Women in Early Medieval Europe, 400–1100

A history of the early European middle ages through the eyes of women.

Lisa M. Bitel (Author)

9780521597739, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 October 2002

348 pages, 18 b/w illus. 2 maps
21.7 x 13.9 x 2.3 cm, 0.469 kg

'Lisa Bitel has written a polemical book …'. Journal of Continuity and Change

This is a history of the early European middle ages through the eyes of women, combining the rich literature of women's history with original research in the context of mainstream history and traditional chronology. The book begins at the end of the Roman empire and ends with the start of the long eleventh century, when women and men set out to test the old frontiers of Europe. The book recreates the lives of ordinary women but also tells personal stories of individuals. Each chapter also questions an assumption of medieval historiography, and uses the few documents produced by women themselves, along with archaeological evidence, art, and the written records of medieval men, to tell of women, their experiences and ideas, and their relations with men. It covers the continent and its exotic edges, such as Iceland, Ireland, and Iberia; looking at women Christian and non-Christian alike.

Introduction
1. Gender and landscapes
2. Invasions, migrations, and barbarian queens
3. The theory and practice of religion
4. Survival by kinship, marriage, and motherhood
5. The take-off: mobility and economic opportunity
6. Conclusion: concerning famous women before and after 1100.

Subject Areas: Gender studies: women [JFSJ1], Gender studies, gender groups [JFSJ], Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD]