Medieval Women Roles

Kimberly Gant Gant 1

Whedon

English Honors 4

10/09/2008

Roles of Medieval Women

During medieval times, women were known as inferior to men. They

were treated as objects instead of people. Even though the roles for the

medieval women were already established, some women defied their roles and set their own standards of society. Getting married or establishing power was their only option. Most medieval women had only marriage to look forward to, except for noblewomen who wielded some power and those women who had occupations. Arranged marriages were very common during medieval times and set certain roles for women. Medieval women were usually married with people of the same class. Families
Also, marriage was accepted between slaves, freemen and serfs, and Catholics and heretics. However, Christians and heathens were not allowed to be married. In medieval times, a women’s marriage was permanent because divorce was very rare. Divorce was only allowed if one of the three church laws were broken: age, consent, and consanguinity (Gies 69). When a woman was married, her life was given to her husband to become a housewife and take care of his children. These common marriages during the medieval times set known roles for the women for the rest of their life, such as being a housewife. Medieval housewives had many things to accomplish for her family. They were instructed to be obedient to their husbands and act a certain way at all times. Men thought good housewives should always be humble, and should never talk back in public. Housewives were also required to cater to their husbands. When the husband would come home, the housewife will “take off his shoes in front of the fire, wash his feet, bring him clean shoes and socks, and serve him food and drink. She would make his bed with clean white sheets, give him a nightcap to cover his hair, and tuck him in under warm furs. In the morning, she would give him fresh clothing” (Eastwood 16). Medieval housewives also had the job of raising the family. They
Housewives used plants and herbs to heal wounds, fix broken bones, and cure diseases (Eastwood 19). Medieval housewives were required to accomplish the things needed to take care of the family. Noblewomen, on the other hand, had different roles with the acquired power they were given. Instead of being housewives, noblewomen, often wealthy women who married powerful men, lived in castles. Their main role was to bear her husband’s children, mainly boys, to continue the family name so the child can inherit their lands. Women were usually married into noble families at the age of thirteen or fourteen. Since they were married young, most noblewomen bared a child for their husbands each year until their mid-thirties (Eastwood 6). Noblewomen also were required to make sure the manor was always in order. They had to supervise the food preparation, arrange large gatherings, and order the supplies needed (Eastwood 7). Noblewomen also had control over “farms, forests, hunting preserves, fishing lakes, and herb gardens that provided the raw materials. The bakeries, wine cellars, larders, pantries, and spiceries were under her jurisdiction, as were the farm laborers, hunters, cooks, bakers, carvers, kitchen help, banquet servitors,