The Medieval Woman

  1. The Church
    1. Virgin Mary
    1. The ideal woman
    2. Virgin mother, pure
    1. Catherine of Alexandria
    1. Saint
    2. Tortured by roman emperor
    1. Wouldn’t believe in pagan gods
    2. Believed in Christ
    1. Emperor used a post and then wheel with knives to torture
    2. While tortured many people were converted and then beheaded
    3. Finally beheaded by king, died for church so was made saint
    1. Women were supposed to be pure, pious, and chaste
    2. Portrayed pregnant to represent fertile in spirit as their married sisters were fertile in body
    3. Also portrayed often as evil temptresses that men should avoid
  1. Peasants
    1. Spun cloth and clothing for family
    1. would spin, card, and weave
    2. became social event and wove with friends
    1. Drew water from well
    2. Cooked for family; Meat, bread, noodles
    3. Cleaned
    1. Changed beds
    2. Swept floors
    3. Shoveled ash from fireplace
    1. Farm chores
    1. Laundry
    2. Cleaned and cooked animals
    3. Broke up firewood
    4. Paid half as much as their male counterparts
  1. Town/Royalty
    1. Wealthy people had spices such as vinegar with meals
    2. Large towns bloomed in the year 1000 BC
    3. Women worked in town as
    1. Jewelers
    2. Cooks
    3. Waitresses
    4. Bookkeepers
    1. Royal Women
    1. Managed Manor
    2. Had babies (heirs)
    3. Were in charge of Manor when man was crusading or in town

 

  1. Professions
    1. Worked in dairy
    2. Blacksmithing was also a feminine trade
    3. Farm work was mainly devoted to women
    4. Royalties servants
    1. Housekeepers
    2. Midwives
    1. Apprentices to people such as artisans
    2. Educated women taught and wrote
    1. Catherine of Pizan was the female equivalent of Shakespeare
    2. Famous writer of the period
    1. Doctors
    1. Women were also doctors
    2. Many were prosecuted though; sexism