Research Catalog

Title

Medieval writings on secular women / translated and with an introduction by Patricia Skinner and Elizabeth Van Houts.

Publication

London : Penguin, 2011.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

• Skinner, Patricia, 1965-
• Van Houts, Elisabeth M. C.

Description

xliii, 306 p.; 20 cm.

Summary

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 captured in exceptional circumstances, such as the transcript from Joan of Arc's trial describing her rural childhood, or a letter written by Edward I's mother. Many others are anonymous or humble: an account of an abandoned baby in Italy, a disturbing description of a slave girl by a Baghdad diplomat, an epitaph for the female leader of a synagogue. Speaking across the ages, here are wry, moving voices that were written out of history. Containing many newly translated pieces, this selection is accompanied by an introduction discussing the Medieval woman's life and legal status. There are also separate introductions to each chapter and background information on each piece.--From publisher description.

Series Statement

Penguin classics

Uniform Title

Penguin classics.

Subject

• Börngen, ..
• 500-1500
• Women > History > Middle Ages, 500-1500 > Sources
• Civilization, Secular > Sources
• Civilization, Medieval > Sources
• Medicine in Literature
• Women > history
• Women's Health > history

Genre/Form

• History.
• Sources.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

• A note on the texts -- A note on dates and currencies -- chapter 1: Birth and infancy. Introduction -- 1. Fear of Giving Birth to the Antichrist, France, Mid-tenth Century -- 2. A Charm to be Spoken During the Birth of a Baby, England, Eleventh Century -- 3. A Pregnant Woman's Delivery of a Stillborn Baby, Normandy, Mid-eleventh Century -- 4. Public Record of the Labour of Isabel de la Cavallería, Zaragoza, 10 January 1490 -- 5. William of Conches on Human Reproduction, Normandy, Mid-twelfth Century -- 6. The Welsh Law of Women on Provision for Mother and Baby, Early Thirteenth Century -- 7. A Bequest of Moveables to a Pregnant Wife, Genoa, 5 March 1156 -- 8. Faked Pregnancies and Substituted Children: Galbert of Bruges on Walter of Vladsloo, Flanders, Early Twelfth Century -- 9. A Substituted Child, Normandy, Eleventh Century -- 10. A Substituted Child, England, Twelfth Century -- 11. Pope Gregory XI Issues a Pardon over a False Pregnancy, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, 27 July 1372 -- 12. Reaction to the Birth of a Daughter: Walter of Châtillon, France, Twelfth Century -- 13. A Jewish Husband in Dispute with his Wife, Cairo, Tenth to Twelfth Centuries -- 14. Conciliar Advice on Lay Baptism, Trier , 1277 -- 15. A Royal Baptism, England, Late Eleventh Century -- 16. A Noblewoman Breastfeeding her own Children: Ida of Bouillon, Eleventh Century -- 17. King Roger of Sicily Rewards the Wet-nurse of his Son, Henry, Southern Italy, 1136 -- 18. Nurse and Infant, Normandy, Mid-eleventh Century -- 19. Nurse and Infant, Normandy, Early Twelfth Century -- 20. Penitential Texts on Child Deaths, Spain, Ninth to Eleventh Centuries -- 21. Care of an Abandoned Baby, Italy, Late Thirteenth Century.
• chapter 2: Girls and young women. Introduction -- 22. A Jewish Girl's Charitable Act, Cairo, Mid-eleventh Century -- 23. Little Girls' Pastimes: Liutberga, Germany, Ninth Century -- 24. Little Girls' Pastimes: Joan of Arc, France, Early Fifteenth Century -- 25. Little Girls at School: Froissart's L'Espinette amoureuse, 1365-72 -- 26. A Young Girl at Work: Liutberga, Germany, Ninth Century -- 27. A Peasant Girl at Work: Alpais of Cudot, France, Mid-twelfth Century -- 28. A Contract Placing a Girl in Service, Amalfi, 1090 -- 29. Slave Girls Among the Rus', Tenth Century -- 30. Manumission