Impossible To Generalize About Medieval Women

Impossible to Generalize about Medieval Women
Medieval British History 1189–1485
Is it possible to generalise about the lives of medieval women?
Within this essay I am going to look at a range of sources to discuss and evaluate whether it is
possible for us today to generalise about the lives of medieval women.
At this point in time most people tended to live in small rural communities, making their living form
the land. If you were a female peasant living in medieval society you would have a large amount of
domestic duties. Not only were women of this time expected to look after the children they would
prepare the food for their family and during the busiest times of the year, such as harvest, they
would be expected to join their husbands in the fields to help bring in the crops. Women would also
participate in cottage industries, this involved baking, manufacturing textiles and brewing. A well
known symbol of a peasant woman would be the distaff, this was a tool used to spin flax and wool.
For women living outside the countryside life was not too different, they had very similar
responsibilities as they too were also expected to help their husbands but also fathers. They would
help with a variety of trades and crafts such as production of textiles, metal work and leather goods.
Some women would also run shops and inns. Learning medieval realms. (n.d).
According to some sources it is suggested that throughout the middle ages, the place of women in
society was dictated by biblical text. Women were seen
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Essay On Women In Medieval Times
During the medieval period the church and women differed greatly. The medieval period last from
the 5th century till the 15th century. The medieval period differed so greatly compared to what we
are accustomed too. It is fascinating to see how different the women and church truly are. The
church was very powerful during the medieval period. They had control over money, ones mind and
beliefs. The church had 100% control over the peasants. The churched charged people a tithe, a tax,
10% of ones income was paid to the church. Peasant mostly paid in seeds. The church made people
pay for baptisms, marriages, and burials. If one refused to pay for those services the church would
tell them that "their souls would go to hell". There were many occupation associated with the
church; nun, monk, friar, cleric, parson, summoner, and pardoner. Nuns and Monks devote their
lives to work, charity, and prayer. They also take a vow of poverty, silence, and chastity. Parson and
friar are both priests but a friar pledges to a life of poverty. A cleric transcribes important documents
for the church. A summoner brings accused criminals before the church's court. A pardoner grants
pardons, forgiveness for their sins, to criminals. There was ultimately no separation between the
church and state. The corruption of the church was due to having much power. ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Husbands had the right to beat their wives with no consequences. Womens age of consent was taken
away at age 7. They had no say so in marriage or sex. Most women didn't live past age 30 during the
medieval times. The characteristics that men look for in the medieval times differ from today. Gap
teeth was considered attractive, now straight, beautiful teeth is considered more attractive than a
gap. Curly hair was very fashionable, nowadays straight, frizz–free hair is considered fashionable. A
wide forehead made a women beautiful during medieval

A Summary Of Medieval Women In The Middle Ages
Why were medieval women looked at with disdain, and why was their freedom restrained? This is a
question perplexing many historians. What is known of Medieval women of the Middle Ages is very
nebulous and self–contradictory. The traditional view for a long period of time was that women
were very much reliant on men and rather helpless without the male–dominated political, clerical,
and economic aspects of society. Women also seemed to be seductive creatures that did not have
self–control, unlike men. However, these ideas proved to be biased, since most of the records kept at
the time were written by men; therefore, not many women were able to share their point of view,
since many of them were uneducated or did not have the opportunity to share their beliefs,
especially because of the male–dominant society. As a result, society at this time, especially in
Europe, was a misogynistic, anti–feminist community. During the middle ages, many works were
written by men that evidently portrayed their anti–feminist perspectives; additionally, women in this
society possessed virtually no independence and consequently were at the mercy of their husbands
or male counterparts, as depicted in medieval works such as Sir Gawain and the Great Knight, "The
Story of Sheikh Sam'an," and The Canterbury Tales.
In the 13th century, during Arthurian period in England, society was mostly male–dominant, in
which women had little to no power; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by The Pearl Poet illustrates

Negative Stereotypes Of Women In Medieval Literature
Throughout the history of literature and film, women have been accustomed many negative
stereotypes, for example within the Roman empire, women were expected to stay at home and stay
out of politics. Conversely, not all women followed these expectations, for instance, a British Celtic
queen, named Boudicca, battled against the Roman invaders of her country. During the Medieval
period, women were given even more negative stereotypes, such as characteristics of weakness and
specifically in literature, they were considered as dangerous temptresses. In the late 1500s, with the
Renaissance, the property of young women was transferred to their husbands when they were forced
into marriages, leaving them essentially trapped and owned as a possession

The Roles Of Medieval Women In The Middle Century
Middle Ages was a period of tremendous social, political, and economic change. It was also a time
of tremendous linguistic change for Middle English was born through the marriage of Anglo–Saxon
language from the natives and Norman French language from the Norman invaders. People were
categorized into classes. These classes were given specific roles to fulfill in their society. During the
medieval period, rural life was governed by a system called "feudalism". Common people were
divided into serfs and peasants. Serfs were bound to the land and were almost like slaves. While,
peasants were poor farmers who cultivate owned or rented lands. Both of these classes work for
nobles for the rich gave them military protection and the use of land ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
All women are dependent on their husbands for the financial support the family needs. Medieval
women were given narrow choices in their lives: to marry or to 'take the veil' and become a nun.
Medieval women were categorized based on their sexual activity: virgin, wife, or widow. They were
also elevated to an ideal, an image of perfection that cannot be attained, through the Chivalric Code.
Women were bound to maintain their purity, their virginity until marriage, not to engage in any
sexual activity. Women were confined to their houses to tend to their home and children. For
aristocratic women, they have servants to supervise. Men and women of today are given equal
opportunities and rights. Men are still the same as before. While, women are being empowered by
the society. They are allowed to work and earn money for themselves. They are seen as people
capable of making decisions for and by themselves. They are not categorized according to their
sexual activity. They are not strictly confined to their houses to take care of their family for the rest
of their lives. But, some

