Medieval Writings on Secular Women

Author: Van-Houts, Elisabeth M. C., Skinner, Patricia

European history

Published on 31 March 2011 by Penguin Books Ltd (Penguin Classics) in the United Kingdom.

'Woman, who is equal to the moon in the flower of youth,Is equal to a little old ape after the onset of old age'This remarkable collection brings together a host of writings from across different regions and cultures of the Middle Ages, from the ninth to the fifteenth century. They are arranged to follow the life stages of a Medieval woman living a secular existence, from infancy and girlhood, through marriage and motherhood, to widowhood and old age. Some women are famous or captured in exceptional circumstances, many more are anonymous: an abandoned baby in Italy, or an epitaph for the female leader of a Synagogue, speaking across the ages.

This selection contains an introduction discussing the Medieval woman's status, separate introductions to each chapter, notes and a bibliography.