Women in Medieval Times

By

Jackie

World History Period 4

November 2002

European Middle Ages 500 – 1500

Background

Feudalism – A social, economic system - peasants reported to king and nobles.

Roman Catholic Church dominates.

Most people were peasants.

Code of Chivalry in place for knights.

Development of towns in later Middle Ages leads to weakening of feudalism.

(Branch 1)

What was daily life like for women?

The answer depends on who was the women’s father and who would be her husband. There was great diversity in daily life of women in the Middle Ages in Europe. Social class and wealth determined life style.Though this was a male dominated time, in practice many women had a social and economic impact.

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Women of Nobility

Many noble women were well educated.In the place of absent crusading husbands many noblewomen had the responsibility of running large estates.Unmarried noblewomen of property had equal rights with men. (Stoertz 1)

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Religious Women

Unmarried noblewomen often entered convents and nunneries.Nunneries provided women with opportunities to have a devout life and obtain an education.Religious women were able to explore the arts and study medicine and healing.Many Abbesses had great political as well as religious power. (Langley 22) www.stanford.edu

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Women of the Manor

The lady of the manor often managed a large household with many servants.She was responsible for the maintenance and budget of the manor.She was responsible for training young servants.Women of the manor oversaw the village school.They provided nursing and other helping services to the village. (Boulding 67)

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Peasant Women

Most people of the Middle Ages were peasants.Peasant women lived in rural villages.They worked in the fields along with their husbands.They also had responsibility for the care of children and the household.The life expectancy of a peasant women was about 25 years.

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Women in Towns

A middle class townswoman had more freedom and an easier life than a peasant women.As more women moved from rural peasant villages to the towns their life expectancy increased.In towns women could work in a variety of occupations outside the home. Women often held responsible positions in family businesses. Though they did not have voting rights women could be members of the guilds.Some apprenticeships were open to women.There were a few all women guilds in England and France. ( Boulding 73)

http://library.thinkquest.org/12834/text/marketplace.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/12834/text/marketplace.html

Childbirth

“The greatest hazard in the life of a women in the 13th century is childbirth.”There are no obstetrical instruments. Medicine has little understanding of anatomy.Doctors do not attend at births.Midwives assist with labor and birthing.Noblewomen rarely nurse their children. A wet nurse is chosen from the peasant class.Mortality for both mother and infant is extremely high.

(Geis 257)

www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/ subjects/women/women.html

Later Middle Ages

Women in the later Middle Ages lost some ground.In the 12th and 13th centuries attitudes about gender became more rigid. Ideas about women’s inferior nature and thus their subordination to men grew. Reforms within the Catholic Church in the 13th and 14 centuries resulted in limited opportunities for women.Changing regulations on women’s inheritance and access to education formally limited women’s social and economic opportunities.But women, especially in the developing towns where some played a role in the guilds and developing commerce, continued to make contributions both economically and socially. (Canter 446)

Conclusion

So what was daily life like for women?The answers are varied. And depend mainly on class and economic resources.The Middle Ages could be looked at as a hard time to be a women. Life expectancy was short. Most women had to work long, difficult, physically challenging days. But many women in all classes, especially the upper classes made lasting contributions in the arts, sciences and technology.

Famous Medieval Women

Eleanor of Aquitaine – wife of Henry II patron of the arts, large landholdings in her own rightChristine de Pisan – French writer, advocate for women’s rightsHildegard of Bingen – Abbess, writer and musicianClare of Assisi – Founder of religious order Matilda of Tuscany – Ruler of much of northern ItalyJoan of Arc –Led French army in war with the British

Resources

Boulding, Elsie. The Underside of History. London: Sage, 1992

Branch, Kay and al. Europe in the Middle Ages. Forsyth School District, Alpharetta, GA. March 12-14, 1998 Core Knowledge. 26 Aug. 2002. http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2

Canter, Norman. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. New York: Viking, 1999

Hinds, K. Life in the Middle Ages: The City. New York: Benchmark, 2001.

Langley, Andrew. Medieval Life. New York: Knopf, 1996.

Napier, Sarah. “Nuns, Midwives and Witches”. Contemporary Women’s Issues. 1 March 1992. pp11-14. Electric Library 200. bigchalk.com 6 Sept. 2002. http://elibrary.com/s/plus

Stoertz, Fiona. “Young Women in France and England 1050-1300. Journal of Women’s History. Winter 2001. InfoTrac One File. Galegroup. 2002. 6 Sept 2002. http://www.web4. infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/informark.