Medieval Writings on Secular Women (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

Various Authors

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141439912 ISBN 13: 9780141439914

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 2011

Synopsis

'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.

About this title

Product Description:

Medieval Writings on Secular Women A collection that brings together a host of writings from across different regions and cultures of the Middle Ages, from the ninth to the fifteenth century. It is 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. Full description

Review:

Both medieval historians and feminist historians will be delighted about this extraordinary, long-awaited anthology [...] This volume appears to be the best possible textbook currently available for a seminar on medieval women, covering the entire spectrum from birth to death [...] Anyone interested in the life of women in the premodern era will certainly want to pick up a copy and consult it intensely. (Professor Albrecht Classen, The University of Arizona)

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0141439912
• ISBN 13: 9780141439914
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 306
• Editor: Patricia Skinner, Elisabeth Van Houts