Medieval Elite Women and the Exercise of Power, 1100–1400

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Medieval Elite Women and the Exercise of Power, 1100–1400 is written by Heather J. Tanner and published by Springer. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 3030013464 (ISBN 10) and 9783030013462 (ISBN 13).

For decades, medieval scholarship has been dominated by the paradigm that women who wielded power after c. 1100 were exceptions to the “rule” of female exclusion from governance and the public sphere. This collection makes a powerful case for a new paradigm. Building on the premise that elite women in positions of authority were expected, accepted, and routine, these essays traverse the cities and kingdoms of France, England, Germany, Portugal, and the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in order to illuminate women’s roles in medieval power structures. Without losing sight of the predominance of patriarchy and misogyny, contributors lay the groundwork for the acceptance of female public authority as normal in medieval society, fostering a new framework for understanding medieval elite women and power.