said that Children conceived on Sunday night would be crippled by evil monsters. As regards to the social practice of marriage, the church corrected lay customs by visibly changing laws that were sometimes stringent while liberal in other ways.
In conclusion, this paper has argued that anti-gay laws are a function of Christian rules and not related to the old Europe in the medieval Europe as proven by the literature. Instead, the stronger marriage codes as well as the moral standards set by the church and the clergy played a key role in banning gay relations. Marriage became a symbol of union between Christ and the Church as described by St. Paul, and thus sex became indecent and unholy. The church also heightened the grip on absolute monogamy, abhorred incestuous marriages between relatives and disallowed repudiation. Similarly, the priest played an increasing role in marriages while arguing for the practice of chastity. The increasing holiness of same sex marriage meant that gay relationships would be subjected to torture. Roman de La Rose De Lorris &De Meung s well the poems written by Gwain and the Knights are all proves of the relationship between the churches as homo-sexual relationships in the old society.
Works Cited
Andrew, Malcolm, and Ronald Waldron. The Poems of the Pearl Manuscript: Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Berkeley: University of California, 1979. Print.
Cawley, A. C., and J. J. Anderson. Pearl ; Cleanness ; Patience ; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. London: New York: Everymans, 1988. Print.
Guillaume, De Lorris, and Jean De Meun. Roman De La Rose. New York: Oxford UP, 1994. Print.
Lorraine, Friedrich, Ellen. He Mentorship of the Lover by the Diex D'Amors in Guillaume De Lorris's Roman De La Rose. NY: Southeastern Medieval Association, 1994. Print.
McWebb, Christine, and Earl Jeffrey. Richards. Debating the Roman De La Rose: A Critical Anthology. New York: Routledge, 2007. Print.
