Women in the Middle Ages

One might ask what were the other women doing while Joan was leading an army to success and her doom? Contrary to the image vaunted by the Church of woman as virgin or whore subject to her master, the real women had very active and varied lives. By and large their lives were lived within the confines of their class. Farm women farmed, planted, gathered, fed the animals, raised children and lived the same life as the farmer they had married. They could appear for themselves in court as Joan had. They could refuse to marry an obnoxious suitor, as Joan had. They sheared and carded and wove wool. They raised silk worms and un-wound the cocoons. Silk was much in demand both for sumptuous outer wear and as an undergarment for those knights who could afford it. Silk does not suppurate in a wound so offers protection against gangrene. When their husbands were pressed in to service they had full responsibility for the farm.

The bourgeoise lived in a town in the rising middle class. She might keep shop, and was admitted to a guild if necessary as a widow there being no male to carry on the function. Women were mid-wives, and nurses. To pretend to be a doctor was to invite accusations of sorcery. They sculpted stone, painted portraits and frescoes, played musical instruments, there are even representations of women miners. The wealthier girls were often sent to a nunnery for an education before marriage. Those women could read, write keep books and compose poetry.

The lady of the castle had full responsibility for defending it when the lord was gone. She oversaw the veritable village of people necessary to keep a castle functioning, from the fish in the moat to the geese in the yard. In many circumstances women could inherit. Our most famous example would be Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of two kings, Louis VII of France and Henry II of England mother of two kings, Richard the Lionhearted and John Lackland he of the Magna Carta..

Eleanor was heiress to the Aquitaine, one of the richest provinces in all France. When her father was certain he was about to die Eleanor a girl of twelve or so was secreted at night to the most powerful man in France, the King. Eleanor's father knew this would keep her safe from hungry barons. While married to Louis she went with him on Crusade to Jerusaleem. When she left Louis she took the Aquitaine with her. When she married young Henry she made him the most powerful ruler in France as he was both King of England, Duke of Normandy and Brittany and Duke of Auitaine and Anjou. although vassal to the King of France.

One tends to believe that later in time means progress or a better life. This is not necessarily true. One has only to contrast the roaring twenties with the depression thirties. In the Middle Ages unlike the cultures in non Christian lands, baby girls were cherished and taken care of like their male counterparts.