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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... noble families , like those of Christina of Markyate , would have expected their daughters to be married in order to forge alliances with other noble families or carry on the family blood lines , and would not have been interested in ...
... noble influence . In the early Middle Ages , men selected as bishops or archbishops were often chosen for their breeding and influence rather than their piety . During the high Middle Ages , however , members of the church worked hard ...
... noble and be expected to uphold her family's noble status . Exceptions to these rules occurred , but they were rare indeed . Social rank affected almost everything about one's life , from the clothes that one wore to the food one ate to ...
Contents
Medieval Women | 1 |
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown