Medieval Elite Women and the Exercise of Power, 1100–1400

Beschreibung

For decades, medieval scholarship has been dominated by the paradigm that women who wielded power after c. 1100 were exceptions to the “rule” of female exclusion from governance and the public sphere. This collection makes a powerful case for a new paradigm. Building on the premise that elite women in positions of authority were expected, accepted, and routine, these essays traverse the cities and kingdoms of France, England, Germany, Portugal, and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in order to illuminate women’s roles in medieval power structures. Without losing sight of the predominance of patriarchy and misogyny, contributors lay the groundwork for the acceptance of female public authority as normal in medieval society, fostering a new framework for understanding medieval elite women and power.
For decades, medieval scholarship has been dominated by the paradigm that women who wielded power after c. 1100 were exceptions to the “rule” of female exclusion from governance and the public sphere. This collection makes a powerful case for a new paradigm. Building on the premise that elite women in positions of authority were expected, accepted, and routine, these essays traverse the cities and kingdoms of France, England, Germany, Portugal, and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in order to illuminate women’s roles in medieval power structures. Without losing sight of the predominance of patriarchy and misogyny, contributors lay the groundwork for the acceptance of female public authority as normal in medieval society, fostering a new framework for understanding medieval elite women and power.
Reconceptualizes the categories, definitions, practice, and periodization of women’s exercise of power Examines women in positions of both secular and religious authority Offers a variety of case studies that cover women’s patronage of art and literature, the role of women in establishing dynasties, the impact of bureaucracy, and the influence of female religious communities, among other topics

Autor*in

Heather J. Tanner

Themen in »Medieval Elite Women and the Exercise of Power, 1100–1400«

Medieval Women Ann McNamara Suzanne Wemple primogeniture central Middle Ages monarchy lordship queenship Royal women Medieval queens Viragos Queen Anne Emma of Ivry Countess Ermengard of Brittany Constance of Antioch

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“The central advantage of this well-crafted volume is the new light it sheds on how gender was often a secondary consideration in the operations of medieval politics … the intersections of familial relations and contexts in medieval realities that must be seen in all their complexity to be fully appreciated. The quality scholarship of the authors demonstrates the value of prosopographical analysis and makes a vital theoretical contribution for historians and gender scholars of all periods ... .” (Elizabeth Kinne, Arthuriana, Vol. 30 (2), 2020)

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