published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The Order of Fontevraud, founded in 1100 by the hermit/preacher Robert of Arbrisssel was the only twelfth-century women's order incorporating into its structure a group of chaplains and lay brothers whose specific role was to serve the nuns. This thesis examines the origins of the order and demonstrates that the English foundations were a stage in its development, closely linked to its Angevin connections. Each of the two houses established in England c.l 150 was founded and patronised by supporters of Henry Plantagenet. Westwood, founded by the de Say family, lesser barons from Herefordshire, received a modest endowment. Nuneaton, founded by the magnate Robert, earl of Leicester, was richly endowed. Twenty years later Henry II expelled the Benedictine community from Amesbury replacing it with a group from Fontevraud, thus founding the third house. A fourth, Grovebury, is not treated; it was never a foundation for women. I have studied the process of endowment and shown that the wealth and status of the founder in no small measure determined the future prosperity of the foundation. The internal organisation of the Fontevraud houses has been explored, in particular the balance between local autonomy and dependence on the mother house. As well, I have examined recruitment and shown that this, too, reflected on the circumstances of foundation. My main focus has been on the economy of these three houses, their income and expenditure and the exploitation of their assets. The nuns are seen as a group of women who were dynamic and creative in managing their affairs. This has not precluded an investigation into the spiritual, and in particular, the liturgical dimension of life in the English foundations. Fundamentally the Order of Fontevraud is presented as an opportunity for noble women of England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to live religious life in a new order, one renowned for its strict interpretation of the Rule of St Benedict and for the prayerfumess of its members, and one in which women were manifestly in control of their own destinies.

The purpose of this dissertation is to produce a critical edition of Álvaro de Luna's 15th century manuscript, Libro de las claras e virtuosas mugeres. This Castilian text is a compilation of biographies of good and virtuous women similar to that of the widely studied De claris mulieribus by Giovanni Boccaccio. Scholars however, have neglected Luna's version for various reasons that are discussed within this dissertation. Libro de las claras e virtuosas mugeres is a significant work because it complements other texts within the genre of defense literature and provides a good argument against the misogynistic texts in the debate on women in the Middle Ages. Within this dissertation, the Introduction serves to orient the reader through the debate on women in 15th century Castile and to contextualize the Libro de las claras e virtuosas mugeres within it. Through the discussion of the debate on women in medieval Iberia, we will show how Luna's work is a necessary, but forgotten element. Also pertinent is the notorious past of don Álvaro, and how this has negatively impacted the reception of his work. This dissertation also compiles all critical studies and editions currently in print and discusses their merits. Finally in the Introduction, we explain how we took into account Bernard Cerquiglini's concept of variance and John Dagenais' theory that in order to come close to the medieval reading of the text, it is necessary to replicate the manuscripts, not to modernize them. Thus, we produced transcriptions that were as close to the original texts as possible, rather than attempting to correct or modernize them. In order to produce the critical edition necessary for a proper study of the Libro de las claras e virtuosas mugeres, this dissertation contains two transcriptions of the two oldest extant manuscripts: ms. B (2654) and ms. S (207). Within ms. B we also provide a critical apparatus, which shows the lexical and orthographical differences between the two. Additionally for the benefit of the reader, we provide four Appendices: the missing chapter of the Queen of Sheba (not included in ms. B), a list of all the women Luna included in his work, and facsimilar samples of both manuscripts. It is our desire to promote a renewed interest in this forgotten, yet extremely important 15th century Castilian manuscript. / Spanish

Abstract Many historians would like to discover a time of relative freedom, security and independence for women of the past. The Germanic era, from 400-1000 AD, was a time of stability, and security due to limitations the law placed upon the mundwald and the legal ability of women to possess property. The system of compensations that the Germans initiated in an effort to stop the blood feuds between Germanic families, served as a deterrent to men that might physically or sexually abuse women. The majority of the sources used in this work were the Germanic Codes generally dated from 498-1024 AD. Ancient Roman and Germanic sources provide background information about the individual tribes. Secondary sources provide a contrast to the ideas of this thesis, and information.

(in English): The aim of this thesis is to present the personality of Anne of Silesia at several levels: as king's daughter, wife, mother, duchess, foundress and candidate to holiness. The initial part sums up the phenomenon of female sanctity in the 13th century influenced both by new religious orders and by the ideal of "holy ruler" pursued by Anne of Silesia as well. The biographical chapter that follows deals especially with Anne's activities as the duchess of Silesia and benefactress of ecclesiastical institutions. It is based on extraordinarily rich diplomatic material. Though Anne of Silesia did not reach official canonization, a Latin legend on her survived which testifies that a certain religious veneration of her existed. The final part of the thesis studies the legend using the comparative analysis method, that is comparing Anne's legend with those of her more famous predecessors and relatives, Elizabeth of Thuringia, Hedwig of Silesia and Agnes of Bohemia. The thesis concludes that the position of Anne of Silesia after her husband's death was extraordinarily strong for the given period, and formulates the hypothesis that Anne may have held the land in indivisible ownership with her son. It is impossible to find an unequivocal answer to the question why Anne did not reach official...

This thesis is a study of the problem of subjectivity and prostitution in the Middle Ages. Three legal case studies of unpublished archival material and one chapter focussing on fictional texts from late mediaeval Germany and Switzerland are used to investigate the conditions of prostitutes' subjectification in law and literature. The thesis takes impetus from Ruth Karras's recent articulation of the problem of prostitution and sexuality, seeking to engage critically with her notion of “prostitute” as a medieval sexual identity that might be applied to any woman who had extra-marital sex. In dealing with trial records, it also aims to make a methodological contribution to the study of crime and the problem of locating the individual. Chapters I-III examine the records of criminal cases featuring the testimony of prostitutes, or women who risked such categorisation, to consider the available subject positions both within and outwith the context of municipal regulation. Whilst acknowledging the force of normative ideas about prostitutes as lustful women, these chapters argue that prostitutes' subject positions in legal cases were adopted according to local conditions, and depended upon the immediate circumstances of the women involved. They also consider trial records as a form of masculine discourse, arguing that an anxious masculine subject can be seen to emerge in response to the phenomenon of prostitution. Chapter IV expands this discussion by drawing on literary texts showing how prostitutes prompted concern on the part of male poets and audiences, for whom their sexual agency was a threat which belied their theoretical status as sexual objects. Note: Transcriptions of the legal cases making up chapters I-III are provided in Appendices A, B, and C.

Twelfth century French feudal culture witnesses the codification of new marriage laws and a rapid rise in popularity of the Cult of the Virgin Mary, with correspondingly renewed attention being paid to women by ecclesiastical intellectuals of all sects. Of particular interest to these churchmen was the duty of the medieval wife to bear children. The Lais of Marie de France, a late twelfth-century text, often focus explicitly on motherhood (both biological and symbolic) and therefore allow a deeper examination of the new cultural representations of women in the dual role of spouse and mother. The Lais further highlight the symbolic role of the child as guarantor both of a woman's social value and of the validity of the love relationship based on the tenets of fin'amors instead of formal marriage. / by Danielle Firmino Palazzolo. / Abstract in English. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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