Deep Dive
Why is it challenging to find records of medieval women?
Women were often excluded from literate culture due to limited education, typically being taught to read but not write. This exclusion made their voices harder to find in historical records.
How did women engage with literacy in the medieval period?
Women from middle-class families and above were often taught to read but not write, allowing them to engage with books and literary culture without necessarily producing written works themselves.
What role did women play in book production during the medieval period?
Women were actively involved in book production, including as book illuminators and printresses. Some, like Jean Montbaston, even ran their own bookmaking businesses after their husbands' deaths.
Why did Joan of Arc's signature stand out in the exhibition?
Joan of Arc's signature was significant because, despite being illiterate, she learned to write her own name and signed letters she dictated, showcasing her agency and political engagement.
How did Joan of Arc's image change after her death?
After her death, Joan of Arc's image was sanitized by the French court, portraying her as a noblewoman in feminine attire rather than the peasant woman who wore men's clothing and led military campaigns.
What examples show that medieval women were involved in military activities?
Women like Black Agnes, who defended Dunbar Castle, and Margaret Paston, who requested weapons to protect her home while her husband was away, demonstrate that women actively participated in military defense.
How common was it for women to inherit property in the medieval period?
About 44% of women inherited some form of property in the medieval period, particularly if there were no male heirs available.
What does the Book of Margery Kemp reveal about her life?
Margery Kemp's book, discovered in the 1930s, shows her as a mystic who traveled, had 14 children, and later devoted her life to religion. She struggled to find a scribe to write her autobiography.
Why was Marguerite Porete's 'The Mirror of Simple Souls' considered heretical?
Marguerite Porete's work was deemed heretical because it proposed that the soul could achieve complete union with God, an idea that church authorities found threatening due to her independent status as a woman.
What does the case of Maria Moriana reveal about medieval attitudes toward slavery?
Maria Moriana's petition shows that she refused to be sold as a slave, asserting her rights in a society where legal slavery did not exist. Her case highlights the humanity of those resisting enslavement.
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