HIST310-01, Women in Medieval Europe, Fall 2006

Abstract

Perhaps the most popular modern image of medieval women is that of damsels in distress, waiting Rapunzel-like in towers for knights in shining armor to come to their rescue. In fact, while medieval women faced many restrictions on their behavior and encountered negative attitudes that women would find intolerable today, they were nonetheless far from passive victims. They found many opportunities to express their opinions, to act in their own and others’ interests, and to improve their lives. This semester we will examine both ideas about medieval women and women’s lived experiences. We will explore how precisely medieval women negotiated the patriarchal society in which they lived, what they could and could not do, and how they felt about it. At the same time, we will examine the legacy of medieval women’s experiences on our own modern culture. Finally, we will consider how to study medieval women – what sources remain, what methods are most fruitful, and what questions historians have spent the most time addressing. No previous knowledge of the European Middle Ages or of women’s history is expected for this course. This course is organized thematically rather than chronologically, so we will be jumping around in time quite a bit. I will try to provide the necessary background and chronological connections, but if you find yourself confused about what’s happening in the general narrative of European history at a given time, or about where we are in time, please let me know!