Hirmindrut Sculdarissa: A Ninth-Century Woman’s Original Letter and its Implications
Hailey La Voy
This article examines an original charter of sale from 841 (Verona, Archivio di Stato, App.* n. 10), and the brief letter written on its verso. In charter, a woman named Hirmindrut is documented purchasing two parcels land; some twenty years later she authored to Abbot Rumald Santa Maria in Organo (Verona) back that which made arrangements for donation her properties monastery. Hirmindrut’s document unique three reasons: first, hers only known surviving by ninth century; second, has been incorrectly assumed have man modern scholars who examined letter; third, as sculdarissa, otherwise unattested title suggesting was female sculdahis/sculdassius, Lombard administrative office thought reserved men. The potential functions sculdassius are then discussed, it argued ninth-century Italian women may able carry out this role.
The Journal of medieval Latin