the condition-of-women-in-the-middle-ages-
TRANSCRIPT
THE CONDITION OF WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE AGES
CHURCH They should obey their husbands
TWO DIFFERENTIDEAS ABOUT
WOMEN
They should be pure and holy like the Virgin Mary
They could not be trusted and were a moral danger to men like Eve
MARRIAGE The single most important event in the lives of men and women
Family Decision because of financial reasons.
Husband = Woman`s master.
Disobedient wife beaten
BIRTHEvery wife
from 20 until 40
first duty was to give
her husband a children,
preferably a SON.Producing children
was dangerous
and exhausting
When “her” lord was away she had other responsabilities:
She was in charge of the manor & the village lands.
She was in charge of all the servants, villagers, the harvest & the animals.
She had to defend the mannor if it was attacked.
Run the household, welcome visitors, store enough food for winter.
She was expected to have enough knowledge of herbs and plants to make suitable medicines for those who were sick.
Most women were peasants
They worked in the fields, looked after the children, the animals, made home made food (cheese) and grew vegetables.
Animals share the family shelter . The family home was dark and smelly.
A woman`s condition improved if her husband died.
She could get control of the money her family had.
But, she had to marry again:
It was difficult to look after a land without the help of a man.
Men wanted widow`s lands.
