A medieval woman's
life
In
spite of the often harsh life in the medieval period which some women
encountered, celebrations, whether religious or personal, were fairly
frequent. Education and employment opportunities did exist for girls
in many cases. On the following pages you will find a general overview
of each of these topics. This is by no means the complete guide to each
occasion.
About
medieval women
Men were defined by their jobs and their rank in society while medieval
women were defined by their marital status. They were either Virgins,
Wives or Widows. Whether wealthy or poor, a woman's lot depended on
which of these she was. A girl was an infant until 7 years of age, a
child until 14, a youth until 28 and then an adult.
Generally, a girl stayed with her mother until 7 years of age unless
she was an orphaned heiress, where she may have been removed from her
mother and put into 'suitable' care, although in many cases, mothers
were able to apply for guardianship of their own child. Such an appeal
may or may not have been successful depending on the enormity of the
child's holdings.
A great deal of the fortunes of medieval women depended on her rank
in society and her marital status. Everything from her clothes, diet,
work, social and legal opportunities, dental care to familial obligations,
her role in births, deaths and marriage
options, all depended on
her financial and social position at the time of her birth.
