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Nature or Nurture

'Go to the bed-chamber and stitch a seam'

Woman as ‘domestic goddess’ is probably what many people would think of when considering the medieval period. Medieval women are often defined by the ‘inner’ aspects of their life inside the home, in contrast to men’s concerns in the outside world.

The domestic sphere was often busy, as medieval households could be large and extended. Widowed mothers might come to live with their sons; nephews, nieces or cousins might live with their wealthier relatives for a while as pages or ladies-in-waiting; and the high death rate meant that many people re-married after their husband or wife died, making step-families very common. As nowadays, family relationships could sometimes be fraught, as well as loving and nurturing.

Rich families depended on servants to undertake domestic tasks. Their hard work was occasionally recognised. St Zita of Lucca was a diligent servant to the Fatinelli family during the 13th century. Her piety and hard work endeared her to her employers, and her cult became popular among ordinary women who could relate to her story. She is often depicted with a bunch of keys, indicating how well she was trusted. Items relating to St Zita are shown in the Saints section of this resource.

The following extracts from literary and historical texts give some insights into women’s roles in medieval society.

Transcripts and translations for manuscript items are also available for download:

• Download in PDF
• Download in Microsoft Word

 

Document 1: Heldris de Cornuälle, ‘Le Roman de Silence’, lines 2500-2530 (early 13th century, French). 

Nature made the girl Silence extremely beautiful, but she has been brought up as a boy. Silence, aged 12, can’t decide whether it is best to be a boy or a girl. This extract is part of a longer passage in which Nurture, Nature and Reason all give their opinions. In these lines, Nature argues that Silence’s beauty is wasted and that the women who are in love with ‘him’ will be angry and disappointed when the truth comes out.

Ref: WLC/LM/6, f. 201r

 

 

 

 Document 2: Heldris de Cornuälle, ‘Le Roman de Silence’, lines 5145-5164 (early 13th century, French)

The girl Silence is trained to become an expert jouster, despite her gender. The author of the ‘Roman de Silence’ suggests that although Nature is supposed to produce ‘tender, weak and soft’ girls, Nurture (upbringing) can be a stronger force.

Ref: WLC/LM/6, f. 215r

 

 

Document 3: Extract from an extent of the manor of Langar and Barnstone, Nottinghamshire (c.1340, Latin)

An extent was a description and a valuation of the manor. Matilda de Herdeby was a bondage or bond tenant (a villein), occupying a toft (a house and some land) under the customary terms of the manor of Langar and Barnstone. This document gives details of the rents and services she owed to her lord. Like others within the manor, Matilda’s family had to spend one day each autumn working on the lord’s land – but the housewife was specifically excluded. Perhaps this shows the importance attached to ‘women’s work’ within the home: while men worked on the land, at a craft, or in trade, the housewife had her own status as manager of the household, which should not be disturbed.

Ref: MS 66/1

 

 

 

Document 4: John Gower, ‘Confessio Amantis’, Book 2, lines 644-652 and 678-713 (composed c.1393, English) 

'The Tale of Constance’ includes an extreme fictional example of family strife. A wicked mother-in-law is jealous of her son’s marriage and her consequent displacement as the dominant female in his life. She arranges a massacre at the wedding, at which even her own son is not spared. She puts her son’s fiancée Constance into a boat and sets her adrift with all her wedding goods.

Ref: WLC/LM/8, ff. 31v-32r

 

 

Next page: Inheritance