The photo over here I took in the cathedral of Salerno. Sitting in the center is Margaret of Durazzo (1347 -1412), mother of the King of Naples, Ladislas the Magnanimous.
The story of this family was sad enough, the poor Margaret had to live great tragedies in her life. The son was probably not so self-possessed as a royalty has to be and as his mother was, that is why he ordered to represent his mother sitting in this pose that seems not as a lady has to sit.
When I was a little girl, all the women said to me and to other girls, we have to sit with the knees close one near the other. And the hands we had to takeon the knies. Like Constance de Hauteville, here on the left. Now you can understand why I was surprized when I saw the mode to sit of Margaret on her funeral monument.The medieval women, in my opinion, specially those noble, were educated in modesty. In the monasteries. I read many books about it. And before I wrote this post, I looked for all available pictures, original from that times.
Now, WHY Margaret sits so defiantly?
I looked with attention all the images I could find with the women of that period. Next photo represents the same Constance but on her Seal of Queen. And... she sits with open knees, too.
By the way, Margaret is not only sitting like a man. Her dress is so eng that you can see not her breast. And she had 3 children. Do you think it was the way to wear of the women? Not properly. Look at the other woman near the queen, on the first photo. She HAS the breast.
My opinion -the woman near the king had to demonstrate the importance of the man. Without the king, the queen has to assume not only all the tasks of the king, she assumes the mode to sit of the man too. "Working" as a king, she has to become a man. :0)))
