Women In The High Middle Ages

During the High Middle Ages, the population of Europe increased greatly which allowed trade to prosper and the Medieval Period climate to change. The political structure where knights and lower-status nobles owed military service to their overlords in return for the right to rent from lands and manors, were two of the ways society was organized in the High Middle Ages. Men during this time was seen as this prestige figure versus women, they are seen less. Women were taught to be a “good wife” to their husbands by cleaning, cooking home food, and taking care of the children. Once a woman is married, they would have restrictions on what to do and what they are expected to do in the house which is usually cooking and cleaning. Women, even those

Studies shows that 7 to 10% of women never married. For upper class women, the convent was an alternative to married life. Older women also became nuns, many widows chose this way of life after death of their husband. The medieval ceremony for a woman to become a nun is similar to a wedding- a nun would be seen as married to God. A ring would be placed on their finger and they would wear a wedding gown. Becoming a nun was a serious life-long commitment and usually meant continuous hard work. That work was almost certainly manual for those that did not come from wealthy families. As a nun, most of their time is dedicated towards prayer, study, and work. Their work period ran about 5 to 6 hours a

Medieval peasant women who works in the castle provides meals and took orders from their lord and his family. Most of them were expected to cook, clean, and wait on the lord. The lives of these women changed with the season. For example, small animals require slaughtering and skinning during the autumn as it wasn’t practical to feed animals during the winter. The meat was then soaked in salt. Bred was the main source of food for the peasant woman and her family. Corn, grain, cabbage, beer, and cider was obtained from the local area. During the busiest time of the year, such as harvest, women often joined their husband in the field to bring in the crops. Medieval peasant women often participated in brewing, baking, and manufacturing textiles. The most common symbol of the peasant women was the distaff – a tool used for spinning flax and wool.
Peasant were the poorest people in the medieval era, but serfs were the poorest of the peasant class. Serf women had to do extra work. They had certain payments, either in money or more often in grain, honey, eggs, or other products. Medieval serf women have a labor on the lord’s domain for 2-3 days each week. They were basically slaves. Female serfs had to spin and weave materials every year for the lord Many serf women didn’t marry because of a shortage of eligible landholding partners. These women worked inside and outside of the kitchen but mainly in the