A Saintly Woman. In 1084 a monk named Drogo wrote the life story of a remarkable Frenchwoman whom the local community had begun spontaneously to venerate as a saint. The story of Godelieve of Ghistelle, who led an unhappy life and experienced horrible betrayal, illustrates the clash between secular values and ecclesiastical teachings about marriage toward the end of the eleventh century.

An Arranged Marriage. A member of the lesser aristocracy, Godelieve's father was a knight and vassal of the count of Boulogne. When Godelieve reached the proper marriage age, her father and mother decided which of her many suitors she would marry, selecting Bertolf, a distinguished officer of the count and, thus, from their social rank. Because she was meek and obedient, Godelieve accepted her parents' decision without question. According to Drogo, they chose Bertolf because he...