Women's Roles in the Middle AgesInformation about women in this truly fascinating period from 500 to 1500 is in great demand and has been a challenge for historians to uncover. Bardsley has mined a wide range of primary sources, from noblewomen's writing, court rolls, chivalric literature, laws and legal documents, to archeology and artwork. This fresh survey provides readers with an excellent understanding of how women high and low fared in terms of religion, work, family, law, culture, and politics and public life. Even though medieval women were divided by social class, religion, age, marital status, place and period, they were all subject to an overarching patriarchal structure and sometimes could transcend their inferior status. Numerous examples of these exceptional women and their words are included. |
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... example we learn that sense and quick wit are often worth more than wealth or fam- ily . " 22 While not perhaps feminist in a modern sense , Marie de France none- theless supported women by avoiding explicitly anti - female sentiments ...
... example , in commissioning paintings for her convent of San Domenico . Prioress Chiara , seeking to inspire her nuns , par- ticularly selected images of female saints such as Catherine of Siena and Brigid of Sweden . The experience of ...
... example , brought a case against the wife of David Fausid in 1491 , claiming that she had paid 21 shillings and 9 pence for malt that David's wife had failed to deliver . Women also asked the courts to acknowledge their rights to ...
Contents
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Women and the Family | 91 |
Copyright | |
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