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May. 17th, 2010 06:27 am* From the comments on the Robin hood posting:
Actually, Medieval women were a lot more independent than people think. Part of it is that we get taught as kids about the upper class land deal/political marriages to child brides and things get left there, I think. Lower class women and most middle class women got to chose. In England his was backed up in law pretty solidly. In France and Italy, not so much. Spain was a special case, I don't want to get into in detail, but women in Reconquista Spain had strong property rights and you could get rape convictions with serious penalties. (English rape law was stricter, but it was nearly impossible to enforce.) Things were patchwork in the low countries and holy Roman Empire, and I suck at eastern Europe.
Remember that medieval peasant women and craftswomen were a vital part of the family economic unit. The housewife ideal is mostly a 19th century invention and the laws that really hemmed in women in England and the United states are early modern, products of the counter Reformation. In France, women mostly lost their legal rights as a result of the hundred years War, when the french were trying to invalidate England's claim on the french thrown. There is long history in every Western European country of strong minded independent noble women (yes, even Italy, were women were most restricted generally) and strong independent working and middle class women running farms and businesses.
* This is a lovely piece of writing containing interesting thoughts and history woven together. http://passionandsoul.livejournal.com/1272806.html?style=mine
* Buffy: I love kittens as currency. Also, I get that Willow's addicted, but I never thought she was stupid before. Could Willow be patient zero for Mohinder syndrome?
Actually, Medieval women were a lot more independent than people think. Part of it is that we get taught as kids about the upper class land deal/political marriages to child brides and things get left there, I think. Lower class women and most middle class women got to chose. In England his was backed up in law pretty solidly. In France and Italy, not so much. Spain was a special case, I don't want to get into in detail, but women in Reconquista Spain had strong property rights and you could get rape convictions with serious penalties. (English rape law was stricter, but it was nearly impossible to enforce.) Things were patchwork in the low countries and holy Roman Empire, and I suck at eastern Europe.
Remember that medieval peasant women and craftswomen were a vital part of the family economic unit. The housewife ideal is mostly a 19th century invention and the laws that really hemmed in women in England and the United states are early modern, products of the counter Reformation. In France, women mostly lost their legal rights as a result of the hundred years War, when the french were trying to invalidate England's claim on the french thrown. There is long history in every Western European country of strong minded independent noble women (yes, even Italy, were women were most restricted generally) and strong independent working and middle class women running farms and businesses.
* This is a lovely piece of writing containing interesting thoughts and history woven together. http://passionandsoul.livejournal.com/1272806.html?style=mine
* Buffy: I love kittens as currency. Also, I get that Willow's addicted, but I never thought she was stupid before. Could Willow be patient zero for Mohinder syndrome?