Women During The Medieval Times
Matt Jackman
Larson
English 12 2nd period
11/16/15
Women in Canterbury Tales During the Medieval time period that Canterbury Tales was written in,
there was a general depiction of women that they weren't even looked at as humans, but looked at as
objects. Women were thought of as weak, untrustworthy, and even less intelligent beings than men.
Chaucer did not necessarily agree with the general consensus of women during the time period.
Now there are tales that go along with the general impression of women, but there are also signs that
Chaucer looked at women for what they really are and he might have saw them as equal beings.
Chaucer was a great mind and that mind was far past his time, as he went against the tide when he
wrote and he was not afraid to write whatever came to his head. Canterbury tales can show us what
women had to go through in medieval times, and through Chaucer's tales we can see what he
thought of how women were were perceived and treated.
The only two women most significant and described in detail in The Canterbury Tales who provide
the greatest insight into women in medieval society are the Wife of Bath and the Prioress. These two
women appear to be similar in the General Prologue of the poem but, as seen through their tales,
they are quite unique women and are very different from one another. By looking at the Wife of
Bath and the Prioress 's tales, we can see the contrast between their social standards and behavior.
However, because of the fact

Women : The Role Of Women In The Medieval Times
Women were secretly the glue that held everything together during the medieval times. They were
necessary to keeping the families growing and thriving. Women weren't treated real well, even
though they should have been, but they still did everything they were needed to, and that is pretty
impressive. There were three main things that women were needed for in the medieval times and
that was to do jobs, to have children, and to get married. They jobs women had are definitely not
what I would consider fun. They had very little options on what jobs they could do they were; doing
whatever their husbands did, spinning, weaving, midwifery, being a nun, or they can be abbesses, or
queens. During the medieval times the only real "important" women were the abbesses and queens
because those are the only jobs that had any real power or the only time that women were respected
at all. An abbess is basically the leader of a whole community of nuns, and to become this she must
be over 40 and be a nun for 10 years usually.(Wikipedia.com) Abbesses can make an impacts not
only in their community but sometimes internationally, which is impressive for women since they
were barely looked at as real humans. Spinning was a very popular job for women during the
medieval times. Spinning is when women would turn tiny fibers into thicker pieces of yarn which
was then turned into clothing. According to Dr. Katrin Kania there was absolutely no record of men
actually spinning fibers together so

Women In Medieval Religion
In medieval times, women were viewed as subordinate to men. They were considered "vulnerable to
the powers of evil" and thought to not be involved in the church. The perfect woman in their time
was compared to Mary in the Bible. She was an idealistic image to society, virginal, mild and pure.
Even though they were viewed as subservient and useless, they were given opportunities to find
themselves through Christianity. Within these opportunities for women were nuns, anchoresses and
beguines. They all gave themselves up to God and served for their religion. Nuns lived in beautiful
convents and worked day and night from growing food to providing healthcare.
Anchoresses vowed to live in solidarity for the rest of their lives and beguines agreed to temporary
vows for the simplicity of life. Society portrayed them as men's servants, but many women rebelled
against that stereotype to seek a higher power within themselves.
When nuns begin their journey through Christianity, they begin with taking their monastic vows.
They first vowed for chastity, love concluding in marriage ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
They vowed to live alone for the rest of their lives and bound themselves to their cell. They lived in
either a small house by the cathedral or a tiny room connected to the church. They usually had three
windows in their cell, one for light and one facing the church to get communion and wisdom from
counsellors. The last to the outside to "conduct such affairs with the world that were necessary",
such as food and other necessities. These religiously committed women were the most devoted to
the religion because they gave up communication with almost everyone except for their priest and
counsellor, unlike nuns who had the necessary community life they got in a convent. They also
weren't just bound to temporary vows like beguines, who could begin and end their service
whenever they

Women During The Medieval Era Essay
Women withstood a multitude of limitations in the medieval era. Due to the political, social, and
religious restrictions women encountered, historians neglected to realize that they demonstrated
agency. The female experience is something that has been overlooked until recently. Unfortunately,
without the knowledge of how women found ways to exert their power, we are experiencing a
deficit of knowledge in this period. Through the close examination of the primary sources: The
Gospel of Mary, Dhouda's Liber Manualis, and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the creative means of
female force are displayed.
In the Gospel of Mary, circa 120–180 AD, Mary Magdalene displays that women exercised agency
by being a vessel of God and finding favor with the Lord. Beginning in the first paragraph of the
work, it states, "Andrew and Peter question her veracity and ask why a woman should become a
favorite disciple" (The Gospel of Mary 53). This demonstrates that men did not understand why a
woman would be seen as a greater or more trustworthy being themselves as Christ's inoculator.
However, Mary remains humble, and she uses her agency to teach the men. Mary shows her
willingness to enlighten the men when it is stated, "Mary answered, 'What's concealed from you I'll
tell; I saw him in a vision and I told him'" (The Gospel of Mary 57). This demonstrates Mary's
power over the males. In this situation, she holds knowledge that only she can give to them. This
allows for her to become the individual in

Role Of Medieval Women Essay
Medieval Women: Life, Love, and Liberties
Introduction
Women, the true caregivers, and limitless supporters of mankind. everywhere. No matter the cost,
women will give 110% percent of themselves on a daily basis to provide for their loved ones.
Without their love and commitment, we would all become nothingness. Unfortunately, our colonial
and social past depicts a different image of our God–given angels. In the Medieval time period,
women had to endure a rough life filled with mental abuse, arranged marriages, and subsequent
prostitution. This essay illustrates the responsibilities and ideas thrown on women in the Medieval
time period.
Roles of Women
Men, throughout Medieval literature, have been portrayed as the sole breadwinners and the all–
powerful authority. From early ages, men instilled the idea that women were inferior to them and
their main objective was to serve man and bear children. "Though considered subordinate to men,
medieval women made important contributions that could not be overlooked. They ran manors,
managed businesses, and worked in the fields alongside men. But no matter a woman's place in
society, she was also expected to look after the household." (Newby, Web 2001). Being subordinate
to men, women did not have many rights and liberties. They did not have a say on who they married
or even have a choice in whether or not they wanted to. Women were not given an education unless
born into the Noble clergy or became a part of the covenant. Even so, the

The Role Of Women During Medieval Culture
The Role of Women in Medieval Culture Women were very important in medieval culture. They ran
households, gave birth to and raised children, took care of business when their husbands were away
and much more. Women had high standards that were placed upon them and that they set for
themselves, much like the women and girls of today. Women worked for much less than men did,
even though they worked as much if not more than men did. Noblewomen were occasionally
educated. In all women were amazing and talented and worked very hard.
Life in Medieval times was rough. There were plagues, famine and food poising, death in the
military and even execution, but women made it through. For many peasant women life in the fields
was tough. They didn't even get paid half of what men did. But Noble women didn't have it really
easy either. They still had to take care of children and oversee the servants. Peasant women had to
weave cloth and make clothes for the family. They tended to the family gardens, where many of the
fruits and vegetables were grown. They made food and cleaned the house, looked after livestock and
also helped in the fields. Noble women ran the castle, keeping the servants in line. They also
arranged feasts and parties, made sure that the servants were paid on time and defended the castle if
the lord was away. Life in a castle was easier than life out in the countryside but noble and peasant
women alike had many responsibilities that started early in their life.

Isolation Of Women In The Medieval Period
The role of women in the medieval period were strictly designated. Women were viewed as
possessions and served the function of conforming to the authority or will of others. Women in the
medieval period cultures possessed almost no autonomy of what they thought was right, therefore
they were consistently at the mercy of their "lord" or husbands as well as society. The work of these
medieval women writers impacted me by exposing and making me understand the sense of isolation
and desperation felt by women during that time period. And highlight their inability to control their
own standpoint because it was safer for women to disguise their emotions by not showing them
publicly. However, the writers also emphasized the time and investment that each character put into
their definition of love even though their love was prohibited, abandoned, or spiritual. ... Show more
However, showing any description of a delicate emotion like pain or loneliness was not tolerable in
the culture. If a women wanted to be treated with respect by her husband and the society around her,
she would have to lack any type of true feeling. The writer also wants to call attention to the
significant fact that women were treated like a possession in front of others, as stated "My lord
commanded me" (Line 15) or "They forced me" (Line 25). However what medieval women writers
wanted to highlight was that women were courageous/strong enough to have a "glad Countenance",
showing compassion towards those that administered pain and agony to their life. For example when
the wife wants her husband to feel sorrowful while remembering all the good times that he left
behind. "May the young man be sad–minded/ with hard heart–thoughts, / yet let him have a smiling
face" ("The wife's Lament" lines

The Mistreatment Of Women In Medieval Times
The Mistreatment of Women in Medieval Times In the story, Wife of Bath, In medieval times,
women were misrepresented and were never treated equally as men were. Literature showed a lot of
misrepresentation of women. For example, in the prologue of this story, out of all the characters,
only two were women and the of them were men. This shows how women were not wanted in
anything that was important. Another example is told in lines 36 through 39, "To live in their
virginity, as clean In body as in soul, and never mate. I'll make no boast about my own estate. As in
a noble household, we are told," (Lines 36–39). What it is trying to say is that men see women as an
item that is supposed to marry, have children and to do what they are told to. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Women were seen as an object for men. It was common for women to be seen as rewards for men
who did everything for them even though their needs were barely ever taken into consideration.
There is an example in the story that says, "Five husbands have I had at the church door; Yes, it's a
fact that I have had so many, All worthy in their way, as good as any.... Welcome the sixth, whenever
he appears. I can't keep continent for years and years. No sooner than one husband's dead and gone
Some other Christian man shall take me on," (lines 8–14). The quote explains how women were
expected to marry again, if something ever happened to their husband, they were in need of
someone who would take care of them. A similar example is explained in the quote: "Or sets a
prohibition upon marriages Expressively, let me have it! Show it me! And where did He command
virginity? I know as well as you do, never doubt it, All the Apostle Paul has said about it. (Lines

Treatment Of Women In Medieval Times
The medieval community was primarily composed of religious beliefs of which the people lived by.
Women in medieval times were considered lower ranked than men. They treated women as
despicable outcasts in society. The fate of the woman was ultimately decided by the wealth and
power of the man who she was going to marry. This would mean that she has now been deprived of
all of her individual human rights. To the rest of society, women were generalized as powerless,
illiterate, and useless. With the exception of the rich, women were nothing more than merely objects
in the eyes of society. In the poems of the Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, three female
characters portrayed women in a complete opposition to how women lived in medieval times. Their
actions, attitudes and how their society thought of them gives a clear illustration of how these
women challenged the idea of the female role in medieval society. In The Canterbury Tales and
Beowulf, the three main examples of women that will be discussed are: the Old Woman, Grendel's
mother, and the Wife of Bath. These characters showed a different view on how most of the females
were generally perceived. In these poems, women were depicted as powerful, dangerous, disparages
the law of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Women in Medieval society were treated equivalent to pets. If you owned land, you owned all the
people of that land, which includes women. The way in which each of the three females were
introduced and also how each story was narrated describes the specific events and religious beliefs
that defined that particular time–period. The authors of these two selections showed the corruption
of the church that ruled its people. This was shown by including females with such power, the
presence of women feuding with the beliefs of society, and also how these women managed to
breach the higher parts of the

Medieval Noble Women
The life of a noble woman in High to Medieval France was largely determined by her marriage.
Most of the marriages of the noble women were arranged by their parents for achieving profit
maximization. For noble women, the familial path of arranged marriage was far more common than
the personal path of marrying by personal choice. Marriage was largely based on power and wealth
and was mostly arranged in an early age of a noble woman. Generally, a noble woman married in an
early age to a suitable man that her parents thought could bring wealth and power, which an elite
woman was always married to a country to make peace agreements and alliances that could bring
benefits and peace to the royal family. The life of a noble woman was widely affected

Misogynistic View Of Women In Medieval Literature
Art imitates life, but life also imitates are. Throughout all of history, the words written about women
have had a profound effect on women's place is society. To better understand the sexist and
misogynistic views held in the western Judeo–Christian world, examining the literature of the
medieval European period is valuable. Many of these views that are challenged today are features of
medieval stories written about women shaped how society views women and these lessons have
lasted centuries. Aside from the obvious misogyny, an important issue with this literature is that it
rarely contains women's voices, meaning women characters are silent, passive participants in the
world around them and few of these works are written by women, and when ... Show more content
Before Griselda speaks to support her husband in killing their son, the author states that all women
should hear her next words and "take example." After repeating that she and their children are her
husband's possession Griselda adds, "When I first entered your palace, I divested myself of my
threadbare and clothes and my own will and affection and put on your, and for that reason
everything that you wish I wish, Indeed were it possible for me to know your thoughts and desires
before you told them to me, whatever they were I would carry them out to the best of my ability" (p.
112). Here, Griselda's voice teaches women that they must abandon their own identity and beliefs
and take on those of their husbands once they are married. A woman's independent identity was lost
after marriage and she was instead expected to become a mirror of her husband's. Women also learn
from these sentences that a wife is expected to put her husband's desires before her own and their
children's no matter how cruel or unjust his wants are. Even in the home, a man was put above
everyone

Women In Medieval Times
A woman in medieval times was not considered a person, but property. A woman would be forced to
wear layers of drab clothing, the style determining their social class ranking. A woman of wealth
would wear decadent gowns and women in poverty would wear plain spun dresses. Their goal in life
was to find a husband, to give in to his whims and be the epitome of submission. Sometimes,
peasant girls would be forced to take up a trade prior to marriage. After the marriage, she was forced
to give up this trade, the skill she possessed, and either maintain the lifestyle as a housewife, or help
her husband with his trade. In regards to whom a woman married, there was little to no choice in the
matter. Often, girls were married to strange men, men they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
A woman's alternative would be becoming a nun, giving up all social freedoms and dedicating your
life to serving the poor and God. Women who were subject to this life received a much more
thorough education than other women, in order to properly learn religious concepts and theory.
Otherwise, a woman's education was limited to basic reading abilities paired with instruction on
how to do homely activities. A woman of this time period had utterly no voice in politics. Law was
man's law. The life of these women were controlled by the men who surround them, their opinions
meaning little to nothing. The life of a woman in medieval times was bleak and varied little.
Romantic literature was on the rise, full of damsels in distress that only further perpetuated negative
stereotypes of women during these times. These romances were full of helpless women in situations
only a man could get them out of, or else they would be doomed. Despite this cultural oppression of
women in this time period, some strong female characters were erected in medieval romances. A
perfect example of an abnormally strong and independent female main character would be Enide
from Erec and Enide written by Chrétien de

Middle Class Women In Medieval Times
Women of Medieval Times
In the beginning of the Middle Ages, women of higher class owned land and had a high social
reputation, as if they were equal to men. As the 12th century hit, female roles started to fall apart.
Women in the upper class were now below their husbands. Females could not attend school and they
were also excluded from politics because men thought they were not fit to understand them.
However, women in the lower class were more equal to their husbands and male coworkers (Women
58–60). Women of all classes in the medieval times were always expected to be wives and take care
of all the house needs. At the age of 10 a female was expected to be able to manage a home. The
older women in the home taught the younger girls mandatory ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
An upper class woman was expected to have six to ten children in her lifetime and expected most of
them to reach adulthood since she was married off at a younger age and had better care for her
children. Women had a 10 percent chance of death during childbirth and as they aged older the
chance of death increased (Women 62–63). Typically after birth, a newborn was instantly baptised
therefor, immediately becoming a member of the church (Orme 2). Abortion was extremely
dangerous in this time. It was performed with a series of poisons and herbs. Childbirth was the
leading cause of death in women in the medieval ages. Women in medieval times were to be
obedient to their husbands, no matter what the class. A male was allowed to beat his wife as often
and as much as he pleased, as long as he didn't kill her. Adultery was a very serious crime because it
could produce illegal children and a female could be beaten to death by her husband in return
(Women 62–63). Later in the medieval times, a woman caught committing adultery would have her
ears and nose cut off and then walked through the town for everyone to stare at (The Price of
Adultery

Viking Women Vs Medieval Women
Viking women were valuable and respected members of society.
Although their roles were mostly domestic, women were very skilled and capable in other aspects of
daily life. Their jobs and skills included:
Gathering, preparing and preserving food.
Gardening and managing stock levels.
Making clothes by spinning, weaving and sewing.
Cleaning
Preparing medicines to keep the family healthy and tend to the ill.
While the men were away from home exploring, raiding, trading or fishing the women took over
much of their work including management of the farm.
Viking women were married around age 15–16. Most marriages were arranged. They were chosen
by both families. Some women were married as early as age 12 and nearly all by age 20. Once
married Viking women were kept in charge of the family finances including farm stocks and
precious metals. They held the key to the family ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They had the right to own land, inherit and divorce. A woman could divorce her husband if he
mistreated her or the children or did not provide for the family. Anything she brought into the
marriage remained her property.
Women were well protected. Unwanted physical attention from a man could result in the man being
fined or more serious punishment. It was shameful for a man to harm a woman.
Even though the women had rights and were well respected there was things they were not allowed
to do. They were not to cut their hair short or dress like men. They had no say or vote at public
meetings or Things.
Women wore underdresses made of linen or flax and woollen overdresses like aprons with straps
fastened by decorative brooches. Over the dresses and aprons she wore cloaks or shawls made of
wool. Their shoes were made of leather. They had long hair and usually wore scarves.
There is some evidence to suggest that some women were warriors. They were referred to in
Scandinavian folklore and mythology as

Medieval Women : Women's Roles In Medieval Literature
Women in Medieval Literature In Medieval Literature women played many roles and society placed
labels on women during this time. For a time, women in stories would either try to seduce a man to
get what she wanted and accomplish a man's greatest downfall or they would be objective to men
and be at his beck–and–call to do whatever he wants. As time passses, women begin to change in the
sense of coming to power or from illiterate to writing to express themselves. Like Queen Elizabeth 1
Who was the ruler of England, and writers, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, women who
wrote about their visions and relationship with God. Women are starting to empower themselves in
ways that no one thought a woman could do. In the 16th century it was not ideal for a woman to rule
over a country or have any authority of anything. The children who would be able to rule or have
authority would be the next male heir in the royal line. Elizabeth's reign lasted for quite sometime
and the reason for that was because she never married, she was married to England. According to
the Norton Text, there were men who tried to win the heart of fair maiden, but she wouldn't give up
her virginity. She wasn't like other women, Elizabeth had control and power. In a book written by
Kaara Peterson, "Elizabeth I's Virginity and the Body of Evidence: Jonson's Notorious Crux", she
points that even though Elizabeth was physically a woman, she also

Medieval Women Vs Roman Women Research Paper
All over the world, societal roles of women are different. This has not changed despite centuries of
time passing. Roman and medieval women, though parts of different cultures and separated by
distance, were very similar.
Roman women generally had three choices in life; they could remain unmarried, either by choice or
due to an insufficient dowry, they could marry, or they could become Vestals. Vestals were priests
who cared for the temple of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. Roman men did not want their wives
involved in their public lives so married women tended to stay out of the way. Instead, they
remained busy running the home, preparing meals for their husbands, caring for children, and
spinning. Wealthier Roman women, usually betrothed at birth, had ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Roman women, while still seen as inferior, were admired for their role in the household, whereas
medieval women were treated badly because of how they were viewed. Although Roman women
did experience discrimination, they did not suffer as much physical abuse because of it. The daily
lives of medieval and Roman women were very similar. They had almost the exact same roles in
households and the wealthy had similar options for leisure time. In education, even an average
Roman woman had a better education than a medieval woman who received none. Nuns were the
exception. Roman and medieval women also had very similar job opportunities, though midwifery
was more prominent in medieval society. In medieval society there were more artists and writers,
whereas there were more scientists and mathematicians in Roman society. Roman and Medieval
women both had the same basic life options: marry or go into a religious position. Roman women
had fewer restraints in marriage than medieval women. Medieval women had more legal rights than
Roman women, though only after they were widowed or if they were unmarried and had inherited

The Roles of Women in Medieval Scandinavia Essay
When people think about Medieval Scandinavia they usually think about a cold northern region
inhabited by a warrior people who spend all of their time sailing around in Viking warships and
plundering from one another or going to war with their neighbors. While our archaeological
evidence from this period may be rather scarce, many cite the Scandinavian pagan religions as a
evidence of this warrior society due to the fact that men were encouraged to fight in order to be
chosen by the gods to live in Valhalla, the pagan equivalent, loosely equivalent, of heaven. However,
this only accounts for the men of the society, and no society can continue if it consists only of men.
Were the women as concerned with war as their male comrades? Recent ... Show more content on
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Norse pagan lore is rife with female characters that challenge their male counterparts and take tasks
upon themselves rather than simply leaving them to men, in some cases of pagan myth, the female
characters even participate in battles. Scandinavian society itself also contributed to allotment of
power into female hands. Due to societal expectations, in order to advance in society the
Scandinavian man was required to find a wife and produce offspring; however, due to the overall
scarcity of women only a small number of men could achieve this and the rest were forced to look
elsewhere for brides, these men were the Vikings who raided other lands and countries not merely to
find wealth but also to find themselves wives. All of this evidence culminates in the fact that women
in Scandinavia held a very different position than was previously believed and one such woman who
is an exceptional example of the utilization of this power is Margaret I, Queen of Norway, Denmark,
and Sweden. For these reasons we are lead to believe that there existed an expected realm of
responsibility for both men and women throughout medieval Scandinavian society; however it also
seems to have been expected that some women would go beyond these social limitations in order to
take power and occasionally even participate in battle, and

Women In The Medieval Ages
After re–reading chapters nine through thirteen, I came to the conclusion that women made very few
significant contributions to culture in the Medieval West. This is not the case for lack of trying,
though. It was tough for women to do much contributing in this time period.Men of the Medieval
ages already had a "hostile attitude toward womankind, intensified perhaps by women's increasing
participation in some of the commercial activities traditionally dominated by men" (274). Thomas
Aquinas went as far as to question "whether woman should have been made" in the first place (296).
You hear about many famous men of the Medieval times like Charlemagne, Lancelot, and Dante,
but rarely hear about the works of women. One of the reasons for this

Medieval Women Essay
Medieval Women
The roles of women in early Anglo–Saxon culture were strictly defined. Women were viewed as
possessions and served the function of the peace–weaver. In this role women were married off to
warring tribes to promote peace and were to perform duties such as passing the cup from warrior to
warrior during ceremonial functions. Women in Anglo–Saxon culture possessed virtually no
autonomy and consequently were consistently at the mercy of their lords or husbands. The sense of
isolation and desperation felt by these women is captured in the "The Wife's Lament" as the speaker
describes her inability to control her own situation. The female characters Wealhtheow, Hildeburh,
and Freawaru in Beowulf also display the limited ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hildeburh is a Danish princess who was married off to Finn, king of the Jutes. Hildeburh is torn
away from her loved ones and forced to witness her son and brother killed during a battle between
the Danes and the Jutes. Hildeburh has absolutely no say in the marriage (as was the custom) and
cannot do nothing to prevent the tragedy. The scop in Beowulf describes how Hildeburh mourned
the loss of her relatives as she watched "fire [swallow] them–greediest of spirits–all of those whom
war had taken away from both peoples" (21). In the case of Freawaru, Beouwulf prophesizes that
Hrothgar's daughter will marry the son of Froda in an attempt to create peace but says, "Most often
after the fall of a prince in any nation the deadly spear rests but a little while, even thought the bride
is good" (35). The implication here is that another marriage based on peace–weaving will create
hardship and war.
Wealhtheow of Beowulf is another example of a woman who lacks power in her role as a peace–
weaver. Wealhtheow is the queen and wife to Hrothgar, so she is considered to be a noblewoman.
Accordingly, her role in the kingdom is ceremonial, bit though distinguished, is lacking any real
consequence. Wealhtheow greets Beowulf and warriors and in the hall and offers up the mead–bowl
with the help of her fellow women. Once Beowulf has defeated Grendel, it is Weahltheow's
responsibility to give him thanks and present him with a ring and mail–shirt. She says, "Here is each

Chaucer's Impression of Women of Medieval Times
CHAUCER'S IMPRESSION OF WOMEN OF MEDIEVAL TIMES Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The
Canterbury Tales in the late 1400s. By conceiving the idea of a pilgrimage to Canterbury in which
each character strives to tell the best story, Chaucer cleverly reveals a particular social condition of
England during the time. In this time period, the status, role, and attitudes towards women was
clearly different from that of today. Two tales in Chaucer's collection specifically address this
subject: the Miller's tale and the Reeve's tale. The interplay between the tales and characters further
enhances the similar viewpoints these stories have towards women. In the Middle Ages, most
women married and began raising children soon after reaching puberty. They ... Show more content
Her overall character seems as one which has no shame. To the same extent, the miller's wife and
daughter, Molly, commit a similar crime of lewdness. John and Alan, angry at the trick Simon has
played on them, decide to sleep with Simon's wife and daughter that very night. In a most careful
and wise manner, John gets Simon's wife into his bed, while Alan gets himself into the bed of Molly.
Molly, just as Alison, readily accepts Alan's sexual offer, for Chaucer writes "they soon were one."
John uses a different approach to get with Simon's wife, leading her to falsely believe his bed is
actually hers. He instantaneously begins to have his fun, but again the wife believes it is her husband
who "thrusts like a madman, hard and deep" upon her. Though just implied, there exists as much
immorality in her actions as that of Molly and Alison. Having a child who obviously has already
passed through puberty, Simon should be considerably older than John. Thus the miller's wife must
have known the Simon was not receiving her pleasures, but rather a young man who returned her
pleasures in a way in which she could not resist. If such immoral behaviors exist in Molly's mother,
there stands no question as to why Molly herself acts the same way. Not only does she disrespect her
own body, but even worse her loyalty towards her father. She confirms to Alan that her father steals
flour, and

Womens : Women's Effect In Medieval Society
Women's Effect in Medieval Society Women's effect in medieval society had an impact on women's
lives because the upper class women judged the lower class women by what they wore. The upper
class women made the lower class women their servants. The servants would take care of their
household duties such as cleaning and taking care of the children. As time progressed things for the
lower class women was worse as many of them were made to be servants
Also, things for the higher class women was better because they did not have to take care of their
household chores. In the middle ages, social class had different effects on women's lives due to the
responsibilities, rights, and restrictions of women. In the middle ages, social classes had a major
effect on the responsibilities of women. One responsibility was that many women was married when
they were teenagers rather they lived in a castle or a peasant hovel (Bovey). Peasant hovels are the
houses that the peasants lived in. Another responsibility is women of the church had the
responsibilities of the abbesses of convents (Bovey). Abbesses of the convents was the "leader" of
mostly the monks in the Catholic Church. Also, peasant women had the responsibility of all the
household duties, such as preparing and cooking the food, cleaning the house, and taking care of the
children (Bovey). Then, 90% of women that lived in rural areas not only had the basic household
duties, but they were responsible

The Defamation Of Women In The Medieval Era
Defamation of women during the medieval period stemmed from Christian ideology that claimed
women were mentally weaker and therefore more susceptible to temptations of the flesh. This
assumption often resulted in women being portrayed as overly sexual beings that aggressively
sought to physically soil a man's goodness. As painted in Bibliothèque De L'Arsenal, the woman is
shown as a contentious predator that clings to the man's clothes urging him to sleep with her. It can
be noted that he is half–dressed, quite clearly uncomfortable and attempting to make an escape
while she, fully naked, tugs at the bottom of his shirt to come towards the bed. In the piece she is
aggressive in her lust, painting her as inherently sinful.
Yet another common theme that characterized female integrity can be found in the "penis trees"
drawn throughout the era. In Massa Marittima's Mural, the implication that women harvested
penises and were more interested in the physical aspects of a man rather than the Christian
influenced concepts of celibacy and purity were openly accepted. Pictures like these were not
created by women or based on any concrete experience, instead they repeatedly drew inspiration
from perpetuated stereotypes that further discredited the morality of women.
These stereotypes were not only found in paintings but in literature as well. In Jean de Meun's
popular tale, Romance of the Rose, an older woman speaks on her advice for younger women. In
this advice, we can see the

Women During Medieval Times
Have you ever thought about the differences between women today and back in the day? How about
all the way back to medieval times? The differences outweigh the similarities big time. Some of the
major differences are the jobs they had back then, their morals, their way of dress, and the rights
they had in comparison to us. Woman during medieval times were very different from the women
today. The women during this time had many responsibilities, not only in the household but also in
the community. During that time some of the jobs common women would have were, taking care of
the children in the house, working in the field with their husband, participated in vital cottage
industries,preparing food, and taking care of livestock. This was for the women with just a regular
life. There were some women that had the opportunity to work in the king's court, yet that ... Show
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As a matter a fact, there was a variety of groups of woman's fashion. For example, there was the
peasant class, which the women were not wealthy or a part of nobility. The women during this era
usually wore shirts beneath a tunic. However, there was special laws that determined whether the
poor could wear what had been in fashion at that particular time. This often occurred because most
of the fashion became so expensive. If those who had been poor were to break those laws, there
would have been severe punishment. Another type of fashion group were the wealthy and nobility,
which were slightly similar to the peasant women except they preferred more elaborate accessories
such as fur, waistlines, ornamental bands, jewelry, and double the tunics. Headdress was also one of
the groups, which happened to be most of the married women who would put their hair up into a
bun shape or braided with a veil but it eventually changed over time. These variety of styles were
highly inspired by the medieval

Women Of The Medieval Times
The lives of the women in the Medieval Times, for the most part ,did not belong to them. Choices
such as marriage, intimacy, childbirth and household responsibilities were thrust upon them by the
elder family members and the men that became their husbands. How did these women survive? Did
the hardships inflicted on them day after day on a continuous basis lead to mental illness or a
religious awakening? Perhaps the women of the Medieval Times were more intelligent and capable
than one was lead to believe. What lengths would a person go through in order to survive an
unbearable situation? Did the women of the Medieval Times truly go mad or in some cases find God
and religion in the lowest point of their lives or did they, in fact, find their inner strength in order to
gain their freedom and pursue their rights to happiness? Emilie Amt, an assistant professor of history
at Washington College demonstrates how women from the Medieval Times lived very complex life.
Compared to today, women in the Medieval Times did not have the freedom to do as they desired.
Their decision making choices were not accounted. Marriages, for example, were arranged.
Twelfth–century girl, Christina of Markyate, opposed of her parents' choice of future husband.
Despite her parents efforts to persuade her, whether in a positive manner by providing her with gifts
or in a negative manner with threats or involving one of her friends to convince her the arrange
marriage was the correct course of action,

Women's Role Of Women In The Medieval Period
As many would believe, women were thought and viewed to be inferior to men throughout history.
Based on this, they were not seen as ones to take on the same important roles as men would in their
societies like political jobs, warfare, influencer and innovators, and scientists. During the Medieval
period, women rose and began defying the normal stereotypes, even more than usual, and were
recognized by their actions. One woman was Margaret of Anjou, the queen consort of England.
Margaret was the daughter of René of Anjou and the wife of Henry VI. Her home country France
was at war against England and she was offered to King Henry VI as a peace treaty. Being a queen
consort, she did not rule and was an asset to the king. When King Henry suffered from an illness,
Margaret believed she was the one who should temporarily rule in his place. Unfortunately, title was
given to the Duke of York. This occurrence caused a rivalry to emerge between the House of
Lancaster and the House of York; This was called the War of the Roses as Lancaster wore red roses
in battle and York wore white. The second woman is Lady Murasaki, a daughter of Fujiwara family
and a Japanese novelist in the Heian period. She was very intelligent was a young girl and her father
still allowed her to get an education despite it being unsuitable for girls. After the death of her
husband, she went to court and wrote in a diary about the life she has in court and her thoughts. It is
believed that Murasaki sensed that

Women In The Medieval Era
Amitabh Bachchan once said, "Because you are women, people will force their thinking on you,
their boundaries on you. They will tell you how to dress, how to behave, who you can meet and
where you can go...". This quote was all too true for the women in the Medieval Era. In this era,
women did not have a lot of power or control over their life. Women did not get to select who they
marry. They could not choose who they bore children too. Women did not get to decide what kind of
work they wanted. They had to know their place and their place was a child bearer, house maid, or
nun. Although there was an idealization of women in the Medieval Era, the lives of women were
arduous as they had little control of their lives and were not able to decide who they spent their life
with. As aforementioned, women had no say in where their life would go. Things happened to them
and they had no choice, but to accept their circumstances. As an example, a popular ballad at the
time was "The Great Silkie of Shule Skerrie." In this ballad, a woman bore a child and has no idea
who the father of her child is. The father steps up and she simply says "It is not well indeed" that a
SIlkie should have a child from her (Line 14). She was not upset at the fact that she bore a child
from a man she did not know, but at the fact that he was a supernatural creature. Another example of
this theme is in the tale of "Robin Hood." In "Robin Hood", Robin steals from the rich to give back

Objectification Of Women In Medieval Times Analysis
Furthermore, objectification through forced marriage, in these medieval times, was a real prospect
for many women in addition to Christina. In medieval times, individuals did not come together
because of love, and marriage was similar to exchanging property (Decameron 2011). The idea of
exchanging property equates the notion of marriage between a man and a woman into something
that is more a trade and barter, rather than a unique bond between individuals. This objectifies
women because it turns them into objects that can be owned and exchanged. The expectations for
this time were also that women were to marry and have children. There was an idea that a female
was ready to undergo the process of marriage to a predetermined man once she was physically ...
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While hiding from her husband and family, she stayed in a dark chamber where she suffered through
hunger, thirst, the cold, the heat, and other uncomfortable conditions (Anonymous 148). These are
almost inhumane conditions which humans should not spend time in. This makes a statement about
how Christina appears to the reader since she was being kept in this setting that only objects, not
living creatures, should existing in. "Through long fasting, her bowels became contracted and dried
up. There was a time when her burning thirst caused little clots of blood to bubble up from her
nostrils...could not go out until evening to satisfy the demands of nature" (Anonymous 148). These
are not normal human conditions, which turns the idea of Christina into something that is less
human and more of a physical object. This objectifies Christina because she went into these
violating conditions as a result of her forced marriage that came upon her because of her

Medieval Oppression Of Women
Over the medieval period oppression of women has been a problem and has not been solved up to
now. Various movements have taken place against these dilemmas but they still exist in our nation
and while they prevail they've given an upswing to problems and instances of obnoxious behavior.
Women have been unjustly held back from achieving full equality for much of human history. In the
novel 'The Palace of Illusions', Princess Panchali said "He was always trying to discourage me from
attending Dhri's lessons– and he wasn't the only one. At first, no matter how much I begged, King
Drupad had balked at the thought of me studying with my brother. A girl being taught what a boy
was supposed to learn? Such a thing had never been heard of in the royal family of Panchal!" Dhai
Ma denied Panchali of accessing the lessons that Dhri was learning as she believed that they were
making her argumentative and too manlike in her speech.
Practices followed during the medieval period showed us the predominant injustice of our times is
the widespread, tyrannical oppression of women. The feudal society of the time encouraged "Sati"
which meant self–immolation of the widow. By burning herself on the pyre of her husband, she
proves her loyalty. Even the child widows were not spared from this gruesome ... Show more
Many women face discrimination throughout all stages of their life, beginning at (or even before)
birth continuing as an infant, child, adolescent, and adult. While in the educated, urban middle class
women's rights continue to improve, there remains a strong bias against gender equality in those
societal parts of India, where patriarchal traditions prevail; her self–image was torn into shreds by
the patriarchal family which denied her basic freedom. Indian womanhood was mercilessly locked
in the echo

