Valerie L. Garver . Women and Aristocratic Culture in the Carolingian World . Ithaca : Cornell University Press . 2009 . Pp. xix, 310. $49.95.
Pauline Stafford
In Bishop Jonas of Orléans's ninth-century advice book or “mirror” for the (especially male) lay aristocracy, four things made women desirable to men: genus, prudentia, divitiae, and pulchritudo. Valerie L. Garver uses these, translated as “family,” “prudence,” “wealth,” “beauty,” structure her book. Jonas's desideranda are reordered glossed serve chapter titles: “Beauty: Appearance Adornment,” “Family: Bonds Memory,” “Prudence: Instruction Moral Exemplarity,” “Wealth: Hospitality Domestic Management.” “Textile work,” final chapter, combines all characteristics: beautiful objects, skills which demonstrated prudence, wealth enabled aristocratic create valuable items further family interests through their production deployment. The female lifecycle is vehicle conclusions. discusses both religious women, and, in contrast some previous work, emphasizes what united elite across this divide. Her focus on Carolingian Europe during late eighth ninth centuries. Severe source constraints confront historians women. world relatively rich sources but not material overtly concerned with Yet has read widely. She hagiographical particularly good effect, though caution needed when comparing eighth-century Anglo-Saxon missions some, more cloistered, examples monasticism. methodology embraces limitations sources. does them against grain, nor address topics they were unconcerned, such friendship. topoi tropes her—largely clerical—sources rejected, they, consciously inadvertently, reveal. However, a “disciplined imagination” invoked guide frankly “speculative” readings (p. 12), results always convincing. Under “Wealth” attempts flesh out historians' statements household estate management produce speculations, weak sustenance strong assertions. By contrast, “Beauty” deploys varied unusual underlining only nature importance capital tensions ambivalences attitudes toward it Christian society dual inheritance asceticism critiques luxuria. complex relationship virtue, beauty, adornment emerges strongly, there novel discussion old age appearance.
The American Historical Review