CLARK HIST 252 - Women in the European Early Middle Ages

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WOMEN IN THE EUROPEAN EARLY MIDDLE AGESWOMEN IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGESGENERAL REMARKS500-1000 A.D.WESTERN EUROPEGERMANIC TRIBES, CELTIC TRIBES, ROMANSCHRISTIAN RELIGION & PAGAN RELIGIONGERMANIC TRIBES OF IMPORTANCEFRANKS = MEROVINGIANS & CAROLINGIANSANGLO-SAXONSAFTER BREAKUP OF CHARLEMAGNE'S EMPIREWOMEN HAD UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THEIR TALENTSIN 10TH & 11TH CENTURIESSOURCES FOR DOING WOMEN'S HISTORYLAW CODESFRANK, BURGUNDIAN, LOMBARDMOST LIBERAL LAWS REGARDING WOMEN BURGUNDIAN & VISIGOTHICSALIAN FRANKS NOT INFLUENCED HEAVILY BY ROMEPROHIBITED WOMEN FROM INHERITING REAL ESTATEBUT REVISED IN LATER 6TH C.SO DAUGHTER COULD INHERIT IN ABSENCE OF MALE HEIRSSTRUCTURE OF SOCIETYTIERED SOCIETYRULERSWEALTHY BECOMING ARISTOCRATS (BARONS, MAGNATES)FREE PEASANTSSERFSHOW IT WORKEDMAJORITY OF PEOPLE PEASANTS, BOTH FREE & UNFREEAS EARLY MEDIEVAL SOCIETY FORMING, WOMEN HAD HIGHER STATUS THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS VARIED & NEEDEDQUEENS, CONSORTSMOTHERSNUNS & ABBESSESFARMERSOWNING LAND DETERMINED WEALTH & STATUSWOMEN ABLE TO BE LAND OWNERSWOMEN COULD INHERIT IF NO MALE KINHEIRESSES SOUGHT AFTEREVEN ABDUCTEDWOMEN EDUCATED IF NUN OR ARISTOCRATQUEENS MANY TIMES HELPED RUN KINGDOMSOFTEN ROYAL TREASURERCHIEF DIPLOMATIC OFFICER ESPECIALLY IF OWNED LAND IN HER OWN NAME THEN VERY POWERFULSERVED AS POWER BROKERS OVER ROYAL SUCCESSION STRUGGLES& OTHER ASPECTS TOO AS LINE BETWEEN PUBLIC & PRIVATE NOT DEFINITIVE AS TODAYAS SHORTAGE OF WOMEN FEMALES THUS MORE VALUABLERESPONSIBILITIES OF WOMEN IN EARLY MIDDLE AGESRUNNING HOUSEHOLDNORMAL DAILY WORK OF SMALL HOUSEHOLDSALSO MANAGING LARGE ESTATESWOMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING:ENSURING GOOD GATHERED, STORED, PRESERVED, COOKEDMAKING THREAD, CLOTH, CLOTHESCHILD CARECARE OF POULTRYSHEARING SHEEPANY EXTRA WOMEN MADE LIKE FOOD & BEER COULD BE SOLD FOR EXTRA MONEYSPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN IN EARLY MIDDLE AGESPEACE WEAVERS1 OF NICKNAMES FOR WOMEN IN OLD ENGLISHFREOTHUWEBBE = WEAVER OF PEACEDAUGHTERS OF ROYAL HOUSES USED TO HEAL ENMITY BETWEEN PEOPLEOR TO CEMENT FRIENDSHIPAETHELBURHDAUGHTER OF CHRISTIAN KING AETHELBERHT OF KENTMARRIED TO PAGAN KING EDWIN OF NORTHUMRIAPOPE WROTE TO HER ENCLOSING SILVER MIRROR & IVORY & GOLD COMB ASKING HER TO USE HER INFLUENCE TO BRING HER HUSBAND INTO CHURCHEDWIN DID CONVERT, BUT WE AREN'T SURE IF AETHELBURH WAS RESPONSIBLE OR NOTSHE PROBABLY WAS, THOUGHBUT POPE RECOGNIZED POWER WIVES HAD OVER THEIR HUSBANDSLAND OWNERSIN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND WOMEN SOMETIMES CONSIDERABLE LANDOWNERSPLACE NAMES INDICATE THISADDERBURY, OXFORDSHIRE = EADBURG'S MANORWOLVERHAMPTON = WULFRUN'S CHIEF ESTATESHE WEALTHY STAFFORDSHIRE LADYINFAMOUS LADY GODIVAREAL NAME GODGIFUWIFE OF EARL OF MERCIA, LEOFRICSHE MAKING RIDE THROUGH HER LANDSWOMEN COULD WILL THEIR LAND TO WHOMEVERTHEY COULD DISOWN THEIR CHILDRENRECORDS INDICATE WOMEN EVEN TAKEN TO COURT TO ATTEMPT TO GAIN LANDS, BUT WOMEN WONFAMOUS WOMEN IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGESQUEEN CLOTILD OF BURGUNDY CA. 475-545WIFE OF CLOVIS - RULER OF MEROVINGIAN KINGDOMSHE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS CONVERSION TO ROMAN CHRISTIANITYEXTREMELY IMPORTANTGREGORY OF TOURS WRITES ABOUT HERQUEEN CLOTILD REVEALED HERSELF OF SUCH A NOBLE AND PIOUS