Women in Frankish Society: Marriage and the Cloister, 500 to 900
Marc Meyer|Suzanne Fonay Wemple
Women in Frankish Society is a careful and thorough study of women their roles the Merovingian Carolingian periods Middle Ages. During 5th through 9th centuries, society transformed from relatively primitive tribal structure to more complex hierarchical organization. Suzanne Fonay Wemple sets out understand forces at work expanding limiting women's sphere activity influence during this time. Her goal explain gap between ideals laws on one hand social reality other. What effect did administrative structures stratification have equality sexes? Did emergence nuclear family enforcement monogamy era enhance or erode power status women? examines wealth primary sources, such deeds, testaments, formulae, genealogy, ecclesiastical secular court records, letters, treatises, poems order reveal enduring German, Roman, Christian cultural legacies Empire. She attends life matters law, economy, marriage, inheritance, as well chronicling changes experiences religious life, waning church rise female asceticism monasticism.
The American Historical Review