Women in the Middle Ages in Europe occupied a number of different social roles. Women held the positions of wife, mother, peasant , warrior , artisan , and nun , as well as some important leadership roles, such as abbess or queen regnant. The very concept of women changed in a number of ways during the Middle Ages , [ 2 ] and several forces influenced women's roles during this period, while also expanding upon their traditional roles in society and the economy.
Whether or not they were powerful or stayed back to take care of their homes, they still played an important role in society whether they were saints , nobles , peasants, or nuns. Due to context from recent years leading to the reconceptualization of women during this time period, many of their roles were overshadowed by the work of men. Although it is prevalent that women participated in church and helping at home, they did much more to influence the Middle Ages.
In the early Middle Ages, women's lives varied greatly dependent upon their location and status. Ecclesiastical sources offer particularly rich information about women living under Christian rule ; some leftovers from the Roman era that offer clues about women elsewhere.
For example, following Roman and German Law, women had some limited control over her own marriage, dowry , and property. As Christianity began to spread, women's roles were largely defined in relation to the Christian Church. For some women, Christianity was attractive due to the independence and autonomy the religion could offer. Christian monasticism allowed women to reject the identity of wife and mother, as well as childbirth, which could be life-threatening.
Christian women could have active religious roles. For example, abbesses could become important figures, occasionally ruling over monasteries of both men and women, [ 4 ] and holding significant lands and power. Figures such as Hilda of Whitby c. For secular Christian women, authority was largely attached to class status. Women such as Radegund were able to contribute to the spread of Christianity through her role as wife and Queen.
