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Book Notes

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Alais Capét’s treachery against King Richard and her incarceration in the tower of Rouen Castle is fictitious, though her long engagement, rumors of infidelity with Richard’s father, and ultimate rejection by Richard in favor of Berengaria of Navarre is part of history. She eventually married Count William II of Ponthieu in August 1195 and had a daughter, Marie.

King Philippe continued to hound Richard for the return of Alais’ dowry—the Comté of Vexin—which Richard never did, but John eventually lost after Richard’s death.

Andreas Capellanus wrote the Treatise on Love—or The Art of Courtly Love—about 1181 at the insistence of Comtesse Marie of Champagne, the firstborn daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

For the scandalous words put into Gui d’Ussel’s mouth, apologies to Aimeri Picaud, a monk from Poitou who, in the 12th century, wrote a guidebook for pilgrims journeying to Santiago Compostela, in which he described the peoples one would encounter on the way.

Gui’s song was written by Maria de Torena, probably several years after the events in this book.

Translations for Maria’s Song by Bertran de Born and the Lovers’ Duet by Alamanda d’Estancs and Guiraut de Bornelh are from The Women Troubadours by Meg Bogin, W.W. Norton & Co., 1980.