Medieval Women in their Communities

Edited by Diane Watt

‘. . . an extremely useful and varied volume . . . ’ (Reformation)

This book presents detailed studies of women as members of a whole range of different communities during the period between 1200 and 1500. The essays all consider women's historical experience to be distinct from men's, but they are not restricted to a single theoretical perspective or methodological approach.

In terms of regionality, women from the geographical areas which correspond roughly to modern Wales, England, France, Italy, and Germany are included; in terms of religious beliefs, Jewish and Christian faiths are covered; in terms of social and economic conditions, rich and poor, religious and secular, noblewomen and commoners are represented.

'As that most unusual thing, a book which genuinely fills a gap in the market, this new collection of essays should he heralded as a welcome new contribution to this ever-growing field. The principal strengths of this new anthology lie in three areas. The first is the geographical coverage . . . The second asset of the book is the variety of communities and cultural contexts considered . . . The third, and in many ways most stimulating, dimension of the book is its free-wheeling interdisciplinary methodology. This approach not only enables the writers to bring new sources of evidence to bear on their subjects, but also encourages novel combinations of those which are normally treated separately . . . ' (Medieval Life)

' . . . the volume provides an interdisciplinary point of entry into the breadth of medieval women's communal life. Diane Watt's introduction is particularly useful and substantive . . . the collection opens up the world of medieval communities in all their richness and diversity. So, too, it exposes the reader to the wealth of feminist scholarship that continues to enrich our understanding of medieval society.' (English)

‘ . . . interesting and rewarding. Several [articles], indeed, will earn a place on student reading lists, and make a real contribution to scholarship.’ (The Heythrop Journal)

‘ . . . leaves the reader with a sense of the excitement involved in the uncovering of new information in a developing field. It is well worth the read for anyone with an interest in medieval studies and/.or women’s history and writing.’ (Parergon)

Diane Watt is Lecturer in British Medieval Literature in the Department of English, University of Wales Aberystwyth.

Contents and Contributors

• Diane Watt, Introduction
• Jane Cartwright, The Desire to Corrupt: Convent and Community in Medieval Wales
• Susannah Mary Chewning, Mysticism and the Anchorite Community: 'A Time of Veiled Infinity'
• Marie-Luise Ehrenschwendtner, 'Puellae litteratae': The Use of the Vernacular in the Dominican Convents of Southern Germany
• Penelope Galloway, 'Discreet and Devout Maidens': Women's Involvement in the Beguine Communities in Northern France, 1200-1500
• Cynthia Kraman, Communities of Otherness in Chaucer's 'Merchant's Tale'
• Patricia Skinner, Gender and Poverty in the Medieval Community
• J. A. Tasioulas, Between Doctrine and Domesticity: The Portrayal of Mary in the 'N-Town' Plays
• Rosalynn Voaden, All Girls Together: Community, Gender and Vision at Helfta
• Jennifer C. Ward, English Noblewomen and the Local Community in the Later Middle Ages
• Janet Wilson, Communities of Dissent: The Secular and Ecclesiastical Communities of Margery Kempe's 'Book'