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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... woman who takes up devilish ways and plays a male role coupling with another woman , " while a ninth - century penitential prescribed three years of penance for " a woman who joins herself to another woman after the manner of ...
... woman might serve as a procurator , or advocate , in borough courts of late medieval Scotland , but examples are rare and they acted usually on behalf of family members.8 In theory , then , a woman's legal status was very much limited ...
... woman's virgin- ity ( for instance , in a rape trial ) . In most other situations , however , a wom- an's word was to be doubted unless it could be supported by other , male , witnesses.18 Philippe was not alone in acknowledging women's ...
Contents
Medieval Women | 1 |
Women and Religion | 27 |
Women and Work | 59 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown