Women in Early Medieval Europe, 400-1100

by Lisa M. Bitel

This history of the early European middle ages combines the rich literature of women's history with original research in mainstream history and traditional chronology. Beginning at the end of the Roman empire, the book recreates the lives of ordinary women and their personal stories. It uses the few documents produced by women, along with archaeological evidence, art, and the written records of medieval men.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction, Womens

348 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2002

About the author

I am a recovering academic, medievalist, Celticist, and budding novelist. Few things make me happier than an intellectually intriguing historical or historal-fantasy novel with vivid landscapes and characters that you wish were you.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I loved this book. I have not read a history book that I enjoyed so much in a long time. Women in Early Medieval Europe could easily be used as a textbook for a class on either early medieval history or women's studies. It is an extensively researched and well notated book that focuses solely on women, and their impact on the history of this time period, as well as the time period's impact on them. Bitel does an excellent job of finding the stories about women from the little that is said about them. She points out that the histories written during this time period are by men, and women are only discussed if they are somehow connected to the male main characters, as mothers or wives. The only women that merit real attention are those that either break the rules set for them by society, or who are especially pious and noble, and therefore used by the historians as examples of what women should or should not be.
In addition to the histories written during these time periods, Bitel examines records of laws and accounts, often finding evidence of women when it is not explicitly stated. And of course we know that women existed, because people continued to procreate and extend their reach over the land. Bitel discusses the reasons for why women were included or left out of records to great extent. This is a fascinating book both on the level of women's history and early european history.
Women in Early Medieval Europe is part of the Cambridge Medieval Textbook series. For anyone interested in good non-fiction about this time period, I would recommend checking out any books in this series.

[Denise Kettering · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book clearly outlines the femininization of pagan worship as well as the official religious perspectives related to Christianity. She tries to cover everything from the way that women were both stigmatized and praised with the archetypal figures of Eve and Mary to the way that women engaged in various religious practices. As with any project of this scope, there are always areas that are glossed over or left out because of the large time frame covered. Bitel discusses the ways that the population and government changes as well as plagues, migration, etc. had changed the world of late antiquity to the world of the early Middle Ages. She discusses population statistics and the general development of the culture that was changing. She also discusses the introduction of Christianity and how it impacted women's opportunities and lives. She touches not only on Christianity but also considers Jewish, pagan, and Islamic women. In the fourth section, she discusses the central roles of marriage and motherhood for women and how they often helped define life.