Women in Medieval Literature

 Hello!!

I am coming to the end of my fall semester classes and one of my absolute favorites has been Voices of the Middle Ages (surprise surprise). I've loved all of the readings I've done for that class, which ranged from full sagas to peasant complaints and diaries of prophetic dreams. However, one of my favorites so far has been readings by female authors concerning what it was like to be a woman in the Middle Ages. I will say in advance that my professor described these writings as "not necessarily feminist but more simply anti-misogyny". This I tend to agree with considering that a. she isn't arguing for equal rights but more just basic respect, and b. she does make the point that some women are evil, stupid, and useless. That being said here are some excerpts from the writings of Christine de Pizan ( literally Christine of pizza (the city, not the food)). 

Here she is, look at her go.
she even has a little dog!

(168) Every man should feel affection in his heart for woman, who is mother to each and every one of them, and who, rather than being horrible or cruel to him, is gentle, sweet, and loving, offering compassion and help when he needs them. She has done so much for him and continues to do so, for her actions are very effectively designed to nurture a man’s body gently. From his birth, through life to death, women help and succor him, providing compassion, sweetness, and support. And if a man refuses to acknowledge this and, lacking in gratitude, harshly slanders them, my response is to repeat my view that a man who utters defamatory remarks, insults, or reproaches against women by criticizing them (whether it be one, two of them, or women in general) offends against nature.

There is already a lot to unpack here but in the larger piece that this is from, the speaker is the God of Love who is reprimanding men for treating women badly. Personally, I think it's pretty badass of Christine to feel that she is so correct in her thoughts that she will announce them with the authority of a literal God. I have a lot of thoughts on the whole mother thing as well but maybe another time...

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(185) Let us suppose that there do exist stupid women, or those tainted with every conceivable vice, faithless and incapable of love or loyalty, proud, vicious, full of cruelty, inconstant, fickle, flighty, false, deceitful, and given to trickery: should we because of this lock them all up and claim that there is not a single one of any worth? When God on high made and created the angels, cherubim, seraphim, and archangels, were there not some whose deeds were evil? Should one therefore call all angels evil? But let any man who knows an evil woman be wary of her, without casting aspersions on a third or quarter of all women and without criticizing women in general and condemning their female ways. For there have been many, still are and will be, who are virtuous and fair and hence deserve our praise, women in whom we find virtue and good qualities, and whose kindness amply demonstrates their good sense and worth. […] 

Ok proving my maybe not-so-feminist point from earlier but this part still makes me giggle and she's making some very solid points. 

In another book by Christine de Pizan, she writes about a woman who is beginning to think that women really are evil and lesser because of the ways that prolific male writers of the time are depicting them. The woman is later greeted by spirits of Reason, Rectitude, and Justice ( kind of a Christmas Carol type of thing) and they convince her that this is not the case. They then go on to tear out the roots of misogyny in the ground and start building a house that is feminism, or something, idk we didn't read the whole thing. This next excerpt from that book is probably my favorite and also the most heartbreaking.

And I finally decided that God formed a vile creature when He made woman, and I wondered how such a worthy artisan could have deigned to make such an abominable work which, from what they say, is the vessel as well as the refuge and abode of every evil and vice. As I was thinking this, a great unhappiness and sadness welled up in my heart, for I detested myself and the entire feminine sex, as though we were monstrosities in nature.

...Yowch. Beautifully written though. Take a reading break and look at some more lovely portraits of her!

similar to the first but the men are there and probably getting on her nerves 

this one has a Rupunzel vibe to it 

This one I just really love the dress


 

Here are a few other miscellaneous lines that I enjoy. I could take the time to explain but I have enough essays to write for the next two weeks so I'll keep this fairly short. 

If someone killed you with good intention but out of foolishness, would this then be justified? 

 It is no wonder then that their jealous enemies, those outrageous villains who have assailed them with various weapons, have been victorious in a war in which women have had no defense. Where is there a city so strong which could not be taken immediately if no resistance were forthcoming

obviously, female writers were not very common at the time, Christine just happened to be rich and well-liked enough that she could do what she wanted but for the most part, they couldn't write and publish to defend themselves against men's attacks.

(I.8.7) “Those men who are moved by the defect of their own bodies have impotent and deformed limbs but sharp and malicious minds. They have found no other way to avenge the pain of their impotence except by attacking women who bring joy to many. Thus they have thought to divert others away from the pleasure which they cannot personally enjoy.”

I mean she really went for it.

If the supreme craftsman was not ashamed to create and form the feminine body, would Nature then have been ashamed? It is the height of folly to say this! Indeed, how was she formed? I don’t know if you have already noted this: she was created in the image of God. How can any mouth dare to slander the vessel which bears such a noble imprint? 

This one was in response to some men saying that when a woman was formed in the womb, nature is ashamed because it has created a mistake. Imagine if they found out everyone starts out female in the womb...

That is about it, but the best part is at the very end when she points out that all of these slanderous and cruel things that these men have been writing about women, were written using the Latin Alphabet... which was (drumroll please) CREATED BY A WOMAN !!! What a note to end on! Ok, I know that was a lot, so sorry it's the history major in me getting too excited. Hope you enjoyed and I promise the next post will be less of a lecture. See ya!