Essay Life for Medieval Women
Medieval society was completely dominated by men, making a women's life at the time difficult.
Medieval law at the time stated that women could not marry without their parents consent, could not
divorce their husbands, could not own property unless widows, could not inherit land if they had
surviving brothers, and could own no business with special permission (Trueman, "Medieval
Women"). When a woman married a man, he would get any property she owned and she would
forfeit any rights she had to him. When the husband dies she would get one third of the land to live
on and support herself. Unmarried women who owned land had the same rights as men (Hull).
Whenever a woman got into trouble it would be her closest male relative who would appear ... Show
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Midwives also perform emergency baptisms if the baby was ill or dying (Bovey).
Careers
Women had trouble advancing in trade and were usually barred from entering a guild (a group of
skilled workers of the same trade). Typical duties would be to take care of the family, work out in
the fields, be a servant to rich people, or make some sort of craft like cloths. Here's a quote from a
record in 1461:
"Various people of the weavers' craft in Bristol employ their wives, daughters and maids either to
weave at their looms, or to work for someone else at the same craft."
Women would also be paid less than men for doing the same amount of work, an issue that is still
around today. For reaping, a peasant man could get 8 pence a day. For the same task, peasant women
would get 5 pence. For hay making, men would earn 6 pence a day while women got 4 pence
(Trueman, "Medieval Women"). Common jobs for medieval women were shopkeepers, bakers,
spinners, alewives, farmers, and silk weavers. There were even some women writers. Women
worked more than one job because they got paid less than men therefore, in order to make an
adequate income, they took on extra work. Being a spinner was the most common occupation of that
time period. Women spent much of their time spinning wool into coarse thread, then weaving it into
cloth and making garments (Hull). John Fitzherbert in his book A Book of Husbandry written in
1525 said of a

Medieval Women In The Middle Ages Essay
Throughout the Middle Ages, the place of women in society was often limited and they hardly had
any power over men. However, this would soon change in the Medieval Europe. Women could run
manors, become nuns, and mainly ran the house. Women also had a new place in society and many
of these women became famous and well–known because of this. Women in Medieval Europe had
more opportunities than ever before.
Women did many various jobs and improved and gave variety to the workforce. The women who
ran the Manors would "often ran manors, farms and castles single–handedly. She was an influential
person who had to deal with the management of acres of land, crops, animals and property;
hundreds of employees and their homes; legal arguments, fights, ... Show more content on
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Very few women rose to prominence in the medieval ages. One of the earliest of them was Hilda of
Whitby who was a notable abbess in the 7th century. She achieved high learning in Celtic
monasticism and later founded the Whitby Abbey. This abbey was for both men and women who
worshipped together but lived separately. She attained sainthood and was immensely revered all
over England. Another influential woman was Saint Catherine who was a notable Church figure in
the fourteenth century who extensively wrote on theological matters and played a very active part in
bridging the divide between Papal authority and political authority. During the 14th century, she was
instrumental in mitigating the influence of the anti–Papal league. Catherine also convinced the Pope
to move back to Rome and remained a very active figure in the church. Medieval queens were the
most influential and powerful women during this time. Eleanor of Aquitaine was an unusual
medieval figure who was able to attain immense influence and power in medieval ages during the
12th century. Eleanor first married King Louis VII of France but due to the lack of an heir, the
marriage was annulled. She later married King Henry II of England. She became the patron of a
number of literary figures and remained a very influential political, social and cultural figure
throughout her

Barbarian Women Vs Medieval Women
The ways in which medieval women, such as Roman and barbarian women, used beauty products or
the certain beauty rituals they had showed evidence as to how women were integrated into their
prospective societies. The idea of beauty also varied from culture to culture. Romans felt that
women should do everything in their power to look as close to perfect as they could. A barbarian
woman on the other hand, did not have much emphasis on her outward appearance but instead
focused on her contribution to her tribe. Roman authors such as Ovid, Seneca, and Juvenal had
varying views on the subject of Roman women and their beauty products. Some of the authors felt
that women should do as much as they can to appear perfect including standing or sitting a certain
way to look more physically appealing while others felt they were consumed by their looks .
Barbarian women on the other hand did not put much emphasis on their physical appearance and for
this some authors such as Tacitus felt that barbarian women were more virtuous than Roman women
. It can be inferred that based on the level of civilization a society has will determine how much
pressure is put on a medieval woman to look a certain way and how wide the gender differentiation
is in each society. Roman women had the more beauty ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He sees the creams and other products women used "as a defilement of their face". While there can
be an argument for this it can also be said that women in medieval Rome took pleasure in their
appearance because that was one of the few methods they could express themselves. Roman women
were not permitted to be in any form of government, trade, or even own their own land. They were
always under the guardianship of either their father or their husband and the way in which women
presented themselves gave some form of control over their

Women In Medieval Europe
The Middle East consisted of Islam and Medieval Europe was Christian and both societies were
dominated by a powerful religious head. Medieval Europe had less intellectual achievements than
that of the Abbasids, whose dynasty was founded by his descendants. Yet Christianity was more
centralized than the Islamic. There are many comparisons and contrasts among both Islamic and
Medieval Europe societies in there statuses, genders, religions, and wealth.
First off, Medieval Europe had less achievements than those in Islam. Since philosophy was the
biggest intellectual achievement for Medieval Europe it mainly applied logic to the problems of
theology. Because of this achievement, it was important for which they established universities in
places ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Medieval Europe was Christian and the Middle East consisted of Islam, both societies religion
would be dominated with a powerful religious leader. In Islam (Abbasid Dynasty) was ruled by the
Caliph, successor to the founder of Islam, Muhammad. Christianity's religious leader was and is the
Pope, who influences kings in the name of God. The Abbasid Dynasty was less centralized than
Christianity because the Arab clans (Sunnis and Shi'A) could not agree on the rightful successor to
Muhammad. The church's hierarchy made Christianity more centralized and because the Pope was
the leading figure and under him were bishops that headed regional churches for the Pope. Yet again
Christianity was move involved with politic because they were not the only ones who appointed
bishops but kings were often appointing them as well. The Pope was a political power for kings
because he was able to influence many people from different kingdoms and united them. Although
Islam's women were put apart from being in the same service as men, in Christianity, women were
allowed to take a part as a nun to serve as men

Impossible To Generalize About Medieval Women

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