11th Century
Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard was a religious visionary from early childhood and was an oblate , sent by her noble parents when she was eight to a convent to be raised (she was their tenth child, and consider... [more]
Hugh of Cluny
Hugh, from a noble Burgundian family, was raised by his great-uncle, Hugh, bishop of Auxerre. He entered the monastery of Cluny aged 14, took his vows a year later, was prior by the age of ... [more]
Michael V Kalaphates
Michael was the son of a caulker and the sister of Emperor Michael IV. About 1035 he was adopted by Zoe, Michael IV's wife, and renamed Caesar. When Michael IV died in 1041 Zoe proclaimed M... [more]
Norwegian Ruling Families
In the Middle Ages fostering was practiced between the great families of Norway, possibly as a means of cementing interfamily alliances or demonstrating reciprocal status relationships. Acc... [more]
William the Conqueror
William was the illegitimate son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and Herleva, the daughter of a tanner. His father left on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1034 and died the next year while aw... [more]
