Medieval Women

Our understanding of the lives and roles of medieval women has changed dramatically in recent years. This compelling and richly illustrated book explores how they were perceived by others and how they saw themselves - as lovers, wives, mothers, intellectuals, women of God and members of a vibrant and volatile society. Many of those fortunate enough to receive an education were patrons of literature, particularly secular tales of adventure and romance. Some, such as Marie de France and Christine de Pizan, became writers, forging a place for themselves in a field dominated by men. Others made a living as scribes and illuminators. Women were at the forefront of a literary revolution, creating and commissioning texts in the major languages spoken in Europe today. Medieval texts and images inform us about socially constructed roles for women, female sexuality, and codes of behaviour, as well as how feet were shod, breasts concealed, waists laced, and hair fashioned. Medieval Women draws on the rich heritage of the British Library's manuscript collection to reveal the importance of women at every level of European society, from aristocratic patrons to tradeswomen and servants. The result is a powerful insight into the real lives of women in the medieval world.