A medieval woman's companion women's lives in the European Middle Ages / Susan Signe Morrison.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Morrison, Susan Signe, 1959- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women--Europe--History--Middle Ages, 500-1500.

Women.

Women--Europe--Social conditions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (253 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; Philadelphia : Oxbow Books, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What have a deaf nun, the mother of the first baby born to Europeans in North America, and a condemned heretic to do with one another? They are among the virtuous virgins, marvelous maidens, and fierce feminists of the Middle Ages who trail-blazed paths for women today. Without those first courageous souls who worked in fields dominated by men, women might not have the presence they currently do in professions such as education, the law, and literature. Focusing on women from Western Europe between c. 300 and 1500 CE in the medieval period and richly carpeted with detail, A Medieval Woman’s Companion offers a wealth of information about real medieval women who are now considered vital for understanding the Middle Ages in a full and nuanced way. Short biographies of 20 medieval women illustrate how they have anticipated and shaped current concerns, including access to education; creative emotional outlets such as art, theater, romantic fiction, and music; marriage and marital rights; fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, contraception and gynecology; sex trafficking and sexual violence; the balance of work and family; faith; and disability. Their legacy abides until today in attitudes to contemporary women that have their roots in the medieval period. The final chapter suggests how 20th and 21st century feminist and gender theories can be applied to and complicated by medieval women's lives and writings. Doubly marginalized due to gender and the remoteness of the time period, medieval women’s accomplishments are acknowledged and presented in a way that readers can appreciate and find inspiring. Ideal for high school and college classroom use in courses ranging from history and literature to women's and gender studies, an accompanying website with educational links, images, downloadable curriculum guide, and interactive blog will be made available at the time of publication.

Contents:

Intro

Acknowledgements

Website and blog

Introduction

PART I: Pioneers

1. Gudrun Osvifsdottir: Viking Vixen

2. Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir: Fearless Explorer

3. Hrotsvit of Gandersheim: First Woman Playwright

4. Anglo-Saxon and Norman Women: Political Power, Dynasties and Steadfast Sovereigns

Emma of Normandy

St Margaret of Scotland

Matilda of Scotland

5. The Importance of Language

PART II: Fearless Females

6. St Christina of Markyate: Resolute Virgin

7. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen and Cougar

8. Margaret of Beverley: Fighting Crusader

PART III: Women of Wisdom

9. Anna Komnene: Dutiful Daughter

10. Understanding the Female Body: Misogyny and Sympathy

11. Trota of Salerno: Compassionate Physician

12. Hildegard von Bingen: Audacious Innovator

13. Heloise d'Argenteuil: Scandalous Nun

14. Marie de France: Rhyming Romancer

PART IV: Non-Conformists

15. Women Troubadours/Trobairitz: Clever Composers

16. Marguerite Porete: Heroic Heretic

17. St Birgitta of Sweden: Righteous Reformer

18. Margery Kempe: Peerless Pilgrim

PART V: "My Most Honored Ladies"

19. Christine de Pizan: Vocal Feminist

20. Joan of Arc: Savior of France

21. Textile Concerns: Holy Transvestites and the Dangers of Cross-Dressing

PART VI: "Experience is Right Enough for Me"

22. Teresa de Cartagena: Foremother of Deaf Culture

23. Margaret Paston: Matchless Matriarch

24. Looking Forward: Contemporary Feminist Theory and Medieval Women

Glossary

Bibliography.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781785700804

1785700804

OCLC:

988175740