This study aims to do its part to rescue the peasant women from oblivion and neglect, thus becoming the forgotten protagonists for much of medieval historiography. We must not forget that these women were by far the largest percentage of the female population in medieval times. This fact should not be surprising if one considers that in this period the rural world was predominant, and wealth and social status were closely linked to agricultural production to a greater or lesser extent. On the other hand, another point of interest of this monograph is to conduct a comparative study which sheds some light on the differences and similarities in the situation of peasant women in two seigneurial systems that at first glance seem unrelated. Still, once they are analysed carefully, and, despite their geographical distance, both can be seen as a common influence in the daily lives of rural women when it comes to their private and public spheres.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Purpose
- Literature Review
- Methodological Perspective
- Chapter 2: Lordship and Public Sphere
- The Legal Status of Peasantry: A Brief Approach
- Peasant Women in the Foro
- Peasant Women in English Manorial Records
- Chapter 3: Lordship and Private Sphere
- Marriage and Merchet
- Adultery and Leyrwite
- Ius Primae Noctis
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to comparatively analyze the lives of medieval peasant women in two distinct seigneurial systems: the English manorial system and the foral system of northwestern Castile and northern Portugal. The goal is to illuminate their legal status, importance, and agency within these differing societal structures, challenging the historical marginalization of peasant women in scholarship.
- Comparative analysis of peasant women's lives under English manorialism and the Iberian foral system.
- Examination of peasant women's roles in both the public and private spheres.
- Investigation of the legal status and agency of peasant women within these systems.
- Assessment of the limitations and biases present in historical sources related to peasant women.
- Highlighting the significance of peasant women's contributions to medieval society.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 1: Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the study's purpose, which is to conduct a comparative analysis of the lives of medieval peasant women in England and northwestern Iberia. It reviews existing literature on the subject, highlighting the tendency to overlook peasant women's contributions. The chapter also outlines the methodological approach, emphasizing the use of manorial records from England and foral contracts from Iberia, acknowledging the inherent limitations and biases in the sources. The author expresses a desire to recover the largely untold stories of these women, who constituted the vast majority of the female population in the medieval rural world, and challenges traditional scholarship that has often excluded or marginalized women from its narratives. The chapter also introduces the concepts of manorialism and the foral system, explaining the key differences and similarities between these two systems of land tenure and their impact on the lives of peasant women.
Chapter 2: Lordship and Public Sphere: This chapter delves into the legal and public aspects of peasant women's lives within both the English manorial and Iberian foral systems. It begins by briefly exploring the legal status of peasantry in general, setting the stage for a more focused examination of peasant women. The chapter then provides detailed analysis of how peasant women are depicted in the foral contracts of Iberia and in the English manorial records, offering comparative insights into their rights, obligations, and participation in public life. The comparison reveals both similarities and differences in the level of legal protection and participation in public spheres afforded to peasant women under the two systems. The analysis emphasizes the lord’s clear interventionism in the lives of women, regardless of geographical location.
Chapter 3: Lordship and Private Sphere: This chapter focuses on the private lives of peasant women, examining aspects such as marriage, adultery, and the controversial "ius primae noctis." Through a comparative analysis of the sources, the chapter explores the role of marriage and the customary payments associated with it (merchet), the legal consequences of adultery (leyrwite), and the debated existence of the lord's right to the first night with a newlywed peasant woman. The chapter again emphasizes the lord's significant influence over the intimate lives of peasant women under both systems, albeit through differing legal and customary mechanisms. The analysis demonstrates the pervasiveness of the lord's power across both private and public spheres of peasant women's lives.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Medieval peasant women, manorialism, foral system, comparative history, gender history, legal status, agency, public sphere, private sphere, Iberian Peninsula, England, economic history, social history, historical sources, androcentric bias.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the purpose of the study described in this document?
The study aims to comparatively analyze the lives of medieval peasant women in two distinct seigneurial systems: the English manorial system and the foral system of northwestern Castile and northern Portugal. The goal is to illuminate their legal status, importance, and agency within these differing societal structures, challenging the historical marginalization of peasant women in scholarship.
What are the key themes of the study?
The key themes include: comparative analysis of peasant women's lives under English manorialism and the Iberian foral system; examination of peasant women's roles in both the public and private spheres; investigation of the legal status and agency of peasant women within these systems; assessment of the limitations and biases present in historical sources related to peasant women; and highlighting the significance of peasant women's contributions to medieval society.
What is discussed in Chapter 1: Introduction?
Chapter 1 establishes the study's purpose, reviews existing literature, outlines the methodological approach, and introduces the concepts of manorialism and the foral system.
What is covered in Chapter 2: Lordship and Public Sphere?
Chapter 2 delves into the legal and public aspects of peasant women's lives within both the English manorial and Iberian foral systems. It provides detailed analysis of how peasant women are depicted in the foral contracts of Iberia and in the English manorial records, offering comparative insights into their rights, obligations, and participation in public life.
What is the focus of Chapter 3: Lordship and Private Sphere?
Chapter 3 focuses on the private lives of peasant women, examining aspects such as marriage, adultery, and the controversial "ius primae noctis" through a comparative analysis of the sources.
What are the main keywords associated with this study?
The main keywords include: Medieval peasant women, manorialism, foral system, comparative history, gender history, legal status, agency, public sphere, private sphere, Iberian Peninsula, England, economic history, social history, historical sources, androcentric bias.
What are the limitations acknowledged in the introduction?
The introduction acknowledges the inherent limitations and biases in the sources, emphasizing the use of manorial records from England and foral contracts from Iberia.
What is the significance of the comparative approach?
The comparative approach allows for a deeper understanding of the impact of different seigneurial systems on the lives of peasant women, highlighting both similarities and differences in their experiences.
- Citation du texte
- José Antonio López Sabatel (Auteur), 2024, Peasant Women in Manorial England and Foral North-Western Iberia (13th - 14th Centuries), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1547337
