Medieval Women's Visions

Medieval period was an uncomfortable period for majority of the women. It was a men dominating society and the women had to know their place in such a society. The women had little to no role in the society. They served no purpose. Apart from the daily chores, a woman had to support her husband and fulfill other responsibilities as well related to her family. Medieval women had to do different tasks on the lands like the men but they were paid less than the men for doing the same job. Due to the male dominance in the society, women were not able to complain openly about this injustice and inequality.

The women were also denied the freedom. The laws of the society, which were of course set by the men, limited or barred women freedom. Women were not allowed to marry the men of their choice. They had to take their parents consent and were not even allowed to attain divorce from their husband, were not allowed to won any property. They could only be granted the property of the land if they were widows or if they didn't have any surviving brothers.

The women from the rich families were married off at a young age while those form the poor families married until they were in their twenties. The women and children of the poor families had to work from an early age and were considered as adults even before they reached their teen age. The rich women had no choice over which men to marry, they were married of to anyone who gave a kind of advantage to the girl's family. Marrying off a woman was like a political gesture. Once the woman was married, she was completely under control of her husband. The production of a male heir was vital for the rich family due to which the women spent most of their life pregnant. Childbirth was also dangerous as the medical care during that time was pitiable. Childbirth was a common cause of a woman death (Spearing, 79).

Many of the women during Medieval period dedicated their lives to the churches. Some were committed to the church by their families at a very young age. Some women dedicated their lives at church to escape the degradation and childbearing life. While in some cases, the women dedicated themselves out of true faith and goodness. The women were able to devote their lives to the church by denying marriage and as a result were able to conserve their souls and minds. These nuns or women saints lived in nunneries. A nunnery is a religious house or convert in which the nuns live. A nunnery offered nuns their freedom and was the only place in which women held an authority position (Spearing, 79).

Some of the women even experienced visions due to their religious vocations. To them, their visions were a signal to other women that they were the women of power. These women saints, the visions ...