NATURE THAT SHE WON THE RESPECT OF ALL. SHE WAS NEVER WEARY IN ALMSGIVING OR IN PRAYER THROUGH THE NIGHT WATCHES; IN CHASTITY AND IN AL VIRTUE SHE SHOWED HERSELF WITHOUT STAIN, TO THE CHURCHES, THE MONASTERIES AND OTHER SACRED PLACES SHE GAVE THE LANDS NEEDFUL FOR 2THEIR WELFARE.SHE HAD GREAT WEALTH AT HER COMMANDSO GREAT PATRONMADE INTO SAINT FOR HER PIOUS ENDEAVORSFREDEGUND ( D. 597) & BRUNHILDA (CA. 534-613)LATE 6TH C. QUEENS FIERCE RIVALRY BETWEEN THEMFREDEGUN POWERFUL IN WESTERN PORTION OF KINGDOMNEUSTRIABRUNHILDA IN EASTERN PARTAUSTRASIAPOWER CAME THROUGH RULE AS CONSORT, MOTHER OF KING OR GRANDMOTHER OF KINGFEUD BEGAN WHEN KING OF NEUSTRIA, CHILDPERIC I MURDERED HIS WIFE, GALSWITHAGALSWITHA & BRUNHILDA SISTERSFROM VISIGOTHIC SPAIN - MORE REFINED COURTBRUNHILDA WELL EDUCATED & PATRON OF ARTSFREDEGONDA ROYAL CONCUBINEKNOWN FOR HER RECKLESS CHARACTERREPUTEDLY INSTIGATED CRIMESHE MARRIED CHILPERIC AFTER GALSWITHA'S DEATHIN REVENGE BRUNHILDA SET OUT TO DESTROY FREDEGONDAWAR & INTRIGUE LASTED FOR NEXT NEARLY 50 YEARSAMOUNT OF BLOOD ON BRUNHILDA'S HANDS MAY HAVE BEEN EXAGGERATED BY HER CONTEMPORARIESAS NEGATIVE IMAGE THROUGHOUT HISTORYAT 80 YEARS OF AGE SHE DRAGGED TO DEATH BY WILD HORSE AT ORDER OF HER ENEMIESWAGNER HAS IMMORTALIZED HER IN HIS OPERASADELAIDE OF BURGUNDY 931-999FATE OF GERMANY & HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE CHANGED WHEN OTTO I MARRIED HERSHE INHERITED LARGE ESTATES IN LOMBARDY AFTER DEATH OF HER 1ST HUSBANDWITH HER MARRIAGE TO OTTO CONNECTION BETWEEN ITALY & GERMANY BEGANSIGNIFICANT PART OF HISTORY UNTIL LATE 19TH C.HER SON OTTO II INCLUDED ADELAIDE IN HIS DECREES AFTER ARRIVING AT DECISIONSWITH THE ADVICE OF MY PIOUS MISTRESS AND DEAREST MOTHERTHEOPHANO D. 991WHEN OTTO II DIED IN 983 HIS WIFE THEOPHANO ASSUMED TITLE 'IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS'SHE DEFENDED HER SON'S OTTO'S TITLE BOTH FROM DUKES & PRINCES EAGER TO SUPPORT ANOTHER CLAIMANTCHRONICLER SAIDSHE WAS A WOMAN OF DISCREET AND FIRM CHARACTER...WITH TRULY MASCULINE STRENGTH SHE PRESERVED THE EMPIRE FOR HER SONMAROZIARULED ROME WITH HER MOTHER & FATHER FOR SEVERAL DECADES IN EARLY 10TH C.3SHE HAD POPE JOHN XREPORTEDLY HER MOTHER'S EX-LOVER THROWN INTO PRISON WHERE HE DIEDPERHAPS SHE HAD HIM MURDEREDTHEN HE WAS REPLACED WITH HER SON JOHN XISUPPOSEDLY HER SON BY HER LOVER POPE SERGIUS IIITWICE WIDOWED, SHE THEN MARRIED KING OF ITALY,HUGH OF PROVENCETHROUGH THIS MARRIAGE SHE NEARLY SUCCEEDED IN UNITING WHOLE ITALIAN PENINSULA UNDER HER INFLUENCEIN END SHE DROVE FROM HER MAIN CASTLE & BANISHED ALONG WITH HER HUSBANDMATILDA OF QUEDLINBURGSISTER OF EMPEROR OTTO IISHE RULED GERMAN AREA IN HIS NAME WHEN HE IN ITALYSHE EVEN PRESIDED OVER CHURCH COUNCILSHER BIOGRAPHER USED THE WORD METROPOLITAN TO DESCRIBE HER AUTHORITY OVERSEER OF BISHOPSSHE FOUNDED ONE OF CHIEF LITERARY & SCHOLASTIC CENTERS OF WEST AT QUEDLINBURGSUCCEEDING ABBESSES ALWAYS MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILYTO KEEP POWER IN FAMILYWOMEN IN RELIGIOUS LIFE OF EARLY MIDDLE AGESGENERAL REMARKSNUNNERIES & CONVENTSBENEDICTINES1ST ORDER FOR WOMENESTABLISHED BY ST. SCHOLASTICASISTER TO ST. BENEDICT,FOUNDER OF BENEDICTINESPILGRIMSJOURNEYED TO SAINTS' RESTING PLACES, ETC.FROWNED ON FOR WOMEN TO TRAVEL, BUT THEY DIDFAMOUS WOMEN IN CHURCH IN EARLY MIDDLE AGESHILD OR HILDA 616-680IMPORTANT ABBESS AT DOUBLE MONASTERY IN NORTHERN ENGLANDOF WHITBY, NORTHUMBRIAST. LIOBA D. 782NAME IS ABBREVIATION OF


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