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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... land on which they were born and were required to work several days per week for their local nobles . In return for this labor and other ser- vices , they received a small plot of land sufficient to grow their own food . This system ...
... land for several days each week ( an obligation known as week - work ) . On the other hand , serfs had some security in that their lords or ladies rented each family a plot of land on which to work for the remain- ing days each week ...
... land , but they lacked sufficient labor with which to work land . Some widows responded by hiring laborers , some remarried , and some rented out the land for a fixed income or made arrangements by which they signed over rights to the land ...
Contents
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Women and the Family | 91 |
Copyright | |
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