<i>Women Writers of the Middle Ages: A Critical Study of Texts from Perpetua (d.203) to Marguerite Porete (d.1310)</i> (review)
Diane Speed
203 Ernest Barker, Zachary Brooke, Helen Cam, David Douglas, G.N. Garmonsway, and many others. Such American-authored classics as Boyd H. Hill's Medieval Monarchy in Action (1972) or William A. Chaney's The Cult of Kingship Anglo-Saxon England (1970) are included, a surprising number English-language works concerned with Scandanavia Gothic history. It may be stressed, conclusion, that the work is mellow distillation much research, high scholarship born lightly treatment fresh, perceptive remarkably readable. J.S. Ryan Department English University New Women writers Middle Ages: A Critical Study Texts from Perpetua (d.203) to Marguerite Porete (d.1310), Peter Dronke. Cambridge Press, 1984, pp. xi 338. This book presents reader an appealing paradox its very conception. sets out distinctly personal view writings, yet those writings for most part fairly remote familiar paths medieval studies. texts discussed women western Europe, excluding Celtic Norse texts. Most writing related some way religious concerns, but there wide variety literary type point view. pleasant surprise realize so by known this early period; much, fact, Dronke has rationalized his material, along certain guidelines. His main aim explore "texts which tell how they understand themselves their world, construct imaginative worlds own"; secondary deal more lesser less ones. As it turns out, often ones which, argued persuasively, have highly personalized individual content. result all relevant women's up twelfth century treated degree, while after time selectively. Thus Marie de France scarcely mentioned, only prolific Hrotsvitha Gandersheim Hildegard Bingen detail. Hildegard, Carolingian Dhuoda Heloise, separate chapters, other grouped chronologically three chapters. comprehensive Bibliography Notes support whole. Some plainly anonymous; problems kinds arise attribution pieces particular 204 authors. Perpetua's prison diary powerful account her arrest detention adhering Christian faith, recording practical experiences, visions observations on both day before she was die arena. actually embodied passio, whose author claims preserve "as left it, own way, set down hand". statement would justify inclusion book; readers might welcomed discussion grounds should fact accepted finished not reworking of, say, verbal cohesive written accounts. similar situation perceived case autobiographical passages preserved vita Hildegard; contemporary respect acknowledgment achievements writer, together later period better recorded, probably make uncertain than Perpetua's. Another considered, fourteenth century, Grazida Lizier, unlettered peasant girl Provence. Her understanding herself world recorded when interrogated witness inquisition into Catharist heresy. statements bring us contact kind woman voice little heard medievalists, therefore special interest. There must, however, uncertainty about degree closeness record what said, implicitly acknowledges. For one thing, vernacular speech being translated Latin presumably somewhat abbreviated...
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