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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... hand , a man was still permitted to marry up to four wives ( so long as he could be fair to each of them ) , and women were instructed to obey their husbands . On the other , the Qu'ran viewed women and men as spiritually equal ...
... hand , had little choice but to work for as long as possible up until the beginnings of labor pains , and their physical surroundings were far less pleasant . Rich and poor alike remained mostly in the company of women through- out the ...
... hand side of holy figures in the image ( the more power- ful position in medieval conceptions of space ) and women on the left - hand side , thus underlining their secondary importance . Wealthy widows , on the other hand , had the ...
Contents
Medieval Women | 1 |
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown