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Medieval World
Women and Girls in the Middle Ages
Despite the Church's views of medieval women as weak, untrustworthy, and not very smart, some women became great achievers and powerful rulers. Women and Girls in the Middle Ages outlines the similarities and differences between the lives of noblewomen, townswomen, and peasants with special emphasis on: - marriage, childbirth, and raising a family - education, joining a nunnery, and learning a trade - medieval style and beauty - the lives of women from around the world in the same time period Teacher's guide available.
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 20, 2021
Ideal ‘starter’ for very young readers ( 8 years old to 12 years old). Obviously, young adults who have not learn much about women in the Middles Ages may enjoy it too and this may motivate them to buy more serious books focused on that topic. It could be also read as a very concise refresher book for those who have long forgotten some details about women in the Middle Ages and have some spare time to read this while relaxing. This is a book without pretensions so expect a light read; it works for what it is meant to be.
January 8, 2025
Very interesting and informative. Like a textbook but not as dry.
These are the parts that stood out to me. :
p4
Some women and girls in the middle ages learned trades.
This woman was a painter. Her male assistant helped her by mixing paint colors.
year 690 - Wu Zeitan becomes the only woman to ever rule China
900s footbinding begins in China
1300s - girls' schools set up in some European cities
1389 - Christine de Pizan becomes the 1st known woman to earn a living writing books
late 1300s - books written about how women should manage a household
1429 - Joan of Arc leads the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years War.
p5
businesses of their own... some women were great achievers, working as writers, artists, doctors, warriors, and even rulers.
p8
Women called "hucksters" went from house to house selling items such as chickens, cheese, salt, flour, oats, firewood and used clothing. Other women had their own businesses, such as preparing dinners for people who did not have kitchens or brewing a weak alcoholic drink called ale and selling i from their homes.
p9
A disease called the plague killed more than one third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1350. Many workers in cities died. Afterward, women were able to find better jobs and ask for better wages.
...merchants and craftspeople who made or sold the same kinds of goods belonged to organizations called guilds. Guilds set the prices of the goods...
p10
a framework of wood and woven twigs called "wattle". The wattle was filled with daub, a mixture of mud, straw, and animal dung.
... most peasants did not have ovens at home.
p12
May 1 = May Day - festival that welcomed Spring. Prettiest girl chosen Queen of the May and decorated with a crown of flowers. Peasant women danced around a maypole decorated with ribbons
p14
wealthy married around 14yrs, poorer married in late teens or early 20s
p15
weddings - just had to say "I do" to each other (privately or in front of a priest). mid100s the Church insisted weddings happen in front of witnesses
dowers - part of a husband's property that the wife received when he died
p16
getting rid of fleas
to get rid of fleas, at night spread 2 slices of bread with glue and turpentine. Place a lighted candle in the middle of each piece of bread. The fleas will come and stick there. You can also place a blanket of white wool on the bed so that you can easily see the fleas and kill them.
p17 recipe for stuffed pigling
cut its throat, plunge it in boiling water, remove its skin. throw away feet and entrails, boil the lean meat.
stuffing - 20 hard boiled eggs (yolks only, chopped), chestnuts (cooked in water and peeled, some fine old cheese, and cooked leg of pork meat. Cook with plenty of saffron and ginger.
Stuff the pig through a small hole, sew it up, roast it on the spit.
p17 (my favorites from the "how to behave in public" section)
"Take care that drippings from your nose do not hang like icicles."
"If you have to blow your nose, use your hanky not your fingers."
***"Comb your hair and make sure that it is not full of feathers or other garbage."
p18 (boy or girl baby?)
mom walks slowly with hollow eyes - boy
mom walks quickly with swollen eye - girl
mom. choose a lily or a rose?
lily-boy
rose-girl
p19
believed that a wet nurse's personality could be passed to their child through the milk
boys -12y
girls-15 years
considered adults
swaddle babies tightly
some women believed babies would grow up crooked if not swaddled
p20
only wealthier families could afford to pay for their daughters to enter the convent
p21
girls entered the convent to get an education
Hildegard of Bingen - abbess, also wrote a play, a book on science and medicine, & 3 books that described her religious views
nun has a habit and a wimple (pieces of white cloth that covered their heads and throats
p24/25 chemises or kirtles
natural dyes - deep dark reds from sappanwood trees (Asia), crimson from kermes beetle
headdresses -
wimple - pieces of fabric wrapped around the neck and pinned up under the veil so no hair showed (sign of modesty)
cauls or crespinettes - pinned nets of silver or gold cord pinned to each side of their head and filled with coils of braided hair.
hennin - tall hats , some cone shaped, some flat topped, sometimes veils from them as decoration
horn-shaped caul - kind of hat
p26
blood letting by barber to appear paler. long and oval faces fashionable. plucked or shaved the hair on their foreheads to raise their hairlines, plucked eyebrows into thin lines. white face powders.
p27 (lotion to make skin smoother)
asparagus roots, anise, white lily bulbs with the milk of donkeys and red goats, placed in warm horse dung until it was aged and then filtered through felt. rubbed on faces with pieces of soft bread.
Japan -- also shaved eyebrows but painted on new ones, white faces but red cheeks and lips, thought white face paint made teeth look yellow so they painted them black to hide them.
p30-31
Famous women mentioned
Khadija (wife of prophet Muhammad)
Murasaki Shikibu (973 to 1025) - wrote "The tale of Genji" about an imaginary prince Genji
Anna Comnena (1083-1148) Ottoman Empire. World's 1st female historian. wrote 15 book history of her family - "Alexiad"
Eleanor of Aquitane
Christine de Pizan - wrote books about religion, history, the role of women in medieval society
Joan of Arc
(I also really like that there is a glossary in the back of the book).
These are the parts that stood out to me. :
p4
Some women and girls in the middle ages learned trades.
This woman was a painter. Her male assistant helped her by mixing paint colors.
year 690 - Wu Zeitan becomes the only woman to ever rule China
900s footbinding begins in China
1300s - girls' schools set up in some European cities
1389 - Christine de Pizan becomes the 1st known woman to earn a living writing books
late 1300s - books written about how women should manage a household
1429 - Joan of Arc leads the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years War.
p5
businesses of their own... some women were great achievers, working as writers, artists, doctors, warriors, and even rulers.
p8
Women called "hucksters" went from house to house selling items such as chickens, cheese, salt, flour, oats, firewood and used clothing. Other women had their own businesses, such as preparing dinners for people who did not have kitchens or brewing a weak alcoholic drink called ale and selling i from their homes.
p9
A disease called the plague killed more than one third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1350. Many workers in cities died. Afterward, women were able to find better jobs and ask for better wages.
...merchants and craftspeople who made or sold the same kinds of goods belonged to organizations called guilds. Guilds set the prices of the goods...
p10
a framework of wood and woven twigs called "wattle". The wattle was filled with daub, a mixture of mud, straw, and animal dung.
... most peasants did not have ovens at home.
p12
May 1 = May Day - festival that welcomed Spring. Prettiest girl chosen Queen of the May and decorated with a crown of flowers. Peasant women danced around a maypole decorated with ribbons
p14
wealthy married around 14yrs, poorer married in late teens or early 20s
p15
weddings - just had to say "I do" to each other (privately or in front of a priest). mid100s the Church insisted weddings happen in front of witnesses
dowers - part of a husband's property that the wife received when he died
p16
getting rid of fleas
to get rid of fleas, at night spread 2 slices of bread with glue and turpentine. Place a lighted candle in the middle of each piece of bread. The fleas will come and stick there. You can also place a blanket of white wool on the bed so that you can easily see the fleas and kill them.
p17 recipe for stuffed pigling
cut its throat, plunge it in boiling water, remove its skin. throw away feet and entrails, boil the lean meat.
stuffing - 20 hard boiled eggs (yolks only, chopped), chestnuts (cooked in water and peeled, some fine old cheese, and cooked leg of pork meat. Cook with plenty of saffron and ginger.
Stuff the pig through a small hole, sew it up, roast it on the spit.
p17 (my favorites from the "how to behave in public" section)
"Take care that drippings from your nose do not hang like icicles."
"If you have to blow your nose, use your hanky not your fingers."
***"Comb your hair and make sure that it is not full of feathers or other garbage."
p18 (boy or girl baby?)
mom walks slowly with hollow eyes - boy
mom walks quickly with swollen eye - girl
mom. choose a lily or a rose?
lily-boy
rose-girl
p19
believed that a wet nurse's personality could be passed to their child through the milk
boys -12y
girls-15 years
considered adults
swaddle babies tightly
some women believed babies would grow up crooked if not swaddled
p20
only wealthier families could afford to pay for their daughters to enter the convent
p21
girls entered the convent to get an education
Hildegard of Bingen - abbess, also wrote a play, a book on science and medicine, & 3 books that described her religious views
nun has a habit and a wimple (pieces of white cloth that covered their heads and throats
p24/25 chemises or kirtles
natural dyes - deep dark reds from sappanwood trees (Asia), crimson from kermes beetle
headdresses -
wimple - pieces of fabric wrapped around the neck and pinned up under the veil so no hair showed (sign of modesty)
cauls or crespinettes - pinned nets of silver or gold cord pinned to each side of their head and filled with coils of braided hair.
hennin - tall hats , some cone shaped, some flat topped, sometimes veils from them as decoration
horn-shaped caul - kind of hat
p26
blood letting by barber to appear paler. long and oval faces fashionable. plucked or shaved the hair on their foreheads to raise their hairlines, plucked eyebrows into thin lines. white face powders.
p27 (lotion to make skin smoother)
asparagus roots, anise, white lily bulbs with the milk of donkeys and red goats, placed in warm horse dung until it was aged and then filtered through felt. rubbed on faces with pieces of soft bread.
Japan -- also shaved eyebrows but painted on new ones, white faces but red cheeks and lips, thought white face paint made teeth look yellow so they painted them black to hide them.
p30-31
Famous women mentioned
Khadija (wife of prophet Muhammad)
Murasaki Shikibu (973 to 1025) - wrote "The tale of Genji" about an imaginary prince Genji
Anna Comnena (1083-1148) Ottoman Empire. World's 1st female historian. wrote 15 book history of her family - "Alexiad"
Eleanor of Aquitane
Christine de Pizan - wrote books about religion, history, the role of women in medieval society
Joan of Arc
(I also really like that there is a glossary in the back of the book).
July 21, 2017
I ordered this book on line one evening and I didn't know that it was a kid's book. I did manage to find a couple of different book titles that I plan on reading. In fact I've already ordered one. The other is on my wish list until later.
March 6, 2011
As far as a children's book goes, this book was pretty good. I felt that it glorified the role of women, however, and maybe fuzzed the edges of their roles in society during the middle ages. I suppose we can't go around telling young girls the harsher realities of life as women during this period.
April 13, 2014
women could be nuns they lived in the nunnery
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews