"Women that changed the Medieval Era:" Topic

Interesting…

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Amicalement
Armand

Women in all ages of the world are the single largest influence on the direction that their societies go. So we can blame or bless women for the condition of society, above any other factor. That a handful of dynamic women in the middle ages emerged as "great" is interesting history. But "changed the Medieval Era"? No. A few notable women did not alter the thrust of developing Western society. They did not put the idea into women's heads that they were being kept down; that idea was already fully appreciated by millions of women. And slowly, inexorably, women trained society to accept men and women as equals. That is the dominant mindset today. So much so, that "old world" social mores are "medieval" by comparison to where Western society is today. That is why we have this clash by the religious zealots on the one side and progressives (genuine use of the word) on the other side, with women's place in society as the pivotal issue that divides the one agenda from the other.

Agree.

Amicalement
Armand

The prior tendency of historians to ignore women has now been reversed – and to the point of some exaggeration.

The new interest has lead to new discoveries: Yolanda of Aragorn sponsering Joan of Arc for instance.

Less antagonistic view of Margaret of Anjou ec.

Part of the problem was that few women left any writing in their own hand behind. Elizabeth Woodville for all her importance left us nothing – we know of her only through the eyes of men around her and must guess at her motives.

She had influence but exercised it indirectly. She lives on as 1/3 of Cersei Lannister (who also gets a 1/3 from her great rival Ms. Shore who actually took the walk of shame).

TomT