How to Survive as a Woman in the Middle Ages

The lives of medieval women were not easy, since society placed contradictory demands on them. They were expected to be beautiful, but not to make an effort to achieve that beauty. They had to observe piety, yet were considered sinful by nature. In addition, women were required to take care of the household, give birth to children, and work hard. They were blamed for many misfortunes, from Eve’s fall to the plague and the worldwide flood. However, the historian Eleanor Janega tells the stories of many outstanding women of that time, including farmers, brewers, craftspeople, and artists—whose histories, though hidden in documents and court cases, changed the understanding of women’s intellect, abilities, and nature.