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Women in the Middle Ages
I have two selections ready at the moment and a page of links to sites with material related to several medieval women authors. I hope this section of the site proves enjoyable and useful. The
Knight of the Tower It is important to realize that only a century later, European visitors to England commented on how English men treated their horses better than their wives.
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Women
in the Middle Ages may seem like a strange topic to include in The
Caxton Project. What I hope to provide here is some selections from
history and literature and links to other sites about medieval women
authors. My hope is that a more nuanced understanding of women will
be reached, something better than the roles shown in movies or on
television. I think that with an increased understanding of women
in the Middle Ages a truer understanding of who we are today becomes
possible.
Caxton
published a translation of Geoffroy de La Tour-Landry’s handbook
on the proper raising of young daughters in 1484. It is a lively
work filled with edifying stories and debates with his wife. It
is also terribly misogynistic. The first story provides a justification
for violence toward women, the second story is humorous but the
point of humour (a pun) is lost in the translation. The third wife’s
action in that story can be viewed as silly or as well-thought-out.
I’ll let you decide.