LiFe AnD DeAtH In MeDiEvAl TiMeS Women in medieval times Source D u


This source is an extract from a long manual on how the lady of a house should behave. It was written for Margaret of Burgundy, the Dauphine (wife of the heir to the throne) of France in 1405.


The lady should get up early in the morning, for in the establishment where the lady usually lies in bed until late it is unlikely that the household will run smoothly. She will busy herself around the house; she will find plenty of orders to give. She will have the animals brought in at the right time, take care how the shepherd looks after them and see that he is in control of them and that he is not cruel, for shepherds sometimes kill them in spite of the mistress or master.


Source: The Treasure of the City of Ladies: or The Book of the Three Virtues by Christine de Pizan.


Looking at the evidence


1. According to the author, why is it important for the lady of the house to get up early? 2. What type of work is a lady expected to perform? 3. Why would an author send a manual like to this to Margaret of Burgundy? 4. As a class, discuss what else we can learn from this extract about noble women during this period.


RECALL


1. What was the job of the bailiff? 2. What was the function of the commons? 3. What is the difference between a serf and a freeman? 4. Why did peasants rotate the crops they grew in each field? 5. Explain the following terms: (a) Fallow (b) Pottage (c) Grange (d) Tithe (e) Pannage


6. What type of food did peasants eat in the Middle Ages? HISTORICAL EMPATHY


7. Write about life as a peasant farmer in the Middle Ages. Use the following headings as a guide: (a) Housing (b) Food and clothing (c) Work throughout the year (d) Pastimes


97 Weblink


To read a collection of letters from and to women between the fourth and thirteenth centuries try using the following search terms: epistolae – medieval – women’s – letters.


These letters provide a great resource to explore the lives of literate women in the Middle Ages.


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