Women
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Modern Day depiction of Medieval Women. |
It should come as no surprise that
women, whether they were nobles or peasants, held a difficult position in society. They
were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving,
and spinning. However, they also hunted for food and fought in battles, learning to use
weapons to defend their homes and castles. Some medieval women held other occupations.
There were women blacksmiths, merchants, and apothecaries. Others were midwives, worked in
the fields, or were engaged in creative endeavors such as writing, playing musical
instruments, dancing, and painting.
Some women were known as witches, capable of sorcery and healing. Others became nuns and devoted their lives to God and spiritual matters. Famous women of the Middle Ages include the writer Christine de Pisan; the abbess and musician Hildegard of Bingen; and the patron of the arts Eleanor of Aquitaine. A French peasant's daughter, Joan of Arc, or St. Joan, heard voices telling her to protect France against the English invasion. She dressed in armor and led her troops to victory in the early fifteenth century. "The Maid of Orleans" as she was known, was later burned as a witch.