However, women in Medieval Europe were completely absent in public political roles. In rare cases, these areas were ruled by women. Counties passed among family members, duchies, and even castellanies – areas controlled by a single castellan, 15 or 20 miles in radius. This applied to both kingdoms and smaller political units. Therefore, in the absence of a legitimate male heir, an office could fall into the hands of a woman. In other words, offices passed down from fathers to sons. This equality of powers was only because medieval politics were dynastic. Not different from those of a male ruler. Queen or a regent, ruling either temporarily or permanently, her powers were Or become regents and rule in the name of a minor child.
They could become queens and rule over kingdoms, Politically, women were able to rise to the Although there may be some truth to this justification, modern historians have identified misogyny, as well as a deep-rooted suspicion and dislike of women on the part of males, as the root cause of this practice. Kinds of execution depending on the severity of their crimes, female executionĬontemporaries claimed this was necessary for the preservation of female modesty, because other forms of execution were deemed unbecoming of women. Unlike men who were sentenced to different In fact, they had to suffer the most brutal and painful type of executions Women who were found guilty of a capital offense were not so lucky For example, same-sex relationships, which carried the death penalty for men, were no crime at all for women because such a relationship did not affect human reproduction. In some cases, the judicial system in the High Medieval Ages treated female offenders more leniently. Place of execution of criminals in medieval Europe-chopping block and gallows on a wooden platform. For example, women could not be broken on the wheel. In addition, regardless of their marital status, all women were exempted from certain forms of torture by medieval courts. The only exception was in the case of pregnancy: pregnant women were exempt from execution or any kind of torture. In other words, when a married woman committed a crime, she was subject to the same penalties as an unmarried one. Criminal Law and the Capital PunishmentĪs opposed to civil law, a woman’s marital status never mattered to criminal law. Learn more about the Middle Ages and its origins. The term femme sole (literally “womanĪlone”) was coined to describe these women. Therefore, if the husband faced bankruptcy, his wife had no legal Woman was working as a tailor and her husband was a brewer, their assets were completely separate from each other. If they were in a trade that was different from that of their husbands. Watch it now, on Wondrium.īusinesswomen in medieval Europe were able to protect their assets
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This is a transcript from the video series The High Middle Ages. In that era, all women, regardless of their marital status and age, needed a male guardian.
This was quite a significant advantage compared to the Roman Empire. Perhaps, you’ll be surprised to know that these laws did not apply to unmarried adult females, who were allowed to sign contracts, borrow money, and do the things that one would expect of a legally responsible adult. Interestingly, these restrictions existed in many European countries until very recently. In short, married women were considerably dependent on their spouses. All of these had to be carried out under the legal authority of their husbands. In the scope of civil law, women were restricted from signing contracts, being witnesses in court, or borrowing money in their names. Women in Medieval Europe were legally dependent on their husbands. (Image: Julia700702/Shutterstock) Civil Law and Marriage in Medieval Europe Castle Eltz, one of the most famous and beautiful medieval castles in Germany.
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