What was the role of women during the middle ages?

Answer 1

The stereotype of women in the middle ages as subservient housewives is misleading. The idea of women being married off by their father was true, but it was more often true for noblewomen than for lower class. Also, one must keep in mind that while money and children played a part in the marriage, most parents kept their daughter's best interests in mind, and did not merely marry them off to any fool on the street. Many women did love their husbands. Yes, there were plenty of political marriages, but there were plenty of good marriages, as well.

While many of the attitudes of the time were misogynist compared to today, the idea that women merely cooked and cleaned all day is simply false. Most women had to work in order for their families to survive, and even noblewomen usually managed the servants and often worked as part of their husband's businesses.

Throughout most of history, women worked. The housewife stereotype is mostly an early modern concept that would be popularized again in the 19th century.
Women during the Middle Ages were nuns, artisans, wives, mothers, and some held roles in leadership.

Answer 2

Young girls were raised depending on their level in society.

Rich/higher class girls were raised to be refined young ladies with manners (eeeeeeeeeeewww)

Middle class girls were to know enough to at least attend 1 raoyal party

lower class were exactly that. they had little class or manner but htey had them

Answer 3

1st Answer:

In the middle ages girls mostly were born, learned how to run a household, got married had children and began the cycle all over again.

Girls were not allowed to attend school in the Middle Ages.

2nd Answer:

Most girls were peasants. They started working very young, and at about the age of six or eight were often sent to learn to be servants, if they were lucky. Being a servant did not imply working in a fancy house, because even some of the wealthier peasants had peasant girls as servants. As working girls, they could earn and save enough to provide themselves with small dowries so they could be attractive to the wealthier of the peasants.

On the farms, they tended animals, and did light work with crops. In households, as servants, they cleaned, helped with cooking, and did washing. They were often sent to help weavers, pottery makers, and the like, and this could also provide a career and a way to save a dowry. They could spin yarn for a living, and from this job comes the word spinster.

Information on opportunities for apprenticeship for girls is sketchy, but it is clear that some such opportunities existed. Some local guilds allowed women to be members. Some, such as guilds for jewelers and textile workers were open only to women. The silk makers' and textile workers' guilds of Paris and Cologne were for women only.

According to the article on marriage, below, in the period from the 12th to 16th centuries, girls usually married at about the age of 25, and did not need parental consent. Arranged marriages seem to have been state affairs.

Some girls were sent to convents at very young ages. Hildegard of Bingen was eight, as I recall, when she entered a convent.

Though girls did not normally attend traditional medieval schools, any prohibition from doing so would have been local, and they were often allowed to attend, if their parents had the money and they had the talent. An example of one such woman was Heloise, who is remembered in history as the lover of Peter Abelard. Before she met Abelard, she was already well known throughout Europe as a scholar. She is believed to have come from a family that had money, but no title.

In the 13th century, new schools called abacus schools were being opened in Europe. The intention was that children of merchants and tradesmen could learn arithmetic using Arabic numerals along with reading and writing in the vernacular language. Since most businesses were run by families, and women took on business responsibilities just as men did, girls were taught along with boys.

Girls from wealthy and important families had to be prepared for life as women of their social class. They were trained at social arts, but they were also trained to be able to take control of situations where it was necessary for them to govern in place of their men. Not only did they have to read and write, but ideally, they were trained to understand legal, economic, and military matters. Empress Matilda, when she was a little girl, left her native England to be raised at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, in expectation that she would marry there. The purpose of her doing this was to be educated for the court life.

(See the links below.)

Answer 4

Most women in the Middle Ages were wives, mothers, artisans, or nuns. Many of them helped their husbands with their businesses, and they also brewed beer and performed midwife duties. At one time, female artisans even had their own guilds. In the late Middle Ages, however, restrictions were placed on women's guilds and also on their property rights.

Answer 5

A princess was typically the daughter of a king and queen. They had no real responsibility. Typically they would be married off in arranged marriages with princes from other countries in order to form allies in case war broke out. When they married off to a prince they would become a king and queen when the prince takes the throne.

Answer 6

They had children more children and took care of them.

Answer 7

They used to play with dolls and doll houses, or Board Games (depending on class). They played on fields and helped their parents if poor. Hope that helps =) <3

Answer 8

Maidens usually did most of the shopping and also helped with trade and had stores that sold clothing or furniture that was hand made. Some maidens even helped out on the field or farm.

Answer 9

the answer to this question is they either prayed (men if god), fought in wars (men of war), or worked (men of labor)