Couple and Couples from Carolingian Times
Janet Fowler Nelson|Sylvie Joye
The couple has often been taken by Western medievalists as a given in civilized social arrangements and an invention of the Carolingian period. Eileen Power, scientist with medieval interests, takes rosy view polyptychs. This paper proposes some qualifications. Varieties family groups, hypergamous hypogamous unions, relevance companionate marriage, are re-examined. Legal sources throw light on collaboratio among couples. In early liturgical texts, second place to bride. Three well-known couples sometimes considered representative shown be fact odd variety ways. Finally, from Charlemagne’s court comes glimpse unexpectedly sympathetic discussion man-woman relationships.
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