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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 87
... marry from the age of 12 , while boys could marry once they reached the age of 14. Since , in order to be legally married , a couple needed not only to exchange marriage vows but also to consummate the marriage by sexual intercourse ...
... marriage partners , their control over property they brought into the marriage and inherited after their husbands ' deaths , and their con- trol over their children . Medieval marriages , particularly those of the elite , were typically ...
... marriage choices , but the cost of such licenses weakened their estates . The right of kings to force the marriage of heiresses and the remarriage of widows was unpopular , and kings repeatedly promised that they would not insist upon ...
Contents
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Women and the Family | 91 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown