During Europe's Middle Ages, roughly from 476 to 1450, women's lives were much different than they are today. Women had fewer rights and less power over their lives. What does this mean? Let's take a deeper look into Women in Medieval Times.
Women in Medieval Times
In Medieval times, women were in no way equal to men. There were many laws and social expectations that placed women below men. Europeans were very religious during this time, and the Catholic Church often made the rules for everyone. The Catholic Church believed in the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
The Catholic Church used the story of Adam and Eve to explain their treatment of women. This meant that women were below men and that women were responsible for all the evils in the world. This is why the Catholic Church and lawmakers considered women less than men.
Women had to keep their eyes down when they went to the market, but men were encouraged to look around. This was to show the man's dominance over the woman.
Women's Roles in Medieval Times
The roles of women were different based on their status. At the top of the order was the king, who had command over everyone. Then it would be the nobles, which included the queen. Below them is the gentry, landowners who rented their land to people below them. Lastly, were peasants and serfs. Serfs were tied to the land rented to them and could not move away.
Fig 1: Structure of medieval Classes
The Domestic Destiny of Women in the Medieval World
The home was considered to be the woman's space. It was their duty to keep it clean and orderly. Women were also supposed to watch over the children. A peasant woman had to do this on her own. Noblewomen might hire servants. Women were also expected to help their husbands with their job.
Peasant and serf women were expected to keep the home and work in the fields. While they had to work in the fields, it was dangerous for women.
Marriage and Childbirth
Marriages happened very early, even earlier if the girl was a noble. A noble girl would be married between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Married women usually give birth within the first year of marriage, of noble status or not. Childbirth was very dangerous during the medieval period. Issues that we consider simple were often life-threatening for medieval women.
Women's Labor in the Medieval World
A husband who worked in a skilled trade could teach his wife the craft. This would be good for them as they could produce goods faster. Even the most skilled women were mistreated. A woman could not join a guild and would never be paid the same amount as a man, even if her work was better.
Guild:
A group of craftsmen who have power over the market.
Wives were advisors to their husbands. Wives were to encourage their husbands to be good and merciful. Queens held a lot of power because they were advisors to the most powerful person in the kingdom, the king.
- Keeping the home was the woman's duty
- Girls were married between the ages of 12-15
- Childbirth was difficult and dangerous
- Women were paid less than men for crafted goods
- Women were advisors to their husbands
Women's Rights in Medieval Times
Women had few rights and could not choose their husbands or jobs. Some women had more rights than others. Most of their rights were tied to their relationship with men. This could be a woman's husband, father, or son.
Earlier, we discussed the relationship between people in this era and the church. The people used Catholicism to make and explain the rules. An interesting note is that Galatians 3:28 is about equality for everyone regardless of race, status, or gender. Though their religion spoke of equality, women were still viewed as the "weaker sex." This was used as a reason to treat women as subhuman. They were considered property; this affected their role in marriage, will, consent, custody, and trade.
In the early Medieval Ages, if a woman were wronged, her husband would sue because, as she didn't have the same rights, she was not allowed to.
Property, Dowries & Family Heirloom
Sometimes a woman could own property. In a higher-class relationship, a husband might have to give his future wife a gift before they marry. A nobleman might give his wife a castle, servants, animals, and riches. A man of the gentry class might give his wife property so that she could collect rent.
Another way a woman might gain property is through the death of a man to whom she is connected. A father who died and had no sons would leave wealth to his daughters. They would divide it equally between them. A husband might leave one-third of his property to his wife. When a woman died, her wealth would be passed down to her children or her husband's family.
Patrimony, the Patriarchy, and Distribution of Wealth
In most cases, wealth was passed from father to son, excluding women from inheritance. This practice is called patrimony. A society where men exclusively rule over the government or the family is called the patriarchy. Patriarchal and patrimonial systems were both the standard during the Medieval Era.
Nuns
Childbirth was extremely dangerous. What was a woman who didn't want to give birth supposed to do? What if she wanted an education? Noblewomen and gentry women had one escape from the lives of restriction that they were to live. They could become nuns!
Fig 2: Medieval Nun
Nuns studied scripture, read, painted beautiful copies of the bible, and lived a life away from society. Nuns could not marry and were very well educated.
Nuns also had one right that no other class of women had. Nuns could vote. When it came time to choose a new head nun, all the nuns got to vote for who would lead them.
Women's Appearance in Medieval Times
Women living in urban areas had to wear a headdress whenever they left their homes. The headdress could be a veil or a hood. Women also had to wear long cloaks that covered them entirely; the cloaks were called mantles. Honorable women never left home without these!
A peasant or serf would wear a plain dress over a simple tunic. Noblewomen showed their wealth through their clothing. They wore tunics made of luxury materials. Then a shorter tunic lined in fur was placed atop it and tied with a belt. A lovely dress was worn over all of this. Then a beautiful broach was pinned at the back of the neck.
Fig 3: Medieval Women in fancy dresses
Famous Women in Medieval Times
Even though women in the Middle Ages didn't hold prominent positions typically, we do have knowledge of crucial female figures that shape Europe at the time. Here, we present briefly three examples from different periods of remarkable women from the ninth, eleventh, and fourteenth centuries in Britain and Italy.
A thing to keep in mind while studying this period:
The historical account we have of famous women during the medieval period came from a male perspective, and much of its historiography holds this bias. Modern historians reflect on this fact. If you're writing an essay on this topic, construct your critical perspective researching both, contemporary (medieval) and modern sources.
Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia (870-918)
Aethelflaed's story takes place in present-day Britain. All of the countries might seem confusing, so let's look at the map below for a better understanding of proto-Britain.
Fig 5: Map of Mercia, Wessex, and Northumbria.
Aetthelflaed was the daughter of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. When her father died, her brother Edward the Elder became king of Wessex. He married her to Lord Athelred of Mercia. Aethelred died, and Aethelflaed became Lady of Mercia.
Aethelflaed ruling Mercia alone was unprecedented, since there was a patriarchal system of rulership. When Edward had trouble with Viking invaders, it was Aethflaed who stepped up to aid him. She pushed the Vikings out of Mercia and into Northumbria. Aethelflaed was Lady of Mercia seven years before she died in 918.
Matilda of Tuscany (1046-1115)
Matilda had an exciting life. When the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, was kicked out of the Catholic Church by Pope Gregory VII, Matilda was the middleman for Henry's forgiveness on behalf of the pope. Henry's army had to march from Germany to Matilda's castle in Italy. She made Henry wait three days outside in the cold before he was allowed to see the pope.
Matilda bested the Holy Roman Emperor again by trapping Henry and his forces in Northern Italy. When the emperor's wife left him, Matilda sheltered her. She was an ally of the Catholic church and built churches throughout Italy. After Matilda died, her remains were moved to the Vatican; she is one of three women to be entombed there.
Vatican:
The headquarters for Catholicism in Rome and home of the Pope.
Christine de Pizan (1364-1430)
Fig 5: Image from The Book of the City of Ladies
Christine de Pizan was an early French feminist writer, most well known for her books The Tale of the Rose and The Book of the City of Ladies. Pizan was a noblewoman whose father allowed her to be educated. When she was married, her husband allowed her to continue her education. Pizan's husband died when she was still in her twenties, and it seemed her only option was to remarry one of her many suitors.
Pizan realized that instead of marrying, she could make a profit from her poetry. While most of her poetry was about the oppression of women, it was still prevalent because it was based on Christianity. Pizan was possibly the only woman in France able to support herself writing poetry. She also kept her widowed mother and three children.
Women's Power in Medieval Times
While women have more rights today than they did in the Medieval world, women were not powerless back then. Many women found ways to obtain power despite the strict gender roles they were forced into. When kings died and left behind an heir too young to rule, the mother often ruled on behalf of her son until he was of age. Queens were the advisors of their kings; this was a coveted role among men and women because queens could influence the most powerful man in the kingdom.
Women in Medieval Times - Key takeaways
- Women in the Medieval Times had limited rights.
- Childbirth during the Medieval Times was dangerous and could be deadly.
- Women who wanted to escape marriage or gain an education could become nuns.
- Aethelflaed and Matilda both escaped the rigid roles of their gender and successfully ruled their kingdoms.
- Christine de Pizan was an early feminist poet.
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