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12th Century Renaissance - Part 3: Christian Women
One of the fascinating things I discovered about the 12th Century Renaissance was the many women involved in it, as opposed to the later Italian Renaissance where women are pretty much nonexistent. In Judy Chicago’s monumental work of feminist art, The Dinner Party [http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home.php], 39 prominent women, from
are represented at the table, 4 of whom lived in the 11th-12th centuries – historian Hrosvitha of Germany, physician Trotula of Salerno, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Sadly, the 4 women before these hail from the 5th century and the ones after from the 15th-16th, demonstrating what an island in time this was for accomplished women.
Besides our 4 headliners, Judy Chicago lists over 100 other women of note for the 11th-12 centuries. Because daughters at this time were allowed to inherit positions of leadership if they had no brothers, women ascended to rule medieval kingdoms, including Margaret of Scotland, Marie of Champagne, Blanche of Castile, and Matilda of England. Many more were sovereigns of duchies, baronies, and other small fiefdoms – including two mentioned in my novels, Adelaide du Bar and Adela de Blois, widows who ruled in the name of their young sons.
Our time period also saw a sudden blossoming of veneration for the Virgin Mary, with Notre Dame cathedrals rising in many European cities. The increase in women’s religious status saw the population of convents mushroom with women eager to study theology. Great abbesses included Heloise of Paraclete [Peter Abelard’s lover], Clare of Assisi, Agnes d’Harcourt, and Gertrude of Germany. Many were members of royal families, and as such were allowed the rights and privileges of feudal barons. Women also studied medicine and became physicians, as noble ladies preferred to be treated by one of their own sex.
Among the long list of Christian women in The Dinner Party, I was surprised and delighted to discover the name Rachel [ca 1070-1100] – Hebrew legal scholar. Rachel’s nationality isn’t given, but who else could she possibly be except the heroine of “Rashi’s Daughters: Book III?”
are represented at the table, 4 of whom lived in the 11th-12th centuries – historian Hrosvitha of Germany, physician Trotula of Salerno, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Sadly, the 4 women before these hail from the 5th century and the ones after from the 15th-16th, demonstrating what an island in time this was for accomplished women.
Besides our 4 headliners, Judy Chicago lists over 100 other women of note for the 11th-12 centuries. Because daughters at this time were allowed to inherit positions of leadership if they had no brothers, women ascended to rule medieval kingdoms, including Margaret of Scotland, Marie of Champagne, Blanche of Castile, and Matilda of England. Many more were sovereigns of duchies, baronies, and other small fiefdoms – including two mentioned in my novels, Adelaide du Bar and Adela de Blois, widows who ruled in the name of their young sons.
Our time period also saw a sudden blossoming of veneration for the Virgin Mary, with Notre Dame cathedrals rising in many European cities. The increase in women’s religious status saw the population of convents mushroom with women eager to study theology. Great abbesses included Heloise of Paraclete [Peter Abelard’s lover], Clare of Assisi, Agnes d’Harcourt, and Gertrude of Germany. Many were members of royal families, and as such were allowed the rights and privileges of feudal barons. Women also studied medicine and became physicians, as noble ladies preferred to be treated by one of their own sex.
Among the long list of Christian women in The Dinner Party, I was surprised and delighted to discover the name Rachel [ca 1070-1100] – Hebrew legal scholar. Rachel’s nationality isn’t given, but who else could she possibly be except the heroine of “Rashi’s Daughters: Book III?”
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