The Song of Charlemagne Ii: The Hard Goddess

Thomas F. Motter KSJ

Jul 2011 · AuthorHouse

About this ebook

Men march off to war because the women are watching. So said Socrates. In THE HARD GODDESS, the second book of his trilogyThe Song of Charlemagne, the author introduces his reader to the women behind the men on the medieval battlefield. In so doing, one comes to understand and appreciate how French expressions such as Feminine Mystique and Femme Fatale must have originated and which are today, universally recognized and understood in the international lexicon without translation. Along the way, one also discovers a few of the ulterior motives underlying Charlemagnes alliance with the Roman church as well as organized religions functional utility in the hands of potentates (be they Christian or Muslim) as a societal control mechanism. In the process of the troubadours telling of the story, the reader experiences visceral descriptions of Dark Age battle against the gloriously detailed backdrop of a France that is still there if one knows where to go and look. There is a reason Eleanor of Aquitaine is always credited with having invented the concepts of Romance, Chivalry and Courtly Love. She was far removed from the times in which he actually lived. Yet somehow, she must have sensed and understood Charlemagnes hidden agenda regarding women within the church and the greater social order. But, in the final analysis, is anything within the pages of this work relevant with regard to contemporary world events and social issues confronting us all? Sadly, terribly.

About the author

Mr. Motter earned a B.A. degree from Stephens College, Columbia in Literature. He is fluent in French and lived in Munich, then Paris as President of HGM Medical Lasers International division. During that period, in his spare time, he performed extensive research on French history during the medieval period at the Bibliotheque Nationale with specific emphasis on the Chansons de Gestes. He traveled extensively during the period performing on-site research. Mr. Motter was raised on a horse ranch in the San Joaquin Valley of California, and is an accomplished equestrian. He was XO of an armor company during the Vietnam conflict and is a grand nephew of President Eisenhower. He also lived in Santa Cruz, California for 25 years and is a proficient surfer, still going out a few times a year. He was also a member of the National Ski Patrol for 25 years and is an expert skier. He is a certified Open Water Diver and has dived all over the world. He founded and took public a high-tech, bio-med company on the NASDAQ in 1996 and left that company in 2005 to start another company. Mr. Motter is a Knight Hospitaller. He was knighted in 1998 by the Eastern Orthodox Church for medical equipment contributions he made on behalf of his company to former East Block countries after the wall came down. He currently resides in Salt Lake city where he skis, fly-fishes and presides as CEO of Start-Up Resource Group Inc.(www.startuprg.com)