Miscellaneous Task #1: Women in Medieval Society

This article talked about women in Medieval times. Peasant women responsibilities were mostly on domestic duties in the house with the kids and when it was a busiest moment in the husband’s job, they would acompain them. The common symbol of the peasant woman was the distaff, a tool.  Eve was shown with a distaff because it was showing her duty to perform after the fall from paradise. Women living in a rural area were different from the countryside because they worked very differently from the rural side. In the Bible, the belief was that women were inferior to men. Also they were morally weaker and a temptation for men to sin. Women usually held power in the church, since they could have more superior responsibilities as abbesses of convents. Queen Isabella was mentioned in this article because she brought women to stand up, by ending the reign of his husband, Edward II. On the other hand, young aristocrats had the power over considerable  financial resources. In the middle ages, pregnancy and childbirth were incredibly hard. They were very risky and what is now called minor, before was very scary. The cesarean was only if the mother was dying or dead. The woman was responsible for the baptism if it was an emergency and that the life of the infant was in danger. In general the women’s life in medieval society was very hard and controlled.  They usually stayed at home and took care of the kids, doing domestic chores or if needed, helped their husband in his job. They were “represented” by a distaff, which was a tool used for spinning flax and wool. All womens were usually in the similar job, with little differences. They were according to the bible, inferior to man, since they were a temptation for sin to men. Women in all the medieval period were dictated as the biblical texts. Making them more controlled and less worthy. Most women had power after marriage, where some would be  financially stable and have resources and others became nuns, where they could be and feel “free”. Queen Isabella was mentioned in this article when she showed empowerment. Lastly, it was mentioned that pregnancy and childbirth was very risky and the resources were little. Proving all of this that the life of a woman at that time, was hard. 

 I learned that we as women have changed, we have become more stronger, independent. It has been hard and we have sacrificed a lot for every right we have as women. I find most intriguing the topic of the pregnancy and childbirth, because I have never read or heard of it. And reading this article and the things that the women had to go through, was very interesting and mostly hard to read. I would love for everyone to read this because it is a topic you don’t hear a lot. And can be a way for everyone to learn about this time, since it was one full of different events.