of a Female Slave, Genoa, 12 May 1159 -- 31. Sales of Female Slaves, Crete, 1301 -- 32. A Fugitive Slave, Crete, 1315 -- 33. Anglo-Saxon Customs on Engagement, Eleventh Century -- 34. An Anglo-Jewish Betrothal Contract, 1271 -- 35. A Muslim Girl Sent Early to be Married, Sicily, Twelfth Century -- 36. The Case of Grace of Saleby, England, Twelfth Century -- 37. A Narrow Escape from Assault: Christina of Markyate, Huntingdon, Twelfth Century -- 38. Alleged Rape of an Eleven-year-old Girl, London, 1320 -- 39. Securing a Dowry by Litigation, Calabria, 1093 -- 40. Securing a Dowry by Adoption, Southern Italy, 1170 -- 41. Securing a Dowry through Charity, Trento, 1301 -- 42. Menstruation: St Trophimena Intervenes in a Case of Underage Marriage, Amalfi, Ninth Century -- 43. Innocent III on the Horrors of Menstrual Blood, Italy, Before 1198 -- 44. Unmarried Women and Prostitutes, Paris, c.1200 -- 45. Single Mother's Lament, Germany/France, c.1200 -- 46. Marbod of Rennes, Poem to the Countess Ermengarde of Brittany, France, Early Twelfth Century -- 47. A Wealthy Heiress, England, 1137/8 -- 48. Single Women's Business Transactions, Crete, 1301 -- 49. A Single Woman: Liutberga, Germany, Ninth Century.
• chapter 3: Married women and mothers. Introduction -- 50. Letter of Einhard's Wife, Imma, on an Illicit Marriage, France, 828-36 -- 51. Barriers to Licit Marriage, Milan, 20 May 822 -- 52. The Ideal Wife Described: Bonizo of Sutri, Italy, Late Eleventh Century -- 53. A Marriage and Wedding Feast, Flanders, Twelfth Century -- 54. The Marriage of Urraca, Spain, c.1082 -- 55. The Blessing of the Marital Bed at the End of the Wedding Day, Flanders, Twelfth Century -- 56. Donation by Bernard of Narbonne to his Wife Ermengarda, Narbonne, 27 August 1031 -- 57. Managing a Dowry, France, Before 1148 -- 58. Regularizing of the Property Surrounding Marriage, Genoa, 1159 -- 59. Customs on the Dowry, Amalfi, Thirteenth Century -- 60. Dowry Payments, Marseilles, 1248 -- 61. A Wife Gives all her Property to her Husband, Barcelona, 3 March 981 -- 62. A Wife Defends the Property Rights of herself and her Husband, Barcelona, 17 October 987 --^
• 63. Controls over Wives in Northern Italy, Bologna, 1016 -- 64. Sale of Land by Elica of Verona, Verona, 5 December 1127 -- 65. Will of Maria Salbaconsa, Naples, 1076 -- 66. Will of Dulcelina Gomberta, Marseilles, 6 July 1248 -- 67. A Married Woman in Charge of Cash, Normandy, Late Eleventh Century -- 68. Female Workers in City Regulations, Pisa, 1287 -- 69. Alleged Rape of Wives, England, Mid-fifteenth Century -- 70. A Rebel's Wife in Custody, Venice, 1326-8 -- 71. Impugning Female Honour, Venice, 1290 -- 72. The Incarceration of the Bruce Women, Scotland/England, 1306 -- 73. A Young Married Woman: Petronilla, Lady of Ardres, Flanders, c. 1138-9 -- 74. A Couple Rent a House, Bologna, 1071 -- 75. A Wife's Account of her Sick Husband, Cured by John Cacciafronte, Martyred Bishop, Verona, 1224 -- 76. Royal Marital Troubles, France, 1149-50 -- 77. A Young Woman Excommunicated for Leaving her Husband, England, Late Twelfth Century --^
• 78. The Suicide and Miraculous Revival of an Unhappy Wife, Normandy, Early Twelfth Century -- 79. Penitential Texts on Sexual Intercourse, Spain, Ninth to Eleventh Centuries -- 80. A Dubious Consanguinity Case, Sicily, Twelfth Century -- 81. Infertility? : A Jewish Divorce Upheld by the King, England, 1242 -- 82. Clerical Celibacy, Lisieux, Normandy, Late 1170s -- 83. An Irregular Liaison, Bologna, 1092 -- 84. A Clerical Portrayal of the Miseries of Marriage, Italy, c.1200 -- 85. Christina of Markyate's Heroic Struggle against Marriage, Huntingdon, Early Twelfth Century -- 86. Religious Conversion Not an Excuse for Separation: Papal Opinions, Rome, Twelfth Century -- 87. Empress Judith as Godmother, France, 826 -- 88. Peasant Mothers and their Children, France, c.820 -- 89. A Mother's Refusal to Let her Son Hunt, France, 826 -- 90. Queen Margaret of Scotland's Care for her Children's Education, Scotland, Eleventh Century --^
• 91. Pope Gregory IX Pronounces on a Custody Case, Strasbourg, 16 May 1229 -- 92. Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England, Writes to her Son, Edward I, England, 1274-85 -- 93. A Mother Responsible for a Disabled Child, Sicily, 1138 -- 94. Care for a Deaf and Mute Child, Normandy, 1145 -- 95. A Mother Placing her Son into an Apprenticeship, Crete, 1301 -- 96. Will of Gentil, Wife of Jacob of Puigcerda, Pyrenees, 21 November 1306 -- 97. Two Agreements between Mothers and Sons, Crete, 1301 -- 98. A Stepmother Mentioned in Passing, Venice, 1196.
• chapter 4: Widows. Introduction -- 99. A Widow Makes Alternative Arrangements to Sell her Land, Salerno, 882 -- 100. A Widow Taking Over her Husband's Tenancy, Barcelona, 31 January 975 -- 101. A Widow and Children Selling Land, Barcelona, 29 December 942 -- 102. A Sale between Women, Palermo, Sicily, 1164 -- 103. A Widow Entering Service, Marseilles, 15 April 1248 -- 104. A Widow Taking a Loan, Marseilles, 14 April 1248 -- 105. Widows in a Loan Agreement, Crete, 1301 -- 106. The Business Circle of the Jewish Widow, Helea, Crete, 1310 -- 107. Widows and Political Upheaval, Normandy, 1219 -- 108. Emma, Widow of King Lothar, Writes to her Mother, Empress Adelaide, France, Late Tenth Century -- 109. A Fictional Widow's Lament on the Loss of her Husband, Austria, 1194 -- 110. Customs on Widows' Property, Amalfi, Thirteenth Century -- 111. A Widow in Conflict with her Brother, Barcelona, 8 May 1000 -- 112. A Widow Disputing the Status of Land, Normandy, c.1206 -- 113. A Widow Making a Gift, Barcelona, Late Tenth Century -- 114. A Widow Renting Out Property, Marseilles, 30 April 1248 -- 115. Account of Expenses Made by Richard of Anstey in his Case against Mabel of Francheville, England, 1158-63 -- 116. Will of Regina, Jewess of Puigcerda, Pyrenees, 23 October 1306 -- 117. A Widow in Business as a Miller, Crete, 1301 -- 118. A Frustrated Female Crusader, France, 1098 -- 119. An Eyewitness Account of Empress Matilda Acting as Intermediary in the Case of Thomas Becket, Normandy, 1164.
• chapter 5: Older Women and death. Introduction -- 120. A Grandmother Invests for her Grandchildren, Crete, 1301 -- 121. Will of Florita, Making Provision for her Old Age, Ravello, 1199 -- 122. Old Women, According to the Poem "Ruodlieb," Germany, c.1050 -- 123. Epigram on an Old Woman by Ulger, Angers, France, c.1111 -- 124. Old Women as Reliable Witnesses, Venice, 1196 -- 125. Epitaph of the Jewess Scarlatta, Aquileia, Italy, 1140 -- 126. Epitaph of Urania of Worms, Leader of Female Synagogue, Germany, Thirteenth Century -- 127. Epitaphs of Sicardis, Languedoc, 1199 -- 128. The Death of Empress Adelaide, Orbe, Switzerland, 999 -- 129. The Death of Queen Matilda I of Germany, 968 -- 130. Queen Margaret of Scotland's Deathbed, Scotland, 1093 -- 131. Death in Childbirth of Countess Christina of Guînes, Flanders, 2 July 1177 -- 132. Benefactors of the Hôtel-Dieu, Listed for Commemoration, Beauvais, 1292 -- 133. "Competitive" Commemoration after the Death of Queen Matilda II, England, 1118 -- 134. Letter to Einhard Commiserating on the Death of his Wife, Imma, 836 -- 135. Guisanda's Will Disputed, Bari, 1021 -- 136. The Will of Eva Peche Disputed, Cambridge, 1286 -- 137. Beneficiary of a Will, Crete, 1301 -- 138. Commemoration Stone Erected by Helmgöt for his Deceased Wife, Odendis, Sweden, Tenth to Eleventh Centuries -- 139. The Will of Æthelgifu, England, Tenth Century.

ISBN

• 9780141439914 (pbk.)
• 0141439912 (pbk.)

OCLC

663448409

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library