ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF NOBLEWOMEN
Noblewomen played active roles in the Medieval community. Medieval noblewomen were far more versatile and able than some might imagine. Although, noble women had a specific role in the Middle Ages they could not make decisions of importance. Their role was to help their husband run the estates. The "lady" became "lord of the manor" while her father or husband was off fighting. Sometimes the women might even go to war to defend her estate, if necessary. Noblewomen ran the estate while the men were at battle. The main duty of the noble woman was to give her husband a son. She would usually have 6 to 8 children as most of them didn't live past the age of three. Another duty of the wife was to look after the household servants. Noble women could also cure people that were sick or injured.
|
Rights of noblewomen
Noblewomen had very limited rights. Women were considered chattel and couldn't own property or inherit land. The land was usually inherited by the eldest son in a family. Women had the heavy disadvantage that they could only inherit if they had no living brothers in most places, as land and title went to the eldest son in most places.
Eleanor of Aquitaine is an example of a woman who inherited land because she took a hand in politics, which made her very powerful and an attractive match for kings. She was the highest member of the nobility over an area of a third the size of France, and she negotiated her own marriage contract when she married King Henry II of England. Another was Empress Matilda. Apart from her failed claim on the throne of England, she did establish herself as the heir to the land of Normandy.
Eleanor of Aquitaine is an example of a woman who inherited land because she took a hand in politics, which made her very powerful and an attractive match for kings. She was the highest member of the nobility over an area of a third the size of France, and she negotiated her own marriage contract when she married King Henry II of England. Another was Empress Matilda. Apart from her failed claim on the throne of England, she did establish herself as the heir to the land of Normandy.
NobleWomen and Marriage
Noblewomen had no choice in who her husband might be. Marriages were frequently arranged so that both families involved would benefit. Marriages would be arranged to bring wealth to the family of noblewomen. Marriage for love was a rare occurrence. Noblewomen of the Middle Ages were expected to bring a dowry to the marriage. A dowry was an amount of money, goods, and property that the bride would bring to the marriage. The law gave a husband full rights over his wife, whether she was a Noblewoman or a commoner. She effectively became his property. However, before the women gets married, she was sent to her relatives for training. She was expected to know how to spin, weave, and supervise servants.
My opinion on the life of noblewomen
I think that noblewomen had an unfair life. Noblewomen could do so many things and they would learn a lot before they got married but they wouldn't get anything in return. A noblewomen also had limited rights and was forced to work and do everything she was told to do by her husband, since she was his property. Her marriage wouldn't even be by her choice, it would be arranged by her parents which is unfair. The young girl would be forced to get married when she might not even want to.