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Dames du XIIe siècle #3
Women of the Twelfth Century, Vol 3: Eve and the Church
In this volume, Georges Duby studies the relationship between the Church and women in twelfth-century Europe. By that time, the Church had begun to see the evolving roles and expectations of women as serious matters, resulting in a wide range of clerical writings addressing "the woman question."
Drawing on these writings, Duby describes how women were thought to embody particular sins, such as sorcery, disobedience, and licentiousness. He evaluates Eve's role in man's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden and analyzes the reasoning behind the view that women are unstable, curious, frivolous creatures. He also notes that these charges are leveled against women, even as praise is heaped upon them for the conventional virtues they exhibit in their roles as wives and mothers.
As the final installment in Duby's three-volume study of French noblewomen of the twelfth century, Eve and the Church is the last work of this superb historian. It will be of interest to scholars of medieval history and women's history as well as to anyone interested in current debates about women and religion.
Georges Duby (1919-1996) was a member of the Académie française and for many years held the distinguished chair in medieval history at the Collège de France. His books include The Three Orders; The Age of Cathedrals; The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest; Love and Marriage in the Middle Ages; and History Continues, all published by the University of Chicago Press.
Drawing on these writings, Duby describes how women were thought to embody particular sins, such as sorcery, disobedience, and licentiousness. He evaluates Eve's role in man's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden and analyzes the reasoning behind the view that women are unstable, curious, frivolous creatures. He also notes that these charges are leveled against women, even as praise is heaped upon them for the conventional virtues they exhibit in their roles as wives and mothers.
As the final installment in Duby's three-volume study of French noblewomen of the twelfth century, Eve and the Church is the last work of this superb historian. It will be of interest to scholars of medieval history and women's history as well as to anyone interested in current debates about women and religion.
Georges Duby (1919-1996) was a member of the Académie française and for many years held the distinguished chair in medieval history at the Collège de France. His books include The Three Orders; The Age of Cathedrals; The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest; Love and Marriage in the Middle Ages; and History Continues, all published by the University of Chicago Press.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Georges Duby
284 books154 followersGeorges Duby (7 October 1919 – 3 December 1996) was a French historian who specialized in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 2, 2009
In this volume Duby attempts to overcome the inherent difficulty in studying women's history in a period when almost all source material was filtered through masculine perception and writing. He does this by taking a heavily psychological approach to the conception of women in the years prior to the rise of lay piety. He extrapolates from masculine sources the manner in which dominant male attitudes might have influenced women's views and thus their religious needs and behavior.
Duby devotes considerable space at the outset of his book to an examination of the negative perceptions of women on both the religious and popular levels. Of course, the two levels were not entirely distinct from one another, and Duby's explication of them emphasizes the degree to which they influenced and reinforced one another. Duby places particular weight on the negative impact of the Church's portrayal of women as sources of sin on popular attitudes toward women. He draws heavily on the frequent comtemporary comparisons of women to Eve, temptress and concupiscent authoress of the Fall.
The fault of Eve was not merely sexual: twelfth-century thinkers attributed other sin to our (women's) inheritance from the Mother of All. Of greatest contemporary concern was the perceived desire of women to command men, in violation of the “primordial obligation, which is to obey her husband in everything,” as Jacques de Vitry put it. This obedience was mandated by women's sinfulness, their intellectual and moral inferiority; only through the domination of a men could women's destructive powers be subdued and men protected from her. Any sign of inversion of the divinely ordained gender roles was seen as a threat to the natural social order and the well-being of all.
Duby goes on to examine the way in which this conception of women affected the Church's ministry to them. He presents the thesis that “during the twelfth century, the Western Church at last turned its attentions to the expectations of women, who felt they were neglected and were calling for more assistance in their progress towards salvation.” The perception of women as particularly prone to lust led to the use of the language of romantic love, from both Classical and medieval writings, in descriptions of women's relationships to Christ. Duby argues that spiritual guides attempted to turn their charges towards chastity and piety by effecting a transference of their sexual and emotional desires from the carnal outlet of intercourse with the men around them to the person of Christ, who was increasingly presented as a real man and spouse.
Duby's analysis, with its attention to men's fantasies and fears, is an insightful application of modern psychological methodology to the question of the context for the changes in female piety in the twelfth century. The issues he discusses are essential to understanding the reasons for the specific ways in which that piety was expressed and for comprehending the attitudes with which those expressions were received by the Church hierarchy and male populace.
Yet for the all the empathy of Duby's portrayal o twelfth-century women, he seems to place himself oddly in accord with prevalent male attitudes. He writes: “I imagine them [women] to be solidly united by the secrets they transmitted among themselves and by forms of love... I imagine them as invested with great power.” In this Duby falls into the all too common error of treating “women's history” as if Women were a uniform and overriding category.
The other major drawback of Duby's study is lack of specific citation. Therefore I would primarily recommend it for someone wanting to understand the background to later medieval religious movements. Duby's writing is clear and accessible.
Further reading:
Herbert Grundmann, Religious Movements Middle Ages
Daniel Bornstein and Roberto Rusconi, Women and Religion in Medieval and Renaissance Italy
Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women
Duby devotes considerable space at the outset of his book to an examination of the negative perceptions of women on both the religious and popular levels. Of course, the two levels were not entirely distinct from one another, and Duby's explication of them emphasizes the degree to which they influenced and reinforced one another. Duby places particular weight on the negative impact of the Church's portrayal of women as sources of sin on popular attitudes toward women. He draws heavily on the frequent comtemporary comparisons of women to Eve, temptress and concupiscent authoress of the Fall.
The fault of Eve was not merely sexual: twelfth-century thinkers attributed other sin to our (women's) inheritance from the Mother of All. Of greatest contemporary concern was the perceived desire of women to command men, in violation of the “primordial obligation, which is to obey her husband in everything,” as Jacques de Vitry put it. This obedience was mandated by women's sinfulness, their intellectual and moral inferiority; only through the domination of a men could women's destructive powers be subdued and men protected from her. Any sign of inversion of the divinely ordained gender roles was seen as a threat to the natural social order and the well-being of all.
Duby goes on to examine the way in which this conception of women affected the Church's ministry to them. He presents the thesis that “during the twelfth century, the Western Church at last turned its attentions to the expectations of women, who felt they were neglected and were calling for more assistance in their progress towards salvation.” The perception of women as particularly prone to lust led to the use of the language of romantic love, from both Classical and medieval writings, in descriptions of women's relationships to Christ. Duby argues that spiritual guides attempted to turn their charges towards chastity and piety by effecting a transference of their sexual and emotional desires from the carnal outlet of intercourse with the men around them to the person of Christ, who was increasingly presented as a real man and spouse.
Duby's analysis, with its attention to men's fantasies and fears, is an insightful application of modern psychological methodology to the question of the context for the changes in female piety in the twelfth century. The issues he discusses are essential to understanding the reasons for the specific ways in which that piety was expressed and for comprehending the attitudes with which those expressions were received by the Church hierarchy and male populace.
Yet for the all the empathy of Duby's portrayal o twelfth-century women, he seems to place himself oddly in accord with prevalent male attitudes. He writes: “I imagine them [women] to be solidly united by the secrets they transmitted among themselves and by forms of love... I imagine them as invested with great power.” In this Duby falls into the all too common error of treating “women's history” as if Women were a uniform and overriding category.
The other major drawback of Duby's study is lack of specific citation. Therefore I would primarily recommend it for someone wanting to understand the background to later medieval religious movements. Duby's writing is clear and accessible.
Further reading:
Herbert Grundmann, Religious Movements Middle Ages
Daniel Bornstein and Roberto Rusconi, Women and Religion in Medieval and Renaissance Italy
Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women
September 4, 2013
Tercera parte y final de la serie dedicada a las mujeres del siglo XII. Este tomo está centrado en la producción de los sacerdotes, como por ejemplo poemas, textos canónicos o cartas de dirección espiritual. También se observa cómo la Iglesia fue cambiando progresivamente su trato hacia las mujeres, y las consecuencias que aquello conllevó. El autor sigue la metodología de los libros anteriores, "leyendo entre líneas" los textos creados por hombres a fin de entender cómo eran las mujeres de aquel tiempo y cómo se esperaba que ellas fuesen, desde la perspectiva masculina. Nuevamente, el tomo se puede leer en forma independiente, pero es recomendable seguir el orden de la serie.
Me parece que tanto la tesis del autor como los antecedentes que presenta son sumamente interesantes. Las mujeres históricamente han sido relegadas al segundo plano de la historia oficial, pero a través de todos los tiempos, han encontrado vías para alcanzar cuotas de autonomía y poder. Este libro permite entrever que la Edad Media no es la excepción, y pese a contar con un campo limitado de acción, las mujeres encontraron la forma de "escapar" del molde impuesto por su tiempo. Forzosamente, esta "historia femenina" es elitista, pero podemos entrever que las mujeres de clase baja, al estar en parte "fuera del sistema", tenían sus propias formas de libertad. Es una buena opción para los interesados en el mundo medieval y/o la historia de las mujeres.
Me parece que tanto la tesis del autor como los antecedentes que presenta son sumamente interesantes. Las mujeres históricamente han sido relegadas al segundo plano de la historia oficial, pero a través de todos los tiempos, han encontrado vías para alcanzar cuotas de autonomía y poder. Este libro permite entrever que la Edad Media no es la excepción, y pese a contar con un campo limitado de acción, las mujeres encontraron la forma de "escapar" del molde impuesto por su tiempo. Forzosamente, esta "historia femenina" es elitista, pero podemos entrever que las mujeres de clase baja, al estar en parte "fuera del sistema", tenían sus propias formas de libertad. Es una buena opción para los interesados en el mundo medieval y/o la historia de las mujeres.
June 2, 2015
Duby tramite frammenti e deduzioni da trattati risalenti a mille anni fa' scrive un interessante saggio sulla condizione femminile nel Medioevo, cercando di dare voce a chi non l'ha mai avuta.
October 25, 2025
la prima parte molto interessante per un approfondimento sull'argomento, la seconda mi ha un po' persa non per difficoltà di comunicazione ma perché tralasciando nomi, date, etc. erano cose che un po' già sapevo e avevo letto. magari avrei preferito molti più stralci delle lettere di cui parla, comunque tutto sommato duby è sempre una certezza per approcciarsi al medioevo
December 26, 2009
This was a fantastic book, especially for those interested in women in the 12th century in relation to the church. I was vastly interested in what Duby had to say. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the 1100s, especially those who are intrigued by women's history.
October 5, 2026
Nel suo libro, lo storico medievalista Duby analizza la donna medievale. In premessa, bisogna ricordare che di loro non si hanno notizie certe e fatti storici attestati da loro stesse, ma sono sempre tutte fonti prodotte da mani maschili, quali prediche, trattati morali, testi ecclesiastici, ecc. Questo, però, non limita l’immagine che abbiamo di esse in quel periodo storico; anzi, ad oggi, con la conoscenza dei pregiudizi e dello stile di vita fortemente permeato dalla religione cristiana dell’Europa medievale, possiamo benissimo interpretare -dal mio modesto punto di vista- quelle testimonianze come odio verso le donne.
I “peccati delle donne” sono da intendere, quindi, come i peccati attribuiti loro secondo gli uomini, soprattutto quelli di Chiesa. Infatti, la donna, secondo la loro visione, è di per sé incline al peccato, e questa concezione ha origine nella figura di Eva, la quale diventa il modello interpretativo di tutte le donne: colei che ha ceduto per prima alla tentazione → ha trascinato Adamo nel peccato → tutte le donne portano simbolicamente in sé quella debolezza originaria.
Che cosa temono di più gli ecclesiastici? Il sesso, in senso figurato e fisico, nella sua più totale interezza interpretativa. Non a caso, è questo l’aspetto della natura femminile su cui più si è speculato per secoli, se non millenni. Si è discusso dell’impurità delle mestruazioni e del parto, della presunta insaziabilità sessuale della donna e sono state create norme per controllarla (!!).
Tra i comportamenti più temuti c’erano: il sesso lesbo (che non creava successione), l’aborto e la contraccezione, la magia (all’interno della casa e della comunità le donne custodivano e trasmettevano conoscenze proprie; questo le rendeva consapevoli, dava loro potere). Insomma, tutte cose che potevano sfuggire al controllo maschile (la loro paura primordiale, vorrei dire). Infatti, controllare il sesso equivale a controllare la persona.
Eva, ad un certo punto della storia ecclesiastica, si contrappone a Maria. La donna ideale deve quindi allontanarsi simbolicamente da Eva e avvicinarsi a Maria. Il problema è che il modello mariano è quasi impossibile da imitare completamente: essere madre e contemporaneamente vergine. Immaginiamo in che razza di condizione dovessero vivere le povere donne medievali.. Per natura vicine a Eva, non in quanto peccatrici, ma in quanto biologicamente donne, e moralmente simili a Maria, canone totalmente fantasioso. Neppure il matrimonio poteva liberarle dalle catene della castità (anche se, in questo contesto, anche gli uomini erano invitati a seguire delle norme) 😀
Un piccolo saggio che racchiude concetti alla base della misoginia e del patriarcato, fonti attendibili e tesi esaustive (consiglio la lettura anche degli altri testi di Duby).
I “peccati delle donne” sono da intendere, quindi, come i peccati attribuiti loro secondo gli uomini, soprattutto quelli di Chiesa. Infatti, la donna, secondo la loro visione, è di per sé incline al peccato, e questa concezione ha origine nella figura di Eva, la quale diventa il modello interpretativo di tutte le donne: colei che ha ceduto per prima alla tentazione → ha trascinato Adamo nel peccato → tutte le donne portano simbolicamente in sé quella debolezza originaria.
Che cosa temono di più gli ecclesiastici? Il sesso, in senso figurato e fisico, nella sua più totale interezza interpretativa. Non a caso, è questo l’aspetto della natura femminile su cui più si è speculato per secoli, se non millenni. Si è discusso dell’impurità delle mestruazioni e del parto, della presunta insaziabilità sessuale della donna e sono state create norme per controllarla (!!).
Tra i comportamenti più temuti c’erano: il sesso lesbo (che non creava successione), l’aborto e la contraccezione, la magia (all’interno della casa e della comunità le donne custodivano e trasmettevano conoscenze proprie; questo le rendeva consapevoli, dava loro potere). Insomma, tutte cose che potevano sfuggire al controllo maschile (la loro paura primordiale, vorrei dire). Infatti, controllare il sesso equivale a controllare la persona.
Eva, ad un certo punto della storia ecclesiastica, si contrappone a Maria. La donna ideale deve quindi allontanarsi simbolicamente da Eva e avvicinarsi a Maria. Il problema è che il modello mariano è quasi impossibile da imitare completamente: essere madre e contemporaneamente vergine. Immaginiamo in che razza di condizione dovessero vivere le povere donne medievali.. Per natura vicine a Eva, non in quanto peccatrici, ma in quanto biologicamente donne, e moralmente simili a Maria, canone totalmente fantasioso. Neppure il matrimonio poteva liberarle dalle catene della castità (anche se, in questo contesto, anche gli uomini erano invitati a seguire delle norme) 😀
Un piccolo saggio che racchiude concetti alla base della misoginia e del patriarcato, fonti attendibili e tesi esaustive (consiglio la lettura anche degli altri testi di Duby).
June 16, 2018
Para mi este libro fue un chiste, uno muy bueno en realidad, lo leí gracias a que mi profesora de Didáctica de las Ciencias Sociales es una mona muy loca (Maca te amo) y nos hace leer cosas muy loquillas.
Digo que fue un chiste porque la visión de las mujeres que había en esa época era tan ridícula que llega a ser risible, sobre todo la imagen de que eramos una quimera con cabeza de León, cola de escorpión y en vez de cuerpo, una gran hoguera xD así tanto es el miedo que ha dado la mujer desde tiempos inmemoriales.
Una joya el libro, que si bien fue escrito hace chorromil años, todavía se ve plenamente instalado en nuestra sociedad, esa es la parte triste.
Digo que fue un chiste porque la visión de las mujeres que había en esa época era tan ridícula que llega a ser risible, sobre todo la imagen de que eramos una quimera con cabeza de León, cola de escorpión y en vez de cuerpo, una gran hoguera xD así tanto es el miedo que ha dado la mujer desde tiempos inmemoriales.
Una joya el libro, que si bien fue escrito hace chorromil años, todavía se ve plenamente instalado en nuestra sociedad, esa es la parte triste.
July 15, 2025
No hay salvación para las mujeres
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews