Unusual Habits of Medieval Women

Everyday life, clothing, education, marriage and more… Do you think women in the Middle Ages, What sets them apart from today’s women what were they?

“Good thing I’m not living in that era!” Let’s look at how life flowed for the women of the Dark Ages.

The daily life of medieval women was in some ways similar to the life of today’s women, but in some ways it was quite extraordinary.

Most medieval people earn their living from agriculture and animal husbandry. and women were busy with these tasks as much as men. In addition, women were responsible for teaching their children to read and write, and all the household chores were on them.

However, during the period, as well as housewives, writer, artisan, spinner, jeweler, parchment maker, glove maker and painter There were those too. A woman named Margery Kempe even ran a brewery and later a horse mill, using horses to grind corn.

Also, in the Middle Ages, education for women was nonexistent, but in a very minority. Because this opportunity is only nobles and women of religious orders had access. This education was not just about reading and writing. It was also possible for them to learn housework and sewing and embroidery.

The marriage age of these women was quite low.

In this period, the nobles who gave great importance to the continuation of the lineage, Marriage from the age of 12 It was quite common, and underage girls could be legally engaged by proxy. Those who were going to marry could not choose their spouses, especially if they were from upper-class families.

women in the west He could travel as he wished and work outside the home.. So there was no such thing as staying home. A male companion was given to the woman who was going to travel so that she would not be alone when it came to various dangers on the roads. These companions were not necessarily their husbands, either.

In addition to this situation, the beauty standards of medieval women were also rather strange compared to today.

For example, women of French and Flemish ancestry, he even willingly plucked the hair from their foreheads and thus they aimed to gain an extraordinary appearance.

Christian women are mostly wears a veil over her hair or a thin and aesthetically pleasing piece of cloth, similar to a headscarf would tie. When it comes to clothing, their styles, which were different from today, attracted a great deal of attention.

At that time, clothes were still quite ordinary, and women, They wore a nightgown-like linen outfit. At that time, wearing underwear was not common and was not used much. They usually wore an ankle-length tunic and another dress over it. Belts were never missing either.

Also, the clothes of that time did not have any pockets, and women did not. he used to tie a drawstring bag around their waist. Again, the mantle was one of their most common garments. In fact, these jackets almost resembled a cloak, as they were made of felted wool and fur-style materials rather than a coat.

Let’s come to the subject of hygiene, which is very curious about the dark age.

Whether or how often women took a shower during the Middle Ages is one of the biggest questions that comes to mind. There is no evidence of any showering at that time, but The wealthy use baths, the poor use buckets and brushes. also confirmed by some sources. Accordingly, it is possible to say that bathing is rarely done.

The high birth rate at that time also meant that women had far fewer menstrual cycles than they should have. But this situation, more or less, was of course inevitable, and women, any cloth they can find and marsh algae known to have special absorbency. was used for this purpose.

Of course, there were also women who left their mark during this period.

Known to have lived in the 15th century, French Jeanne d’Arc was an example of a woman who defyed medieval norms, and thanks to her, VII. Charles became king of France. Even the French army He had gone to war under Jeanne’s command.. However, after a certain time, he was accused of heresy and was burned at the stake.

In addition, Christine de Pisan and Julian of Norwich were well-known writers of the period and were known to be strong advocates of women’s equality. Again Pages from a book by Jeanne de Montbaston You can see it in the image above.