2017-06-27 Tue

"You know, beloved, as the whole world knows, how much I have lost in you, how at one wretched stroke of fortune that supreme act of flagrant treachery robbed me of my very self in robbing me of you; and how my sorrow for my loss is nothing compared with what I feel for the manner in which I lost you."
-Heloise in a letter to Abelard.

These words are so beautiful that La Poste (France) couldn’t resist printing the adjacent 1.20+0.30 French Franc stamp on 11th June 1979 to commemorate the beautiful love story of the 12th Century lovers- Heloise and Abelard.

Heloise, the niece of Notre Dame’s Canon Fulbert, was intellectually gifted and only one teacher could provide her the education she sought- Abelard. Though twenty years her senior, he quickly became intrigued by her uncommon wit and intelligence. Neither could resist the spiritual and physical desires of their bodies, yet they both knew that the laws of the time forbade such a relationship. But their physical love and the strength of their passion proved to be a power impossible to resist.

When Heloise became pregnant, they realized it was not safe for her to remain in Paris and fled to Brittany, Abelard’s place of birth. In a scheme to protect the dignity of his fallen niece, and return Heloise to his home, Fulbert arranged a secret marriage between them. Shortly after they were wed, they discovered Fulbert’s true plot to ruin Abelard and keep Heloise for himself. For her safety, Heloise escaped to the convent at Argenteuil, but it was too late for Abelard and he was brutally attacked in Paris.

Abelard no longer considered himself capable of continuing as a teacher at Notre Dame, and he and Heloise understood what they must do. Canon Bedell pleaded with Abelard to not force such a fate upon Heloise, but both Heloise and Abelard agreed that they must take Holy Orders as Monk and Nun. In a heartbreaking moment, Heloise gave up her child to Abelard’s sister and never saw him again.

They never met again, yet through their famous letters, their love endures. Six hundred years later, Josephine Bonaparte moved by their story ordered that the remains of Abelard and Heloise be entombed together at Pére Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Mintage World is proud to present a stamp set of Orpheus and Eurydice, Eros and Psyche and Paris and Helen. Read on!